UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)  

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016

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 001-36041

 

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

Maryland

 

26-4567130

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

 

 

 

Two Logan Square, 100 N. 18 th Street, 23 rd Floor,

Philadelphia, PA

 

19103

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

(Zip Code)

 

(215) 207-2100

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

 

Title of each class

 

Name of each exchange on which registered  

Common Stock

 

NYSE MKT

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934:

None

 

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes       No  

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Act.    Yes       No  

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       No  

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).    Yes       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 the 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 a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (check one):

 

Large accelerated filer

Accelerated filer

 

 

 

 

Non-accelerated filer

  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

Smaller reporting company

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes       No  

The aggregate market value of the shares of common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates of the registrant, based upon the closing price of such shares on June 30, 2016 of $8.18, was approximately $326,001,833.17.

As of February 28, 2017 there were 69,035,969 outstanding shares of the registrant’s common stock issued and outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the proxy statement for registrant’s 2017 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K.

 

 

 


 

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Forward Looking Statements

1

 

PART I

 

 

 

Item 1.

Business

2

Item 1A.

Risk Factors

8

Item 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

28

Item 2.

Properties

29

Item 3.

Legal Proceedings

30

Item 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

30

 

PART II

 

 

 

Item 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

30

Item 6.

Selected Financial Data

34

Item 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

34

Item 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

47

Item 8.

Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

49

Item 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

81

Item 9A.

Controls and Procedures

81

Item 9B.

Other Information

81

 

PART III

 

 

 

Item 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

94

Item 11.

Executive Compensation

94

Item 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

94

Item 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

94

Item 14.

Principal Accountant Fees and Services

95

 

PART IV

 

 

 

Item 15.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

95

Item 16

Form 10-K Summary

95

 

 


 

FORWARD LOOKI NG STATEMENTS

The Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, encourages companies to disclose forward-looking information so that investors can better understand a company’s future prospects and make informed investment decisions. This report contains or incorporates by reference such “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or Exchange Act.

Words such as “anticipates,” “estimates,” “expects,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes” and words and terms of similar substance used in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance identify forward-looking statements. As used herein, the terms “we,” “our” “us” and “IRT” refer to Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and, as required by context, Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, which we refer to as IROP, and their subsidiaries.

We claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be made directly in this report and they may also be incorporated by reference in this report to other documents filed with the SEC, and include, but are not limited to, statements about future financial and operating results and performance, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions with respect to future operations, products and services, and other statements that are not historical facts. These forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results discussed in these forward-looking statements.

The risk factors discussed and identified in item 1A of this report and in other of our public filings with the SEC, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this report. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, we undertake no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this filing or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

 

 

1


 

PART I

ITEM 1.

Business

 

Our Company

 

We are a Maryland corporation that owns apartment properties in geographic non-gateway markets that we believe support strong occupancy and have the potential for growth in rental rates. We seek to provide stockholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns, with an emphasis on distributions and capital appreciation. We became an internally-managed real estate investment trust, or REIT, in December 2016 as a result of completing the management internalization transactions, or the management internalization, described below under “Management Internalization.”  Prior to completing the management internalization, we were externally advised by a wholly-owned subsidiary of RAIT Financial Trust, or RAIT (NYSE: RAS).  We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2011.

 

We seek to acquire and operate apartment properties that:

 

have stable occupancy;

 

are located in non-gateway markets that we do not expect will experience substantial new apartment construction in the foreseeable future;

 

in appropriate circumstances, present opportunities for repositioning or updating through capital expenditures; and

 

present opportunities to apply tailored marketing and management strategies to attract and retain residents and enable rent increases.

 

Our Business Objective and Investment Strategies

 

Our primary business objective is to maximize stockholder value by increasing cash flows at our existing apartment properties and acquiring additional properties that have strong and stable occupancies with the ability to raise rental rates or that have the potential for repositioning through capital expenditures or tailored management strategies. We intend to achieve this objective by executing the following strategies:

 

 

Focus on properties in markets that have strong apartment demand, reduced competition from national apartment buyers and no substantial new apartment construction. In evaluating potential acquisitions, we analyze apartment occupancy and trends in rental rates, employment and new construction, among many other factors, and seek to identify properties located primarily in non-gateway markets where there is strong demand for apartment units, little to no apartment development, stable resident bases and occupancy rates, positive net migration trends and strong employment drivers. We generally seek to avoid markets where we believe potential yields have decreased as a result of the acquisition and development efforts of large institutional buyers.

 

 

Acquire properties that have operating upside through targeted management strategies. We have expertise in acquiring and/or managing properties and maximizing the net operating income, or NOI, of such properties through more effective marketing and leasing, better management of rental rates and more efficient expense management. We will seek to acquire properties that we believe possess significant prospects for increased occupancy and rental revenue growth. Our target profile for acquisitions currently is midrise/garden-style apartments containing 150-500 units with good amenities that we can acquire at less than replacement cost in the $15 million to $50 million price range with a five to fifteen year operating track record. We do not intend to limit ourselves to properties in this target profile, however, and may make acquisitions outside of this profile or change our target profile whenever market conditions warrant.

 

 

Selectively use our capital to improve apartment properties where we believe the return on such investments is accretive to our stockholders. We have significant experience allocating capital to value-added improvements of apartment properties to produce better occupancy and rental rates. We will selectively deploy our capital into revenue-enhancing capital projects that we believe will improve the physical plant or market positioning of particular apartment properties and generate increased income over time.

 

 

Use our extensive experience owning and/or managing apartment properties, and our networks of contacts in the apartment industry, to acquire additional apartment properties. We manage approximately 15,000 apartment units in 17 states (including those owned by us). We believe these factors and our management’s real estate relationships and access to off-market transactions, including relationships with the brokerage community, will continue to provide us with a strong pipeline of acquisition opportunities.

2


 

 

 

2016 Developments

 

Management Internalization Transaction

On September 27, 2016, we entered into an agreement, or the internalization agreement, with RAIT to complete the management internalization and separation from RAIT and its affiliates and to repurchase 7,269,719 shares of our common stock, or our common stock, from RAIT subsidiaries, representing all of the shares of our common stock owned by RAIT.

On October 5, 2016, we paid approximately $62.2 million to RAIT to repurchase, or the IRT stock repurchase, and retire RAIT’s shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $8.55 per share.  This price was equal to the price to the public in our common stock offering described below less underwriting discounts or commissions. 

On December 20, 2016, we completed the management internalization. The management internalization consisted of two parts: (i) the acquisition of our external advisor, which was a subsidiary of RAIT, and (ii) the acquisition of substantially all of its assets and the assumption of certain liabilities relating to the multifamily property management business of RAIT, including property management contracts relating to apartment properties owned by us, RAIT and third parties. The purchase price we paid RAIT for the Internalization was $43.0 million, subject to certain prorations at closing.  After the management internalization, we terminated our advisory agreement with the external advisor we had acquired.

 

Upon closing of the management internalization, each of Scott F. Schaeffer, our chairman of the board and chief executive officer, Farrell Ender, our president, and James J. Sebra, our chief financial officer and treasurer, entered into employment agreements with us. Messrs. Schaeffer and Ender became our employees upon closing.  Mr. Schaeffer resigned as RAIT’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer and Mr. Ender ceased to be employed by RAIT effective upon the closing of the management internalization.  Mr. Sebra remains the chief financial officer and treasurer of RAIT until the later to occur of March 31, 2017 or the filing of RAIT’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2016 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Upon closing of the management internalization, we hired substantially all of the employees of the multifamily property management business from RAIT we had acquired and other RAIT personnel who had focused primarily on our business.  We expect to continue to provide property management services to RAIT properties that were managed by RAIT’s multifamily property management business.  We do not expect to otherwise expand our multifamily property management business to third parties.

At the closing of the management internalization, we and RAIT entered into a shared services agreement, or the shared services agreement, pursuant to which we and RAIT will provide each other certain transitional services such as information technology, human resources, insurance, investor relations, legal, tax and accounting for a six-month transition period after the closing ending June 20, 2017.  

We believe the management internalization and IRT stock repurchase is and will be transformative for IRT.   

By acquiring our external advisor:

 

We eliminated all asset management fees payable to the external advisor;

 

 

We eliminated the advisory agreement termination fee, which equaled 4 times the average annual base management and incentive fees earned by the external advisor during the eight full calendar quarters preceding the termination date;

 

 

We removed the possibility of increased asset management fees payable to the external advisor that might result if we raised additional equity;

 

 

We established a newly independent IRT management team; and

 

 

We believe the management internalization will assist us in attracting new institutional investors, diversifying our stockholder base and improving our ability to raise capital.

 

By acquiring RAIT’s multifamily property management business:

 

 

We eliminated the related property management fees;

 

 

We plan to realize the potential for cost savings through the capture of economies of scale; and

3


 

 

 

We retained employees with knowledge of and experience with managing our properties

 

As a result of the IRT stock repurchase:

  

 

We believe we enhanced the float and liquidity of our common stock; and

 

 

We removed the potential adverse market effect on the trading of our common stock of possible sales by RAIT of its some or all of its substantial holdings of our common stock.

 

As a result of the management internalization we expect to save approximately $2.5 million per year on general and administrative expenses after the shared services period ends while eliminating the increased management cost related to growth under the external management contract structure .

 

2016 Common Stock Offering

 

On October 5, 2016, we closed an underwritten public offering, or the 2016 common stock offering, of 25,000,000 shares of our common stock at a public offering price of $9.00 per share for total net proceeds of approximately $213.4 million.  On October 21, 2016, we closed on the underwriters’ option to purchase 3,750,000 additional shares of our common stock at the public offering price, less underwriting discounts and commissions netting us an additional $32.1 million of proceeds.  In the aggregate, we received approximately $245.5 million of net proceeds from the 2016 common stock offering. We used the net proceeds from the 2016 common stock offering plus available cash as follows:  $40.0 million was used to repay our $40.0 million senior secured term loan facility; $43.0 million was reserved for, and ultimately paid to, RAIT at the closing of the management internalization; $62.2 million was used for the IRT stock repurchase; and $107.3 million was used to repay outstanding borrowings under our $325.0 million senior secured credit facility.  

 

Financing Strategy

 

We intend to use prudent amounts of leverage in making our investments.  As previously disclosed, we determined that the strategic long term benefits of our acquisition of Trade Street Residential, Inc., or TSRE, in September 2015 justified exceeding our historical leverage limits, defined as having total indebtedness of no more than approximately 65% of the combined initial purchase price of all of the properties in our portfolio.  Also, as previously disclosed, following the completion of our acquisition of TSRE, or the TSRE acquisition, we instituted a strategy, which we refer to as our capital recycling strategy, seeking to reduce IRT’s leverage ratio over time by using the proceeds from sales of properties which are outside our core geographic footprint in the Southeastern United States or which we believe we have limited potential for further improvements to their operating results to repay a portion of our indebtedness.  We have successfully continued to implement our capital recycling strategy to reduce our leverage and reduce our exposure to short term indebtedness. During 2016, our leverage as measured by the ratio of our debt to gross assets decreased from 64% to 54.3%. We continue to review and reposition our financing structures seeking to enhance our flexibility and liquidity while continuing to reduce our leverage.  For 2017, we expect one focus of our capital recycling strategy to be to match sales of our properties we classify as “C” properties with acquisitions we classify as “B” properties using the proceeds of sales of the “C” properties.  We classify our properties based on industry standards.  Our goal in having this focus for our capital recycling strategy in 2017 is to increase the amount of “B” properties in, and remove the “C” properties from, our portfolio without increasing our leverage or requiring additional issuances of our equity.

 

  For further description of our indebtedness at December 31, 2016, see “Part II-Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data-Note 5: Indebtedness” below, or the financial statements indebtedness note.  

 

In general, however, by operating on a leveraged basis, we expect to have more funds available for property acquisitions and other purposes, which we believe will allow us to acquire more properties than would otherwise be possible, resulting in a larger and more diversified portfolio. See “Part I-Item 1A. Risk Factors—Risks Associated with Debt Financing” below for more information about the risks related to operating on a leveraged basis.

 

If our board of directors changes our policies regarding our use of leverage, we expect that it will consider many factors, including, among others, the lending standards of government-sponsored enterprises, such as the Federal National Mortgage Association, or Fannie Mae, and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, or Freddie Mac, for loans in connection with the financing of apartment properties, the leverage ratios of publicly traded REITs with similar investment strategies, the cost of leverage as compared to expected operating net revenues and general market conditions.

 

4


 

Development and Structure of Our Company

 

We were formed as a Maryland corporation on March 26, 2009. RAIT acquired beneficial ownership of 100% of our outstanding common stock on January 20, 2011 for approximately $2.5 million and we commenced operations on April 29, 2011 upon our acquisition of six properties from RAIT. Since our formation, we have sold 55,198,300 shares of our common stock in six underwritten public offerings raising $497.2 million of gross proceeds. While RAIT has bought shares in several of these offerings, RAIT’s ownership percentage was reduced after each offering.  On October 5, 2016, we repurchased and retired all 7,269,719 shares of our common stock owned by RAIT.

 

We conduct our business through a traditional umbrella partnership REIT, or UPREIT, structure in which our properties are owned by our operating partnership, IROP, directly or through subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of IROP. IROP was formed as a Delaware limited partnership on March 27, 2009. Substantially all of our assets are held by, and substantially all of our operations are conducted through, our operating partnership. As the sole general partner of our operating partnership, we have the exclusive power under the partnership agreement to manage and conduct its business. Since IROP’s formation, IROP has issued 3,207,868 IROP units to unaffiliated third parties as part of the consideration to acquire 23 properties in five transactions, including 1,925,419 IROP units issued in connection with the TSRE acquisition. These IROP units are exchangeable for the equivalent number of shares of common stock or the equivalent value in cash, at our option, in defined circumstances. From IROP’s formation through December 31, 2016, 298,919 IROP units held by unaffiliated third parties have been exchanged for 298,913 shares of our common stock with fractional units being settled in cash.  From January 1, 2017 through March 1, 2017, 39,899 of IROP units held by unaffiliated third parties were exchanged for 39,899 shares of our common stock. As of December 31, 2016, 2,908,949 IROP units held by unaffiliated third parties were outstanding.  As of March 1, 2017, 2,869,050 IROP units held by unaffiliated third parties were outstanding.  We refer to these transactions as UPREIT transactions. Limited partners have certain limited approval and voting rights.

 

As described above under “Management Internalization,” we became internally managed as of December 20, 2016.  Prior to that, we were externally advised by our advisor, a RAIT subsidiary, pursuant to an advisory agreement and subject to the oversight of our board of directors. As described above, we acquired our advisor from RAIT as a result of the management internalization and terminated the advisory agreement.  Our advisor was formed on March 26, 2009 and, prior to the management internalization, was responsible for managing our day-to-day business operations and identifying properties for us to acquire. We did not have any employees until the management internalization closed.  See “Employees” below.  Items of compensation and expense reimbursement we paid to our advisor prior to the management internalization are outlined below in Item 8-“Financial Statements and Supplementary Data—Note 9. Related Party Transactions and Arrangements.”

 

As described above under “Management Internalization,” we acquired the multifamily property management business of RAIT on December 20, 2016 in connection with the management internalization.  We now operate that business in our wholly owned subsidiary, IRT Management, LLC, or IRT property manager, formed October 26, 2016. Prior to that, RAIT Residential, a RAIT subsidiary, was our property manager.  In the management internalization, RAIT Residential transferred substantially all of its assets and certain of its liabilities to us and we hired substantially all of its employees.  IRT property manager is a full-service apartment property management company that, as of December 31, 2016, employs approximately 400 staff and professionals and manages approximately 15,000 apartment units, including 12,982 units owned by us. IRT property manager provides services to us in connection with the rental, leasing, operation and management of our properties.

 

Competition

 

In attracting and retaining residents to occupy our properties, we compete with numerous other housing alternatives. Our properties compete directly with other rental apartments as well as condominiums and single-family homes that are available for rent or purchase in the sub-markets in which our properties are located. Principal factors of competition include rent or price charged, attractiveness of the location and property and quality and breadth of services and amenities. If our competitors offer leases at rental rates below current market rates, or below the rental rates we currently charge our tenants, we may lose potential tenants.

 

The number of competitive properties relative to demand in a particular area has a material effect on our ability to lease apartment units at our properties and on the rents we charge. In certain sub-markets there exists an oversupply of single family homes and condominiums and a reduction of households, both of which affect the pricing and occupancy of our rental apartments. Additionally, we compete with other real estate investors, including other apartment REITs, pension and investment funds, partnerships and investment companies in acquiring, redeveloping and managing apartment properties. This competition affects our ability to acquire properties and the price that we pay for such acquisitions.

 

Employees

 

As of March 1, 2017, we had 395 employees and believe our relationships with our employees to be good. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

5


 

 

Regulation

 

Our investments are subject to various federal, state, and local laws, ordinances, and regulations, including, among other things, zoning regulations, land use controls, environmental controls relating to air and water quality, noise pollution, and indirect environmental impacts such as increased motor vehicle activity. We believe that we have all permits and approvals necessary under current law to operate our investments.

 

Income Taxes

 

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. Accordingly, we recorded no income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013.

 

To qualify as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary taxable income to stockholders. As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income taxes on our taxable income at regular corporate rates and will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service grants us relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially adversely affect our net income and core funds from operations, or core FFO; however, we believe that we are organized and operate in such a manner as to qualify and maintain treatment as a REIT and intend to operate in such a manner so that we will remain qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes.   For a discussion of the tax implications of our REIT status to us and our stockholders, see “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” contained in Exhibit 99.1 to this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  

 

The table below reconciles the differences between reported net income (loss), total taxable income and estimated REIT taxable income for the three years ended December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

For the Years

Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Net Income

 

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

2,944

 

Add (deduct):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization differences

 

 

(3,063

)

 

 

334

 

 

 

489

 

Gain/loss differences

 

 

4,680

 

 

 

(3,175

)

 

 

(2,882

)

Gain recognized on TSRE Acquisition

 

 

(621

)

 

 

(64,604

)

 

 

-

 

IRT Internalization Expense

 

 

44,976

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Other book to tax differences:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalized acquisition costs

 

 

-

 

 

 

20,973

 

 

 

1,740

 

Share-based compensation expense

 

 

1,001

 

 

 

495

 

 

 

126

 

Other

 

 

(1,382

)

 

 

6

 

 

 

3

 

Total taxable income (loss)

 

$

36,036

 

 

$

(15,815

)

 

$

2,420

 

Deductible capital gain distribution

 

 

(34,783

)

 

 

(4,376

)

 

 

-

 

Taxable (income)/loss allocable to noncontrolling interest

 

 

(1,253

)

 

 

1,010

 

 

 

(16

)

Estimated REIT taxable income (loss) before dividends paid deduction

 

$

-

 

 

$

(19,181

)

 

$

2,404

 

 

6


 

  For the year ended December 31, 2016, the tax classification of our dividends on common shares was as follows:

 

Record

Date

 

Payment

Date

 

Dividend

Paid

 

 

Ordinary

Income

 

 

Qualified

Dividend

 

 

Total Capital Gain

Distribution

 

 

Unrecaptured

Section 1250 Gain

 

 

Return

of Capital

 

1/29/2016

 

2/16/2016

 

$

0.0600

 

 

$

0.0042

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

0.0558

 

 

$

0.0198

 

 

$

-

 

2/29/2016

 

3/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

3/31/2016

 

4/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

4/29/2016

 

5/16/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

5/31/2016

 

6/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

6/30/2016

 

7/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

7/29/2016

 

8/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

8/31/2016

 

9/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

9/30/2016

 

10/17/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

10/31/2016

 

11/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

11/30/2016

 

12/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

12/30/2016

 

01/17/2017

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

0.0042

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0558

 

 

 

0.0198

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.7200

 

 

$

0.0504

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

0.6696

 

 

$

0.2376

 

 

$

-

 

 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, the estimate REIT taxable loss before dividends paid deduction is primarily attributable to prepayment penalties incurred on the mortgage debt that was assumed as part of, and paid off upon closing of, the TSRE acquisition.

 

For the year ended December 31, 2015, the tax classification of our dividends on common shares was as follows:

 

Record

Date

 

Payment

Date

 

Dividend

Paid

 

 

Ordinary

Income

 

 

Qualified

Dividend

 

 

Total Capital Gain

Distribution

 

 

Unrecaptured

Section 1250 Gain

 

 

Return

of Capital

 

1/30/2015

 

2/17/2015

 

$

0.0600

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

0.0101

 

 

$

0.0101

 

 

$

0.0499

 

2/27/2015

 

3/16/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

3/31/2015

 

4/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

4/30/2015

 

5/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

5/29/2015

 

6/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

6/30/2015

 

7/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

7/31/2015

 

8/17/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

8/29/2015

 

9/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

9/15/2015

 

10/15/2015

 

 

0.0340

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0057

 

 

 

0.0057

 

 

 

0.0283

 

9/30/2015

 

10/15/2015

 

 

0.0260

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0044

 

 

 

0.0044

 

 

 

0.0216

 

10/30/2015

 

11/16/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

11/30/2015

 

12/15/2015

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

12/31/2015

 

01/15/2016

 

 

0.0600

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0101

 

 

 

0.0499

 

 

 

 

 

$

0.7200

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

0.1212

 

 

$

0.1212

 

 

$

0.5988

 

 

Financial Information About Industry Segments

 

Our current business consists of owning, managing, operating, leasing, acquiring, developing, investing in, and disposing of real estate assets. We internally evaluate all of our real estate assets as one industry segment, and, accordingly, we do not report segment information.

 

Available Information

 

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. The public may read and copy any materials we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC. The internet address of the SEC site is http://www.sec.gov. Our internet address is http:// www.irtliving.com. We make our SEC filings available free of charge on or through our internet website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. We are not incorporating by reference in this report any material from our website.

 

7


 

ITEM 1A.

Ri sk Factors

Stockholders should carefully consider the following risk factors in conjunction with the other information contained in this report. The risks discussed in this report could adversely affect our business, operating results, prospects and financial condition. This could cause the value of our common stock to decline and/or you to lose part or all of any investment in our securities. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face, but do represent those risks and uncertainties that we believe are material to us. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that, as of the date of this report, we deem immaterial may also harm our business. Some statements in this report, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Please refer to the “Forward-Looking Statements” above contained in this report.

Risks Related to Our Business and Operations

  Our portfolio of properties consists primarily of apartment communities concentrated in certain markets, and any adverse developments in local economic conditions or in the demand for apartment units in these markets may cause our operating results to decline.

Our portfolio of properties consists primarily of apartment communities geographically concentrated in the Southeastern United States, including Louisville, Kentucky, Memphis, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, Raleigh, North Carolina, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Dallas, Texas. As such, we are susceptible to local economic conditions and the supply of and demand for apartment units in these markets. If there is a downturn in the local economy or an oversupply of or decrease in demand for apartment units in these markets, our business could be harmed to a greater extent than if we owned a real estate portfolio that was more diversified in terms of both geography and industry focus.

Adverse economic conditions may reduce or eliminate our returns and profitability and, as a result, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

Our operating results may be affected by market and economic challenges, which may reduce or eliminate our returns and profitability and, as a result, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. These market and economic challenges include, principally, the following:

 

adverse conditions in the real estate industry could harm our business and financial condition by reducing the value of our existing assets, limiting our access to debt and equity capital and otherwise negatively impacting our operations;

 

any future downturn in the U.S. economy and the related reduction in spending, reduced home prices and high unemployment may result in tenant defaults under leases, vacancies at our apartment communities and concessions or reduced rental rates under new leases due to reduced demand;

 

the rate of household formation or population growth in our markets or a continued or exacerbated economic slow-down experienced by the local economies where our properties are located or by the real estate industry generally may result in changes in supply of or demand for apartment units in our markets; and

 

the failure of the real estate market to attract the same level of capital investment in the future that it attracts at the time of our purchases or a reduction in the number of companies seeking to acquire properties may result in the value of our investments not appreciating or decreasing significantly below the amount we pay for these investments.

The length and severity of any economic slow-down or downturn cannot be predicted. Our operations and, as a result, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders could be negatively affected to the extent that an economic slow-down or downturn is prolonged or becomes severe.

 

We depend on residents for revenue, and vacancies, resident defaults or lease terminations may cause a material decline in our operating results.

The success of our investments depends upon the occupancy levels, rental revenue and operating expenses of our apartment communities. Our revenues may be adversely affected by the general or local economic climate, local real estate considerations (such as oversupply of or reduced demand for apartment units), the perception by prospective residents of the safety, convenience and attractiveness of the areas in which our apartment communities are located (including the quality of local schools and other amenities) and increased operating costs (including real estate taxes and utilities).

Occupancy rates and rents at a community, including apartment communities that are newly constructed or in the lease-up phase, may fail to meet our original expectations for a number of reasons, including changes in market and economic conditions beyond our control and the development by competitors of competing communities and we may be unable to complete lease-up of a community on schedule, resulting in increased construction and financing costs and a decrease in expected rental revenues.

8


 

Vacancy rates may increase in the future and we may be unable to lease vacant units or renew expiring leases on attractive terms, or at all, and we may be required to offer reduced rental rates or other concessions to residents. Our revenues may be lower as a result of lower occupancy rates, increased turnover, reduced rental rates, increased economic concessions and potential increases in uncollectible rent. In addition, we will continue to incur expenses, including maintenance costs, insuran ce costs and property taxes, even though a property maintains a high vacancy rate. Our financial performance will suffer if our revenues decrease or our costs increase as a result of this trend.

The underlying value of our properties and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders will depend upon our ability to lease our available apartment units and the ability of our residents to generate enough income to pay their rents in a timely manner. Our residents’ inability to pay rents may be impacted by employment and other constraints on their personal finances, including debts, purchases and other factors. Upon a resident default, we will attempt to remove the resident from the premises and re-lease the unit as promptly as possible. Our ability and the time required to evict a resident, however, will depend on applicable law. Substantially all of the leases for our properties are short-term leases (generally, one year or less in duration). As a result, our rental income and our cash flow are impacted by declines in market conditions more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms.

We may be limited in our ability to diversify our investments.

Our ability to diversify our portfolio may be limited both as to the number of investments owned and the geographic regions in which our investments are located. While we will seek to diversify our portfolio by geographic location, we expect to focus on markets with high potential for attractive returns located in the United States and, accordingly, our actual investments may result in concentrations in a limited number of geographic regions. As a result, there is an increased likelihood that the performance of any single property, or the economic performance of a particular region in which our properties are located, could materially affect our operating results.

We may fail to consummate some or all potential property dispositions we disclose individually or in the aggregate, whether as part of our capital recycling strategy or otherwise, which could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity and leverage.

We have continued a capital recycling strategy that contemplates selling properties and may disclose other potential property dispositions, whether individually or in the aggregate, at any time and from time to time. We may disclose our plans to sell one or more properties prior to offering such properties for sale, identifying or negotiating with potential buyers, entering into letters of intent or if entering into a purchase and sale agreement at any time and from time to time. These letters of intent are generally non-binding. If we enter into a legally binding purchase and sale agreement to dispose of a property, any disposition may be subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions, and there can be no assurance that these conditions will be satisfied or that the disposition will close on the terms described, or at all. If we fail to consummate these dispositions, we will not have the use of the proceeds of the dispositions and may not be able to carry out our intended plans for such proceeds or may have to obtain liquidity from alternative sources on less favorable terms.  To the extent we intend to use proceeds of property sales to purchase new properties or to reduce our leverage by repaying our indebtedness, any such failure may cause us not to have the liquidity necessary to purchase such new properties or repay our indebtedness in accordance with its terms or we may be required to obtain such liquidity from such alternative sources. As a result, failure to consummate one or more of pending property dispositions we may disclose could have a material adverse impact on our liquidity and affect our ability to purchase new properties or may result in our obtaining alternative financing which may increase our leverage which could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and the market price of our common stock.

We may fail to consummate some or all potential property acquisitions we disclose individually or in the aggregate, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations, earnings and cash flow.

We may disclose potential property acquisitions, whether individually or in the aggregate, at any time and from time to time. We refer to the aggregate number of potential acquisitions we are considering at any particular time as our pipeline. We generally include a property in our pipeline when our underwriting and due diligence efforts have proceeded to the point where we have issued a letter of intent to acquire a particular property or if we have entered into a purchase and sale agreement. These letters of intent are generally non-binding. If we enter into legally binding purchase and sale agreements to acquire a property, any acquisition may be subject to the satisfaction of various closing conditions, and there can be no assurance that these conditions will be satisfied or that the acquisitions will close on the terms described herein, or at all. If we fail to consummate these acquisitions, to the extent we issued additional securities in order to use the proceeds of the offering to fund any of the acquisitions, we may have issued a significant number of our securities without realizing a corresponding increase in earnings and cash flow from acquiring the properties involved in such acquisitions. In addition, we may have broad authority to use the net proceeds of any offering for other purposes, including the repayment of indebtedness, the acquisition of other properties that we may identify in the future or for other investments, which may not be initially accretive to our results of operations. As a result, failure to consummate one or more of the pending property acquisitions could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition, results of operations and the market price of our common stock.

9


 

We may suffer from delays in locating suitable investments or, because of our public company status, may be unable to acquire otherwise suitable investments, which could adversely affect our growth prospects and results of operations.

Our ability to achieve our investment objectives and to make distributions to our stockholders depends upon our ability to locate, obtain financing for and consummate the acquisition of apartment properties that meet our investment criteria. The current market for apartment properties that meet our investment criteria is highly competitive. We cannot be sure that we will be successful in obtaining suitable investments on financially attractive terms or at all.

Additionally, as a public company, we are subject to the ongoing reporting requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. Pursuant to the Exchange Act, we may be required to file with the SEC financial statements of properties we acquire. To the extent any required financial statements are not available or cannot be obtained, we may not be able to acquire the property. As a result, we may be unable to acquire certain properties that otherwise would be suitable investments.

If we are unable to invest the proceeds of any offering of our securities in real properties in a timely manner, we may invest the proceeds in short-term, investment-grade investments which typically will yield significantly less than what we expect our investments will yield. As a result, delays we encounter in identifying and consummating potential acquisitions may adversely affect our growth prospects, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

If we lose or are unable to retain or obtain key personnel, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be hindered, which could reduce our ability to make distributions and adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

Our success depends to a significant degree upon the contributions of certain of our officers and other key personnel.  If any of our key personnel were to terminate their employment with us, our operating results could suffer. Further, we do have not and do not intend to maintain key person life insurance that would provide us with proceeds in the event of death or disability of any of our key personnel. We believe our future success depends upon our ability to hire and retain highly skilled managerial, operational and marketing personnel. Competition for such personnel is intense, and we cannot assure you that we will be successful in attracting and retaining such skilled personnel. If we lose or are unable to obtain the services of key personnel, our ability to implement our investment strategies could be delayed or hindered, and the trading price of our common stock may be adversely affected.

We may not manage the management internalization effectively or realize its anticipated benefits.

We internalized our management and separated from RAIT in a series of transactions completed on December 20, 2016 which included acquiring all of the shares of our common stock held by RAIT, acquiring our external advisor from RAIT and terminating the advisory agreement and acquiring the assets of RAIT’s apartment property manager from RAIT.  We may not manage the management internalization effectively. The management internalization could be a time-consuming and costly process. The internalized company may encounter potential difficulties in the integration process which may result in the inability to successfully internalize corporate management or the property manager in a manner that permits us to achieve the cost savings anticipated to result from the management internalization. Following the management internalization, we expect to be reliant on RAIT for certain services such as information technology, human resources, insurance, investor relations, legal, tax and accounting for a period of time after the closing. If we are unable to internalize or find other providers for these services within a reasonable time period, we may not achieve all of the expected benefits of the management internalization. We may not be able to retain all of the current employees who provided services to our former external advisor who transferred from RAIT to us upon the management internalization or our executive officers.  We also may not be able to retain all of the current properties of the property manager or the employees who transferred from RAIT to us upon the management internalization. Our general and administrative expenses after the management internalization could be higher than our current expectations. The failure to manage the internalization effectively, including failure to smoothly transition services or retain employees, could result in the anticipated benefits of the management internalization not being realized in the timeframe currently anticipated or at all. Any of these foregoing risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The management internalization was negotiated between a special committee of RAIT’s board of trustees comprised solely of independent trustees, or the RAIT special committee, and a special committee of the IRT board of directors comprised solely of independent directors, or the IRT special committee, to address potential conflicts of interest among executive officers shared by RAIT and IRT.

The management internalization was negotiated by the RAIT special committee on behalf of RAIT with the IRT special committee on behalf of IRT in order for RAIT and IRT to address potential conflicts of interest among executive officers shared by RAIT and IRT, including the following: (i) Mr. Schaeffer’s service as CEO of both RAIT and IRT and as chairman of the board of the board of trustees and as chairman of the IRT board of directors; and (ii) Mr. Sebra’s service as CFO and treasurer of both RAIT and IRT. As a result, the affiliated officers may have had different interests than we do with respect to the management internalization and the future conduct of the businesses of the companies. While the IRT special committee was responsible for negotiating on behalf of IRT to address potential conflicts of interest related to the management internalization, including those of the affiliated officers, these potential conflicts would not exist in the case of a transaction negotiated with unaffiliated third parties.

10


 

The representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities in the IRT internalization agreement and related agreements are subject to limitations and qualifiers, which may limit our ability to enforce any remedy under these agre ements.

The representations, warranties, covenants and indemnities in the IRT internalization agreement, the related shared services agreement and other agreements related to the IRT management internalization are subject to limitations and qualifiers, which may limit our ability to enforce any remedy under these agreements.  These include, without limitation, limitations on liability and materiality qualifiers on certain representations and covenants.

If we fail to maintain an effective system of integrated internal controls, we may not be able to accurately report our financial results and may be required to incur additional costs and divert management resources.

We depend on our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements in order to run our business. If we fail to do so, our business could be negatively affected and our independent registered public accounting firm may be unable to attest to the accuracy of our financial statements. A deficiency in internal control exists when the design or operation of a control does not allow management or employees, in the normal course of performing their assigned functions, to prevent, or detect and correct, misstatements on a timely basis. A significant deficiency is defined as a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting that is less severe than a material weakness, yet important enough to merit attention by those responsible for oversight of a registrant’s financial reporting. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the entity’s financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected, on a timely basis by the Company’s internal controls.

Although we continuously monitor the design, implementation and operating effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures, there can be no assurance that significant deficiencies or material weaknesses will not occur in the future. If we fail to maintain effective internal controls and disclosure controls in the future, it could result in a material misstatement of our financial statements that may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis, which could cause investors, analysts and others to lose confidence in our reported financial information. Our inability to remedy any additional deficiencies or material weaknesses that may be identified in the future could, among other things, cause us to fail to file timely our periodic reports with the SEC (which may have a material adverse effect on our ability to access the capital markets); prevent us from providing reliable and accurate financial information and forecasts or from avoiding or detecting fraud; or require us to incur additional costs or divert management resources to achieve compliance.

A change in the United States government policy with regard to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could impact our financial condition .

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are a major source of financing for the multifamily residential real estate sector. Many multifamily companies depend heavily on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to finance growth by purchasing or guarantying apartment loans and to refinance outstanding indebtedness as it matures. In August 2012, the U.S. Treasury modified its investment in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to accelerate the reduction of Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s investment portfolio and to require a sweep of all quarterly profits generated by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

In March 2013, proposed legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate to sell the assets of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over the next five years and to replace the firms’ roles in the housing market with government bond insurance. If this or similar legislation is enacted, the absence of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac may restrict financing for the multifamily residential real estate sector and, therefore, may adversely affect our business.

We do not know when or if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac will further restrict their support of lending to the multifamily industry or to us in particular. If new U.S. government regulations (i) heighten Fannie Mae’s and Freddie Mac’s underwriting standards, (ii) adversely affect interest rates and (iii) continue to reduce the amount of capital they can make available to the multifamily sector, it could reduce or remove entirely a vital resource for multifamily financing. Any potential reduction in loans, guarantees and credit-enhancement arrangements from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could jeopardize the effectiveness of the multifamily sector’s available financing and decrease the amount of available liquidity and credit that could be used to acquire and diversify our portfolio of multifamily assets, as well as dispose of our multifamily assets upon our liquidation, and our ability to refinance our existing mortgage obligations as they come due and obtain additional long-term financing for the acquisition of additional multifamily apartment communities on favorable terms or at all.

If we are not able to cost-effectively maximize the life of our properties, we may incur greater than anticipated capital expenditure costs, which may adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders .

As of December 31, 2016, the average age of our apartment communities was approximately 10 years, after adjusting for significant renovations. While the majority of our properties are newly-constructed or have undergone substantial renovations since they were constructed, older properties may carry certain risks including unanticipated repair costs associated with older properties, increased maintenance costs as older properties continue to age, and cost overruns due to the need for special materials and/or fixtures specific to older properties. Although we take a proactive approach to property preservation, utilizing a preventative maintenance plan, and selective improvements that mitigate the cost impact of maintaining exterior building features and aging building components, if

11


 

we are not able to cost-effectively maximize the life of our properties, we may incur greater than anticipated capital expenditure costs which may adversely affect our ability to make distribut ions to our stockholders.

Our growth will depend upon future acquisitions of multifamily apartment communities, and we may be unable to complete acquisitions on advantageous terms or acquisitions may not perform as we expect .

Our growth will depend upon future acquisitions of multifamily apartment communities, which entails various risks, including risks that our investments may not perform as we expect. Further, we will face competition for attractive investment opportunities from other real estate investors, including local real estate investors and developers, as well as other multifamily REITs, income-oriented non-traded REITs, and private real estate fund managers, and these competitors may have greater financial resources than us and a greater ability to borrow funds to acquire properties. This competition may increase as investments in real estate become increasingly attractive relative to other forms of investment. As a result of competition, we may be unable to acquire additional properties as we desire or the purchase price may be significantly elevated. In addition, our acquisition activities pose the following risks to our ongoing operations:

 

we may not achieve the increased occupancy, cost savings and operational efficiencies projected at the time of acquiring a property;

 

management may incur significant costs and expend significant resources evaluating and negotiating potential acquisitions, including those that we subsequently are unable to complete;

 

we may acquire properties that are not initially accretive to our results upon acquisition, and we may not successfully manage and operate those properties to meet our expectations;

 

we may acquire properties outside of our existing markets where we are less familiar with local economic and market conditions;

 

some properties may be worth less or may generate less revenue than, or simply not perform as well as, we believed at the time of the acquisition;

 

we may be unable to assume mortgage indebtedness with respect to properties we seek to acquire or obtain financing for acquisitions on favorable terms or at all;

 

 

we may forfeit earnest money deposits with respect to acquisitions we are unable to complete due to lack of financing, failure to satisfy closing conditions or certain other reasons;

 

we may spend more than budgeted to make necessary improvements or renovations to acquired properties; and

 

we may acquire properties without any recourse, or with only limited recourse, for liabilities, whether known or unknown, such as clean-up of environmental contamination, claims by tenants, vendors or other persons against the former owners of the properties, and claims for indemnification by general partners, trustees, officers, and others indemnified by the former owners of the properties.

Our growth depends on securing external sources of capital that are outside of our control, which may affect our ability to take advantage of strategic opportunities, satisfy debt obligations and make distributions to our stockholders.

In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we are generally required under the Code to distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the dividends paid deduction and excluding any net capital gain. In addition, we will be subject to income tax at regular corporate rates to the extent that we distribute less than 100% of our net taxable income, including any net capital gains. Because of these distribution requirements, we may not be able to fund future capital needs, including any necessary acquisition financing, from operating cash flow. Consequently, we may rely on third-party sources to fund our capital needs. We may not be able to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all. Any additional debt we incur will increase our leverage. If we issue additional equity securities to finance developments and acquisitions instead of incurring debt, the interests of our existing stockholders could be diluted. Our access to third-party sources of capital depends, in part, on:

 

general market conditions;

 

the market’s perception of our growth potential;

 

our current debt levels;

 

our current and expected future earnings;

 

our cash flow and cash distributions; and

 

the market price per share of our common stock.

If we cannot obtain capital from third-party sources, we may not be able to acquire properties when strategic opportunities exist, meet the capital and operating needs of our existing properties or satisfy our debt service obligations. Further, in order to meet the

12


 

REIT distribution requirements and maintain our REIT status and to avoid the payment of income and excise taxes, we may need to borrow funds on a short-term basis even if the then-prevailing market conditions are not favorable for these borrowings. These short-term borrowing needs could result from differences in timing between the actual receipt of cash and inclusion of income for U.S. federal income tax purposes or the effect of non-deductible capital expenditures, the creation of reserves, certain restrictions on distributions under loan documents or required debt or amortization payments.

To the extent that capital is not available to acquire properties, profits may not be realized or their realization may be delayed, which could result in an earnings stream that is less predictable than some of our competitors and result in us not meeting our projected earnings and distributable cash flow levels in a particular reporting period. Failure to meet our projected earnings and distributable cash flow levels in a particular reporting period could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and on the market price of our common stock.

We may increase our debt or raise additional capital in the future, which could adversely affect our financial condition and growth prospects.

To execute our business strategy, we will require additional capital. Debt or equity financing, however, may not be available to us on terms acceptable to us, if at all. If we incur additional debt or raise equity through the issuance of preferred stock, the terms of the debt or preferred stock issued may give the holders rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of holders of our common stock, particularly in the event of liquidation. The terms of any new debt may also impose additional and more stringent restrictions on our operations than we currently have. If we raise funds through the issuance of additional common equity, either through public or private offerings or rights offerings, the percentage ownership of our stockholders would decline. If we are unable to raise additional capital when needed, it could affect our financial condition and growth prospects.

We may be subject to contingent or unknown liabilities related to properties or business that we have acquired or may acquire for which we may have limited or no recourse against the sellers .

The properties or businesses that we have acquired or may acquire may be subject to unknown or contingent liabilities for which we have limited or no recourse against the sellers. Unknown liabilities might include liabilities for, among other things, cleanup or remediation of undisclosed environmental conditions, liabilities under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, or ERISA, claims of residents, vendors or other persons dealing with the entities prior to the acquisition of such property, tax liabilities, and accrued but unpaid liabilities whether incurred in the ordinary course of business or otherwise. Because many liabilities, including tax liabilities, may not be identified within the applicable contractual indemnification period, we may have no recourse against any of the owners from whom we acquired such properties for these liabilities. The existence of such liabilities could significantly adversely affect the value of the property subject to such liability. As a result, if a liability was asserted against us based on ownership of any of such properties, then we might have to pay substantial sums to settle it, which could adversely affect our cash flows.

Representations and warranties made by us in connection with sales of our properties may subject us to liability that could result in losses and could harm our operating results and, therefore distributions we make to our stockholders.

When we sell a property, we may be required to make representations and warranties regarding the property and other customary items. In the event of a breach of such representations or warranties, the purchaser of the property may have claims for damages against us, rights to indemnification from us or otherwise have remedies against us. In any such case, we may incur liabilities that could result in losses and could harm our operating results and, therefore distributions we make to our stockholders.

General Risks Related to Investments in Real Estate

We face numerous risks associated with the real estate industry that could adversely affect our results of operations through decreased revenues or increased costs.

As a real estate company, we are subject to various changes in real estate conditions and any negative trends in such real estate conditions may adversely affect our results of operations through decreased revenues or increased costs. These conditions include:

 

changes in national, regional and local economic conditions, which may be negatively impacted by concerns about inflation, deflation, government deficits, high unemployment rates, decreased consumer confidence and liquidity concerns, particularly in markets in which we have a high concentration of properties;

 

fluctuations in interest rates, which could adversely affect our ability to obtain financing on favorable terms or at all;

 

the inability of residents to pay rent;

 

the existence and quality of the competition, such as the attractiveness of our properties as compared to our competitors’ properties based on considerations such as convenience of location, rental rates, amenities and safety record;

 

increased operating costs, including increased real property taxes, maintenance, insurance and utilities costs;

 

weather conditions that may increase or decrease energy costs and other weather-related expenses;

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civil unrest, acts of God, including earthquakes, floods , hurricanes and other natural disasters, which may result in uninsured losses, and acts of war or terrorism;

 

oversupply of multifamily housing or a reduction in demand for real estate in the markets in which our properties are located;

 

a favorable interest rate environment that may result in a significant number of potential residents of our multifamily apartment communities deciding to purchase homes instead of renting;

 

changes in, or increased costs of compliance with, laws and/or governmental regulations, including those governing usage, zoning, the environment and taxes; and

 

rent control or stabilization laws, or other laws regulating rental housing, which could prevent us from raising rents to offset increases in operating costs.

                                                                                                            Economic conditions may adversely affect the residential real estate market and our income.

A residential property’s income and value may be adversely affected by international, national and regional economic conditions. During the past five years, the U.S. and international markets have experienced increased levels of volatility due to a combination of many factors, including decreased values of homes and commercial real estate, limited access to credit markets, increased energy costs, increased unemployment rates, and a national and global recession. Although recently some economic conditions appear to have improved, if such improvement does not continue or if new economic or capital markets problems arise, the value of our portfolio may decline significantly. A deterioration in economic conditions may also have an adverse effect on our operations if they result in our tenants or prospective tenants being unable to afford the rents we need to charge to be profitable.

In addition, local real estate conditions such as an oversupply of properties or a reduction in demand for properties, availability of “for sale” properties and competition from other similar properties, our ability to provide adequate maintenance, insurance and management services, increased operating costs (including real estate taxes), the attractiveness and location of the property and changes in market rental rates, may adversely affect a property’s income and value. A rise in energy costs could result in higher operating costs, which may affect our results from operations. In addition, local conditions in the markets in which we own or intend to own properties may significantly affect occupancy or rental rates at such properties. Layoffs, plant closings, relocations of significant local employers and other events reducing local employment rates and the local economy; an oversupply of, or a lack of demand for, apartments; a decline in household formation; the inability or unwillingness of residents to pay rent increases; and rent control, rent stabilization and other housing laws, all could prevent us from raising or maintaining rents, and could cause us to reduce rents.

We will face competition from third parties, including other apartment properties, which may limit our profitability and the return on any investment in our securities.

The apartment industry is highly competitive. This competition may limit our ability to increase revenue and could reduce occupancy levels and revenues at our apartment properties. We compete with many other entities engaged in real estate investment activities, including individuals, corporations, bank and insurance company investment accounts, other REITs, real estate limited partnerships, and other entities engaged in real estate investment activities. Many of these entities have significant financial and other resources, including operating experience, allowing them to compete effectively with us. Competitors with substantially greater financial resources than us may be able to accept more risk than we can effectively manage. In addition, those competitors that are not REITs may be at an advantage to the extent they can use working capital to finance projects, while we (and our competitors that are REITs) will be required by the annual distribution provisions under the Code to distribute significant amounts of cash from operations to our stockholders. Competition may also result in overbuilding of apartment properties, causing an increase in the number of apartment units available which could potentially decrease our occupancy and apartment rental rates. We may also be required to expend substantial sums to attract new residents. The resale value of the property could be diminished because the market value of a particular property will depend principally upon the net revenues generated by the property. In addition, increases in operating costs due to inflation may not be offset by increased apartment rental rates. Further, costs associated with real estate investment, such as real estate taxes and maintenance costs, generally are not reduced when circumstances cause a reduction in income from the investment. These events would cause a significant decrease in revenues and the trading price of our common stock, and could cause us to reduce the amount of distributions to our stockholders.

The illiquidity of real estate investments could make it difficult for us to respond to changing economic, financial, and investment conditions or changes in the operating performance of our properties, which could reduce our cash flows and adversely affect results of operations.

Real estate investments are relatively illiquid and may become even more illiquid during periods of economic downturn. As a result, we will have a limited ability to vary our portfolio in response to changes in economic, financial and investment conditions or changes in the operating performance of our properties. We may not be able to sell a property or properties quickly or on favorable terms in response to changes in the economy or other conditions when it otherwise may be prudent to do so. This inability to respond

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quickly to changes in the performance of our properties as a result of an econ omic or market downturn could adversely affect our results of operations if we cannot sell an unprofitable property.

We will also have a limited ability to sell assets in order to fund working capital, repay debt and similar capital needs. Our financial condition could be adversely affected if we were, for example, unable to sell one or more of our properties in order to meet our debt obligations upon maturity. We cannot predict whether we will be able to sell any property for the price or on the terms set by us, or whether any price or other terms offered by a prospective purchaser would be acceptable to us. We also cannot predict the length of time needed to find a willing purchaser and to close the sale of a property. We also may be required to expend funds to correct defects or to make improvements before a property can be sold, and we cannot assure you that we will have funds available to correct those defects or to make those improvements. Our inability to dispose of assets at opportune times or on favorable terms could adversely affect our cash flows and results of operations.

Moreover, the Code imposes restrictions on a REIT’s ability to dispose of properties that are not applicable to other types of real estate companies. In particular, the tax laws applicable to REITs require that we hold our properties for investment, rather than primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business, which may cause us to forego or defer sales of properties that otherwise would be in our best interests.

Therefore, we may not be able to vary our portfolio promptly in response to economic or other conditions or on favorable terms, which may adversely affect our cash flows, our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and the market price of our common stock.

Rising expenses could reduce cash flow and funds available for future acquisitions, which may have a material effect on the trading price of our common stock.

Our properties may be subject to increases in tax rates, utility costs, operating expenses, insurance costs, repairs and maintenance, administrative and other expenses. If we are unable to match increased costs with increased rental rates, our growth prospects, our ability to make distributions to stockholders and the trading price of our common stock may be materially and adversely affected.

Properties we purchase may not appreciate or may decrease in value.

The residential real estate market may experience substantial influxes of capital from investors. A substantial flow of capital, combined with significant competition for real estate, may result in inflated purchase prices for such assets. To the extent we purchase real estate in such an environment, we are subject to the risk that, if the real estate market subsequently ceases to attract the same level of capital investment, or if the number of investors seeking to acquire such assets decreases, our returns will be lower and the value of our assets may not appreciate or may decrease significantly below the amount we paid for such assets.   In addition, if interest rates applicable to financing apartment properties rise, that may negatively affect the values of our properties in any period when capitalization rates for our properties, an important valuation metric, do not make corresponding adjustments.

We may incur liabilities in connection with properties we acquire.

We may acquire properties that are subject to liabilities or that have problems relating to environmental condition, state of title, physical condition or compliance with zoning laws, building codes, or other legal requirements, many of which may not be known to us at the time of acquisition. In each case, our acquisition may be without any, or with only limited, recourse with respect to unknown liabilities or conditions. If any liability were asserted against us relating to those properties or entities, or if any adverse condition existed with respect to the properties or entities, we might have to pay substantial sums to settle or cure it, which could adversely affect our cash flow and operating results. While we will attempt to obtain appropriate representations and undertakings from the sellers of the properties or entities we acquire, the sellers may not have the resources to satisfy their indemnification obligations if a liability arises.

Increasing real estate taxes, utilities and insurance costs may negatively impact operating results.

As a result of our substantial real estate holdings, the cost of real estate taxes, utilities, and insuring our apartment communities is a significant component of expense. Real estate taxes, utilities costs and insurance premiums are subject to significant increases and fluctuations, which can be widely outside of our control. A number of our markets have multi-year real estate tax reassessments coming up in 2017 and tax increases may result from such reassessments.  If the costs associated with real estate taxes, utilities and insurance should rise, without being offset by a corresponding increase in rental rates, our results of operations could be negatively impacted, and our ability to pay our dividends and distributions and senior debt could be affected.

We may suffer losses that are not covered by insurance.

If we suffer losses that are not covered by insurance or that are in excess of insurance coverage, we could lose invested capital and anticipated profits. We maintain comprehensive insurance for our properties, including casualty, liability, fire, extended coverage, terrorism, earthquakes, hurricanes and rental loss customarily obtained for similar properties in amounts which our advisor determines are sufficient to cover reasonably foreseeable losses, and with policy specifications and insured limits that we believe are adequate and appropriate under the circumstances. Material losses may occur in excess of insurance proceeds with respect to any property, and there

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are types of losses, generally of a catastrophic nature, such as losses due to wars, pollution, environmental matters and mold, which are either uninsurable or not economically insurable, or may be insured subject to limitations, such as large deductib les or co-payments. Moreover, we cannot predict whether all of the coverage that we currently maintain will be available to us in the future, or what the future costs or limitations on any coverage that is available to us will be.

Lawsuits or other legal proceedings could result in substantial costs.

We are subject to various lawsuits and other legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business operations.  The defense or settlement of any lawsuit or claim may adversely affect our business, financial condition, or results of operations or result in increased insurance premiums.

We may be unable to secure funds for property improvements, which could reduce cash distributions to our stockholders.

When tenants do not renew their leases or otherwise vacate, we may be required to expend funds for capital improvements to the vacated apartment units in order to attract replacement tenants. In addition, we may require substantial funds to renovate an apartment property in order to sell, upgrade or reposition it in the market. If our reserves are insufficient to fund these improvements, we may have to obtain financing. We cannot assure you that sufficient financing will be available or, if available, will be available on economically feasible terms or on terms acceptable to us. Moreover, some reserves required by lenders may be designated for specific uses and may not be available for capital improvements to other properties. Additional borrowing will increase our interest expense, and could result in decreased net revenues and a decreased ability to make cash distributions to our stockholders.

Short-term tenant leases expose us to the effects of declining market rent, which could adversely impact our ability to make cash distributions to our stockholders.

We expect that most of our tenant leases will be for a term of one year or less. Because these leases generally permit the tenants to leave at the end of the lease term without any penalty, our rental revenues may be impacted by declines in market rents more quickly than if our leases were for longer terms.

The profitability of our acquisitions is uncertain.

We intend to acquire properties selectively. Acquisition of properties entails risks that investments will fail to perform in accordance with expectations. In undertaking these acquisitions, we will incur certain risks, including the expenditure of funds on, and the devotion of management’s time to, transactions that may not come to fruition. Additional risks inherent in acquisitions include risks that the properties will not achieve anticipated occupancy levels and that estimates of the costs of improvements to bring an acquired property up to standards established for the market position intended for that property may prove inaccurate.

Acquiring or attempting to acquire multiple properties in a single transaction may adversely affect our operations.

We may acquire multiple properties in a single transaction. Such portfolio acquisitions are more complex and expensive than single-property acquisitions, and the risk that a multiple-property acquisition does not close may be greater than in a single-property acquisition. Portfolio acquisitions may also result in us owning investments in geographically dispersed markets, placing additional demands on our ability to manage the properties in the portfolio. In addition, a seller may require that a group of properties be purchased as a package even though we may not want to purchase one or more properties in the portfolio. In these situations, if we are unable to identify another person or entity to acquire the unwanted properties, we may be required to operate, or attempt to dispose of, these properties. To acquire multiple properties in a single transaction, we may be required to accumulate a large amount of cash. We expect the returns that we can earn on such cash to be less than the ultimate returns on real property, and therefore, accumulating such cash could reduce the funds available for distributions. Any of the foregoing events may have an adverse effect on our operations.

If we sell properties by providing financing to purchasers, we will bear the risk of default by the purchaser.

If we decide to sell any of our properties, we intend to use commercially reasonable efforts to sell them for cash. However, in some instances, we may sell our properties by providing financing to purchasers. If we provide financing to purchasers, we will bear the risk of default by the purchaser which would reduce the value of our assets, impair our ability to make distributions to our stockholders and reduce the price of our common stock.

Our revenue and net income may vary significantly from one period to another due to investments in value-add properties and portfolio acquisitions, which could increase the variability of our cash distributions.

We may make investments in properties that have existing cash flow which are in various phases of development, redevelopment or repositioning and where we believe that, through limited capital expenditures, we can achieve enhanced returns (which we refer to as value-add properties), which may cause our revenues and net income to fluctuate significantly from one period to another. Projects do not produce revenue while in development or redevelopment. We have identified a number of properties in our portfolio as value-add properties and intend to make capital expenditures on such properties. During any period when the number of our projects in development or redevelopment or those with significant capital requirements increases without a corresponding increase in stable revenue-producing properties, our revenues and net income will likely decrease, and we could have losses. Moreover, value-add properties subject us to the risks of higher than expected construction costs, failure to complete projects on a

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timely basis, failure of the properties to perform at expected levels upon completion of development or redevelopment, and increased borrowings necessary to fund higher than expected construction or other costs related to the project. The occurrence of one or more of these risks could decrease our core FFO.

We may acquire properties through joint ventures, which could subject us to liabilities in excess of those contemplated or prevent us from taking actions which are in the best interests of our stockholders, which could adversely affect our trading price.

We may enter into joint ventures with affiliates and/or other third parties to acquire or improve properties. We may also purchase properties in partnerships, co-tenancies or other co-ownership arrangements. Such investments may involve risks not otherwise present when acquiring real estate directly, including the following:

 

a co-venturer, co-owner or partner may have certain approval rights over major decisions, which may prevent us from taking actions that are in the best interest of our stockholders but opposed by our partners or co-venturers;

 

a co-venturer, co-owner or partner may at any time have economic or business interests or goals which are or become inconsistent with our business interests or goals, including inconsistent goals relating to the sale of properties held in the joint venture or the timing of termination or liquidation of the joint venture;

 

a co-venturer, co-owner or partner in an investment might become insolvent or bankrupt (in which event we and any other remaining partners or members would generally remain liable for the liabilities of the partnership or joint venture);

 

 

we may incur liabilities as a result of an action taken by our co-venturer, co-owner or partner;

 

a co-venturer, co-owner or partner may be in a position to take actions contrary to our instructions, requests, objectives or policies, including our policy with respect to qualifying and maintaining our qualification as a REIT;

 

agreements governing joint ventures, limited liability companies and partnerships often contain restrictions on the transfer of a member’s or partner’s interest or “buy-sell” or other provisions that may result in a purchase or sale of the interest at a disadvantageous time or on disadvantageous terms;

 

disputes between us and our joint venturers may result in litigation or arbitration that would increase our expenses and prevent our officers and directors from focusing their time and effort on our business and result in subjecting the properties owned by the applicable joint venture to additional risk; and

 

under certain joint venture arrangements, neither venture partner may have the power to control the venture, and an impasse could be reached which might have a negative influence on the joint venture.

If any of the foregoing were to occur we may be subject to liabilities in excess of those contemplated, which could adversely affect our trading price.

Risks Associated with Debt Financing

We plan to incur mortgage indebtedness and other borrowings and are not limited in the amount or percentage of indebtedness that we may incur, which may increase our business risks.

We intend to acquire properties subject to existing financing or by borrowing new funds. In addition, we intend to incur additional mortgage debt by obtaining loans secured by some, or all, of our real properties to obtain funds to acquire additional real properties and/or make capital improvements to properties. We may also borrow funds, if necessary, to satisfy the requirement that we generally distribute to stockholders as dividends at least 90% of our annual REIT taxable income (computed without regard to dividends paid and excluding net capital gain), or otherwise as is necessary or advisable to assure that we maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Our charter and bylaws do not limit the amount or percentage of indebtedness that we may incur. We are subject to risks normally associated with debt financing, including the risk that our cash flows will be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest. There can be no assurance that we will be able to refinance any maturing indebtedness, that such refinancing would be on terms as favorable as the terms of the maturing indebtedness or that we will be able to otherwise obtain funds by selling assets or raising equity to make required payments on maturing indebtedness.

In particular, loans obtained to fund property acquisitions will generally be secured by mortgages or deeds in trust on such properties. If we are unable to make our debt service payments as required, a lender could foreclose on the property or properties securing its debt.

In addition, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, a foreclosure of any of our properties would be treated as a sale of the property for a purchase price equal to the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage. If the outstanding balance of the debt secured by the mortgage exceeds our tax basis in the property, we would recognize taxable income on foreclosure, but would not receive any cash proceeds. We may, in some circumstances, give a guaranty on behalf of an entity that owns one or more of our properties. In these cases, we will be responsible to the lender for satisfaction of the debt if it is not paid by such entity. If any

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mortgages contain cross-collate ralization or cross-default provisions, there is a risk that we could lose part or all of our investment in multiple properties. Each of these events could in turn cause the value of our common stock and distributions payable to stockholders to be reduced.

Any mortgage debt which we place on properties may prohibit prepayment and/or impose a prepayment penalty upon the sale of a mortgaged property. If a lender invokes these prohibitions or penalties upon the sale of a property or prepayment of a mortgage on a property, the cost to us to sell the property could increase substantially. This could decrease the proceeds from a sale or refinancing or make the sale or refinancing impractical, which may lead to a reduction in our income, which would reduce core FFO and, accordingly, our distributions to stockholders.

We may also finance our property acquisitions using interest-only mortgage indebtedness. During the interest-only period, the amount of each scheduled payment will be less than that of a traditional amortizing mortgage loan. The principal balance of the mortgage loan will not be reduced (except in the case of prepayments) because there are no scheduled monthly payments of principal during this period. After the interest-only period, we will be required either to make scheduled payments of amortized principal and interest or to make a lump-sum or “balloon” payment at maturity. These required principal or balloon payments will increase the amount of our scheduled payments and may increase our risk of default under the related mortgage loan. If the mortgage loan has an adjustable interest rate, the amount of our scheduled payments also may increase at a time of rising interest rates. Increased payments and substantial principal or balloon maturity payments will reduce the funds available for distribution to our stockholders because cash otherwise available for distribution will be required to pay principal and interest associated with these mortgage loans.

Failure to procure adequate capital and funding may decrease our profitability and our ability to make distributions, reducing the market price of our common stock.

We depend upon the availability of adequate funding and capital for our operations. As a REIT, we must distribute annually at least 90% of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain, to our stockholders and are therefore not able to retain significant amounts of our earnings for new investments. Consequently, we will depend upon the availability of financing and additional capital to execute our investment strategy. If sufficient financing or capital is not available to us on acceptable terms, we may not be able to achieve anticipated levels of profitability either due to the lack of funding or an increase in funding costs and our ability to make distributions and the price of our common stock may decline.

Lenders may require us to enter into restrictive covenants relating to our operations, which could limit our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

In providing financing to us, a lender may impose restrictions on us that would affect our ability to incur additional debt, make certain investments, reduce liquidity below certain levels, make distributions to our stockholders and otherwise affect our distribution and operating policies. Our KeyBank senior facility includes restrictions and requirements relating to the incurrence of debt, permitted investments, maintenance of insurance, mergers and sales of assets and transactions with affiliates. We expect that any other loan agreements we enter into will contain similar covenants and may also impose other restrictions and limitations. Any such covenants, restrictions or limitations may limit our ability to make distributions to you and could make it difficult for us to satisfy the requirements necessary to maintain our qualification as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Lenders may be able to recover against our other properties under our mortgage loans.

In financing our property acquisitions, we may seek to obtain secured nonrecourse loans. However, only recourse financing may be available, in which event, in addition to the property securing the loan, the lender would have the ability to look to our other assets for satisfaction of the debt if the proceeds from the sale or other disposition of the property securing the loan are insufficient to fully repay it. Also, in order to facilitate the sale of a property, we may allow the buyer to purchase the property subject to an existing loan whereby we remain responsible for certain liabilities associated with the debt.

If we are required to make payments under any “bad boy” carve-out guaranties that we may provide in connection with certain mortgages and related loans, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.

In obtaining certain nonrecourse loans, we may provide standard carve-out guaranties. These guaranties are only applicable if and when the borrower directly, or indirectly through agreement with an affiliate, joint venture partner or other third party, voluntarily files a bankruptcy or similar liquidation or reorganization action or takes other actions that are fraudulent or improper (commonly referred to as “bad boy” guaranties). Although we believe that “bad boy” carve-out guaranties are not guaranties of payment in the event of foreclosure or other actions of the foreclosing lender that are beyond the borrower’s control, some lenders in the real estate industry have recently sought to make claims for payment under such guaranties. In the event such a claim were made against us under a “bad boy” carve-out guaranty following foreclosure on mortgages or related loan, and such claim were successful, our business and financial results could be materially adversely affected.

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We may be subject to risks related to interest rate fluctuation s, and the derivative financial instruments that we may use may be costly and ineffective, may reduce the overall returns on any investment in our securities and have other related risks.

We may be subject to risks related to interest rate fluctuations if any of our debt is subject to a floating interest rate. At December 31, 2016, we had $750.2 million of outstanding indebtedness, $150.0 million of which was floating-rate indebtedness. On June 24, 2016, we entered into an interest rate swap contract with a notional value of $150.0 million, a strike rate of 1.145% based on 1-month LIBOR and a maturity date of June 17, 2021 to hedge our interest rate exposure on floating rate indebtedness. To the extent that we use derivative financial instruments to hedge our exposure to floating interest rate debt, we may be exposed to credit, basis and legal enforceability risks. Derivative financial instruments may include interest rate swap contracts, interest rate cap or floor contracts, futures or forward contracts, options or repurchase agreements. In this context, credit risk is the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. If the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty owes us, which creates credit risk for us. Basis risk occurs when the index upon which the contract is based is more or less variable than the index upon which the hedged asset or liability is based, thereby making the hedge less effective. Finally, legal enforceability risks encompass general contractual risks, including the risk that the counterparty will breach the terms of, or fail to perform its obligations under, the derivative contract. Moreover, hedging strategies involve transaction and other costs. If we are unable to manage these risks and costs effectively, our results of operations, financial condition and ability to make distributions to you will be adversely affected.

Some of our outstanding mortgage indebtedness contains, and we may in the future acquire or finance properties with, lock-out provisions, which may prohibit us from selling a property, or may require us to maintain specified debt levels for a period of years on some properties .

A lock-out provision is a provision that prohibits the prepayment of a loan during a specified period of time. Lock-out provisions may include terms that provide strong financial disincentives for borrowers to prepay their outstanding loan balance and exist in order to protect the yield expectations of lenders. Some of our outstanding mortgage indebtedness is, and we expect that many of our properties will be, subject to lock-out provisions. Lock-out provisions could materially restrict us from selling or otherwise disposing of or refinancing properties when we may desire to do so. Lock-out provisions may prohibit us from reducing the outstanding indebtedness with respect to any properties, refinancing such indebtedness on a non-recourse basis at maturity, or increasing the amount of indebtedness with respect to such properties. Lock-out provisions could impair our ability to take other actions during the lock-out period that could be in the best interests of our stockholders and, therefore, may have an adverse impact on the value of our shares relative to the value that would result if the lock-out provisions did not exist. In particular, lock-out provisions could preclude us from participating in major transactions that could result in a disposition of our assets or a change in control even though that disposition or change in control might be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Complying with REIT requirements may limit our ability to hedge risk effectively.

The REIT provisions of the Code may limit our ability to hedge the risks inherent to our operations. Any income or gain derived by us from transactions that hedge certain risks, such as the risk of changes in interest rates, will not be treated as gross income for purposes of either the 75% or the 95% Gross Income Test, as defined in Exhibit 99.1 “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” of this report, provided specific requirements are met. Such requirements include that the hedging transaction be properly identified within prescribed time periods and that the transaction either (i) hedges risks associated with indebtedness issued by us that is incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets or (ii) manages the risks of currency fluctuations with respect to income or gain that qualifies under the 75% or 95% Gross Income Test (or assets that generate such income). To the extent that we do not properly identify such transactions as hedges, hedge with other types of financial instruments, or hedge other types of indebtedness, the income from those transactions will not be treated as qualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% Gross Income Tests. As a result of these rules, we may have to limit the use of hedging techniques that might otherwise be advantageous, which could result in greater risks associated with interest rate or other changes than we would otherwise incur.

Higher levels of debt or increases in interest rates could increase the amount of our debt payments and adversely affect our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

We expect that we will incur additional indebtedness in the future. Interest we pay reduces our core FFO. In addition, if we incur variable rate debt in the future, increases in interest rates could raise our interest costs, which would reduce our cash flows and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders. If we are unable to refinance our indebtedness at maturity or meet our payment obligations, the amount of our distributable cash flows and our financial condition would be adversely affected, and we may lose the property securing such indebtedness. In addition, if we need to repay existing debt during periods of rising interest rates, we could be required to liquidate one or more of our investments in properties at times which may not permit realization of the maximum return on such investments.

There is refinancing risk associated with our debt.

Certain of our outstanding debt contains, and we may in the future acquire or finance properties with debt containing, limited or no principal amortization, which would require that the principal be repaid at the maturity of the loan in a so-called “balloon payment.” As of December 31, 2016, the financing arrangements of our outstanding indebtedness could require us to make lump-sum or “balloon” payments of approximately $708.5 million at maturity dates that range from 2018 to 2026. At the maturity of these loans,

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assuming we do not have sufficient funds to repay the debt, we will need to refinance the debt. If the credit environment is constrained at the time of our debt maturities, we would have a very difficult time refinancing debt. In addition, for certain loans, we locked in our fixed-rate debt at a point in time when we were able to obtain favorable interest rate, principal payments and other terms. When we refinance our debt, prevailing interest rates and other factors may result in us paying a greater amount of debt service, which will adversely affect our cash flow, and, consequently, our core FFO and distributions to our stockholders. If we are u nable to refinance our debt on acceptable terms, we may be forced to choose from a number of unfavorable options, including agreeing to otherwise unfavorable financing terms on one or more of our unencumbered assets, selling one or more properties at disad vantageous terms, including unattractive prices, or defaulting on the mortgage and permitting the lender to foreclose. Any one of these options could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance or refinance our properties, which could reduce the amount of cash distributions we can make .

If mortgage debt is unavailable at reasonable rates, we may not be able to finance the purchase of properties. In addition, we run the risk of being unable to refinance mortgage debt when the loans come due or of being unable to refinance such debt on favorable terms. If interest rates are higher when we refinance such debt, our income could be reduced. We may be unable to refinance such debt at appropriate times, which may require us to sell properties on terms that are not advantageous to us or could result in the foreclosure of such properties. If any of these events occur, our cash flows would be reduced. This, in turn, would reduce core FFO to our stockholders and may hinder our ability to raise more capital by issuing more stock or by borrowing more money.

Some of our mortgage loans may have “due on sale” provisions, which may impact the manner in which we acquire, sell and/or finance our properties.

In purchasing properties subject to financing, we may obtain financing with “due-on-sale” and/or “due-on-encumbrance” clauses. Due-on-sale clauses in mortgages allow a mortgage lender to demand full repayment of the mortgage loan if the borrower sells the mortgaged property. Similarly, due-on-encumbrance clauses allow a mortgage lender to demand full repayment if the borrower uses the real estate securing the mortgage loan as security for another loan. In such event, we may be required to sell our properties on an all-cash basis, to acquire new financing in connection with the sale, or to provide seller financing which may make it more difficult to sell the property or reduce the selling price.

Compliance with Laws

We are subject to significant regulations, which could adversely affect our results of operations through increased costs and/or an inability to pursue business opportunities.

Local zoning and use laws, environmental statutes and other governmental requirements may restrict or increase the costs of our development, expansion, renovation and reconstruction activities and thus may prevent or delay us from taking advantage of business opportunities. Failure to comply with these requirements could result in the imposition of fines, awards to private litigants of damages against us, substantial litigation costs and substantial costs of remediation or compliance. In addition, we cannot predict what requirements may be enacted in the future or that such requirements will not increase our costs of regulatory compliance or prohibit us from pursuing business opportunities that could be profitable to us, which could adversely affect our results of operations.

The costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations may adversely affect our income and the cash available for any distributions .

All real property and the operations conducted on real property are subject to federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to environmental protection and human health and safety. Examples of federal laws include: the National Environmental Policy Act, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, the Federal Clean Air Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act and the Hazard Communication Act. These laws and regulations generally govern wastewater discharges, air emissions, the operation and removal of underground and aboveground storage tanks, the use, storage, treatment, transportation and disposal of solid and hazardous materials, and the remediation of contamination associated with disposals. Some of these laws and regulations may impose joint and several liability on tenants, owners or operators for the costs of investigation or remediation of contaminated properties, regardless of fault or the legality of the original disposal.

Under various federal, state and local environmental laws, ordinances and regulations, a current or previous owner or operator of real property may be liable for the cost of removal or remediation of hazardous or toxic substances on, under or in such property. The costs of removal or remediation could be substantial. These laws often impose liability whether or not the owner or operator knew of, or was responsible for, the presence of the hazardous or toxic substances. In addition, the presence of these substances, or the failure to properly remediate these substances, may adversely affect our ability to sell or rent the property or to use the property as collateral for future borrowing.

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Environmental la ws also may impose restrictions on the manner in which property may be used or businesses may be operated, and these restrictions may require substantial expenditures. Environmental laws provide for sanctions in the event of noncompliance and may be enforc ed by governmental agencies or, in certain circumstances, by private parties. Certain environmental laws and common law principles govern the presence, maintenance, removal and disposal of certain building materials, including asbestos and lead-based paint . Such hazardous substances could be released into the air and third parties may seek recovery from owners or operators of real properties for personal injury or property damage associated with exposure to released hazardous substances.

In addition, if any property in our portfolio is not properly connected to a water or sewer system, or if the integrity of such systems is breached, microbial matter or other contamination can develop. If this were to occur, we could incur significant remedial costs and we may also be subject to private damage claims and awards, which could be material. If we become subject to claims in this regard, it could materially and adversely affect us.

Property values may also be affected by the proximity of such properties to electric transmission lines. Electric transmission lines are one of many sources of electro-magnetic fields, or EMFs, to which people may be exposed. Research completed regarding potential health concerns associated with exposure to EMFs has produced inconclusive results. Notwithstanding the lack of conclusive scientific evidence, some states now regulate the strength of electric and magnetic fields emanating from electric transmission lines and other states have required transmission facilities to measure for levels of EMFs. On occasion, lawsuits have been filed (primarily against electric utilities) that allege personal injuries from exposure to transmission lines and EMFs, as well as from fear of adverse health effects due to such exposure. This fear of adverse health effects from transmission lines may be considered both when property values are determined to obtain financing and in condemnation proceedings. We may not, in certain circumstances, search for electric transmission lines near our properties, but are aware of the potential exposure to damage claims by persons exposed to EMFs.

There may also be potential liability associated with lead-based paint arising from lawsuits alleging personal injury and related claims. The existence of lead paint is especially a concern in residential units. A structure built prior to 1978 may contain lead-based paint and may present a potential for exposure to lead; however, structures built after 1978 are not likely to contain lead-based paint.

The cost of defending against such claims of liability, of compliance with environmental regulatory requirements, of remediating any contaminated property, or of paying personal injury claims could materially adversely affect our business, assets or results of operations and, consequently, amounts available for distribution to our stockholders.

Compliance with new or more stringent laws or regulations or stricter interpretation of existing laws may require material expenditures by us. We cannot assure you that future laws, ordinances or regulations will not impose any material environmental liability, or that the current environmental condition of our properties will not be affected by the operations of residents, existing conditions of the land, operations in the vicinity of the properties, or the activities of unrelated third parties. In addition, there are various local, state and federal fire, health, life-safety and similar regulations that we may be required to comply with. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in fines and/or damages, suspension of our personnel and/or other sanctions.

We cannot provide any assurance properties which we acquire will not have any material environmental conditions, liabilities or compliance concerns. Accordingly, we have no way of determining at this time the magnitude of any potential liability to which we may be subject arising out of environmental conditions or violations with respect to the properties we own.

As the owner or operator of real property, we could become subject to liability for asbestos-containing building materials in the buildings on our properties .

Some of our properties may contain asbestos-containing materials. Environmental laws typically require that owners or operators of buildings with asbestos-containing building materials properly manage and maintain these materials, adequately inform or train those who may come in contact with asbestos and undertake special precautions, including removal or other abatement, in the event that asbestos is disturbed during building renovation or demolition. These laws may impose fines and penalties on building owners or operators for failure to comply with these requirements. In addition, third parties may be entitled to seek recovery from owners or operators for personal injury associated with exposure to asbestos-containing building materials.

In addition, many insurance carriers are excluding asbestos-related claims from standard policies, pricing asbestos endorsements at prohibitively high rates or adding significant restrictions to this coverage. Because of our inability to obtain specialized coverage at rates that correspond to the perceived level of risk, we may not obtain insurance for asbestos-related claims. We will continue to evaluate the availability and cost of additional insurance coverage from the insurance market. If we decide in the future to purchase insurance for asbestos, the cost could have a negative impact on our results of operations.

Costs associated with addressing indoor air quality issues, moisture infiltration and resulting mold remediation may be costly .

As a general matter, concern about indoor exposure to mold or other air contaminants has been increasing as such exposure has been alleged to have a variety of adverse effects on health. As a result, there have been a number of lawsuits in our industry against owners and managers of apartment communities relating to indoor air quality, moisture infiltration and resulting mold. Some of our properties may contain microbial matter such as mold and mildew. The terms of our property and general liability policies generally exclude certain mold-related claims. Should an uninsured loss arise against us, we would be required to use our funds to resolve the

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issue, including litigation costs. We can offer no assurance that liabilities resulting from indoor air quality, moisture infiltration and the presence of or exposure to mold will not have a future impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

Our costs associated with and the risk of failing to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act may affect core FFO.

We generally expect that our properties will be subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, or the Disabilities Act. Under the Disabilities Act, all places of public accommodation are required to comply with federal requirements related to access and use by disabled persons. The Disabilities Act has separate compliance requirements for “public accommodations” and “commercial facilities” that generally require that buildings and services be made accessible and available to people with disabilities. The Disabilities Act does not, however, consider residential properties, such as apartment properties, to be public accommodations or commercial facilities, except to the extent portions of such facilities, such as a leasing office, are open to the public. The Disabilities Act’s requirements could require removal of access barriers and could result in the imposition of injunctive relief, monetary penalties or, in some cases, an award of damages. We will attempt to acquire properties that comply with the Disabilities Act or place the burden on the seller or a third party to ensure compliance with such laws. However, we cannot assure you that we will be able to acquire properties or allocate responsibilities in this manner. If we cannot, costs in complying with these laws may affect core FFO and the amount of distributions to you.

We must comply with the Fair Housing Amendments Act of 1988, or the FHAA, and failure to comply may affect core FFO.

We must comply with the FHAA, which requires that apartment properties first occupied after March 13, 1991 be accessible to handicapped residents and visitors. As with the Disabilities Act, compliance with the FHAA could require removal of structural barriers to handicapped access in a community, including the interiors of apartment units covered under the FHAA. Recently there has been heightened scrutiny of apartment housing properties for compliance with the requirements of the FHAA and the Disabilities Act and an increasing number of substantial enforcement actions and private lawsuits have been brought against apartment communities to ensure compliance with these requirements. Noncompliance with the FHAA could result in the imposition of fines, awards of damages to private litigants, payment of attorneys’ fees and other costs to plaintiffs, substantial litigation costs and substantial costs of remediation.

United States Federal Income Tax Risks

We may decide to borrow funds to satisfy our REIT minimum distribution requirements, which could adversely affect our overall financial performance.

We may decide to borrow funds in order to meet the REIT minimum distribution requirements even if our management believes that the then prevailing market conditions generally are not favorable for such borrowings or that such borrowings would not be advisable in the absence of such tax considerations. If we borrow money to meet the REIT minimum distribution requirements or for other working capital needs, our expenses will increase, our net income will be reduced by the amount of interest we pay on the money we borrow and we will be obligated to repay the money we borrow from future earnings or by selling assets, any or all of which may decrease future distributions to stockholders.

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we may be forced to forego otherwise attractive opportunities, which may delay or hinder our ability to meet our investment objectives and adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must satisfy certain tests on an ongoing basis concerning, among other things, the sources of our income, nature of our assets and the amounts we distribute to our stockholders. We may be required to make distributions to stockholders at times when it would be more advantageous to reinvest cash in our business or when we do not have funds readily available for distribution. Compliance with the REIT qualification requirements may hinder our ability to operate solely on the basis of maximizing profits and adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

If we fail to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we will be subject to tax on our income, and the amount of distributions we make to our stockholders will be less.

We intend to maintain our qualification as a REIT under the Code. A REIT generally is not taxed at the corporate level on income and gains that it distributes to its stockholders on a timely basis. We do not intend to request a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or the IRS, as to our REIT status. Qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex rules for which there are only limited judicial or administrative interpretations. The determination of various factual matters and circumstances not entirely within our control may affect our ability to continue to qualify as a REIT. In addition, new legislation, regulations, administrative interpretations or court decisions could significantly change the tax laws with respect to qualification as a REIT or the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such qualification, including changes with retroactive effect.

If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year:

 

we would not be allowed to deduct our distributions to our stockholders when computing our taxable income;

 

we would be subject to U.S. federal income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates;

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we generally would be disqualified from being taxed as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost, unless entitled to relief under certain statutory provisions;

 

 

we would have less cash to make distributions to our stockholders; and

 

we might be required to borrow additional funds or sell some of our assets in order to pay corporate tax obligations we may incur as a result of our disqualification.

Although our organization and current and proposed method of operation is intended to enable us to maintain our qualification to be taxed as a REIT, it is possible that future economic, market, legal, tax or other considerations may cause our board of directors to revoke our REIT election. Even if we maintain our qualification to be taxed as a REIT, we expect to incur some taxes, such as state and local taxes, taxes imposed on certain subsidiaries and potential U.S. federal excise taxes.

We encourage you to read Exhibit 99.1—“Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations” to this report for further discussion of the tax issues related to an investment in us.

The ability of our Board of Directors to revoke our REIT election without stockholder approval may cause adverse consequences to our stockholders.

Our Charter provides that our Board of Directors may revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election, without the approval of our stockholders, if it determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to maintain our qualification as a REIT. If we cease to maintain our qualification as a REIT, we would become subject to U.S. federal income tax on our taxable income without the benefit of the dividends paid deduction and would no longer be required to distribute most of our taxable income to our stockholders, which may have adverse consequences on the total return to our stockholders.

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must meet annual distribution requirements, which may result in our distributing amounts that may otherwise be used for our operations.

To obtain the favorable tax treatment accorded to REITs, we generally are required each year to distribute to our stockholders at least 90% of our REIT taxable income (excluding net capital gain), determined without regard to the deduction for distributions paid. We are subject to U.S. federal income tax on our undistributed taxable income and net capital gain and to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on any amount by which distributions we pay with respect to any calendar year are less than the sum of (i) 85% of our ordinary income, (ii) 95% of our capital gain net income and (iii) 100% of our undistributed income from prior years. These requirements could cause us to distribute amounts that otherwise would be spent on investments in real estate assets, and it is possible that we might be required to borrow funds, possibly at unfavorable rates, or sell assets to fund these distributions. Although we intend to make distributions sufficient to meet the annual distribution requirements and to avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our earnings, it is possible that we might not always be able to do so.

Complying with REIT requirements may cause us to forgo otherwise attractive opportunities.

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must continually satisfy various tests regarding sources of income, nature and diversification of assets, amounts distributed to stockholders and the ownership of shares of our capital stock. In order to satisfy these tests, we may be required to forgo investments that might otherwise be made. Accordingly, compliance with the REIT requirements may hinder our investment performance.

In particular, at least 75% of our total assets at the end of each calendar quarter must consist of real estate assets, government securities, and cash or cash items. For this purpose, “real estate assets” generally include interests in real property, such as land, buildings, leasehold interests in real property, stock of other entities that qualify as REITs, interests in mortgage loans secured by real property, investments in stock or debt instruments during the one-year period following the receipt of new capital and regular or residual interests in a real estate mortgage investment conduit, or REMIC. In addition, the amount of securities of a single issuer that we hold, other than securities qualifying under the 75% asset test and certain other securities, must generally not exceed either 5% of the value of our gross assets or 10% of the vote or value of such issuer’s outstanding securities.

 

A REIT’s net income from prohibited transactions is subject to a 100% penalty tax. In general, prohibited transactions are sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held in inventory or primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business. It may be possible to reduce the impact of the prohibited transaction tax and the holding of assets not qualifying as real estate assets for purposes of the REIT asset tests by conducting certain activities, or holding non-qualifying REIT assets through a TRS, subject to certain limitations as described below. To the extent that we engage in such activities through a TRS, the income associated with such activities will be subject to full U.S. federal corporate income tax.

Certain of our business activities are potentially subject to the prohibited transaction tax, which could reduce the return on any investment in our securities.

Our ability to dispose of property is restricted to a substantial extent as a result of our REIT status. Under applicable provisions of the Code regarding prohibited transactions by REITs, we will be subject to a 100% tax on any gain recognized on the sale or other

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disposition of any property (other tha n foreclosure property) that we own, directly or through any subsidiary entity, including IROP, but excluding a TRS, that is deemed to be inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of trade or business. Whether proper ty is inventory or otherwise held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business depends on the particular facts and circumstances surrounding each property. No assurance can be given that any particular property we own, dire ctly or through any subsidiary entity, including IROP, but excluding a TRS, will not be treated as inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business.

The use of TRSs would increase our overall tax liability.

Some of our assets may need to be owned or sold, or some of our operations may need to be conducted, by TRSs. We do not currently have a TRS but may form one in the future. A TRS will be subject to U.S. federal and state income tax on its taxable income. The after-tax net income of a TRS would be available for distribution to us. Further, we will incur a 100% excise tax on transactions with a TRS that are not conducted on an arm’s length basis. For example, to the extent that the rent paid by a TRS exceeds an arm’s length rental amount, such amount is potentially subject to the excise tax. We intend that all transactions between us and any TRS we form will be conducted on an arm’s length basis, and, therefore, any amounts paid by any TRS we form to us will not be subject to the excise tax. However, no assurance can be given that no excise tax would arise from such transactions.

Dividends paid by REITs do not qualify for the reduced tax rates provided for under current law.

Dividends paid by REITs are generally not eligible for the reduced 20% maximum tax rate applicable to qualified dividends paid to individuals. The more favorable rates applicable to qualified dividends could cause stockholders who are individuals to perceive investments in REITs to be relatively less attractive than investments in the stock of non-REIT corporations that pay dividends to which more favorable rates apply, which could reduce the value of the stocks of REITs.

 

If our operating partnership, IROP, is not treated as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, its income may be subject to taxation.

We intend to maintain the status of IROP as a partnership or disregarded entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, if the IRS were to successfully challenge the status of IROP as a partnership or disregarded entity for such purposes, it would be taxable as a corporation. In such event, this would reduce the amount of distributions that IROP could make to us. This would also result in our losing REIT status, and becoming subject to a corporate level tax on our own income. This would substantially reduce our cash available to pay distributions and the yield on any investment in our securities. In addition, if any of the partnerships or limited liability companies through which IROP owns its properties, in whole or in part, loses its characterization as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be subject to taxation as a corporation, thereby reducing distributions to IROP. Such a recharacterization of an underlying property owner could also threaten our ability to maintain REIT status.

Distributions to tax-exempt investors may be classified as unrelated business taxable income, or UBTI, and tax-exempt investors would be required to pay tax on such income and to file income tax returns.

Neither ordinary nor capital gain distributions with respect to our common stock nor gain from the sale of stock should generally constitute UBTI to a tax-exempt investor. However, there are certain exceptions to this rule, including:

 

under certain circumstances, part of the income and gain recognized by certain qualified employee pension trusts with respect to our stock may be treated as UBTI if our stock is predominately held by qualified employee pension trusts, such that we are a “pension-held” REIT (which we do not expect to be the case);

 

part of the income and gain recognized by a tax-exempt investor with respect to our stock would constitute UBTI if such investor incurs debt in order to acquire our common stock; and

 

part or all of the income or gain recognized with respect to our stock held by social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts and qualified group legal services plans which are exempt from U.S. federal income taxation under Sections 501(c)(7), (9), (17) or (20) of the Code may be treated as UBTI.

We encourage you to consult your own tax advisor to determine the tax consequences applicable to you if you are a tax-exempt investor.

Distributions to foreign investors may be treated as an ordinary income distribution to the extent that it is made out of current or accumulated earnings and profits.

In general, foreign investors will be subject to regular U.S. federal income tax with respect to their investment in our stock if the income derived therefrom is “effectively connected” with the foreign investor’s conduct of a trade or business in the United States. A distribution to a foreign investor that is not attributable to gain realized by us from the sale or exchange of a “U.S. real property interest” within the meaning of the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, as amended, or FIRPTA, will be treated as an ordinary income distribution to the extent that it is made out of current or accumulated earnings and profits (as determined for U.S. federal income tax purposes). Generally, any ordinary income distribution will be subject to a U.S. withholding tax equal to 30% of the gross amount of the distribution, unless this tax is reduced by the provisions of an applicable treaty.

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Foreign investors may be subject to FIRPTA tax upon the sale of their shares of our stock.

A foreign investor disposing of a U.S. real property interest, including shares of stock of a U.S. corporation whose assets consist principally of U.S. real property interests, is generally subject to FIRPTA tax on the gain recognized on the disposition. Such FIRPTA tax does not apply, however, to the disposition of stock in a REIT if the REIT is “domestically controlled.” A REIT is “domestically controlled” if less than 50% of the REIT’s stock, by value, has been owned directly or indirectly by persons who are not U.S. persons during a continuous five-year period ending on the date of disposition or, if shorter, during the entire period of the REIT’s existence. While we intend to qualify as “domestically controlled,” we cannot assure you that we will. If we were to fail to so qualify, gain realized by foreign investors on a sale of shares of our stock would be subject to FIRPTA tax, unless the shares of our stock were traded on an established securities market and the foreign investor did not at any time during a specified testing period directly or indirectly own more than 10% (5% for 2015 and prior years) of the value of our outstanding common stock.

Foreign investors may be subject to FIRPTA tax upon a capital gain dividend.

A foreign investor may be subject to FIRPTA tax upon the payment of any capital gain dividend by us if such dividend is attributable to gain from sales or exchanges of U.S. real property interests.

We encourage you to consult your own tax advisor to determine the tax consequences applicable to you if you are a foreign investor.

We may make distributions consisting of both stock and cash, in which case stockholders may be required to pay income taxes in excess of the cash distributions they receive.

We may make distributions that are paid in cash and stock at the election of each stockholder and may distribute other forms of taxable stock dividends. Taxable stockholders receiving such distributions will be required to include the full amount of the distributions as ordinary income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, stockholders may be required to pay income taxes with respect to such distributions in excess of the cash received. If a stockholder sells the stock that it receives in order to pay this tax, the sales proceeds may be less than the amount included in income with respect to the distribution, depending on the market price of our stock at the time of the sale. Furthermore, in the case of certain non-U.S. stockholders, we may be required to withhold federal income tax with respect to taxable dividends, including taxable dividends that are paid in stock. In addition, if a significant number of our stockholders decide to sell their shares in order to pay taxes owed with respect to taxable stock dividends, it may put downward pressure on the trading price of our stock.

If our operating partnership, IROP, were classified as a “publicly traded partnership” taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the Code, we would cease to maintain our qualification as a REIT and would suffer other adverse tax consequences.

We intend for IROP to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If the IRS were to successfully challenge the status of IROP as a partnership, however, IROP generally would be taxable as a corporation. In such event, we likely would fail to maintain our status as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and the resulting corporate income tax burden would reduce the amount of distributions that IROP could make to us. This would substantially reduce the cash available to pay distributions to our stockholders. In addition, if any of the partnerships or limited liability companies through which the operating partnership owns its properties, in whole or in part, loses its characterization as a partnership and is not otherwise disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be subject to taxation as a corporation, thereby reducing distributions to the operating partnership. Such a recharacterization of an underlying property owner could also threaten our ability to maintain our REIT qualification.

Our stockholders may be restricted from acquiring or transferring certain amounts of our common stock.

Certain provisions of the Code and the stock ownership limits in our Charter may inhibit market activity in our capital stock and restrict our business combination opportunities. In order to maintain our qualification as a REIT, five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Code, may not own, beneficially or constructively, more than 50% in value of our issued and outstanding stock at any time during the last half of a taxable year. Attribution rules in the Code determine if any individual or entity beneficially or constructively owns our capital stock under this requirement. Additionally, at least 100 persons must beneficially own our capital stock during at least 335 days of a taxable year. To help insure that we meet these tests, our Charter restricts the acquisition and ownership of shares of our stock.

Our Charter, with certain exceptions, authorizes our Board of Directors to take such actions as are necessary and desirable to preserve our qualification as a REIT. Unless exempted by our Board of Directors, our Charter prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value or number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of the outstanding shares of our common stock or capital stock. Our Board of Directors may not grant an exemption from these restrictions to any proposed transferee whose ownership in excess of ownership limits would result in our failing to maintain our qualification as a REIT. These restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply, however, if our Board of Directors determines that it is no longer in our best interest to continue to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

Legislative or regulatory action could adversely affect the returns to our investors.

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In recent years, numerous legislative, judicial and administrative changes have been made in the provisions of U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to investments similar to an investment in shares of our common stock. Additional changes to the tax laws or the administrative interpretations of those laws are likely to continue to occur, and we cannot assure you that any such changes will not adversely affect the taxation of our stockholders. Any such changes could have an adverse effect on an investment in our shares or on the market value or the resale potential of our assets. You are urged to consult with your own tax adviser with respect to the impact of recent legislation on any investment in our securities and the status of legislative, regulatory or administrative developments and proposals and their potential effect on an investment in our shares.

Although REITs continue to receive more favorable tax treatment than entities taxed as corporations, it is possible that future legislation would result in a REIT having fewer tax advantages, and it could become more advantageous for a company that invests in real estate to elect to be taxed for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a corporation. As a result, our charter provides our board of directors with the power, under certain circumstances, to revoke or otherwise terminate our REIT election and cause us to be taxed as a corporation, without the vote of our stockholders. Our board of directors has fiduciary duties to us and our stockholders and could only cause such changes in our tax treatment if it determines in good faith that such changes are in our best interest.

Risks Related to Our Organization and Structure

The Maryland General Corporation Law prohibits certain business combinations, which may make it more difficult for us to be acquired.

Under the Maryland General Corporation Law, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an “interested stockholder” or an affiliate of an interested stockholder are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the interested stockholder became an interested stockholder. These business combinations include a merger, consolidation, share exchange, or in circumstances specified in the statute, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities. An interested stockholder is defined as (i) any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation; or (ii) an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding stock of the corporation.

A person is not an interested stockholder under the statute if the board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, the board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.

After the expiration of the five-year period described above, any business combination between the Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder must generally be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least:

 

80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of the then outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation; and

 

two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting stock of the corporation, other than shares held by the interested stockholder with whom or with whose affiliate the business combination is to be effected, or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder.

These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under the Maryland General Corporation Law, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares. The Maryland General Corporation Law also permits various exemptions from these provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by the board of directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Pursuant to the statute, our board of directors has by resolution exempted business combinations between us and any other person from these provisions of the Maryland General Corporation Law, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of directors and, consequently, the five year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to such business combinations. As a result, any person approved by our board of directors will be able to enter into business combinations with us that may not be in the best interests of our stockholders without compliance by us with the supermajority vote requirements and other provisions of the statute. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. If this resolution is repealed, or our board of directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

Stockholders have limited control over changes in our policies and operations.

Our board of directors determines our major policies, including those regarding our investment objectives and strategies, financing, growth, debt capitalization, REIT qualification and distributions. Our board of directors may amend or revise these and other policies without a vote of the stockholders. Under our charter and the Maryland General Corporation Law, our stockholders generally have a right to vote only on the following matters:

 

the election or removal of directors;

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the amendment of o ur charter, except that our board of directors may amend our charter without stockholder approval to:

 

change our name;

 

change the name or other designation or the par value of any class or series of stock and the aggregate par value of our stock;

 

increase or decrease the aggregate number of our authorized shares;

 

increase or decrease the number of our shares of any class or series of stock that we have the authority to issue; and

 

effect certain reverse stock splits;

 

our dissolution; and

 

our being a party to any acquisition, consolidation, sale or other disposition of substantially all of our assets or statutory share exchange.

All other matters are subject to the discretion of our board of directors.

Our authorized but unissued shares of common and preferred stock may prevent a change in our control.

Our charter authorizes us to issue additional authorized but unissued shares of common or preferred stock. In addition, our board of directors may, without stockholder approval, amend our charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of shares of our stock or the number of shares of stock of any class or series that we have authority to issue and classify or reclassify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock into other classes or series of stock and set the preferences, rights and other terms of the classified or reclassified shares. As a result, our board of directors may establish a series of common or preferred stock that could delay or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Because of our holding company structure, we depend on our operating partnership, IROP, and its subsidiaries for cash flow; however, we will be structurally subordinated in right of payment to the obligations of IROP and its subsidiaries.

We are a holding company with no business operations of our own. Our only significant asset is and will be the partnership interests in IROP. We conduct, and intend to continue to conduct, all of our business operations through IROP. Accordingly, our only source of cash to pay our obligations is distributions from IROP and its subsidiaries of their net earnings and cash flows. We cannot assure you that IROP or its subsidiaries will be able to, or be permitted to, make distributions to us that will enable us to make distributions to our stockholders from cash flows from operations. Each of IROP’s subsidiaries is a distinct legal entity and, under certain circumstances, legal and contractual restrictions may limit our ability to obtain cash from such entities. In addition, because we are a holding company, your claims as stockholders will be structurally subordinated to all existing and future liabilities and obligations of IROP and its subsidiaries. Therefore, in the event of our bankruptcy, liquidation or reorganization, our assets and those of IROP and its subsidiaries will be able to satisfy your claims as stockholders only after all of our and IROP’s and its subsidiaries’ liabilities and obligations have been paid in full.

Our rights and the rights of our stockholders to recover on claims against our directors are limited, which could reduce your and our recovery against them if they negligently cause us to incur losses.

The Maryland General Corporation Law provides that a director has no liability in such capacity if he performs his duties in good faith, in a manner he reasonably believes to be in our best interests and with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would use under similar circumstances. In addition, our directors and officers will not be liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages unless the director or officer actually received an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services, or is adjudged to be liable to us or our stockholders based on a finding that his or her action, or failure to act, was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty and was material to the cause of action adjudicated in the proceeding. We will indemnify and advance expenses to our directors and officers to the maximum extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law and we are permitted to purchase and maintain insurance or provide similar protection on behalf of any directors, officers, employees and agents, against any liability asserted which was incurred in any such capacity with us or arising out of such status.

Risks Relating to the Market for our Common Stock

The percentage of ownership of any of our common stockholders may be diluted if we issue new shares of common stock.

Stockholders have no rights to buy additional shares of stock if we issue new shares of stock. We may issue common stock, convertible debt or preferred stock pursuant to a public offering or a private placement, to sellers of properties we directly or indirectly acquire instead of, or in addition to, cash consideration. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of our future offerings. Any of our common stockholders who do not participate in any future stock issuances will experience dilution in the percentage of the issued and outstanding stock they own.

27


 

 

Sales of our common stock, or the perception that such sales will occur, may have adverse effects on our share price.

We cannot predict the effect, if any, of future sales of common stock, or the availability of shares for future sales, on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of common stock, including shares of common stock issuable upon the exchange of units of our operating partnership, IROP, that we may issue from time to time, the sale of shares of common stock held by our current stockholders and the sale of any shares we may issue under our long-term incentive plan, or the perception that these sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock.

An increase in market interest rates may have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

One of the factors that investors may consider in deciding whether to buy or sell our common stock is our distribution yield, which is our distribution rate as a percentage of our share price, relative to market interest rates. If market interest rates increase, prospective investors may desire a higher distribution yield on our common stock or may seek securities paying higher dividends or interest. The market price of our common stock likely will be based primarily on the earnings that we derive from rental income with respect to our properties and our related distributions to stockholders, and not from the underlying appraised value of the properties themselves. As a result, interest rate fluctuations and capital market conditions are likely to affect the market price of our common stock, and such effects could be significant. For example, if interest rates rise without an increase in our distribution rate, the market price of our common stock could decrease because potential investors may require a higher distribution yield on our common stock as market rates on interest-bearing securities, such as bonds, rise.

Some of our distributions may include a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Some of our distributions may include a return of capital. To the extent that we decide to make distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions would generally be considered a return of capital for U.S. federal income tax purposes to the extent of the holder’s adjusted tax basis in its shares, and thereafter as gain on a sale or exchange of such shares.

Future issuances of debt securities, which would rank senior to our common stock upon liquidation, or future issuances of preferred equity securities, may adversely affect the trading price of our common stock.

In the future, we may issue debt or equity securities or incur other borrowings. Upon our liquidation, holders of our debt securities, other loans and preferred stock will receive a distribution of our available assets before common stockholders. Any preferred stock, if issued, likely will also have a preference on periodic distribution payments, which could eliminate or otherwise limit our ability to make distributions to common stockholders. Common stockholders bear the risk that our future issuances of debt or equity securities or our incurrence of other borrowings may negatively affect the trading price of our common stock.

The market prices for our common stock may be volatile.

The prices at which our common stock may sell in the public market may be volatile. Fluctuations in the market prices of our common stock may not be correlated in a predictable way to our performance or operating results. The prices at which our common stock trade may fluctuate as a result of factors that are beyond our control or unrelated to our performance or operating results.

We have not established a minimum dividend payment level and we cannot assure you of our ability to pay dividends in the future or the amount of any dividends.

Our board of directors will determine the amount and timing of distributions. In making this determination, our directors will consider all relevant factors, including REIT minimum distribution requirements, the amount of core FFO, restrictions under Maryland law, capital expenditures and reserve requirements and general operational requirements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to make distributions in the future or in amounts similar to our past distributions. We may need to fund distributions through borrowings, returning capital or selling assets, which may be available only at commercially unattractive terms, if at all. Any of the foregoing could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.

ITEM 1B.

Unresolved Staff Comments

None.

 

 

28


 

ITEM 2.

Pr operties

We hold fee title to all of the apartment properties in our portfolio. The following table presents an overview of our portfolio as of December 31, 2016.

 

Property Name

 

Location

 

Acquisition

Date

 

Year

Built /  Renovated  (a)

 

Gross Cost

 

 

Accumulated Depreciation

 

 

Net Book Value

 

 

Units (b)

 

 

Period End Occupancy  (c)

 

 

Average Occupancy  (d)

 

 

Average Effective Rent per Occupied Unit  (e)

 

Copper Mill

 

Austin, TX

 

4/29/2011

 

2010

 

$

18,353

 

 

$

(3,667

)

 

$

14,686

 

 

 

320

 

 

 

96.6%

 

 

 

95.1%

 

 

 

993

 

Crestmont

 

Marietta, GA

 

4/29/2011

 

2010

 

 

17,137

 

 

 

(3,317

)

 

 

13,820

 

 

 

228

 

 

 

87.7%

 

 

 

87.1%

 

 

 

845

 

Heritage Trace

 

Newport News, VA

 

4/29/2011

 

2010

 

 

14,390

 

 

 

(2,930

)

 

 

11,460

 

 

 

200

 

 

 

99.5%

 

 

 

99.5%

 

 

 

749

 

Runaway Bay

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

10/11/2012

 

2002

 

 

16,091

 

 

 

(1,539

)

 

 

14,552

 

 

 

192

 

 

 

96.9%

 

 

 

96.9%

 

 

 

979

 

Berkshire Square

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

9/19/2013

 

2012

 

 

13,828

 

 

 

(1,031

)

 

 

12,797

 

 

 

354

 

 

 

94.4%

 

 

 

92.8%

 

 

 

607

 

The Crossings

 

Jackson, MS

 

11/22/2013

 

2012

 

 

23,422

 

 

 

(1,580

)

 

 

21,842

 

 

 

432

 

 

 

94.4%

 

 

 

91.8%

 

 

 

784

 

Reserve at Eagle Ridge

 

Waukegan, IL

 

1/31/2014

 

2008

 

 

29,135

 

 

 

(1,772

)

 

 

27,363

 

 

 

370

 

 

 

90.5%

 

 

 

91.7%

 

 

 

999

 

Windrush

 

Edmond, OK

 

2/28/2014

 

2011

 

 

9,384

 

 

 

(589

)

 

 

8,795

 

 

 

160

 

 

 

89.4%

 

 

 

87.5%

 

 

 

771

 

Heritage Park

 

Oklahoma City, OK

 

2/28/2014

 

2011

 

 

17,356

 

 

 

(1,061

)

 

 

16,295

 

 

 

453

 

 

 

91.4%

 

 

 

90.1%

 

 

 

649

 

Raindance

 

Oklahoma City, OK

 

2/28/2014

 

2011

 

 

14,283

 

 

 

(881

)

 

 

13,402

 

 

 

504

 

 

 

91.7%

 

 

 

92.5%

 

 

 

557

 

Augusta

 

Oklahoma City, OK

 

2/28/2014

 

2011

 

 

11,667

 

 

 

(800

)

 

 

10,867

 

 

 

197

 

 

 

89.9%

 

 

 

89.5%

 

 

 

724

 

Invitational

 

Oklahoma City, OK

 

2/28/2014

 

2011

 

 

19,345

 

 

 

(1,346

)

 

 

17,999

 

 

 

344

 

 

 

93.6%

 

 

 

91.1%

 

 

 

656

 

King's Landing

 

Creve Coeur, MO

 

3/31/2014

 

2005

 

 

32,685

 

 

 

(2,095

)

 

 

30,590

 

 

 

152

 

 

 

94.7%

 

 

 

93.4%

 

 

 

1,517

 

Carrington Park

 

Little Rock, AR

 

5/7/2014

 

1999

 

 

22,155

 

 

 

(1,430

)

 

 

20,725

 

 

 

202

 

 

 

97.0%

 

 

 

94.7%

 

 

 

1,026

 

Arbors at the Reservoir

 

Ridgeland, MS

 

6/4/2014

 

2000

 

 

20,753

 

 

 

(1,215

)

 

 

19,538

 

 

 

170

 

 

 

95.9%

 

 

 

93.1%

 

 

 

1,149

 

Walnut Hill

 

Cordova, TN

 

8/28/2014

 

2001

 

 

28,133

 

 

 

(1,623

)

 

 

26,510

 

 

 

362

 

 

 

96.4%

 

 

 

93.2%

 

 

 

952

 

Lenoxplace

 

Raleigh, NC

 

9/5/2014

 

2012

 

 

24,411

 

 

 

(1,262

)

 

 

23,149

 

 

 

268

 

 

 

94.8%

 

 

 

96.5%

 

 

 

916

 

Stonebridge Crossing

 

Cordova, TN

 

9/15/2014

 

1994

 

 

30,142

 

 

 

(1,624

)

 

 

28,518

 

 

 

500

 

 

 

95.4%

 

 

 

96.1%

 

 

 

796

 

Bennington Pond

 

Groveport, OH

 

11/24/2014

 

2000

 

 

17,785

 

 

 

(875

)

 

 

16,910

 

 

 

240

 

 

 

92.1%

 

 

 

94.6%

 

 

 

876

 

Prospect Park

 

Louisville, KY

 

12/8/2014

 

1990

 

 

14,206

 

 

 

(588

)

 

 

13,618

 

 

 

138

 

 

 

95.7%

 

 

 

95.0%

 

 

 

918

 

Brookside

 

Louisville, KY

 

12/8/2014

 

1987

 

 

20,903

 

 

 

(893

)

 

 

20,010

 

 

 

224

 

 

 

96.0%

 

 

 

95.7%

 

 

 

840

 

Jamestown

 

Louisville, KY

 

12/8/2014

 

1970

 

 

35,760

 

 

 

(1,528

)

 

 

34,232

 

 

 

355

 

 

 

95.5%

 

 

 

94.5%

 

 

 

999

 

Meadows

 

Louisville, KY

 

12/8/2014

 

1988

 

 

37,863

 

 

 

(1,622

)

 

 

36,241

 

 

 

400

 

 

 

96.3%

 

 

 

94.7%

 

 

 

821

 

Oxmoor

 

Louisville, KY

 

12/8/2014

 

1999-2000

 

 

55,411

 

 

 

(2,485

)

 

 

52,926

 

 

 

432

 

 

 

94.7%

 

 

 

92.9%

 

 

 

998

 

Stonebridge at the Ranch

 

Little Rock, AR

 

12/16/2014

 

2005

 

 

31,533

 

 

 

(1,434

)

 

 

30,099

 

 

 

260

 

 

 

95.0%

 

 

 

93.7%

 

 

 

930

 

Iron Rock Ranch

 

Austin, TX

 

12/30/2014

 

2001-2002

 

 

35,274

 

 

 

(1,538

)

 

 

33,736

 

 

 

300

 

 

 

95.7%

 

 

 

94.6%

 

 

 

1,253

 

Bayview Club

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

5/1/2015

 

2004

 

 

25,499

 

 

 

(967

)

 

 

24,532

 

 

 

236

 

 

 

92.8%

 

 

 

92.6%

 

 

 

960

 

Arbors River Oaks

 

Memphis, TN

 

9/17/2015

 

2010 (f)

 

 

21,567

 

 

 

(637

)

 

 

20,930

 

 

 

191

 

 

 

95.8%

 

 

 

94.5%

 

 

 

1,209

 

Aston

 

Wake Forest, NC

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

37,859

 

 

 

(1,078

)

 

 

36,781

 

 

 

288

 

 

 

95.1%

 

 

 

94.3%

 

 

 

1,060

 

Avenues at Craig Ranch

 

McKinneuy, TX

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

47,668

 

 

 

(1,326

)

 

 

46,342

 

 

 

334

 

 

 

94.9%

 

 

 

94.5%

 

 

 

1,252

 

Bridge Pointe

 

Huntsville, AL

 

9/17/2015

 

2002

 

 

15,950

 

 

 

(460

)

 

 

15,490

 

 

 

178

 

 

 

98.3%

 

 

 

97.5%

 

 

 

834

 

Creekstone at RTP

 

Durham, NC

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

38,228

 

 

 

(1,035

)

 

 

37,193

 

 

 

256

 

 

 

94.1%

 

 

 

94.4%

 

 

 

1,164

 

Fountains Southend

 

Charlotte, NC

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

41,684

 

 

 

(1,170

)

 

 

40,514

 

 

 

208

 

 

 

96.6%

 

 

 

89.4%

 

 

 

1,342

 

Fox Trails

 

Plano, TX

 

9/17/2015

 

1981

 

 

27,965

 

 

 

(716

)

 

 

27,249

 

 

 

286

 

 

 

92.7%

 

 

 

94.8%

 

 

 

1,027

 

Lakeshore on the Hill

 

Chattanooga, TN

 

9/17/2015

 

2015

 

 

11,318

 

 

 

(334

)

 

 

10,984

 

 

 

123

 

 

 

96.8%

 

 

 

97.0%

 

 

 

948

 

Millenia 700

 

Orlando, FL

 

9/17/2015

 

2012

 

 

47,383

 

 

 

(1,317

)

 

 

46,066

 

 

 

297

 

 

 

96.3%

 

 

 

92.7%

 

 

 

1,316

 

Miller Creek at German Town

 

Memphis, TN

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

56,874

 

 

 

(1,680

)

 

 

55,194

 

 

 

330

 

 

 

95.2%

 

 

 

93.9%

 

 

 

1,232

 

Pointe at Canyon Ridge

 

Atlanta, GA

 

9/17/2015

 

2007 (f)

 

 

48,656

 

 

 

(1,209

)

 

 

47,447

 

 

 

494

 

 

 

95.8%

 

 

 

95.1%

 

 

 

938

 

St James at Goose Creek

 

Goose Creek, SC

 

9/17/2015

 

2009

 

 

31,739

 

 

 

(905

)

 

 

30,834

 

 

 

244

 

 

 

93.0%

 

 

 

94.8%

 

 

 

1,094

 

Talison Row at Daniel Island

 

Daniel Island, SC

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

47,039

 

 

 

(1,311

)

 

 

45,728

 

 

 

274

 

 

 

94.5%

 

 

 

95.0%

 

 

 

1,514

 

The Aventine Greenville

 

Greenville, SC

 

9/17/2015

 

2013

 

 

48,089

 

 

 

(1,376

)

 

 

46,713

 

 

 

346

 

 

 

95.1%

 

 

 

94.2%

 

 

 

1,137

 

Trails at Signal Mountain

 

Chattanooga, TN

 

9/17/2015

 

2015

 

 

14,383

 

 

 

(428

)

 

 

13,955

 

 

 

172

 

 

 

97.7%

 

 

 

97.4%

 

 

 

946

 

Vue at Knoll Trail

 

Dallas, TX

 

9/17/2015

 

2015

 

 

9,276

 

 

 

(200

)

 

 

9,076

 

 

 

114

 

 

 

94.7%

 

 

 

94.2%

 

 

 

898

 

Waterstone at Brier Creek

 

Raleigh, NC

 

9/17/2015

 

2014

 

 

38,939

 

 

 

(1,093

)

 

 

37,846

 

 

 

232

 

 

 

95.3%

 

 

 

93.1%

 

 

 

1,228

 

Waterstone Big Creek

 

Alpharetta, GA

 

9/17/2015

 

2014

 

 

69,655

 

 

 

(1,943

)

 

 

67,712

 

 

 

370

 

 

 

93.2%

 

 

 

93.6%

 

 

 

1,352

 

Westmont Commons

 

Asheville, NC

 

9/17/2015

 

2003, 2008

 

 

28,173

 

 

 

(809

)

 

 

27,364

 

 

 

252

 

 

 

96.0%

 

 

 

96.8%

 

 

 

1,033

 

TOTAL

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$

1,319,349

 

 

$

(60,719

)

 

$

1,258,630

 

 

 

12,982

 

 

 

94.5%

 

 

 

93.8%

 

 

$

977

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

All dates are for the later of the year in which construction was completed or the year in which a significant renovation program was completed.

 

(b)

Units represent the total number of apartment units available for rent at December 31, 2016.

 

(c)

Physical occupancy for each of our properties is calculated as (i) total units rented as of December 31, 2016 divided by (ii) total units available as of December 31, 2016, expressed as a percentage.

 

(d)

Average occupancy represents the daily average occupied units for the three-month period ended December 31, 2016.

 

(e)

Average effective monthly rent, per unit, represents the average monthly rent for all occupied units for the three-month period ended December 31, 2016.

 

(f)

Properties are undergoing renovation.

 

Additional information on our consolidated properties is contained in “Schedule III - Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, which is incorporated herein by reference.

29


 

ITEM 3 .

Legal Proceedings

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business operations. Matters which arise out of allegations of bodily injury, property damage, and employment practices are generally covered by insurance. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, we currently believe the final outcome of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows .

ITEM 4.

Mine Safety Disclosures

Not applicable.

 

PART II

ITEM 5.

Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

Market Price Information

Our common stock is listed and traded on the NYSE MKT under the symbol “IRT”. At the close of business on March 1, 2017, the closing price for our common stock was $9.20 per share and there were 370 holders of record, one of which is the holder for all beneficial owners who hold in street name.

Since our formation, we have sold our common stock in six public offerings. See Item 1-“Business.” The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices of our common stock by quarter in the periods indicated.

 

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter (January 1, 2015 through March 31, 2015)

 

$

9.78

 

 

$

9.07

 

Second Quarter (April 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015)

 

$

9.65

 

 

$

7.45

 

Third Quarter (July 1, 2015 through September 30, 2015)

 

$

8.57

 

 

$

6.95

 

Fourth Quarter (October 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015)

 

$

8.13

 

 

$

6.88

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter (January 1, 2016 through March 31, 2016)

 

$

7.78

 

 

$

5.97

 

Second Quarter (April 1, 2016 through June 30, 2016)

 

$

8.21

 

 

$

6.75

 

Third Quarter (July 1, 2016 through September 30, 2016)

 

$

10.70

 

 

$

8.05

 

Fourth Quarter (October 1, 2016 through December 31, 2016)

 

$

9.15

 

 

$

7.74

 

 

We have adopted a Code of Ethics, which we refer to as the Code, for our directors, officers and employees intended to satisfy NYSE MKT listing standards and the definition of a “code of ethics” set forth in Item 406 of Regulation S-K. Any information relating to amendments to the Code or waivers of a provision of the Code required to be disclosed pursuant to Item 5.05 of Form 8-K will be disclosed through our website. Our internet address is http://www.irtliving.com.

30


 

  PE RFORMANCE GRAPH

On August 13, 2013, our common stock commenced trading on the NYSE MKT. The following graph compares the index of the cumulative total shareholder return on our common shares for the measurement period commencing August 12, 2013 and ending December 31, 2016 with the cumulative total returns of the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) Equity REIT index and the Russell 3000 Index. The following graph assumes that each index was 100 on the initial day of the relevant measurement period and that all dividends were reinvested.

 

 

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities

We have previously disclosed four “UPREIT” transactions completed in May 2014, August 2014, November 2014 and December 2014 wherein IROP, issued, in the aggregate, 1,282,449 common units, or units, to unaffiliated entities or persons in order to acquire properties. In addition, we have previously disclosed that in September 2015, IROP issued 1,925,419 units, plus cash in lieu of fractional TSRE operating partnership units, in a transaction related to the TSRE acquisition. All of such issuances were exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act. As previously disclosed, these units are subject to exchange agreements containing the terms and conditions under which the units could be exchanged for cash in an amount equal to the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock as of the date IROP receives contributor’s notice of its desire to exchange the units for cash or, at IROP’s option, for the equivalent number of shares of our common stock. The first exchanges of these units began in May 2015. During 2015, IROP exchanged 52,937 units for 52,933 shares of our common stock ( with fractional units being settled in cash ) and, in 2016 through March 1, 2017, IROP exchanged an additional 285,881 units for 285,879 shares of our common stock ( with fractional units being settled in cash) . As a result of these exchanges, at December 31, 2016 and at March 1, 2017, there remained outstanding 2,908,949 units and 2,869,050 units, respectively, held by unaffiliated third parties. The issuance of the shares of our common stock in these exchanges was exempt from registration pursuant to Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D; all of the persons receiving such shares were accredited investors.

31


 

Distributions

We intend to continue to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The Code generally requires that a REIT annually distribute at least 90% of its REIT taxable income, determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding any net capital gain, and imposes a tax on any taxable income retained by a REIT, including capital gains.

  To satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT and generally not be subject to U.S. federal income and excise tax, we intend to make regular monthly distributions of all or substantially all of our REIT taxable income, determined without regard to dividends paid, to our stockholders out of assets legally available for such purposes. Except for distributions for January, February and March 2017, our board of directors has not yet determined the rate for our future distributions, and all future distributions will be at the sole discretion of our board of directors. When determining the amount of future distributions, our board of directors considers, among other factors, (i) the amount of cash generated from our operating activities, (ii) our expectations of future cash flows, (iii) our determination of near-term cash needs for acquisitions of new properties, general property capital improvements and debt repayments, (iv) our ability to continue to access additional sources of capital, (v) the requirements of Maryland law, (vi) the amount required to be distributed to maintain our status as a REIT and to reduce any income and excise taxes that we otherwise would be required to pay and (vii) any limitations on our distributions contained in our credit or other agreements.

We cannot assure you that we will generate sufficient cash flows to make distributions to our stockholders or that we will be able to sustain those distributions. If our operations do not generate sufficient cash flow to allow us to satisfy the REIT distribution requirements, we may be required to fund distributions from working capital, borrow funds, sell assets, make taxable distributions of our securities or reduce such distributions. Our distribution policy enables us to review the alternative funding sources available to us from time to time. Our actual results of operations will be affected by a number of factors, including the revenues we receive from our properties, our operating expenses, interest expense, the ability of our tenants to meet their obligations and unanticipated expenditures. For more information regarding risk factors that could materially adversely affect our actual results of operations, please see “Risk Factors.”

For 2015 and 2016 and for the first quarter of 2017, our board established, on a quarterly basis, in advance, the distribution amount for our common stock and for the units for each month in the quarter. The distributions for each month in the three-month period are paid in arrears on or about the fifteenth day following the completion of each respective month. For 2015, and 2016, we declared and paid the following distributions (expressed on a quarterly basis) on our common stock (dollars in thousands except per share and per unit data):

 

 

 

Common Shares

 

 

 

Dividends

Declared and

Payable per Share

 

 

Total

Dividends Payable

 

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

0.18

 

 

$

5,719

 

Second Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

5,723

 

Third Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

6,122

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

8,450

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

0.18

 

 

$

8,519

 

Second Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

8,494

 

Third Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

8,499

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

12,368

 

 

32


 

 

 

Operating Partnership Units

 

 

 

Dividends

Declared and

Payable per Share

 

 

Total

Dividends Payable

 

2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

0.18

 

 

$

231

 

Second Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

228

 

Third Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

273

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

568

 

2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Quarter

 

$

0.18

 

 

$

543

 

Second Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

531

 

Third Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

527

 

Fourth Quarter

 

 

0.18

 

 

 

523

 

 

On January 12, 2017, our board declared the following monthly distributions per share of our common stock or units outstanding for January, February and March 2017:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

January 31, 2017

 

February 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

February 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

February 28, 2017

 

March 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

March 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

March 31, 2017

 

April 17, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

          During the quarter ended December 31, 2016, we repurchased 7,269,719 shares of our common stock in connection with the management internalization.  The table below summarizes this repurchase activity:

 

Period

 

Total Number of

Shares

Purchased

 

 

Average Price

Paid per Share

 

 

Total Number of Shares

Purchased as Part of

Publicly Announced Plans

or Programs

 

 

Maximum Number

(or Approximate Dollar Value) of Shares that

May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or

Programs

 

10/01/2016 to 10/31/2016

 

 

7,269,719

 

(1)

$

8.55

 

(1)

 

7,269,719

 

(1)

0 (1)

 

11/01/2016 to 11/30/2016

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

12/01/2016 to 12/31/2016

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Total

 

 

7,269,719

 

 

$

8.55

 

 

 

7,269,719

 

 

0 (1)

 

(1)     On September 27, 2016, we publicly announced that we had entered into the internalization agreement with RAIT to complete the management internalization and separation from RAIT and its affiliates and to repurchase 7,269,719 shares of our common stock from RAIT subsidiaries, representing all of the shares of our common stock owned by RAIT.  On October 5, 2016, we paid approximately $62.2 million to RAIT to complete the IRT stock repurchase and retire RAIT’s shares of our common stock at a purchase price of $8.55 per share.  This price was equal to the price to the public in the 2016 common stock offering described above less underwriting discounts or commissions.   We have no further obligations to repurchase our common stock under the internalization agreement.

 

 

 

 

33


 

ITEM 6.

Selected Financial Data

The following table summarizes selected financial data about our company (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data). The following selected financial data information should be read in conjunction with Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” and our consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto, included elsewhere herein.

 

 

 

As of and for the

Years Ended

December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

 

2012

 

Operating Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenue

 

$

153,388

 

 

$

109,576

 

 

$

49,171

 

 

$

19,943

 

 

$

16,629

 

Property operating expenses

 

 

(63,148

)

 

 

(46,281

)

 

 

(21,636

)

 

 

(8,643

)

 

 

(7,411

)

Total expenses

 

 

(113,726

)

 

 

(99,394

)

 

 

(40,630

)

 

 

(15,010

)

 

 

(12,897

)

Interest expense

 

 

(35,535

)

 

 

(23,553

)

 

 

(8,496

)

 

 

(3,659

)

 

 

(3,305

)

Net income (loss)

 

 

(9,555

)

 

 

30,156

 

 

 

2,944

 

 

 

1,274

 

 

 

427

 

Net income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

 

(9,801

)

 

 

28,242

 

 

 

2,940

 

 

 

615

 

 

 

(123

)

Earnings (loss) per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

0.12

 

 

$

(0.45

)

Diluted

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

$

0.12

 

 

$

(0.45

)

Balance Sheet Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments in real estate

 

$

1,197,845

 

 

$

1,332,377

 

 

$

665,736

 

 

$

174,321

 

 

$

141,282

 

Total assets

 

 

1,294,237

 

 

 

1,383,188

 

 

 

694,150

 

 

 

181,871

 

 

 

146,197

 

Total indebtedness

 

 

743,817

 

 

 

966,611

 

 

 

418,901

 

 

 

103,303

 

 

 

92,413

 

Total liabilities

 

 

765,546

 

 

 

993,158

 

 

 

431,116

 

 

 

106,963

 

 

 

95,346

 

Total equity

 

 

528,691

 

 

 

390,030

 

 

 

263,034

 

 

 

74,908

 

 

 

50,851

 

 

 

 

As of and for the

years ended

December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

 

2012

 

Other Data:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property portfolio occupancy

 

 

94.5

%

 

 

93.0

%

 

 

92.7

%

 

 

94.5

%

 

 

92.0

%

Common shares outstanding

 

 

68,996,070

 

 

 

47,070,678

 

 

 

31,800,076

 

 

 

9,652,540

 

 

 

345,063

 

Limited partnership units outstanding (1)

 

 

2,908,949

 

 

 

3,154,931

 

 

 

1,282,449

 

 

 

 

 

 

5,274,900

 

Cash distributions declared per common share/unit

 

$

0.7200

 

 

$

0.7200

 

 

$

0.7200

 

 

$

0.6263

 

 

$

0.6000

 

 

(1)

Held by persons other than IRT and its subsidiaries.

 

ITEM 7.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Overview

We are a Maryland corporation that owns apartment properties in geographic submarkets that we believe support strong occupancy and have the potential for growth in rental rates. We seek to provide stockholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns, with an emphasis on distributions and capital appreciation.  We elected to be taxed as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2011.

We seek to acquire and operate apartment properties that:

 

have stable occupancy;

 

 

are located in submarkets that we do not expect will experience substantial new apartment construction in the foreseeable future;

 

 

in appropriate circumstances, present opportunities for repositioning or updating through capital expenditures; and

 

 

present opportunities to apply tailored marketing and management strategies to attract and retain residents and enable rent increases.

We were externally advised by a wholly-owned subsidiary of RAIT, a multi-strategy commercial real estate company organized as an internally managed REIT until December 20, 2016 at which time we completed our management internalization.  On

34


 

September 2 7, 2016, we entered into the internalization agreement to repurchase all of our outstanding common shares owned by RAIT at the first closing contemplated by the internalization agreement and to complete the management internalization at the second closing contemplated by the internalization agreement.  On October 5, 2016, we repurchased and retired those shares at the first closing.

See “Part I- Item 1. Business” above, or the business description, which is incorporated herein by reference, for further description of our company, our business objectives and investment strategies, 2016 developments, including the management internalization, financing strategy and the development and structure of our company.

 

2016 was a transformative year for IRT as we completed the management internalization and IRT stock repurchase and separated from RAIT, with a shared services arrangement with RAIT ending in June 2017.  As a result of the management internalization, we expect to save approximately $2.5 million per year on general and administrative expenses after the shared services period ends while eliminating the increased management cost related to growth under the external management contract structure.  For further discussion of our rationale for, and our expected benefits from, the management internalization, see the business description.

 

We also completed the October 2016 offering netting proceeds of approximately $245.5 million. We used the total proceeds and balance sheet cash to de-lever our balance sheet by $147.3 million dollars, complete the IRT stock repurchase for $62.2 million dollars and pay $43.0 million dollars to complete the management internalization in December 2016.  By December 31, 2016, our leverage had decreased with debt to gross assets declining from 64% historically to 54.3%.              

 

As of December 31, 2016, we had $1.3 billion of gross investments in real estate comprised of 46 apartment properties containing an aggregate of 12,982 units, as compared to $1.4 billion of gross investments in real estate comprised of 49 properties containing an aggregate of 13,724 units as of December 31, 2015.  We refer to our investments in real estate as of December 31, 2016 as our “existing portfolio.”  As of December 31, 2016, our existing portfolio had an average occupancy of 93.8% and an average monthly effective rent per occupied apartment unit of $977.  With respect to our operating performance, our earnings (loss) per share was $(0.19) for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $0.78 for the year ended December 31, 2015 due largely to costs related to the management internalization.  Our Core Funds from Operations, or CFFO, per share was $0.79 for the year ended December 31, 2016 as compared to $0.80 for the year ended December 31, 2015.  Our earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization and before acquisition expenses, or adjusted EBITDA, increased 43.8% to $74.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $51.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.  CFFO and adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures.  See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for their definition and reconciliation to the closest GAAP financial measure.

 

Looking forward into 2017, we remain committed to our strategy of owning and operating a portfolio of apartment communities in primarily non-gateway markets.  These non-gateway markets share attractive fundamentals including healthy job and population growth, limited additions of new supply resulting in strong demand from renters. We believe that these market dynamics will continue to drive rents higher in our portfolio throughout 2017 while keeping a strong stable occupancy rate.

 

For 2017 our strategy is focused on:

 

Implementing the 2017 focus of our capital recycling plan to sell our class “C” properties and reinvesting the proceeds into higher quality class “B” properties.  

 

Maximizing the operating efficiency of our properties.

 

Reviewing and repositioning our financing structures for flexibility and liquidity while continuing to reduce our leverage.

 

Delivering a tenant-focused living experience throughout the portfolio supported by our strong, experienced property management team.

35


 

Trends That May Affect Our Business

The following trends may affect our business:

Positive Economic and Demographic Characteristics. We expect economic and demographic characteristics conditions to remain favorable for our investment strategy focused on owning apartment properties for the foreseeable future across our markets for the following reasons:

 

Positive Demographic Factors. We believe demand for rental housing will remain strong as a result of a strengthening job market and positive household formation growth. Population growth in our markets has grown at a higher rate than the U.S overall.

 

Low Homeownership. While both owner and rental sectors benefit from the growth in households, the rental sector is benefiting more from this trend due to the declining homeownership rate. A contributing factor is that homeownership affordability remains challenging for many households, especially for many first time buyers.

 

Limited New Supply. Notwithstanding an increase in apartment completions across the broader apartment market, national vacancy rates remain close to historic lows. The majority of new supply remains focused on primary markets. IRT’s markets have outperformed both the regional and national markets in terms of their ability to absorb new deliveries.

Strong Employment Outlook. We expect the 2017 ratio of projected jobs to projected completions and projected 2017 employment growth to be higher in most of IRT’s markets when compared to the projected national average.

Market Trends. The energy sector represents 6% of the overall economy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and a downturn in that sector has presented challenges to the performance of our properties there by limiting rent growth and affecting occupancy rates.  We expect Oklahoma City to see improvement in 2017 with job and population growth around 1%, with limited additional supply.  

We continue to believe that the Class B apartment market offers the most opportunity to consistently increase rents and is much less likely to be impacted from construction of new apartment supply.  We also believe that the Class B apartment sector has much less exposure to home ownership as we see far fewer move outs due to home purchases in our Class B portfolio as compared to our Class A portfolio.

Interest rate environment. We expect interest rates for commercial real estate financing to rise from historically low levels that continued throughout 2016. This may result in corresponding increases to capitalization rates and affect the pricing of properties we wish to buy or sell.

 

 

 

 


36


 

Results of Operations

Year Ended December 31, 2016 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2015

 

 

 

 

SAME STORE PROPERTIES

 

 

NON SAME STORE PROPERTIES

 

 

CONSOLIDATED

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rental income

 

$

60,485

 

 

$

58,765

 

 

$

1,720

 

 

 

2.9

%

 

$

76,931

 

 

$

39,451

 

 

$

37,480

 

 

 

95.0

%

 

$

137,416

 

 

$

98,216

 

 

$

39,200

 

 

 

39.9

%

Reimbursement and other income

 

 

7,126

 

 

 

6,744

 

 

 

382

 

 

 

5.7

%

 

 

8,817

 

 

 

4,616

 

 

 

4,201

 

 

 

91.0

%

 

 

15,943

 

 

 

11,360

 

 

 

4,583

 

 

 

40.3

%

Total revenue

 

 

67,611

 

 

 

65,509

 

 

 

2,102

 

 

 

3.2

%

 

 

85,748

 

 

 

44,067

 

 

 

41,681

 

 

 

94.6

%

 

 

153,359

 

 

 

109,576

 

 

 

43,783

 

 

 

40.0

%

Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate operating expenses

 

 

28,914

 

 

 

28,492

 

 

 

422

 

 

 

1.5

%

 

 

34,234

 

 

 

17,789

 

 

 

16,445

 

 

 

92.4

%

 

 

63,148

 

 

 

46,281

 

 

 

16,867

 

 

 

36.4

%

Net Operating Income

 

$

38,697

 

 

$

37,017

 

 

$

1,680

 

 

 

4.5

%

 

$

51,514

 

 

$

26,278

 

 

$

25,236

 

 

 

96.0

%

 

$

90,211

 

 

$

63,295

 

 

$

26,916

 

 

 

42.5

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property management

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

29

 

 

-

 

Total other income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

29

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

29

 

 

-

 

Corporate and other expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property management expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4,847

 

 

 

3,674

 

 

 

1,173

 

 

 

31.9

%

General and administrative expenses

 

 

 

3,422

 

 

 

2,177

 

 

 

1,245

 

 

 

57.2

%

Asset management fees

 

 

 

7,442

 

 

 

5,613

 

 

 

1,829

 

 

 

32.6

%

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

 

 

43

 

 

 

13,555

 

 

 

(13,512

)

 

 

-99.7

%

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

 

 

34,824

 

 

 

28,094

 

 

 

6,730

 

 

 

24.0

%

Total corporate and other expenses

 

 

 

50,578

 

 

 

53,113

 

 

 

(2,535

)

 

 

-4.8

%

Operating Income (loss)

 

 

 

39,662

 

 

 

10,182

 

 

 

29,480

 

 

 

289.5

%

Interest expense

 

 

 

(35,535

)

 

 

(23,553

)

 

 

(11,982

)

 

 

50.9

%

Interest income

 

 

 

(4

)

 

 

19

 

 

 

(23

)

 

 

-121.1

%

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets

 

 

 

31,776

 

 

 

6,412

 

 

 

25,364

 

 

-

 

Gains (losses) on extinguishment of debt

 

(1,210

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(1,210

)

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment and employees and separation expenses

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(27,508

)

 

 

27,508

 

 

-

 

Management internalization expense

 

 

 

(44,976

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(44,976

)

 

-

 

Gains (losses) on TSRE merger and property acquisitions

 

 

 

732

 

 

 

64,604

 

 

 

(63,872

)

 

 

-98.9

%

Net income (loss)

 

 

 

(9,555

)

 

 

30,156

 

 

 

(39,711

)

 

 

-131.7

%

(Income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interests

 

 

 

(246

)

 

 

(1,914

)

 

 

1,668

 

 

 

-87.1

%

Net income (loss) available to common shares

 

 

$

(9,801

)

 

$

28,242

 

 

$

(38,043

)

 

 

-134.7

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

Rental Income. Rental revenue increased $39.2 million to $137.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $98.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily attributable to $45.0 million of rental income from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2016, and an increase of $1.7 million due to improved occupancy and rental rates at our same store properties. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $8.0 million of rental income related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operations in 2016.

Tenant reimbursement and other income. Tenant reimbursement and other income increased $4.5 million to $15.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily attributable to $4.9 million of tenant reimbursement and other income from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2016, and an increase of $0.4 million of tenant reimbursement and other income in our same store portfolio. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $0.9 million of tenant reimbursement and other income related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operations in 2016.

37


 

Expenses

Property operating expenses. Property operating expenses increased $16.8 million to $63.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $46.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily attributable to $19.6 million of real estate operating expense from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2016, and an increase of $0.4 million of real estate operating expense in our same store portfolio. This increase was partially offset by a decrease of $3.4 million of real estate operating expenses related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operations in 2016.

Property management expenses. Property management expenses increased $1.1 million to $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $3.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily attributable to $1.5 million of property management expense from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2016. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million of property management expense related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operations in 2016.

  General and administrative expense. General and administrative expense increased $1.2 million to $3.4 million for the year ended December, 31 2016 from $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. This was primarily due to an increase of $0.7 million of stock based compensation and $0.5 million of professional fees for the year ended December 31, 2016 compared to the year ended December 31, 2015.

Asset management fees. Asset management fees increased $1.8 million to $7.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $5.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily due to the growth of our portfolio of real estate properties which occurred in 2015 and the related capital used to complete the acquisitions as well as the offering that was completed in October 2016.  Additionally, as part of the TSRE merger in September 2015, we changed the structure of our advisory contract with RAIT.  Through September 30, 2015, the asset management fees payable to RAIT were calculated as 75 basis points of our average gross real estate assets, with an incentive fee due equal to 20% of any excess core FFO over a 7% core FFO return.  As of October 1, 2015, the fee structure became a base fee of 1.5% of cumulative equity with an incentive fee equal to 20% of CORE FFO in excess of $0.20 per share. We terminated the advisory agreement requiring us to pay these asset management fees on December 20, 2016 in connection with the management internalization.

Acquisition and integration expenses. Acquisition and integration expenses were $13.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. These expenses primarily related to the TSRE merger in which we acquired 19 properties in 2015.

Depreciation and amortization expense. Depreciation and amortization expense increased $6.7 million to $34.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $28.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015. The increase is primarily attributable to $11.5 million of depreciation and amortization expense from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2016. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $1.9 million of depreciation and amortization expense related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operations in 2016 and by a decrease of $3.3 million of amortization expense in our same store portfolio.  

Interest expense. Interest expense increased $11.9 million to $35.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2016 from $23.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015.  The increase is primarily attributable to $7.8 million of additional interest expense on debt obtained in connection with the TSRE Merger that was present for a full year of operation in 2016,  and $6.7 million attributable to additional debt obtained on properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2015 and present for a full year of operations in 2016. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $1.6 million of interest expense related to four properties that were disposed of and not present for a full year of operation in 2016 and by a decrease of $1.1 million of interest expense related to the loan payoff of our Oklahoma City portfolio of properties.  

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets . During the year ended December 31, 2016, three multi-family properties were sold resulting in gains of $31.8 million.

Gains (losses) on extinguishment of debt. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized a $1.2 million loss on the extinguishment of the debt related to the write-off of the unamortized deferred financing costs associated with debt that was extinguished.

Management internalization expense. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we recognized a $45.0 million loss due to our management internalization.  

38


 

 

Year Ended December 31, 2015 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2014

 

 

 

SAME STORE PROPERTIES

 

 

NON SAME STORE PROPERTIES

 

 

CONSOLIDATED

 

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

Increase (Decrease)

 

 

% Change

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rental income

 

$

21,171

 

 

$

20,121

 

 

$

1,050

 

 

 

5.2

%

 

$

77,045

 

 

$

24,713

 

 

$

52,332

 

 

 

211.8

%

 

$

98,216

 

 

$

44,834

 

 

$

53,382

 

 

 

119.1

%

Reimbursement and other income

 

 

2,709

 

 

 

2,439

 

 

 

270

 

 

 

11.1

%

 

 

8,651

 

 

 

1,898

 

 

 

6,753

 

 

 

355.8

%

 

 

11,360

 

 

 

4,337

 

 

 

7,023

 

 

 

161.9

%

Total revenue

 

 

23,880

 

 

 

22,560

 

 

 

1,320

 

 

 

5.9

%

 

 

85,696

 

 

 

26,611

 

 

 

59,085

 

 

 

222.0

%

 

 

109,576

 

 

 

49,171

 

 

 

60,405

 

 

 

122.8

%

Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate operating expenses

 

 

11,972

 

 

 

11,478

 

 

 

494

 

 

 

4.3

%

 

 

34,309

 

 

 

10,158

 

 

 

24,151

 

 

 

237.8

%

 

 

46,281

 

 

 

21,636

 

 

 

24,645

 

 

 

113.9

%

Net Operating Income

 

$

11,908

 

 

$

11,082

 

 

$

826

 

 

 

7.5

%

 

$

51,387

 

 

$

16,453

 

 

$

34,934

 

 

 

212.3

%

 

$

63,295

 

 

$

27,535

 

 

$

35,760

 

 

 

129.9

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Corporate and other expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

General and administrative expenses

 

 

 

2,177

 

 

 

1,137

 

 

 

1,040

 

 

 

91.5

%

Property management expenses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,674

 

 

 

1,759

 

 

 

1,915

 

 

 

108.9

%

Asset management fees

 

 

 

5,613

 

 

 

1,736

 

 

 

3,877

 

 

 

223.3

%

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

 

 

13,555

 

 

 

1,842

 

 

 

11,713

 

 

 

635.9

%

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

 

 

28,094

 

 

 

12,520

 

 

 

15,574

 

 

 

124.4

%

Total corporate and other expenses

 

 

 

53,113

 

 

 

18,994

 

 

 

34,119

 

 

 

179.6

%

Operating Income (loss)

 

 

 

10,182

 

 

 

8,541

 

 

 

1,641

 

 

 

19.2

%

Interest expense

 

 

 

(23,553

)

 

 

(8,496

)

 

 

(15,057

)

 

 

177.2

%

Interest income

 

 

 

19

 

 

 

17

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

11.8

%

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets

 

 

 

6,412

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

6,412

 

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment and employees and separation expenses

 

 

 

(27,508

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(27,508

)

 

-

 

Gains (losses) on TSRE merger and property acquisitions

 

 

 

64,604

 

 

 

2,882

 

 

 

61,722

 

 

 

2141.6

%

Net income (loss)

 

 

 

30,156

 

 

 

2,944

 

 

 

27,212

 

 

 

924.3

%

(Income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interests

 

 

 

(1,914

)

 

 

(4

)

 

 

(1,910

)

 

 

47750.0

%

Net income (loss) available to common shares

 

 

$

28,242

 

 

$

2,940

 

 

$

25,302

 

 

 

860.6

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revenue

Rental Income. Rental revenue increased $53.4 million to $98.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $44.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily attributable to $19.2 million of rental income from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015, and $33.1 million from properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014 present for a full year of operations in 2015. The remaining increase of $1.0 million is due to improved occupancy and rental rates at our same store properties.

Tenant reimbursement and other income. Tenant reimbursement and other income increased $7.0 million to $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $4.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily attributable to $2.1 million of income from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015, and $4.5 million from properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014 present for a full year of operations in 2015.

39


 

Expenses

Property operating expenses. Property operating expenses increased $26.6 million to $50.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $23.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily due to $26.1 million of expenses associated with the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015 present for a full year of operations in 2015.

Property management expenses. Property management expenses increased $1.9 million to $3.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily attributable to $0.6 million of property management expense from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015, and an increase of $1.2 million of property management expense from the acquisition of 20 properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014 present for a full year of operations in 2015.

  General and administrative expense. General and administrative expense increased $1.1 million to $2.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This was primarily due to an increase of $0.9 million of professional fees for the year ended December 31, 2015 compared to the year ended December 31, 2014.

Asset management fees. Asset management fees increased $3.9 million to $5.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily due to the growth of our portfolio of real estate properties and related capital used to complete the acquisitions.  During 2015, we increased our portfolio of properties through the 19 properties acquired in the TSRE merger and a single property acquisition in May 2015.  Additionally, as part of the TSRE merger in September 2015, we changed the structure of our advisory contract with RAIT.  Through September 30, 2015, the asset management fees payable to RAIT were calculated as 75 basis points of our average gross real estate assets, with an incentive fee due equal to 20% of any excess core FFO over a 7% core FFO return.  As of October 1, 2015, the fee structure became a base fee of 1.5% of cumulative equity with an incentive fee equal to 20% of CORE FFO in excess of $0.20 per share.  We terminated the advisory agreement requiring us to pay these asset management fees on December 20, 2016 in connection with the management internalization.

Acquisition and integration expenses. Acquisition and integration expenses increased $11.8 million to $13.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. This increase is primarily related to significant acquisition expenses that were incurred in connection with the TSRE merger in which we acquired 19 properties.

Depreciation and amortization expense. Depreciation and amortization expense increased $15.6 million to $28.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $12.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014. The increase is primarily attributable to $8.1 million of depreciation and amortization expenses from the acquisition of 20 properties during the year ended December 31, 2015, and $8.0 million from properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014 present for a full year in 2015.

Interest expense. Interest expense increased $15.1 million to $23.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 from $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2014.  The increase is primarily attributable to $5.9 million of interest expense associated with indebtedness related to the TSRE properties and $8.0 million attributable to additional debt obtained on properties acquired during the year ended December 31, 2014 and present for a full year of operations in 2015.

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets . In December 2015, we sold a 320 unit property in Tucson, Arizona for a sales price of $33.8 million.  We recognized a gain on sale of $6.4 million.  We did not sell any properties in 2014.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Funds from Operations and Core Funds from Operations

We believe that FFO and Core FFO, each of which is a non-GAAP financial measure, are additional appropriate measures of the operating performance of a REIT and us in particular. We compute FFO in accordance with the standards established by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts, or NAREIT, as net income or loss allocated to common shares (computed in accordance with GAAP), excluding real estate-related depreciation and amortization expense, gains or losses on sales of real estate and the cumulative effect of changes in accounting principles.

CFFO is a computation made by analysts and investors to measure a real estate company’s operating performance by removing the effect of items that do not reflect ongoing property operations, including acquisition and integration expenses, gains or losses on real estate transactions, management internalization expense, gains or losses on extinguishment of debt, amortization of deferred financing costs and equity-based compensation expenses, from the determination of FFO. IRT incurs acquisition expenses in connection with acquisitions of real estate properties and expenses those costs when incurred in accordance with U.S. GAAP. As these expenses are one-time and reflective of investing activities rather than operating performance, IRT adds back these costs to FFO in determining CFFO.  

40


 

Our calculation of CFFO differs from the methodology used for calculating CFFO by certain other REITs and, accordingly, IRT’s CFFO may not be comparable to CFFO reported by other REITs. Our management utilizes FFO and CFFO as mea sures of our operating performance, and believes they are also useful to investors, because they facilitate an understanding of our operating performance after adjustment for certain non-cash items, such as depreciation and amortization expenses, equity ba sed compensation, amortization of deferred financing fees, TSRE financing extinguishment and employee separation costs, gains (losses) on TSRE transaction and property acquisitions, and with respect to CFFO, acquisition and integration expenses, pursuit co sts and internalization costs that are required by GAAP to be expensed but may not necessarily be indicative of current operating performance and that may not accurately compare our operating performance between periods. Furthermore, although FFO, CFFO and other supplemental performance measures are defined in various ways throughout the REIT industry, we also believe that FFO and CFFO may provide IRT and our investors with an additional useful measure to compare our financial performance to certain other R EITs. Neither FFO nor CFFO is equivalent to net income or cash generated from operating activities determined in accordance with GAAP. Furthermore, FFO and CFFO do not represent amounts available for management’s discretionary use because of needed capital replacement or expansion, debt service obligations or other commitments or uncertainties. Neither FFO nor CFFO should be considered as an alternative to net income as an indicator of our operating performance or as an alternative to cash flow from operati ng activities as a measure of our liquidity.

 Set forth below is a reconciliation of net income (loss) to FFO and Core FFO for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 (in thousands, except share and per share information):

 

 

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31, 2016

 

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31, 2015

 

 

For the Year

Ended

December 31, 2014

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

Per Share (1)

 

 

Amount

 

 

Per Share (1)

 

 

Amount

 

 

Per Share (1)

 

Funds From Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

(9,555

)

 

$

(0.17

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

0.79

 

 

$

2,944

 

 

$

0.14

 

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income allocated to preferred units

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(4

)

 

 

-

 

Real estate depreciation and amortization

 

 

34,824

 

 

 

0.63

 

 

 

28,094

 

 

 

0.75

 

 

 

12,520

 

 

 

0.58

 

Net (gains) losses on sale of assets

 

 

(31,776

)

 

 

(0.58

)

 

 

(6,412

)

 

 

(0.17

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Funds From Operations

 

$

(6,507

)

 

$

(0.12

)

 

$

51,838

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

$

15,460

 

 

$

0.72

 

Core Funds From Operations:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Funds From Operations

 

$

(6,507

)

 

$

(0.12

)

 

$

51,838

 

 

$

1.37

 

 

$

15,460

 

 

$

0.72

 

Adjustments:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stock-based compensation

 

 

1,222

 

 

 

0.02

 

 

 

495

 

 

 

0.01

 

 

 

206

 

 

 

0.01

 

Amortization of deferred financing costs

 

 

3,064

 

 

 

0.06

 

 

 

1,483

 

 

 

0.04

 

 

 

358

 

 

 

0.02

 

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

 

43

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

13,555

 

 

 

0.36

 

 

 

1,842

 

 

 

0.08

 

(Gains) losses on extinguishment of debt

 

 

1,210

 

 

 

0.02

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Management internalization expense

 

 

44,976

 

 

 

0.82

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment and

   employee separation expenses

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

27,508

 

 

 

0.72

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

(Gains) losses on TSRE merger and  property

   acquisitions

 

 

(732

)

 

 

(0.01

)

 

 

(64,604

)

 

 

(1.70

)

 

 

(2,882

)

 

 

(0.13

)

Core Funds From Operations

 

$

43,276

 

 

$

0.79

 

 

$

30,275

 

 

$

0.80

 

 

$

14,984

 

 

$

0.70

 

(1)

Based on 55,092,382, 37,968,183 and 21,532,671 weighted average shares and units outstanding for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

 

Same Store Portfolio Net Operating Income

We believe that Net Operating Income, or NOI, a non-GAAP measure, is a useful measure of our operating performance. We define NOI as total property revenues less total property operating expenses, excluding depreciation and amortization, asset management fees, acquisition and integration expenses and general administrative expenses.  In connection with our management internalization which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2016, we modified our calculation of NOI to exclude property management expenses. We retrospectively adjusted previously reported NOI to conform to this change in the table below.

Other REITs may use different methodologies for calculating NOI, and accordingly, our NOI may not be comparable to other REITs. We believe that this measure provides an operating perspective not immediately apparent from GAAP operating income or net income. We use NOI to evaluate our performance on a same store and non-same store basis because NOI measures the core operations

41


 

of property performance by excluding corporate level expenses and other items not related to property operating perf ormance and captures trends in rental housing and property operating expenses. However, NOI should only be used as an alternative measure of our financial performance.

We review our same store properties or portfolio at the beginning of each calendar year.  Properties are added into the same store portfolio if they were owned at the beginning of the previous year.  Properties that have been sold or classified as held for sale are excluded from the same store portfolio. The current same store portfolio is comprised of properties owned as of January 1, 2015. As such, the table below does not include results for the year ended December 31, 2014.

 

Twelve-Months Ended December 31

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

% change

 

Revenue:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rental income

$

60,485

 

 

$

58,765

 

 

 

2.9

%

Reimbursement and other income

 

7,126

 

 

 

6,744

 

 

 

5.7

%

Total revenue

 

67,611

 

 

 

65,509

 

 

 

3.2

%

Operating Expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Real estate taxes

 

7,994

 

 

 

7,919

 

 

 

0.9

%

Property insurance

 

1,937

 

 

 

1,823

 

 

 

6.3

%

Personnel expenses

 

6,947

 

 

 

6,925

 

 

 

0.3

%

Utilities

 

4,544

 

 

 

4,465

 

 

 

1.8

%

Repairs and maintenance

 

2,783

 

 

 

2,679

 

 

 

3.9

%

Contract services

 

2,100

 

 

 

2,031

 

 

 

3.4

%

Advertising expenses

 

860

 

 

 

906

 

 

 

-5.1

%

Other expenses

 

1,749

 

 

 

1,744

 

 

 

0.3

%

Total operating expenses

 

28,914

 

 

 

28,492

 

 

 

1.5

%

Same-store net operating income (a)

$

38,697

 

 

$

37,017

 

 

 

4.5

%

Same-store NOI margin

 

57.2

%

 

 

56.5

%

 

 

0.7

%

Average occupancy

 

93.4

%

 

 

93.2

%

 

 

0.2

%

Average effective monthly rent, per unit

$

875

 

 

$

852

 

 

 

2.7

%

Reconciliation of same-store net operating

   income to net income (loss)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same-store portfolio net operating income

$

38,697

 

 

$

37,017

 

 

 

 

 

Non same-store net operating income

 

51,514

 

 

 

26,278

 

 

 

 

 

Property management income

 

29

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asset management fees

 

(7,442

)

 

 

(5,613

)

 

 

 

 

Property management expenses

 

(4,847

)

 

 

(3,674

)

 

 

 

 

General and administrative expenses

 

(3,422

)

 

 

(2,177

)

 

 

 

 

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

(43

)

 

 

(13,555

)

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

(34,824

)

 

 

(28,094

)

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

(35,535

)

 

 

(23,553

)

 

 

 

 

Other income (expense)

 

(4

)

 

 

19

 

 

 

 

 

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets

 

31,776

 

 

 

6,412

 

 

 

 

 

TSRE financing extinguishment and employee

   separation expenses

 

 

 

 

(27,508

)

 

 

 

 

Gains (losses) on extinguishment of debt

 

(1,210

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gains (losses) on TSRE merger and property

   acquisitions

 

732

 

 

 

64,604

 

 

 

 

 

Management internalization expense

 

(44,976

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss)

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

 

 

 

 

(a)

Same store portfolio for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016 and 2015 includes 22 properties which represents 6,451 units.

42


 

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Overview

Liquidity is a measure of our ability to meet potential cash requirements, including ongoing commitments to repay borrowings, fund and maintain investments, pay distributions and other general business needs. We believe our available cash balances, financing arrangements and cash flows from operations will be sufficient to fund our liquidity requirements with respect to our existing portfolio for the next 12 months and the foreseeable future.

Our primary cash requirements are to:

 

make investments and fund the associated costs;

 

repay our indebtedness;

 

pay our operating expenses, including fees paid to our advisor and our property manager; and

 

distribute a minimum of 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and excluding net capital gain) and to make investments in a manner that enables us to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

We intend to meet these liquidity requirements primarily through:

 

the use of our cash and cash equivalent balance of $20.9 million as of December 31, 2016;

 

existing and future financing secured directly or indirectly by the apartment properties in our portfolio;

 

cash generated from operating activities;

 

net cash proceeds from property sales implementing our capital recycling strategy and other sales;

 

proceeds from the sale of our common stock; and

 

if required, proceeds from future borrowings and offerings.

As previously disclosed in prior reports, we determined that the strategic long term benefits of the TSRE acquisition justified exceeding our historical leverage limits, defined as having total indebtedness of no more than approximately 65% of the combined initial purchase price of all of the properties in our portfolio.  Also, as previously disclosed, following the completion of the TSRE acquisition, we have instituted a strategy, which we refer to as our capital recycling strategy, seeking to reduce IRT’s leverage ratio over time by using the proceeds from sales of properties which are outside our core geographic footprint in the Southeastern United States or which we believe we have limited potential for further improvements to their operating results to repay a portion of our indebtedness.  We have successfully continued to implement our capital recycling strategy, which began in 2015, to reduce our leverage and reduce our exposure to short term indebtedness. By December 31, 2016, our leverage had decreased with debt to gross assets declining from 64% historically to 54.3%.  

 

We have sold four targeted properties for $121.6 million, in the aggregate, generating net cash proceeds of $53.9 million, in the aggregate, after costs and repayment of property specific financing.

 

In March 2016, we refinanced a $43.7 million mortgage on our Oklahoma City portfolio with $45.5 million borrowed under the secured facility.

 

The net cash proceeds from these sales and the additional loan proceeds under the secured credit facility were used to pay down the interim facility.

 

In May 2016, we refinanced three properties on the secured credit facility with long term fixed rate mortgages.  We entered into three loan agreements for a total loan of $106.0 million secured by first mortgages on these three properties.  The loans bear interest at rates ranging from 3.3% to 3.7% per annum and provide for monthly payments of interest only for the next three to five years with principal amortization beginning thereafter.

 

In June 2016, we entered into an amended and restated credit agreement with KeyBank that provides for a $40 million  senior term loan that will mature on September 17, 2018.  We borrowed $40.0 million under the facility, using $33.9 million to pay closing costs and repay the remaining balance under the former KeyBank Interim Facility.  The former KeyBank Interim Facility was terminated.  See Note 5: Indebtedness, for a description of the terms related to the amended facility.

 

In October 2016, we completed the October 2016 offering as described below.

43


 

 

We are implementing the 2017 focus of our capital recycling strategy by planning to use the proceeds of sales of our class “C” properties to acquire class “B” properties without adversely impacting our leverage.  As of December 31, 2016, we identified 4 assets as held for sale which we characterize as Class “C” properties with an aggregate book value of $61.0 million which we expect to sell by the end of June 2017, subject to customary closing conditions. We currently have 2 properties under separate contracts to purchase for prices aggregating approximately $44.0 million, subject to customary closing conditions.

October 2016 Offering

Pursuant to the October 2016 offering, we issued and sold 28,750,000 shares of our common stock which generated total gross proceeds, before deducting the underwriting discount and estimated offering expenses, of $258.8 million.  On October 5, 2016, 25,000,000 of these shares were sold pursuant to the underwritten public offering and on October 21, 2016, 3,750,000 of these shares were sold pursuant to the exercise of the underwriters’ overallotment option. After deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses paid by us, IRT received approximately $245.5 of net proceeds, and used the net proceeds from the offering plus available cash as follows:

 

On October 5, 2016, we used $40.0 million of the net proceeds of the October 2016 offering to prepay in full and terminate our $40.0 million senior secured term loan facility provided for in our $40.0 million senior secured term loan facility.

 

On October 5, 2016, we used approximately $62.2 million of the proceeds from the October 2016 offering to repurchase the RAIT shares from certain of RAIT’s subsidiaries at a purchase price of $8.55 per share.  This price was equal to the price to the public in the October 2016 offering less underwriting discounts or commissions.

 

On October 5, 2016, we used approximately $47.3 million of the net proceeds of the October 2016 offering to pay down the $325.0 million senior secured credit facility.

 

As required by the internalization agreement, we reserved $43.0 million in net proceeds from the October 2016 offering to consummate the second closing contemplated by the internalization agreement to be used to implement the management internalization.  The second closing contemplated by the internalization agreement occurred in December 2016 and we paid the $43.0 million to RAIT.

 

On October 11, 2016, we paid down an additional $30.0 million on the $325.0 million senior secured credit facility using proceeds of the October 2016 offering and cash from the balance sheet.

 

On October 24, 2016, we used $30.0 million of the proceeds from the exercise of underwriters’ overallotment option to pay down the $325.0 million senior secured credit facility.

We have also preserved liquidity by structuring acquisitions as UPREIT transactions in which some or all of the consideration we pay for a property is in IROP units which can be exchanged for cash or, at our option, an equivalent number of shares of our common stock. See “Part II-Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities” above for a further description of these UPREIT transactions. In the ordinary course of our business and subject to conditions at the relevant time, we expect to choose to settle any exchanges of our outstanding IROP units by unaffiliated holders by issuing shares of our common stock.  

Cash Flows

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we maintained cash and cash equivalents of approximately $20.9 million and $38.3 million, respectively. Our cash and cash equivalents were generated from the following activities (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

For the Years

Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Cash flow from operating activities

 

$

(7,533

)

 

$

18,725

 

 

$

15,724

 

Cash flow from investing activities

 

 

27,779

 

 

 

(153,466

)

 

 

(307,337

)

Cash flow from financing activities

 

 

(37,655

)

 

 

158,279

 

 

 

303,042

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(17,409

)

 

 

23,538

 

 

 

11,429

 

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period

 

 

38,301

 

 

 

14,763

 

 

 

3,334

 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period

 

$

20,892

 

 

$

38,301

 

 

$

14,763

 

 

Our cash outflow from operating activities during the year ended December 31, 2016 was related to the cost of our management internalization partially offset by ongoing operations of our properties.  Our increased cash inflow from operating activities during the

44


 

year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to 2014 resulted from the expansion of our investments through the acquisition of 20 properties in 2015, as well as prior year acquisitions being present for a full year of operat ions in 2015.

Our cash inflow from investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2016 is primarily due to the disposition of three properties. Our decreased cash outflow from investing activities during the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to 2014 is primarily due to a change in the mix of consideration transferred related to property acquisitions in 2015 as compared to property acquisitions in 2014.  In 2015, we transferred a greater amount of equity consideration (as opposed to cash consideration) related to property acquisitions. We issued 15.1 million shares of common stock and 1.9 million IROP units as part of our acquisition of the TSRE portfolio.  Comparatively, cash consideration was primarily transferred as part of our acquisitions of 20 properties in 2014.

Our cash outflow from financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2016 was primarily due to repayments of mortgage indebtedness and the interim facility with proceeds from the three property dispositions.  Our decreased cash inflow from financing activities during the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to 2014 is primarily due to a change in the mix of consideration transferred related to property acquisitions in 2015 as compared to property acquisitions in 2014.  In 2015, we did not issue common stock in any transactions where we received cash proceeds.  Comparatively, in 2014, we completed three underwritten public offerings of our common stock receiving nearly $190 million in proceeds.  This decrease in cash inflow from financing activities was partially offset by an increase in cash inflows related to the issuance of debt in 2015, primarily the KeyBank facilities.  

As a REIT, we evaluate our dividend coverage based on our cash flow from operating activities, excluding acquisition and integration expenses and changes in other assets and liabilities. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we paid distributions to our common stockholders and non-controlling interests of $38.7 million and generated cash flows from operating activities, before acquisition and integration expenses, management internalization expense and changes in working capital of $43.0 million.

Capitalization

Refer to Note 5: Indebtedness and Note 7: Stockholder Equity and Non-Controlling Interest for information regarding our capitalization.

  Contractual Commitments

The table below summarizes our contractual obligations as of December 31, 2016 (dollars in thousands):

 

 

 

Payment due by Period

 

 

 

Total

 

 

Less Than

1 Year

 

 

1-3

Years

 

 

3-5

Years

 

 

More Than

5 Years

 

Principal payments on outstanding debt obligations

 

$

750,188

 

 

$

2,799

 

 

$

158,150

 

 

$

130,151

 

 

$

459,088

 

Interest payments on outstanding debt obligations (1)

 

 

154,194

 

 

 

27,059

 

 

 

46,236

 

 

 

40,887

 

 

 

40,010

 

Operating lease obligations

 

 

589

 

 

 

148

 

 

 

308

 

 

 

133

 

 

 

 

Total

 

$

904,971

 

 

$

30,006

 

 

$

204,694

 

 

$

171,171

 

 

$

499,098

 

 

 

(1)

All variable-rate indebtedness assumes a 30-day LIBOR rate of .77167% as of December 31, 2016.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

There were no off-balance sheet arrangements during the year ended December 31, 2016 that have or are likely to have a current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures, or capital resource that is material to our interests.  

Terms of Leases and Tenant Characteristics

The leases for our portfolio typically follow standard forms customarily used between landlords and tenants in the geographic area in which the relevant property is located. Under such leases, the tenant typically agrees to pay an initial deposit (generally one month’s rent) and pays rent on a monthly basis. As landlord, we are directly responsible for all real estate taxes, sales and use taxes, special assessments, property-level utilities, insurance and building repairs, and other building operation and management costs. Individual tenants are generally responsible for the utility costs of their unit. Our lease terms generally range from six months to two years and average twelve months.

45


 

Our apartment tenant composition varies across the regions in which we operate, includes single and family renters and is generally reflective of the principal em ployers in the relevant region. For example, in our Norfolk, Virginia market, many of our tenants are employees of the U.S. military. Our apartment properties predominantly consist of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units, although some of our apartment proper ties also have three-bedroom units.

Critical Accounting Estimates and Policies

We consider the accounting policies discussed below to be critical to an understanding of how we report our financial condition and results of operations because their application places the most significant demands on the judgment of our management.

Our financial statements are prepared on the accrual basis of accounting in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make use of estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Revenue Recognition

Minimum rents are recognized on an accrual basis, over the terms of the related leases on a straight-line basis. Any above-market lease values and the capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an adjustment to rental income over the lease term. Recoveries from residential tenants for utility costs are recognized as revenue in the period that the applicable costs are incurred.

Investments in Real Estate

Allocation of Purchase Price of Acquired Assets

We account for acquisitions of properties that meet the definition of a business pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 805, “Business Combinations”. The fair value of the real estate acquired is allocated to the acquired tangible assets, generally consisting of land and building, and identified intangible assets, generally consisting of acquired in-place leases, based in each case on their fair values. Purchase accounting is applied to assets and liabilities associated with the real estate acquired. Transaction costs and fees incurred related to acquisitions are expensed as incurred. Transaction costs and fees incurred related to the financing of an acquisition are capitalized and amortized over the life of the related financing.

Upon the acquisition of properties, we estimate the fair value of acquired tangible assets (consisting of land, building and improvements) and identified intangible assets and liabilities (consisting of in-place leases), and assumed debt at the date of acquisition, based on the evaluation of information and estimates available at that date. Based on these estimates, we allocate the initial purchase price to the applicable assets and liabilities. As final information regarding fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is received and estimates are refined, appropriate adjustments will be made to the purchase price allocation, in no case later than twelve months of the acquisition date.

The aggregate value of in-place leases is determined by evaluating various factors, including the terms of the leases that are in place and assumed lease-up periods. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Management evaluates the recoverability of its investment in real estate assets, including related identifiable intangible assets, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment.” This statement requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that recoverability of the assets is not assured.

Management reviews its long-lived assets on an ongoing basis and evaluates the recoverability of the carrying value when there is an indicator of impairment. An impairment charge is recorded when it is determined that the carrying value of the assets exceeds the fair value. The estimated cash flows used for the impairment analysis and the determination of estimated fair value are based on our plans for the respective assets and our views of market and economic conditions. The estimates consider matters such as current and historical rental rates, occupancies for the respective and/or comparable properties, and recent sales data for comparable properties. Changes in estimated future cash flows due to changes in our plans or views of market and economic conditions could result in recognition of impairment losses, which, under the applicable accounting guidance, could be substantial.

46


 

Shar e-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Subtopic 505-50, “Equity – Equity Payments to Non-Employees” and FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”. We did not have any employees prior to December 20, 2016 and therefore accounted for share-based compensation as nonemployee awards. Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and revalued at the end of each accounting period. The expense is recognized over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. Any share-based compensation awards granted to employees are measured based on the grant-date fair value of the award and we record compensation expense for the entire award on a straight line basis, over the related vesting period, for the entire award.

 

ITEM 7A.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Market risk is the adverse effect on the value of a financial instrument that results from a change in interest rates. We may be exposed to interest rate changes primarily as a result of long-term debt used to maintain liquidity, fund capital expenditures and expand our real estate investment portfolio and operations. Market fluctuations in real estate financing may affect the availability and cost of funds needed to expand our investment portfolio. In addition, restrictions upon the availability of real estate financing or high interest rates for real estate loans could adversely affect our ability to dispose of real estate in the future. We seek to limit the impact of interest rate changes on earnings and cash flows and to lower our overall borrowing costs. We may use derivative financial instruments to hedge exposures to changes in interest rates on loans secured by our assets. The market risk associated with interest-rate contracts is managed by establishing and monitoring parameters that limit the types and degree of market risk that may be undertaken. With regard to variable rate financing, our advisor assesses our interest rate cash flow risk by continually identifying and monitoring changes in interest rate exposures that may adversely impact expected future cash flows and by evaluating hedging opportunities. Our advisor maintains risk management control systems to monitor interest rate cash flow risk attributable to both our outstanding and forecasted debt obligations as well as our potential offsetting hedge positions. While this hedging strategy is designed to minimize the impact on our net income and funds from operations of changes in interest rates, the overall returns on any investment in our securities may be reduced. We currently have limited exposure to financial market risks.

We may also be exposed to credit risk in derivative contracts we may use. Credit risk is the failure of the counterparty to perform under the terms of the derivative contract. If the fair value of a derivative contract is positive, the counterparty will owe us, which creates credit risk for us. If the fair value of a derivative contract is negative, we will owe the counterparty and, therefore, do not have credit risk. We seek to minimize the credit risk in derivative instruments by entering into transactions with high-quality counterparties.

Interest Rate Risk and Sensitivity

Interest rates may be affected by economic, geo-political, monetary and fiscal policy, market supply and demand and other factors generally outside our control, and such factors may be highly volatile. A change in market interest rates applicable to the fixed-rate portion of our indebtedness affects the fair value, but it has no effect on interest incurred or cash flows. A change in market interest rates applicable to the variable portion of our indebtedness affects the interest incurred and cash flows, but does not affect the fair value.

As of December 31, 2016, our only interest rate sensitive assets or liabilities related to our principal amount of $750.2 million of outstanding indebtedness, of which $600.2 million is fixed rate and $150.0 million is floating rate, an individual interest rate cap with a notional amount of $200.0 million and a float-to-fixed interest rate swap with a notional amount of $150.0 million. As of December 31, 2015, our only interest rate sensitive assets or liabilities related to our principal amount of $975.6 million of outstanding indebtedness, of which $429.6 million was floating-rate and $546.0 million was fixed-rate indebtedness and an individual interest rate cap with a notional of $200.0 million. We monitor interest rate risk routinely and seek to minimize the possibility that a change in interest rates would impact the interest incurred and our cash flows. To mitigate such risk, we may use interest rate derivative contracts. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, the fair value of our fixed-rate indebtedness was $588.5 and $553.0 million, respectively. The fair value of our fixed rate indebtedness was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis utilizing rates that we believe a market participant would expect to pay for debt of a similar type and remaining maturity as if the debt was originated at December 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. As we expect to remain obligated on our fixed rate instruments to maturity and the amounts due under such instruments would be limited to the outstanding principal balance and any accrued and unpaid interest, we do not expect that fluctuations in interest rates, and the resulting change in fair value of our fixed rate instruments, would have a significant impact on our operations.

As of December 31, 2016, our interest rate cap had an insignificant asset fair value.  As of December 31, 2015, the fair value of our interest rate cap was $0.03 million.  The fair value of our interest rate cap was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on forward interest rate curves and implied volatilities applicable to the individual caplets.  The interest rate cap has been excluded from the table below as its impact to our interest rate risk under the scenarios presented in the table is insignificant.

47


 

As of December 31, 2016, our interest rate swap had an asset fair value of $3.9 million.  The fair value of our interest rate swap was estimated using a discounted cash flow analysis based on forward interest rate curves.  The impact of the interest rate swap has been included in the table below.

The following table summarizes our indebtedness, and the impact to interest expense for a 12-month period, and the change in the net fair value of our indebtedness assuming an instantaneous increase or, subject to note (b) below, decrease of 100 basis points in the LIBOR interest rate curve:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

Subject to

Interest

Rate   Sensitivity (a)

 

 

100 Basis Point

Increase (b) (c)

 

 

100 Basis Point

Decrease (b) (c)

 

Interest expense from variable-rate indebtedness

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Fair value of fixed-rate indebtedness

 

 

588,523

 

 

 

545,285

 

 

 

626,190

 

Total

 

$

738,523

 

 

$

545,285

 

 

$

626,190

 

 

(a)   Unpaid balance of variable-rate indebtedness as of December 31, 2016 is shown. Fair value of fixed-rate indebtedness as of December 31, 2016 is shown.

(b)   Assumes LIBOR will not fall below 0%.

(c)   Sensitivities include the impact of our $150.0 million float-to-fixed interest rate swap.

 

 

 

48


 

ITEM 8.

Financial Statemen ts and Supplementary Data

 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

OF INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

(A Maryland Corporation)

 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

50

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015

52

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

53

Statement of Comprehensive Income (Loss) for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

54

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

55

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Three Years Ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014

56

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

57

Supplemental Schedule

 

Schedule III: Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

78

 

49


 

Report of Independent Regist ered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders

Independence Realty Trust, Inc.:

 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three‑year period ended December 31, 2016. In connection with our audits of the consolidated financial statements, we also have audited financial statement schedule III. These consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three‑year period ended December 31, 2016, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Also in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, present fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated March 3, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 3, 2017

 

50


 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders

Independence Realty Trust, Inc.:

 

We have audited Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on Independence Realty Trust, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, Independence Realty Trust, Inc. maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016, and our report dated March 3, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 3, 2017

 

 

51


 

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

As of

December 31,

2016

 

 

As of

December 31,

2015

 

ASSETS:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments in real estate:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Investments in real estate, at cost

 

$

1,249,356

 

 

$

1,372,015

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

(51,511

)

 

 

(39,638

)

Investments in real estate, net

 

 

1,197,845

 

 

 

1,332,377

 

Real estate held for sale (see Note 4)

 

 

60,786

 

 

 

-

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

 

20,892

 

 

 

38,301

 

Restricted cash

 

 

5,518

 

 

 

5,413

 

Accounts receivable and other assets

 

 

5,211

 

 

 

3,362

 

Derivative assets

 

 

3,867

 

 

 

-

 

Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization of $0 and $11,551, respectively

 

 

118

 

 

 

3,735

 

Total Assets

 

$

1,294,237

 

 

$

1,383,188

 

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indebtedness, net of unamortized discount and deferred financing costs of $6,371 and $8,920, respectively

 

$

743,817

 

 

$

966,611

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

 

 

14,028

 

 

 

19,304

 

Accrued interest payable

 

 

491

 

 

 

1,239

 

Dividends payable

 

 

4,297

 

 

 

3,006

 

Other liabilities

 

 

2,913

 

 

 

2,998

 

Total Liabilities

 

 

765,546

 

 

 

993,158

 

Equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stockholders’ equity:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preferred stock, $0.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized, 0 and 0 shares

   issued and outstanding, respectively

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Common stock, $0.01 par value; 300,000,000 shares authorized, 68,996,070

   and 47,070,678 shares issued and outstanding, including 281,000 and 117,000

   unvested restricted common share awards, respectively

 

 

690

 

 

 

471

 

Additional paid in capital

 

 

564,633

 

 

 

378,187

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)

 

 

3,683

 

 

 

(8

)

Retained earnings (accumulated deficit)

 

 

(62,181

)

 

 

(14,500

)

Total stockholders’ equity

 

 

506,825

 

 

 

364,150

 

Noncontrolling interests

 

 

21,866

 

 

 

25,880

 

Total Equity

 

 

528,691

 

 

 

390,030

 

Total Liabilities and Equity

 

$

1,294,237

 

 

$

1,383,188

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

52


 

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share information)

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

REVENUE:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rental income

 

$

137,416

 

 

$

98,216

 

 

$

44,834

 

Tenant reimbursement income

 

 

5,587

 

 

 

4,401

 

 

 

1,924

 

Other income

 

 

10,356

 

 

 

6,959

 

 

 

2,413

 

Property management

 

 

29

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Total revenue

 

 

153,388

 

 

 

109,576

 

 

 

49,171

 

EXPENSES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property operating expenses

 

 

63,148

 

 

 

46,281

 

 

 

21,636

 

Property management expenses

 

 

4,847

 

 

 

3,674

 

 

 

1,759

 

General and administrative expenses

 

 

3,422

 

 

 

2,177

 

 

 

1,137

 

Asset management fees

 

 

7,442

 

 

 

5,613

 

 

 

1,736

 

Acquisition and integration expenses

 

 

43

 

 

 

13,555

 

 

 

1,842

 

Depreciation and amortization expense

 

 

34,824

 

 

 

28,094

 

 

 

12,520

 

Total expenses

 

 

113,726

 

 

 

99,394

 

 

 

40,630

 

Operating income

 

 

39,662

 

 

 

10,182

 

 

 

8,541

 

Interest expense

 

 

(35,535

)

 

 

(23,553

)

 

 

(8,496

)

Interest income

 

 

(4

)

 

 

19

 

 

 

17

 

Net gains (losses) on sale of assets

 

 

31,776

 

 

 

6,412

 

 

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment and employee separation

   expenses

 

 

-

 

 

 

(27,508

)

 

 

-

 

Gain (loss) on extinguishment of debt

 

 

(1,210

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Management internalization expense

 

 

(44,976

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Gains (losses) on TSRE merger and property acquisitions

 

 

732

 

 

 

64,604

 

 

 

2,882

 

Net income (loss):

 

 

(9,555

)

 

 

30,156

 

 

 

2,944

 

(Income) loss allocated to noncontrolling interest

 

 

(246

)

 

 

(1,914

)

 

 

(4

)

Net income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

$

(9,801

)

 

$

28,242

 

 

$

2,940

 

Earnings (loss) per share:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

Diluted

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

Weighted-average shares:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic

 

 

52,182,427

 

 

 

36,153,673

 

 

 

21,315,928

 

Diluted

 

 

52,182,427

 

 

 

36,160,274

 

 

 

21,532,671

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

53


 

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss)

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Net income (loss)

 

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

2,944

 

Other comprehensive income (loss):

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Change in fair value of interest rate hedges

 

 

3,354

 

 

 

(8

)

 

 

 

Realized (gains) losses on interest rate hedges reclassified to earnings

 

 

492

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total other comprehensive income

 

 

3,846

 

 

 

(8

)

 

 

 

Comprehensive income (loss) before allocation to noncontrolling

   interests

 

 

(5,709

)

 

 

30,148

 

 

 

2,944

 

Allocation to noncontrolling interests

 

 

(401

)

 

 

(1,914

)

 

 

(4

)

Comprehensive income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

$

(6,110

)

 

$

28,234

 

 

$

2,940

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

 

54


 

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Equity

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

Preferred Shares

 

 

Par Value Preferred Shares

 

 

Common

Shares

 

 

Par

Value

Common

Shares

 

 

Additional

Paid In

Capital

 

 

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)

 

 

Retained

Earnings

(Accumulated Deficit)

 

 

Total

Stockholders’

Equity

 

 

Noncontrolling

Interests

 

 

Total

Equity

 

Balance, January 1, 2014

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

9,652,540

 

 

$

96

 

 

$

78,112

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

(3,300

)

 

$

74,908

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

74,908

 

Net income (loss)

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

2,940

 

 

 

2,940

 

 

 

4

 

 

 

2,944

 

Distribution to noncontrolling interest declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(204

)

 

 

(204

)

Common dividends declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(16,368

)

 

 

(16,368

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(16,368

)

Issuance of noncontrolling interests

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

11,961

 

 

 

11,961

 

Issuance of common shares, net

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

22,098,536

 

 

 

221

 

 

 

189,366

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

189,587

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

189,587

 

Stock compensation expense

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

49,000

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

205

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

206

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

206

 

Balance, December 31, 2014

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

31,800,076

 

 

$

318

 

 

$

267,683

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

(16,728

)

 

$

251,273

 

 

$

11,761

 

 

$

263,034

 

Net income (loss)

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

28,242

 

 

 

28,242

 

 

 

1,914

 

 

 

30,156

 

Distribution to noncontrolling interest declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(1,300

)

 

 

(1,300

)

Common dividends declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(26,014

)

 

 

(26,014

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(26,014

)

Other comprehensive income

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(8

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(8

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(8

)

Issuance of noncontrolling interests

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

13,998

 

 

 

13,998

 

Conversion of noncontrolling interest to common shares

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

52,933

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

493

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

493

 

 

 

(493

)

 

 

-

 

Issuance of common shares, net

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

15,105,669

 

 

 

152

 

 

 

109,516

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

109,668

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

109,668

 

Stock compensation expense

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

112,000

 

 

 

1

 

 

 

495

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

496

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

496

 

Balance, December 31, 2015

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

47,070,678

 

 

$

471

 

 

$

378,187

 

 

$

(8

)

 

$

(14,500

)

 

$

364,150

 

 

$

25,880

 

 

$

390,030

 

Net income (loss)

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(9,801

)

 

 

(9,801

)

 

246

 

 

 

(9,555

)

Common dividends declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(37,880

)

 

 

(37,880

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(37,880

)

Other comprehensive income

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

3,691

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3,691

 

 

155

 

 

 

3,846

 

Stock compensation expense

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

228,000

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

1,220

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

1,222

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

1,222

 

Common share activity related to equity compensation

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(28,869

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(143

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(143

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(143

)

Conversion of noncontrolling interest to common shares

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

245,980

 

 

 

2

 

 

 

2,289

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

2,291

 

 

 

(2,291

)

 

 

-

 

Issuance of common shares, net

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

28,750,000

 

 

 

288

 

 

 

245,164

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

245,452

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

245,452

 

Repurchase of common shares

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(7,269,719

)

 

 

(73

)

 

 

(62,083

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(62,156

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

(62,156

)

Distribution to noncontrolling interest declared

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

(2,124

)

 

 

(2,124

)

Balance, December 31, 2016

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

 

68,996,070

 

 

$

690

 

 

$

564,633

 

 

$

3,683

 

 

$

(62,181

)

 

$

506,825

 

 

$

21,866

 

 

$

528,691

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

55


 

 

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Cash flows from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income

 

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

2,944

 

Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash flow from operating activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation and amortization

 

 

34,824

 

 

 

28,094

 

 

 

12,520

 

Amortization of deferred financing costs and premium on indebtedness, net

 

 

2,757

 

 

 

389

 

 

 

(660

)

Stock compensation expense

 

 

1,222

 

 

 

495

 

 

 

206

 

Net (gains) losses on sale of assets

 

 

(31,776

)

 

 

(6,412

)

 

 

-

 

Net (gains) losses on extinguishment of debt

 

 

1,210

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment expenses

 

 

-

 

 

 

23,219

 

 

 

-

 

(Gains) losses on TSRE merger and property acquisitions

 

 

(732

)

 

 

(64,604

)

 

 

(2,882

)

Changes in assets and liabilities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts receivable and other assets

 

 

(477

)

 

 

5,570

 

 

 

764

 

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

 

 

(4,328

)

 

 

3,362

 

 

 

2,670

 

Accrued interest payable

 

 

(715

)

 

 

1,060

 

 

 

(14

)

Other liabilities

 

 

37

 

 

 

(2,604

)

 

 

176

 

Net cash provided by operating activities

 

 

(7,533

)

 

 

18,725

 

 

 

15,724

 

Cash flows from investing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisition of real estate properties

 

 

-

 

 

 

(24,746

)

 

 

(299,881

)

Disposition of real estate properties

 

 

39,690

 

 

 

17,524

 

 

 

-

 

Acquisition of advisory and management contracts

 

 

(143

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

TSRE merger, net of cash acquired

 

 

-

 

 

 

(137,096

)

 

 

-

 

Capital expenditures

 

 

(10,663

)

 

 

(8,941

)

 

 

(4,158

)

Deposit paid for future acquisition

 

 

(1,000

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

(Increase) decrease in restricted cash

 

 

(105

)

 

 

(207

)

 

 

(3,298

)

Cash flow used in investing activities

 

 

27,779

 

 

 

(153,466

)

 

 

(307,337

)

Cash flows from financing activities:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proceeds from issuance of common stock

 

 

245,309

 

 

 

(188

)

 

 

189,587

 

Payments related to repurchase of common stock

 

 

(62,156

)

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

TSRE financing extinguishment expenses

 

 

-

 

 

 

(23,219

)

 

 

-

 

Proceeds from Secured Credit Facility and mortgage indebtedness

 

 

209,481

 

 

 

488,725

 

 

 

154,650

 

Secured Credit Facility and mortgage principal repayments

 

 

(390,089

)

 

 

(272,751

)

 

 

(26,001

)

Payments for deferred financing costs

 

 

(1,485

)

 

 

(7,998

)

 

 

(89

)

Distributions on common stock

 

 

(36,575

)

 

 

(25,103

)

 

 

(14,978

)

Distributions to noncontrolling interests

 

 

(2,140

)

 

 

(1,187

)

 

 

(127

)

Net cash from financing activities

 

 

(37,655

)

 

 

158,279

 

 

 

303,042

 

Net change in cash and cash equivalents

 

 

(17,409

)

 

 

23,538

 

 

 

11,429

 

Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period

 

 

38,301

 

 

 

14,763

 

 

 

3,334

 

Cash and cash equivalents, end of the period

 

$

20,892

 

 

$

38,301

 

 

$

14,763

 

Supplemental cash flow information:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash paid for interest

 

$

33,034

 

 

$

22,105

 

 

$

9,170

 

Non-cash decrease in noncontrolling interest from conversion of common limited

   partnership units to shares of common stock

 

$

2,290

 

 

$

493

 

 

$

-

 

Distributions declared but not paid

 

$

4,297

 

 

$

3,006

 

 

$

1,982

 

Value of common stock issued

 

$

-

 

 

$

109,857

 

 

$

-

 

Value of limited partnership units issued in acquisitions

 

$

-

 

 

$

13,998

 

 

$

11,961

 

Mortgage debt assumed

 

$

-

 

 

$

121,885

 

 

$

66,963

 

 

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

 

 

56


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

NOTE 1: Organization

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. was formed on March 26, 2009 as a Maryland corporation that has elected to be taxed as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, commencing with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. We became an internally managed REIT in December 2016. Prior to that date, we were externally managed by a subsidiary of RAIT Financial Trust, or RAIT, a publicly traded Maryland REIT whose common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “RAS” (referred to as our Advisor) until December 20, 2016.  On December 20, 2016, we completed our management internalization, which was announced on September 27, 2016 as part of the agreement, or the internalization agreement, with RAIT and RAIT affiliates that provided for transactions which changed us from being externally managed to being internally managed and separated us from RAIT.  The management internalization consisted of two parts: (i) our acquisition of our external advisor, which was a subsidiary of RAIT, and (ii) our acquisition of substantially all of its assets and the assumption of certain liabilities relating to the multifamily property management business of RAIT, including property management contracts relating to apartment properties owned by us, RAIT and third parties. Also, pursuant to the internalization agreement, on October 5, 2016, we repurchased all of the 7,269,719 shares of our common stock owned by certain of RAIT’s subsidiaries and retired these shares.  As used herein, the terms “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and, as required by context, Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, which we refer to as IROP, and their subsidiaries. We own apartment properties in geographic non-gateway markets that we believe support strong occupancy and have the potential for growth in rental rates. We seek to provide stockholders with attractive risk-adjusted returns, with an emphasis on distributions and capital appreciation. We own substantially all of our assets and conduct our operations through IROP, of which we are the sole general partner.

 

 

NOTE 2: Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

a. Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly our consolidated financial position and consolidated results of operations, equity and cash flows are included.

Concurrent with IRT’s management internalization that was completed on December 20, 2016, IRT now has property management employees that perform regional supervision, accounting, treasury, human resources and other corporate functions. The expenses associated with these employees are presented in a separate income statement line item entitled “Property management expenses.” We have also, retroactively, adjusted historical periods to move property management fees paid to our previous property manager from property operating expenses to property management expenses.

b. Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements reflect our accounts and the accounts of IROP and other wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.  Pursuant to FASB Accounting Standards Codification Topic 810, “Consolidation”, IROP is considered a variable interest entity.  As our significant asset is our investment in IROP, substantially all of our assets and liabilities represent the assets and liabilities of IROP.

c. Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

57


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

d. Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents include cash held in banks and highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased. Cash, including amounts restricted, may at times exceed the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation deposit insurance limit of $250 per institution. We mitigate credit risk by placing cash and cash equivalents with major financial institutions. To date, we have not experienced any losses on cash and cash equivalents.

e. Restricted Cash

Restricted cash includes tenant escrows and our funds held by lenders to fund certain expenditures or to be released at our discretion upon the occurrence of certain pre-specified events. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had $5,518 and $5,413, respectively, of restricted cash.

f. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Bad Debts

We make estimates of the collectability of our accounts receivable related to base rents, expense reimbursements and other revenue. We analyze accounts receivable and historical bad debt levels, tenant credit worthiness and current economic trends when evaluating the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts. In addition, tenants experiencing financial difficulties are analyzed and estimates are made in connection with expected uncollectible receivables. Our reported operating results are affected by management’s estimate of the collectability of accounts receivable.

g. Investments in Real Estate

Investments in real estate are recorded at cost less accumulated depreciation. Costs that both add value and appreciably extend the useful life of an asset are capitalized. Expenditures for repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

Investments in real estate are classified as held for sale in the period in which certain criteria are met including when the sale of the asset is probable and actions required to complete the plan of sale indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan of sale will be made or the plan of sale will be withdrawn.

Allocation of Purchase Price of Acquired Assets

We account for acquisitions of properties that meet the definition of a business pursuant to Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, Accounting Standards Codification, or ASC, Topic 805, “Business Combinations”. The fair value of the real estate acquired is allocated to the acquired tangible assets, generally consisting of land, building and tenant improvements, and identified intangible assets and liabilities, consisting of the value of above-market and below-market leases for acquired in-place leases and the value of tenant relationships, based in each case on their fair values. Purchase accounting is applied to assets and liabilities associated with the real estate acquired. Transaction costs and fees incurred related to acquisition are expensed as incurred. Transaction costs and fees incurred related to the financing of an acquisition are capitalized and amortized over the life of the related financing.

Upon the acquisition of properties, we estimate the fair value of acquired tangible assets (consisting of land, building and improvements) and identified intangible assets (consisting of in-place leases), and assumed debt at the date of acquisition, based on the evaluation of information and estimates available at that date. Based on these estimates, we allocate the initial purchase price to the applicable assets and liabilities. As final information regarding fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is received and estimates are refined, appropriate adjustments will be made to the purchase price allocation, in no case later than twelve months of the acquisition date. During the year ended December 31, 2016, we made an adjustment related to the TSRE acquisition as described in NOTE 4: Investments in Real Estate.

The aggregate value of in-place leases is determined by evaluating various factors, including the terms of the leases that are in place and assumed lease-up periods.  During the year ended December 31, 2016, we did not acquire any properties and, therefore, did not acquire any in-place leases.  During the twelve month period ended December 31, 2015, we acquired in-place leases with a value of $7,690 related to our acquisitions that are discussed further in NOTE 4: Investments in Real Estate. The value assigned to this intangible asset is amortized over the assumed lease up period, typically six months.  For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 we recorded $3,735, $7,206 and $3,778 of amortization expense for intangible assets, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2016, $7,471 of intangible assets became fully amortized and were written off.  

58


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Impairment of Long- Lived Assets

Management evaluates the recoverability of its investment in real estate assets, including related identifiable intangible assets, in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 360, “Property, Plant and Equipment”. This statement requires that long-lived assets be reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that recoverability of the assets is not assured.

Management reviews its long-lived assets on an ongoing basis and evaluates the recoverability of the carrying value when there is an indicator of impairment. An impairment charge is recorded when it is determined that the carrying value of the asset exceeds the fair value. The estimated cash flows used for the impairment analysis and the determination of estimated fair value are based on our plans for the respective assets and our views of market and economic conditions. The estimates consider matters such as current and historical rental rates, occupancies for the respective and/or comparable properties, and recent sales data for comparable properties. Changes in estimated future cash flows due to changes in our plans or views of market and economic conditions could result in recognition of impairment losses, which, under the applicable accounting guidance, could be substantial.

Depreciation

Depreciation expense for real estate assets are computed using a straight-line method based on a life of 40 years for buildings and improvements and five to ten years for equipment and fixtures. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 we recorded $31,089, $20,888 and $8,742 of depreciation expense, respectively.

h. Revenue and Expenses

Minimum rents are recognized on an accrual basis, over the terms of the related leases on a straight-line basis. Any above-market lease values and the capitalized below-market lease values are amortized as an adjustment to rental income over the lease term. Recoveries from residential tenants for utility costs are recognized as revenue in the period that the applicable costs are incurred.

Our portfolio of properties consists primarily of apartment communities geographically concentrated in the Southeastern United States. Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas comprised 9.22%, 11.21%, 13.38%, 7.91%, 8.57%, 13.33%, and 11.88%, respectively, of our rental revenue for the year ended December 31, 2016.

For the year ended December 31, 2016 and 2015, we recognized revenues of $189 and $322, respectively, related to recoveries of lost rental revenue due to natural disasters and other insurable events from our insurance providers.

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we incurred $1,749, $1,399, and $675  of advertising expenses, respectively.

i. Fair Value of Financial Instruments

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Where available, fair value is based on observable market prices or parameters or derived from such prices or parameters. Where observable prices or inputs are not available, valuation models are applied. These valuation techniques involve management estimation and judgment, the degree of which is dependent on the price transparency for the instruments or market and the instruments’ complexity for disclosure purposes. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value in the consolidated balance sheets are categorized based upon the level of judgment associated with the inputs used to measure their value. Hierarchical levels, as defined in FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures” and directly related to the amount of subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair valuations of these assets and liabilities, are as follows:

 

Level 1 : Valuations are based on unadjusted, quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities at the measurement date. The types of assets carried at Level 1 fair value generally are equity securities listed in active markets. As such, valuations of these investments do not entail a significant degree of judgment.

 

Level 2 : Valuations are based on quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets or quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active or for which all significant inputs are observable, either directly or indirectly.

59


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

Level 3 : Inputs are unobservable inputs for the asset or liability, and include situations where there is little, if any, market activity for the asset or liability. In certain cases, the inputs used to measure fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, the level in the fair value hierarchy within which the fair value measurement in its entirety falls has been determined based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety. Our assessment of the significance of a particular input to the fair value measurement in it s entirety requires judgment, and considers factors specific to the asset.

The availability of observable inputs can vary depending on the financial asset or liability and is affected by a wide variety of factors, including, for example, the type of investment, whether the investment is new, whether the investment is traded on an active exchange or in the secondary market, and the current market condition. To the extent that valuation is based on models or inputs that are less observable or unobservable in the market, the determination of fair value requires more judgment. Accordingly, the degree of judgment exercised by us in determining fair value is greatest for instruments categorized in Level 3.

Fair value is a market-based measure considered from the perspective of a market participant who holds the asset or owes the liability rather than an entity-specific measure. Therefore, even when market assumptions are not readily available, our own assumptions are set to reflect those that management believes market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability at the measurement date. We use prices and inputs that management believes are current as of the measurement date, including during periods of market dislocation. In periods of market dislocation, the observability of prices and inputs may be reduced for many instruments. This condition could cause an instrument to be transferred from Level 1 to Level 2 or Level 2 to Level 3.

Fair value for certain of our Level 3 financial instruments is derived using internal valuation models. These internal valuation models include discounted cash flow analyses developed by management using current interest rates, estimates of the term of the particular instrument, specific issuer information and other market data for securities without an active market. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 820, “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures”, the impact of our own credit spreads is also considered when measuring the fair value of financial assets or liabilities, including derivative contracts. Where appropriate, valuation adjustments are made to account for various factors, including bid-ask spreads, credit quality and market liquidity. These adjustments are applied on a consistent basis and are based on observable inputs where available. Management’s estimate of fair value requires significant management judgment and is subject to a high degree of variability based upon market conditions, the availability of specific issuer information and management’s assumptions.

FASB ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments” requires disclosure of the fair value of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value. The fair value of mortgage indebtedness is based on a discounted cash flows valuation technique.  As this technique utilizes current credit spreads for various maturities and types of loans, which are generally unobservable, this is classified as a Level 3 fair vale measurement within the fair value hierarchy. We determine appropriate credit spreads based on the type of debt and its maturity.  The fair value of our secured credit facility, term loan facility, cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 approximated their respective unpaid principal balances due to the nature of these instruments.  Given that cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash are short term in nature with limited fair value volatility, the carrying amount is deemed to be a reasonable approximation of fair value and the fair value input is classified as a Level 1 fair value measurement.  The fair value inputs for the secured credit facility and the term loan facility are classified as Level 2 fair value measurements within the fair value hierarchy.  The fair value of derivatives is based on a discounted cash flows technique and is classified as a Level 2 fair value measurement within the fair value hierarchy.  The following table summarizes the carrying amount and the fair value of our financial instruments as of the periods indicated:

 

60


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

As of December 31, 2015

 

Financial Instrument

 

Carrying

Amount

 

 

Estimated

Fair Value

 

 

Carrying

Amount

 

 

Estimated

Fair Value

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

20,892

 

 

$

20,892

 

 

$

38,301

 

 

$

38,301

 

Restricted cash

 

 

5,518

 

 

 

5,518

 

 

 

5,413

 

 

 

5,413

 

Derivative assets

 

 

3,867

 

 

 

3,867

 

 

24

 

 

24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Debt:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Secured credit facility

 

 

147,280

 

 

 

150,000

 

 

 

267,155

 

 

 

271,500

 

Term loan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

118,418

 

 

 

120,000

 

Mortgages

 

 

596,537

 

 

 

588,523

 

 

 

581,038

 

 

 

589,320

 

Derivative liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

j. Deferred Financing Costs

Costs incurred in connection with debt financing are deferred and classified within indebtedness and charged to interest expense over the terms of the related debt agreements, under the effective interest method.  As of January 1, 2016, we adopted the accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 835, “Interest” which required deferred financing costs to be presented on the balance sheet as a direct deduction from indebtedness.  This resulted in the reclassification of the amounts presented as deferred financing costs as of December 31, 2015 from deferred financing costs to indebtedness on our consolidated balance sheet.

k. Income Taxes

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT beginning with the taxable year ended December 31, 2011. Accordingly, we recorded no income tax expense for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

To qualify as a REIT, we must meet certain organizational and operational requirements, including a requirement to distribute at least 90% of our ordinary taxable income to stockholders. As a REIT, we generally are not subject to federal income tax on taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year, we will be subject to federal income taxes on our taxable income at regular corporate rates and will not be permitted to qualify for treatment as a REIT for federal income tax purposes for four years following the year during which qualification is lost unless the Internal Revenue Service grants us relief under certain statutory provisions. Such an event could materially adversely affect our net income and net cash available for distribution to stockholders; however, we believe that we are organized and operate in such a manner as to qualify and maintain treatment as a REIT and intend to operate in such a manner so that we will remain qualified as a REIT for federal income tax purposes. For the year ended December 31, 2016, 93% of dividends were characterized as total capital gain distribution, 7% were characterized as ordinary income and 0% were characterized as return of capital.  For the year ended December 31, 2015, 17% of dividends were characterized as total capital gain distribution and 83% were characterized as return of capital. For the year ended December 31, 2014, 35% of dividends were characterized as ordinary taxable income and 65% were characterized as return of capital.

l. Share-Based Compensation

We account for stock-based compensation in accordance with FASB ASC Subtopic 505-50, “Equity – Equity Payments to Non-Employees” and FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation—Stock Compensation”. We did not have any employees prior to the management internalization on December 20, 2016 and therefore accounted for stock-based compensation as nonemployee awards. Stock-based compensation cost for nonemployee awards is measured at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and is revalued at the end of each accounting period. The expense is recognized over the requisite service period, which is the vesting period. Any share-based compensation awards granted to employees are measured based on the grant-date fair value of the award and we record compensation expense for the entire award on a straight line basis, over the related vesting period, for the entire award.  For awards granted to nonemployees who subsequently became employees, the fair value of the awards were revalued on the date the employment status change occurred and the resulting compensation expense is recognized on a straight line basis over the remaining vesting period, for the entire award.

61


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

m. Noncontrolling Interest

Our noncontrolling interest represents limited partnership units of our operating partnership that were issued in connection with certain property acquisitions. We record limited partnership units issued in an acquisition at their fair value on the closing date of the acquisition. The holders of the limited partnership units have the right to redeem their limited partnership units for either shares of our common stock or for cash at our discretion. As the settlement of a redemption is in our sole discretion, we present noncontrolling interest in our consolidated balance sheet within equity but separate from shareholders’ equity. Any noncontrolling interests that fail to qualify as permanent equity will be presented as temporary equity and be carried at the greater of historical cost or their redemption value.    

n. Derivative Instruments

We may use derivative financial instruments to hedge all or a portion of the interest rate risk associated with our borrowings. The principal objective of such arrangements is to minimize the risks and/or costs associated with our operating and financial structure as well as to hedge specific anticipated transactions. While these instruments may impact our periodic cash flows, they benefit us by minimizing the risks and/or costs previously described.  The counterparties to these contractual arrangements are major financial institutions with which we and our affiliates may also have other financial relationships. In the event of nonperformance by the counterparties, we are potentially exposed to credit loss. However, because of the high credit ratings of the counterparties, we do not anticipate that any of the counterparties will fail to meet their obligations.

In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”, we measure each derivative instrument (including certain derivative instruments embedded in other contracts) at fair value and record such amounts in our consolidated balance sheet as either an asset or liability.  For derivatives designated as cash flow hedges, the changes in the fair value of the effective portions of the derivative are reported in other comprehensive income and changes in the ineffective portions of cash flow hedges, if any, are recognized in earnings.  For derivatives not designated as hedges (or designated as fair value hedges), or for derivatives designated as cash flow hedges associated with debt for which we elected the fair value option under FASB ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments”, the changes in fair value of the derivative instrument are recognized in earnings.  Any derivatives that we designate in hedge relationships are done so at inception.  At inception, we determine whether or not the derivative is highly effective in offsetting changes in the designated interest rate risk associated with the identified indebtedness using regression analysis.  At each reporting period, we update our regression analysis and use the hypothetical derivative method to measure any ineffectiveness.  

o. Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 606, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers’. This accounting standard generally replaces existing guidance by requiring an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of promised goods or services to customers. This accounting standard applies to all contracts with customers, except those that are within the scope of other Topics in the FASB ASC. During 2016 and 2017, the FASB issued four amendments to this to this accounting standard which provide further clarification to this accounting standard. These standards amending FASB ASC Topic 606 are currently effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017. Management is currently evaluating the impact that these standards may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 825, “Financial Instruments”.  This accounting standard addresses certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments.  Among other things, the amendment (i) eliminates certain disclosure requirements for financial instruments measured at amortized cost; (ii) requires the use of the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes; (iii) requires separate presentation, in other comprehensive income, of the change in fair value of a liability, when the fair value option has been elected, resulting from a change in the instrument-specific credit risk; and (iv) requires separate presentation of financial instruments by measurement category and form.  This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted for the separate presentation of changes in fair value due to changes in instrument-specific credit risk.  Management is currently evaluating the impact that this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 842, “Leases”.  This accounting standard amends lease accounting by requiring the recognition of lease assets and lease liabilities by lessees for those leases classified as operating leases on the balance sheet and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements.  This standard is effective for

62


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

a nnual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early application of the amendments in this standard is permitted.  Management is currently evaluating the impact that this standard may have on our cons olidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”.  This accounting standard clarifies that a change in the counterparty to a derivative instrument that has been designated as the hedging instrument under Topic 815 does not, in and of itself, require dedesignation of that hedging relationship provided that all other hedge accounting criteria continue to be met.  This standard is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  Management does not expect this standard to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”.  This accounting standard clarifies the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. This accounting standard clarifies what steps are required when assessing whether the economic characteristics and risks of call (put) options are clearly and closely related to the economic characteristics and risks of their debt hosts, which is one of the criteria for bifurcating an embedded derivative.  Consequently, when a call (put) option is contingently exercisable, an entity does not have to assess whether the event that triggers the ability to exercise a call (put) option is related to interest rates or credit risks.  This standard is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  Management does not expect this standard to have a significant impact on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 718, “Compensation – Stock Compensation”.  This accounting standard simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment award transactions, including: (i) income tax consequences; (ii) classification of awards as either equity or liabilities; and (iii) classification on the statement of cash flows.  This standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those annual periods.  Early adoption is permitted for any entity in any interim or annual period.  Management is currently evaluating the impact that this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In August 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 230, “Statement of Cash Flows”.  This accounting standard provides guidance on eight specific cash flow issues: (i) debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs; (ii) settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing; (iii) contingent consideration payments made after a business combination; (iv) proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims; (v) proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, including bank-owned life insurance policies; (vi) distributions received from equity method investees; (vii) beneficial interests in securitization transactions and (viii) separately identifiable cash flows and application of the predominance principle.  The amendments are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  Management is currently evaluating the impact that this standard may have on our consolidated statement of cash flows.

In October 2016, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 810, “Consolidation”.  The amendments in this accounting standard provide guidance on how a reporting entity that is the single decision maker of a VIE should treat indirect interests in the entity held through related parties that are under common control with the reporting entity when determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of that VIE.  The amendments in this accounting standard do not change the characteristics of a primary beneficiary in current GAAP.  A primary beneficiary of a VIE has both of the following characteristics: (i) the power to direct the activities of a VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and (ii) the obligation to absorb losses of the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the VIE that could potentially be significant to the VIE.  If a reporting entity satisfies the first characteristic of a primary beneficiary (such that it is the single decision maker of a VIE), the amendments in this accounting standard require that the reporting entity, in determining whether it satisfies the second characteristic of a primary beneficiary, to include all of its direct variable interest in a VIE and, on a proportionate basis, its indirect variable interest in a VIE held through related parties, including related parties that are under common control with the reporting entity.  If after performing that assessment, a reporting entity that is the single decision maker of a VIE concludes that it does not have the characteristics of a primary beneficiary, the amendments continue to require that the reporting entity evaluate whether it and one or more of its related parties under common control, as a group, have the characteristics of a primary beneficiary.  The amendments in this accounting standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016,

63


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

including interim periods within those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period.  Management is currently evaluating the impact that this standard may have on our consolidated financial statements.

In January 2017, the FASB issued an accounting standard classified under FASB ASC Topic 805, “Business Combinations’. The amendments in this accounting standard clarify the definition of a business by more clearly outlining the requirements for an integrated set of assets and activities to be considered a business and by establishing a practical framework to determine when the integrated set of assets and activities is a business. The amendments in this accounting standard are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods with those fiscal years.  Early adoption is permitted for transactions not yet reflected in the financial statements.  Management is currently evaluating the impact this standard will have on our consolidated financial statements.  

 

 

NOTE 3: Management Internalization

As previously discussed in Note 1, on December 20, 2016, we completed our management internalization, which consisted of two parts: (i) our acquisition of our external advisor, which was a subsidiary of RAIT, and (ii) our acquisition of substantially all of its assets and the assumption of certain liabilities relating to the multifamily property management business of RAIT, including property management contracts relating to apartment properties owned by us, RAIT and third parties.  

In accounting for the management internalization transaction, we first evaluated the net assets that were acquired.  The assets that were acquired included $118 of customer list intangible assets related to third party property management contracts and $25 of other assets.  There were no liabilities that were required to be recognized.  We also considered pre-existing relationships that were settled as part of the transaction, which included the advisory agreement and our properties’ property management agreements.  In evaluating the amount by which these contracts were favorable or unfavorable to us, we compared the actual amounts historically paid and that would be owed under these agreements to a range of potential market arrangements and then applying a discount rate to the two sets of cash flows.  The most significant difference between our agreements and the potential markets arrangements observed was our inability to terminate the advisory agreement until October 1, 2020 as well as the advisory agreement’s termination fee. The impact of this difference led to the conclusion that these agreements were unfavorable to us, on a present value basis, by more than $43,000, which was the purchase price for the management internalization.  

 

Accordingly, the difference between estimated fair value of the net assets acquired of $143 and the consideration transferred of $43,000 represents the settlement of pre-existing relationships between us and RAIT.  Accordingly, the difference of $42,857 was recognized as a loss in our income statement as management internalization expense.  

As part of our management internalization, we incurred $2,119 of acquisition-related expenses.  These acquisition-related expenses were recognized in earnings immediately and are included within management internalization expense.

The table below presents the revenue, net income, and earnings per share effect of the business combination on a pro forma basis as if the combination occurred on January 1, 2015. The pro forma results are not necessarily indicative of the results which actually would have occurred if the business combination had occurred on the first day of the periods presented, nor does the pro forma financial information purport to represent the results of operations for future periods.

 

Description

 

For the

Year Ended

December   31,   2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

December   31,   2015

 

Pro forma total revenue (unaudited)

 

$

154,482

 

 

$

110,541

 

Pro forma net income (loss) allocable to common shares

   (unaudited)

 

 

36,850

 

 

 

(14,126

)

Earnings (loss) per share attributable to common

   shareholders:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic-pro forma (unaudited)

 

$

0.71

 

 

$

(0.39

)

Diluted-pro forma (unaudited)

 

$

0.71

 

 

$

(0.39

)

 

 

 

64


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

NOTE 4: Investments in Real Estate

As of December 31, 2016, our investments in real estate and real estate held for sale consisted of 46 apartment properties (unaudited). The table below summarizes our investments in real estate:

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

Depreciable   Lives

(In years)

Land

 

$

165,120

 

 

$

190,585

 

 

-

Building

 

 

1,066,611

 

 

 

1,168,453

 

 

40

Furniture, fixtures and equipment

 

 

17,625

 

 

 

12,977

 

 

5-10

Total investment in real estate

 

$

1,249,356

 

 

$

1,372,015

 

 

 

Accumulated depreciation

 

 

(51,511

)

 

 

(39,638

)

 

 

Investments in real estate, net

 

$

1,197,845

 

 

$

1,332,377

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2016, we had investments in real estate valued at $60,786 classified as held for sale.

Acquisitions

On May 1, 2015 we acquired a 236 unit (unaudited) residential community located in Indianapolis, Indiana known as Bayview Club. We acquired the property for an aggregate purchase price of $25,250 exclusive of closing costs.

On September 17, 2015 the merger with TSRE closed, as part of this merger we acquired 19 properties containing 4,989 units (unaudited). Net assets acquired was $328,240 and fair value of the consideration transferred totaled $263,636, consisting of $109,857 of common shares and $13,998 of IRT OP units, and cash consideration of $139,781. As the fair value of the net assets acquired exceeded the fair value of the consideration, we recognized a gain from a bargain purchase of $64,604.

During the first quarter of 2016, we received additional information regarding estimates we had made for certain accrued expenses related to our acquisition of Trade Street Residential, or the TSRE acquisition, that was completed on September 17, 2015. This information led to an increase in the fair value of the net assets we acquired of $91, which was recognized during the year ended December 31, 2016. During the third quarter of 2016, we finalized our purchase accounting process related to the TSRE acquisition. As part of this process, we received additional information regarding estimates we had made for certain accrued expenses related to the TSRE acquisition which led to an increase in fair value of the net assets we acquired of $641, which we recognized during the year ended December 31, 2016.

On February 27, 2017, we acquired a 216 unit (unaudited) residential community located in Tampa, Florida for a purchase price of $29,750 exclusive of closing costs.

  Dispositions

During the year ended December 31, 2016 we recognized a $9 loss related to the sale of a multifamily property which occurred in the prior year as we settled remaining amounts with buyers.  The below table summarizes the dispositions for the year ended December 31, 2016 and also presents each property’s contribution to net income (loss) allocable to common shares, excluding the impact of the gain (loss) on sale:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

Property Name

 

Date of Sale

 

Sale Price

 

 

Gain (loss) on sale

 

 

For the Year Ended December 31, 2016

 

Cumberland Glen (1)

 

02/18/2016

 

$

18,000

 

 

$

2,452

 

 

$

35

 

Belle Creek

 

04/07/2016

 

 

23,000

 

 

 

14,191

 

 

 

252

 

Tresa

 

05/05/2016

 

 

47,000

 

 

 

15,142

 

 

 

354

 

Total

 

 

 

$

88,000

 

 

$

31,785

 

 

$

641

 

65


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

(1)

Gain (loss) on sale related to this property includes a defeasance premium of $1,343.

On December 22, 2015, we disposed of one multi-family real estate property for a total sale price of $33,600. We recorded a gain on the sale of this asset of $6,420.

On October 15, 2015, we sold a parcel of land acquired in the TSRE merger for $3,350.  After considering actual closing costs, we recognized a loss on the sale of this asset of $8.  

 

 

NOTE 5: Indebtedness

The following tables contains summary information concerning our indebtedness as of December 31, 2016:

 

Debt:

 

Outstanding   Principal

 

 

Unamortized Discount and Debt Issuance Costs

 

 

Carrying   Amount

 

 

Type

 

Weighted

Average Rate

 

 

Weighted

Average

Maturity

(in   years)

 

Secured credit facility (1)(2)

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

(2,720

)

 

$

147,280

 

 

Floating

 

 

3.0%

 

 

 

1.7

 

Mortgages-Fixed rate

 

 

600,188

 

 

 

(3,651

)

 

 

596,537

 

 

Fixed

 

 

3.8%

 

 

 

6.7

 

Total Debt

 

$

750,188

 

 

$

(6,371

)

 

$

743,817

 

 

 

 

 

3.6%

 

 

 

5.7

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The secured credit facility total capacity is $312,500, of which $150,000 was outstanding as of December 31, 2016.  

 

(2)

As of December 31, 2016, IRT maintained a float-to-fixed interest rate swap with a $150,000 notional amount.  This swap, which expires on June 17, 2021 and has a fixed rate of 1.145%, has converted $150,000 of our floating rate debt to fixed rate debt.

 

 

 

Original maturities on or before December 31,

 

Debt:

 

2017

 

 

2018

 

 

2019

 

 

2020

 

 

2021

 

 

Thereafter

 

Secured credit facility

 

$

-

 

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Mortgages-Fixed rate

 

 

2,799

 

 

 

3,551

 

 

 

4,599

 

 

 

15,897

 

 

 

114,254

 

 

 

459,088

 

Total

 

$

2,799

 

 

$

153,551

 

 

$

4,599

 

 

$

15,897

 

 

$

114,254

 

 

$

459,088

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2016 we were in compliance with all financial covenants contained in our indebtedness.

The following tables contains summary information concerning our indebtedness as of December 31, 2015:

 

Debt:

 

Outstanding   Principal

 

 

Unamortized Discount and Debt Issuance Costs

 

 

Carrying   Amount

 

 

Type

 

Weighted

Average Rate

 

 

Weighted

Average

Maturity

(in   years)

 

Secured credit facility (1)

 

$

271,500

 

 

$

(4,345

)

 

$

267,155

 

 

Floating

 

 

2.9%

 

 

 

2.7

 

Bridge term loan

 

 

120,000

 

 

 

(1,582

)

 

 

118,418

 

 

Floating

 

 

5.4%

 

 

 

0.7

 

Mortgages-Fixed rate

 

 

545,956

 

 

 

(2,993

)

 

 

542,963

 

 

Fixed

 

 

3.8%

 

 

 

6.9

 

Mortgages-Floating rate

 

 

38,075

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

38,075

 

 

Floating

 

 

2.8%

 

 

 

5.4

 

Total Debt

 

$

975,531

 

 

$

(8,920

)

 

$

966,611

 

 

 

 

 

3.7%

 

 

 

4.9

 

 

(1)

The secured credit facility total capacity was $325,000, of which $271,500 was outstanding as of December 31, 2015.

As of December 31, 2016, the weighted average interest rate of our mortgage indebtedness was 3.8%.  As of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, RAIT held $0 and $38,075 of our mortgage indebtedness, respectively. For the years ended December 31,

66


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

2016 and 2015, we paid approximately $361 and $965, respectively, of interest to RAIT. There was no accrued interest payable outstanding as of December 31, 2016.

Secured Credit Facility  

As of September 17, 2015, the HNB facility was terminated and repaid in full. The facility, which was originally entered into on October 25, 2013 had a 3-year term, bore interest at LIBOR plus 2.50% and contained customary financial covenants for this type of revolving credit agreement.

 

On September 17, 2015, IROP entered into a credit agreement with KeyBank with respect to a $325,000 senior secured credit facility , or the secured credit facility. IROP incurred upfront costs of $4,722 associated with this facility that were capitalized as deferred financing costs.  The KeyBank senior facility consisted of a revolving line of credit in an amount of up to $125,000, or the revolver, and a term loan in an amount of no less than $200,000, or the term loan. Up to 10% of the revolver was available for swingline loans, and up to 10% of the revolver was available for the issuance of letters of credit. Additionally, IROP has the right to increase the aggregate amount of the KeyBank senior facility to up to $450,000. The KeyBank senior facility will mature on September 17, 2018, three years from its closing date, subject to the option of IROP to extend the KeyBank senior facility for two additional 12-month periods under certain circumstances. IROP may prepay the KeyBank senior facility, in whole or in part, at any time without prepayment fee or penalty, except for breakage costs associated with LIBOR borrowings.  At IROP’s option, borrowings under the KeyBank senior facility will bear interest at a rate equal to either (i) the 1-month LIBOR rate plus a margin of 165 to 245 basis points, or (ii) a base rate plus a margin of 65 to 145 basis points. The applicable margin will be determined based upon IROP’s total leverage ratio. In addition, IROP will pay a fee of either 20 basis points (if greater than or equal to 50% of the revolver is used) or 25 basis points (if less than 50% of the revolver is used) on the unused portion of the revolver. The KeyBank senior facility requires monthly payments of interest only and does not require any mandatory prepayments.

 

In March of 2016, IROP drew down $8,000 on the secured credit facility, which was used to repay $6,000 of the interim facility, discussed below.

 

In March of 2016, IROP drew down $45,476 on the secured credit facility, which was used to satisfy the existing mortgages and closing costs relating to the Oklahoma City portfolio of properties which were acquired in 2014.

 

In May of 2016, IROP repaid $77,665 on the secured credit facility with the proceeds received from entering into permanent financing relating to Aston, Avenues at Craig Ranch and Waterstone at Big Creek which were all acquired in 2015.

 

In October of 2016, IROP paid down $107,335 on the secured credit facility with the proceeds received from a public offering. See Note 7: Stockholder Equity and Non-Controlling Interest.

 

In October of 2016, IROP drew down $10,000 on the secured credit facility.  

 

On December 21, 2016, IROP entered into an Increase Agreement with KeyBank which amended the terms of the previous $325,000 senior secured credit facility .  The amended agreement increased the revolving line of credit to $172,500, which reflected the conversion of a portion of the term loan line of credit which had previously been repaid and was therefore unavailable for re-borrowing into availability under the revolving line of credit.  The other features of the facility remained the same.  As of December 31, 2016, amounts outstanding under the KeyBank secured facility bear interest at 225 basis points over 1-month LIBOR.  As of December 31, 2016, there was $162,500 of availability under the revolver.  An unused fee of 0.25% is charged on this amount.

 

In February of 2017, IROP drew down $22,000 on the secured credit facility in connection with a property acquisition.  

 

         In addition to certain negative covenants, our lending facility with Key Bank has financial covenants that require us to (i) maintain a consolidated leverage ratio below thresholds described in the debt agreement, (ii) maintain a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio, (iii) maintain a minimum consolidated tangible net worth, and (iv) maintain a minimum liquidity amount. Additionally, the covenants limit (i) the amount of distributions that IRT can make to a percentage of Funds from Operations (as such term is described in the debt agreement), (ii) the amount of recourse indebtedness that may be incurred by us, (iii) the amount of unhedged variable rate indebtedness that may be incurred, and requires us to maintain a pledge of collateral base of properties with an occupancy level of not less than 85% as security for the facility.

 

67


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

Term Loan

 

On September 17, 2015, IROP entered into a credit agreement with KeyBank with respect to a $120,000 senior interim term loan facility, or the interim facility. IROP incurred upfront deferred costs of $2,092 associated with this facility.  The interim facility was amended and restated to replace the interim facility with a $40,000 senior secured term loan on June 24, 2016.  Upon entering into the term loan, IROP borrowed $40,000, using $416 to pay closing costs and $33,512 to repay the remaining balance under the interim facility.  The maturity date of the term loan is September 17, 2018, subject to acceleration in the event of customary events of default.  The term loan requires monthly payments of interest only through June 30, 2017.  IROP is required to reduce the principal amount outstanding under the term loan by $100 per month beginning July 2017 and must apply 50% of all net proceeds from equity issuances, sales of assets, or refinancings of assets towards repaying the term loan.  At IROP’s option, borrowings under the term loan will bear interest at a rate equal to either (i) LIBOR plus a margin of 400 basis points, or (ii) a base rate plus a margin of 300 basis points.  IROP may prepay the term loan, in whole or in part, at any time without fee or penalty, except for breakage costs associated with LIBOR borrowings.  

 

In January and February of 2016, IROP repaid $23,784 of the interim facility subsequent to two property dispositions.

 

In April and May of 2016, IROP repaid $30,000 of the interim facility subsequent to two property dispositions.

 

In May of 2016, IROP repaid $26,704 of the interim facility subsequent to the permanent financing of two properties with seven and ten year fixed-rate mortgages.

 

In October of 2016, IROP repaid the $40,000 term loan in full with the proceeds received from a public offering.  See Note 7: Stockholder Equity and Non-Controlling Interest.

Mortgages-Fixed Rate

In February of 2016, we repaid $6,659 of mortgage indebtedness as part of the disposition of our Cumberland property.

In March of 2016, we repaid $43,694 of mortgage indebtedness related to the Oklahoma City portfolio of properties we acquired in 2014 through a refinancing whereby IROP drew down on the secured credit facility.

On May 26, 2016, we entered into a loan agreement for a $25,050 loan secured by a first mortgage on our Aston property.  The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.4% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through December 2019, when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures June 2023.

On May 17, 2016, we entered into a loan agreement for a $31,250 loan secured by a first mortgage on our Avenues at Craig Ranch property.  The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.3% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through May 2019, when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures June 2023.

On May 20, 2016, we entered into a loan agreement for a $49,680 loan secured by a first mortgage on our Waterstone at Big Creek property.  The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.7% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through June 2019, when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures June 2026.

On January 27, 2015, we entered into a loan agreement for a $22,900 loan secured by a first mortgage on our Iron Rock Ranch property. The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.4% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only until the maturity date of February 1, 2025.

On April 13, 2015, we entered into a loan agreement for a $20,527 loan secured by a first mortgage on our Stonebridge at the Ranch property. The loan bears interest at a rate of 3.2% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only until the maturity date of May 1, 2025.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired Creekstone at RTP and assumed an existing loan secured by the property with a fair value of $23,250. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.9% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through June 10, 2016 when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures on June 10, 2023.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired Fountains Southend and assumed an existing loan secured by the property with a fair value of $23,750. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.3% per annum, provides for monthly

68


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

payments of interest only through February 5, 2017 when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures on February 5, 2024.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired IRT Millenia and assumed an existing loan secured by the property with a fair value of $25,000.  The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.8% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through April 5, 2018 when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures on March 5, 2021.  In connection with our acquisition of IRT Millenia, we also entered into a supplemental loan agreement for a $4,175 loan secured by the property. The supplemental loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.3% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through May 5, 2018 when principal and interest payments will be due monthly based on a 30-year amortization schedule, and matures on March 5, 2021.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired Talison Row and assumed an existing loan secured by the property with a fair value of $33,635. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.1% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through September 10, 2016.  Beginning September 11, 2016 principal and interest payments are required monthly based on a 30 year amortization schedule until the maturity date of September 10, 2023.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired Aventine Greenville and entered into a loan agreement for $30,600 secured by the property. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.2% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through November 4, 2016.  Beginning November 5, 2016 principal and interest payments are required monthly based on a 30 year amortization schedule until the maturity date of March 5, 2021.

On September 17, 2015, in connection with the TSRE Merger, we acquired Waterstone at Brier Creek and assumed an existing loan secured by the property with a fair value of $16,250. The loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 3.7% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only through the maturity date of April 5, 2022. In connection with our acquisition of Waterstone at Brier Creek, we also entered into a supplemental loan agreement for a $4,175 loan secured by the property. The supplemental loan bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.2% per annum, provides for monthly payments of interest only until the maturity date of April 5, 2022.

 

NOTE 6: Derivative Financial Instruments

We may use derivative financial instruments to hedge all or a portion of the interest rate risk associated with our borrowings. The principal objective of such arrangements is to minimize the risks and/or costs associated with our operating and financial structure as well as to hedge specific anticipated transactions.  While these instruments may impact our periodic cash flows, they benefit us by minimizing the risks and/or costs previously described.  The counterparties to these contractual arrangements are major financial institutions with which we and our affiliates may also have other financial relationships. In the event of nonperformance by the counterparties, we are potentially exposed to credit loss. However, because of the high credit ratings of the counterparties, we do not anticipate that any of the counterparties will fail to meet their obligations.

Interest Rate Swaps and Caps

We have entered into an interest rate cap contract and an interest rate swap contract to hedge interest rate exposure on floating rate indebtedness.  

On September 30, 2015, we entered into an interest rate cap contract with a notional value of $200 million, a strike rate of 3.0% based on 1-month LIBOR and a maturity date of October 17, 2017.  Through June 23, 2016, this interest rate cap was designated as a cash flow hedge. Through that date, we concluded that this hedging relationship was highly effective in offsetting interest rate fluctuations associated with the identified indebtedness and, using the hypothetical derivative method, did not recognize any ineffectiveness.  On June 24, 2016, this interest rate cap was de-designated and, as of June 30, 2016, this interest rate cap was accounted for as a freestanding derivative.  The change in fair value of this interest cap was $24 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016.

On June 24, 2016, we entered into an interest rate swap contract with a notional value of $150 million, a strike rate of 1.145% and a maturity date of June 17, 2021.  We designated this interest rate swap as a cash flow hedge at inception and determined that the hedge is highly effective in offsetting interest rate fluctuations associated with the identified indebtedness. We concluded that this hedging relationship was and will continue to be highly effective, and using the hypothetical derivative method, did not recognize any ineffectiveness.  

69


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

The following table summarizes the aggregate notional amount and estimated net fair value of our derivative instruments as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:

 

 

December 31, 2016

 

 

As of December 31, 2015

 

 

 

Notional

 

 

Fair Value of

Assets

 

 

Fair Value of

Liabilities

 

 

Notional

 

 

Fair Value of

Assets

 

 

Fair Value of

Liabilities

 

Cash flow hedges:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate swap

 

$

150,000

 

 

$

3,867

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

Interest rate cap

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

150,000

 

 

 

3,867

 

 

 

 

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

24

 

 

 

 

Freestanding derivatives:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest rate cap

 

 

200,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net fair value

 

$

350,000

 

 

$

3,867

 

 

$

 

 

$

200,000

 

 

$

24

 

 

$

 

 

Effective interest rate swaps and caps are reported in accumulated other comprehensive income and the fair value of these hedge agreements is included in other assets or other liabilities.

For interest rate swaps and caps that are considered effective hedges, we reclassified realized losses of $492, $0 and $0 to earnings within interest expense for the twelve months ended December 31, 2016, 2015 & 2014, respectively. For interest rate swaps and caps that are considered effective hedges, we expect $292 to be reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income to earnings over the next 12 months.

 

 

 

NOTE 7: Stockholder Equity and Non-Controlling Interest

 

Stockholder Equity

 

Common Shares

 

On October 5, 2016, we completed an underwritten public offering.  We issued and sold 25,000,000 common shares, par value $0.01 per share, at a public offering price of $9.00 per common share.  We received $213,389 of net proceeds of the public offering, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses paid by us.

 

On October 5, 2016, we used these proceeds as follows:  (i) $40,000 of the proceeds were used to prepay in full and terminate our $40,000 senior secured term loan facility; (ii) $62,156 of the proceeds were used to repurchase and retire 7,269,719 shares of our common stock from certain of RAIT’s subsidiaries at a purchase price of $8.55 per share; (iii) $47,335 of the proceeds were used to partially pay down the $325,000 senior secured credit facility; (iv) $43,000 of the proceeds were reserved to consummate the management internalization; and (v) the remaining $20,898 was held for general corporate purposes.

 

As part of the offering, we granted the underwriters an option, exercisable for 30 days from the date of the underwriting agreement, to purchase up to an additional 3,750,000 common shares.  On October 21, 2016, the underwriters exercised their option to purchase an additional 3,750,000 common shares at a purchase price of $9.00 per common share.  We received $32,062 of net proceeds, after deducting underwriting discounts and commissions.

 

IRT also incurred $142 of expenses associated with equity awards that vested in 2016.

 

On September 17, 2015, we completed the TSRE merger.  As a result of the Merger, each outstanding share of TSRE common stock was converted automatically into the right to receive (a) $3.80 in cash and (b) 0.4108 shares of our common stock, plus cash in lieu of fractional shares. We issued 15,110,994 shares of our common stock as equity consideration in the merger. 

 

70


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our board of directors declared the following dividends in 2016:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

January 29, 2016

 

February 16, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

February 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

February 29, 2016

 

March 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

March 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

March 31, 2016

 

April 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

April 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

April 29, 2016

 

May 16, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

May 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

May 31, 2016

 

June 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

June 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

June 30, 2016

 

July 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

July 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

July 29, 2016

 

August 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

August 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

August 31, 2016

 

September 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

September 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

September 30, 2016

 

October 17, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

October 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

October 31, 2016

 

November 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

November 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

November 30, 2016

 

December 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

December 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

December 30, 2016

 

January 17, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

 

Our board of directors declared the following dividends during the beginning of 2017:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

January 31, 2017

 

February 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

February 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

February 28, 2017

 

March 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

March 2017

 

January 12, 2017

 

March 31, 2017

 

April 17, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

 

Our board of directors declared the following dividends in 2015:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

January 30, 2015

 

February 17, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

February 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

February 27, 2015

 

March 16, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

March 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

March 31, 2015

 

April 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

April 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

April 30, 2015

 

May 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

May 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

May 29, 2015

 

June 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

June 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

June 30, 2015

 

July 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

July 2015

 

July 1, 2015

 

July 31, 2015

 

August 17, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

August 2015

 

July 1, 2015

 

August 31, 2015

 

September 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

September 2015

 

September 4, 2015

 

September 15, 2015

 

October 15, 2015

 

$

0.034

 

September 2015

 

September 4, 2015

 

September 30, 2015

 

October 15, 2015

 

$

0.026

 

October 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

October 30, 2015

 

November 16, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

November 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

November 30, 2015

 

December 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

December 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

December 31, 2015

 

January 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

 

 

Noncontrolling Interest

 

On February 1, 2016 holders of IROP units exchanged an additional 204,115 units for 204,113 shares of our common stock with fractional units being settled in cash .  On August 1, 2016, holders of IROP units exchanged 35,808 units for 35,808 shares of our common stock.  On October 31, 2016, holders of IROP units exchanged 6,059 units for 6,059 shares of our common stock.  

 

71


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

As of December 31, 2016, 2,908,949 IROP units held by unaffiliated third parties remain outstanding with a redemption value of $25,948, b ased on IRT’s stock price of $8.92 as of December 30, 2016.

 

During 2015, IROP exchanged 52,937 units for 52,933 shares of our common stock with fractional units being settled in cash.

 

On September 17, 2015, immediately prior to the TSRE merger, the sole third party holder of units of TSR OP units contributed all of their TSR OP units to IROP in exchange for 1,925,419 of IROP units, plus cash in lieu of fractional IROP units, valued at $13,998.

              

Our board of directors declared the following distributions on our operating partnership’s LP units during 2016:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

January 29, 2016

 

February 16, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

February 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

February 29, 2016

 

March 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

March 2016

 

January 14, 2016

 

March 31, 2016

 

April 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

April 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

April 29, 2016

 

May 16, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

May 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

May 31, 2016

 

June 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

June 2016

 

April 14, 2016

 

June 30, 2016

 

July 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

July 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

July 29, 2016

 

August 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

August 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

August 31, 2016

 

September 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

September 2016

 

July 14, 2016

 

September 30, 2016

 

October 17, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

October 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

October 31, 2016

 

November 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

November 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

November 30, 2016

 

December 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

December 2016

 

October 12, 2016

 

December 30, 2016

 

January 17, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

 

Our board of directors declared the following distributions on our operating partnership’s LP units during the beginning of 2017:

 

Month

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2017

January 31, 2017

 

February 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

February 2017

February 28, 2017

 

March 15, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

March 2017

March 31, 2017

 

April 17, 2017

 

$

0.06

 

 

Our board of directors declared the following distributions on our operating partnership’s LP units during 2015:

 

Month

 

Declaration Date

 

Record Date

 

Payment Date

 

Dividend

Declared

Per Share

 

January 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

January 30, 2015

 

February 17, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

February 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

February 27, 2015

 

March 16, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

March 2015

 

January 19, 2015

 

March 31, 2015

 

April 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

April 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

April 30, 2015

 

May 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

May 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

May 29, 2015

 

June 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

June 2015

 

April 13, 2015

 

June 30, 2015

 

July 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

July 2015

 

July 1, 2015

 

July 31, 2015

 

August 17, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

August 2015

 

July 1, 2015

 

August 31, 2015

 

September 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

September 2015

 

September 4, 2015

 

September 15, 2015

 

October 15, 2015

 

$

0.034

 

September 2015

 

September 4, 2015

 

September 30, 2015

 

October 15, 2015

 

$

0.026

 

October 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

October 30, 2015

 

November 16, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

November 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

November 30, 2015

 

December 15, 2015

 

$

0.06

 

December 2015

 

October 19, 2015

 

December 31, 2015

 

January 15, 2016

 

$

0.06

 

            

72


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

 

NOTE 8: Equity Compensation Plans

Long Term Incentive Plan

In May 2016, our shareholders approved and our board of directors adopted an amended and restated Long Term Incentive Plan, or the incentive plan, which provides for the grants of awards to our directors, officers and full-time employees, full-time employees of our former advisor and its affiliates, full-time employees of entities that provide services to our former advisor, directors of our former advisor or of entities that provide services to it, certain of our consultants and certain consultants to our former advisor and its affiliates or to entities that provide services to our former advisor. The incentive plan authorizes the grant of restricted or unrestricted shares of our common stock, non-qualified and incentive stock options, restricted stock units, stock appreciation rights, dividend equivalents and other stock- or cash-based awards. In conjunction with the amendment, the number of shares of common stock issuable under the incentive plan was increased to 4,300,000 shares and the term of the incentive plan was extended to May 12, 2026.  

       Under the incentive plan or predecessor incentive plans, we granted restricted shares and stock appreciation rights, or SARs, to employees of our former advisor.  These awards generally vested over a three-year period.  In addition, we granted unrestricted shares to our directors.  These awards generally vested immediately.             

       A summary of the SARs activity of the incentive plan is presented below.

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

 

 

 

SARs

 

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

 

SARs

 

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

 

SARs

 

Weighted Average Exercise Price

 

Outstanding, January 1,

 

351,000

 

 

$

9.13

 

 

 

72,000

 

 

$

8.20

 

 

 

-

 

$

-

 

Granted

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

300,000

 

 

 

9.35

 

 

 

80,000

 

 

8.20

 

Expired

 

(2,000

)

 

 

9.35

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

-

 

Exercised

 

(8,000

)

 

 

8.20

 

 

 

(2,000

)

 

 

8.20

 

 

 

-

 

 

-

 

Forfeited

 

(4,000

)

 

 

9.35

 

 

 

(19,000

)

 

 

9.11

 

 

 

(8,000

)

 

-

 

Outstanding, December 31,

 

337,000

 

 

$

9.15

 

 

 

351,000

 

 

$

9.13

 

 

 

72,000

 

$

8.20

 

SARs exercisable at December 31,

 

128,998

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

22,000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2016, our closing common stock price was $8.92, which exceeds the exercise prices of some of the SARs. The total intrinsic value of SARs outstanding and exercisable at December 31, 2016 was $26.

The following table summarizes information about the SARs outstanding and exercisable as of December 31, 2016:

 

 

 

SARs Outstanding

SARs Exercisable

Exercise Price

 

Number

Outstanding

 

 

Weighted Average Remaining

Contractual

Life

 

Number

Exercisable

 

 

Weighted

Average

Remaining

Contractual

Life

$8.20 - 9.35

 

 

337,000

 

 

2.95

 

 

128,998

 

 

2.84

As of December 31, 2016, the unearned compensation cost relating to unvested SAR awards was $71.

 

Our assumptions used in computing the fair value of the SARs issued during the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, using the Black-Scholes Option Pricing Model, are summarized below. There were no SARs issued during the year ended December 31, 2016.

 

73


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

As of December 31

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Stock Price

$

7.51

 

 

$

9.31

 

Strike Price

$                       8.20-9.35

 

 

$

8.20

 

Risk-free interest rate

1.1 - 1.2%

 

 

 

1.1

%

Dividend yield

 

9.6

%

 

 

7.7

%

Volatility

 

34

%

 

 

21

%

Expected term

1.7 - 2.5 years

 

 

2.5 years

 

A summary of the restricted common share awards as of December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 of the incentive plan is presented below.

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

Number of Shares

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair

Value Per Share

 

 

Number of Shares

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair

Value Per Share

 

 

Number of Shares

 

 

Weighted Average Grant Date Fair

Value Per Share

 

Balance, January 1,

 

117,000

 

 

$

9.13

 

 

 

36,000

 

 

$

8.20

 

 

 

-

 

 

$

-

 

Granted

 

228,000

 

 

 

6.33

 

 

 

112,000

 

 

 

9.30

 

 

 

49,000

 

 

 

8.34

 

Vested

 

(60,661

)

 

 

8.62

 

 

 

(24,000

)

 

 

8.55

 

 

 

(13,000

)

 

 

8.72

 

Forfeited

 

(3,334

)

 

 

7.47

 

 

 

(7,000

)

 

 

9.02

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Balance, December 31,

 

281,005

 

 

$

6.99

 

 

 

117,000

 

 

$

9.13

 

 

 

36,000

 

 

$

8.20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As of December 31, 2016, the unearned compensation cost relating to unvested restricted common share awards was $1,508. The estimated fair value of restricted common share awards vested during 2016 and 2015 was $427 and $221, respectively.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 we recognized $1,222, $495 and $206 of stock compensation expense, respectively.

 

On February 28, 2017, our compensation committee awarded 143,679 restricted stock awards, valued at $9.19 per share, or $1,320 in the aggregate.  The restricted stock awards vest over a three-year period except for 6,585 awards that vested immediately.  In addition, our compensation committee awarded performance share units, or PSUs, to Eligible Officers under a newly adopted 2017 Annual Equity Award Program pursuant to the incentive plan.  The number of PSUs awarded will be based on attainment of certain performance criteria over a three-year period, with 226,469 PSUs granted for achieving the maximum performance criteria.  

 

 

NOTE 9: Related Party Transactions and Arrangements

 

Fees and Expenses Paid to Our External Advisor

 

On December 20, 2016, in connection with our management internalization, we acquired our external Advisor and, therefore, fees and expenses to our external Advisor are no longer incurred.

 

As of September 25, 2015, we entered into the Second Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement.  The Second Amendment amended the advisory agreement to extend its term to October 1, 2020, and to provide for compensation to our external Advisor for periods subsequent to October 1, 2015, as follows:

 

 

Quarterly base management fee of 0.375% of our cumulative equity raised; and

 

 

Quarterly incentive fee equal to 20% of our core funds from operations, or Core FFO, as defined in the advisory agreement, in excess of $0.20 per share.

74


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

Prior to the Second Amendment, the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement, which was effective as of May 7, 2013 through September 30, 2015, provided that our external Advisor was compensated as follows:

 

 

Quarterly base management fee of 0.1875% of average gross real estate assets as of the last day of such quarter. Average gross real estate assets means the average of the aggregate book value of our real estate assets before reserves for depreciation or other similar noncash reserves and excluding the book values attributable to the eight properties that were acquired prior to August 16, 2013. We computed average gross real estate assets by taking the average of these book values at the end of each month during the quarter for which we calculated the fee.  

 

 

An incentive fee based on our pre-incentive fee Core FFO. The incentive fee was computed at the end of each fiscal quarter as follows:

 

 

no incentive fee in any fiscal quarter in which our pre-incentive fee Core FFO does not exceed the hurdle rate of 1.75% (7% annualized) of the cumulative gross amount of our equity capital we have obtained; and

 

 

20% of the amount of our pre-incentive fee Core FFO that exceeded 1.75% (7% annualized) of the cumulative gross proceeds from our issuance of equity securities.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, our external Advisor earned $7,092, $4,984, and $1,582 of asset management fees, respectively.  It is noted that the quarterly asset management fee for the period ended December 31, 2016 was calculated by adjusting for the effect of the repurchase of our shares held by RAIT as described in Note 7: Stockholder Equity and Non-Controlling Interest as well as the purchase price for our management internalization as described in Note 3: Management Internlization.

 

For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 our external Advisor earned $350, $629, and $154  of incentive fees, respectively. These fees are included within asset management fees in our consolidated statements of operations.

 

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015 we had liabilities payable to our external Advisor for asset management fees and incentive fees of $0 and $1,854, respectively.  These liabilities are presented within accounts payable and accrued expenses in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

 

Property Management Fees Paid to Our Property Manager

 

On December 20, 2016, in connection with our management internalization, we acquired property management agreements with respect to each of our properties from RAIT Residential, our previous property manager, which is wholly owned by RAIT.

 

We had entered into property management agreements with our previous property manager with respect to each of our properties.  Pursuant to these property management agreements, we paid our previous property manager property management and leasing fees on a monthly basis up to 4.0% of the gross revenues from a property for each month. Additionally, we may have paid our previous property manager a separate fee for the one-time initial rent-up or leasing-up of newly constructed properties. For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014 our previous property manager earned $4,769, $3,675, and $1,759   , respectively, of property management and leasing fees. As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, we had liabilities payable to our property manager for property management and leasing fees of $0 and $440, respectively.  These liabilities are presented within accounts payable and accrued expenses.

75


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

 

Dividends Paid to Affiliates of Our External Advisor

 

On October 5, 2016, we repurchased and retired all 7,269,719 shares of our common stock owned by RAIT.

 

As of December 31, 2016 and 2015, RAIT owned 0.0% and 15.5%   of the outstanding shares of our common stock, respectively.  For the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, we declared and subsequently paid dividends of $3,926, $5,234 and $5,126, respectively, related to shares of common stock owned by RAIT.

 

RAIT Indebtedness

During the year ended December 31, 2016, we repaid $38,075 of mortgage indebtedness with proceeds from two property dispositions.  This indebtedness was held by RAIT.  For the years ended December 31, 2016, we paid $486 in exit fees pursuant to the contractual terms of the mortgage indebtedness to RAIT.  Also for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, we paid $361 $965, and $966 respectively, of interest to RAIT. There was accrued interest payable outstanding as of December 31, 2016.

 

Other Transactions with RAIT Subsequent to our Management Internalization (December 20, 2016 to December 31, 2016)

 

IRT paid RAIT $50 pursuant to the shared services agreement for the period ended December 31, 2016.  RAIT paid IRT $23 of property management fees.  IRT reimbursed RAIT $253 for compensation expense that RAIT paid to IRT employees.

 

 

NOTE 10: Earnings (Loss) Per Share

The following table presents a reconciliation of basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014:

 

 

 

For the Years Ended December 31

 

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

Net Income (loss)

 

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

2,944

 

(Income) loss allocated to preferred shares

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

(Income) loss allocated to non-controlling interests

 

 

(246

)

 

 

(1,914

)

 

 

(4

)

Net Income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

 

(9,801

)

 

 

28,242

 

 

 

2,940

 

Weighted-average shares outstanding—Basic

 

 

52,182,427

 

 

 

36,153,673

 

 

 

21,315,928

 

Dilutive securities

 

 

-

 

 

 

6,601

 

 

 

216,743

 

Weighted-average shares outstanding—Diluted

 

 

52,182,427

 

 

 

36,160,274

 

 

 

21,532,671

 

Earnings (loss) per share—Basic

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

Earnings (loss) per share—Diluted

 

$

(0.19

)

 

$

0.78

 

 

$

0.14

 

 

Certain IROP units, stock appreciation rights, or SARs, and unvested shares totaling 3,175,720, 3,156,184, and 1,282,450 for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, respectively, were excluded from the earnings (loss) per share computation because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

 

 

76


Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Subsidiaries

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)

 

NOTE 11: Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)

The following table summarizes our quarterly financial data which, in the opinion of management, reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of our results of operations:

 

 

 

For the Three-Month Periods Ended

 

 

 

March 31

 

 

June 30

 

 

September 30

 

 

December 31

 

2016:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenue

 

$

38,666

 

 

$

38,327

 

 

$

38,364

 

 

$

38,031

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

(46

)

 

 

30,790

 

 

 

2,407

 

 

 

(42,706

)

Net income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

 

(75

)

 

 

28,987

 

 

 

2,267

 

 

 

(40,980

)

Total earnings (loss) per share—Basic (1)

 

$

 

 

$

0.61

 

 

$

0.05

 

 

$

(0.61

)

Total earnings (loss) per share—Diluted (1)

 

$

 

 

$

0.61

 

 

$

0.05

 

 

$

(0.61

)

2015:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Total revenue

 

$

21,657

 

 

$

22,718

 

 

$

25,492

 

 

$

39,709

 

Net income (loss)

 

 

(241

)

 

 

353

 

 

 

25,636

 

 

 

4,408

 

Net income (loss) allocable to common shares

 

 

(233

)

 

 

337

 

 

 

24,015

 

 

 

4,123

 

Total earnings (loss) per share—Basic (1)

 

$

(0.01

)

 

$

0.01

 

 

$

0.71

 

 

$

0.09

 

Total earnings (loss) per share—Diluted (1)

 

$

(0.01

)

 

$

0.01

 

 

$

0.71

 

 

$

0.09

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1)

The summation of quarterly per share amounts do not equal the full year amounts.

 

 

NOTE 12: SEGMENT REPORTING

Segments

We have identified one operating segment and have determined that we have one reportable segment. As a group, our executive officers act as the Chief Operating Decision Maker or CODM. The CODM reviews operating results to make decisions about all investments and resources and to assess performance for the entire company. Our portfolio consists of one reportable segment, investments in real estate through the mechanism of ownership. The CODM manages and reviews our operations as one unit. Resources are allocated without regard to the underlying structure of any investment, but rather after evaluating such economic characteristics as returns on investment, leverage ratios, current portfolio mix, degrees of risk, income tax consequences and opportunities for growth. We have no single customer that accounts for 10% or more of revenue.

 

 

NOTE 13: COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Litigation

We are subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of our business operations. Matters which arise out of allegations of bodily injury, property damage, and employment practices are generally covered by insurance. While the resolution of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, we currently believe the final outcome of such matters will not have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows .

Other Matters

To the extent that a natural disaster or similar event occurs with more than a remote risk of having a material impact on the consolidated financial statements, we will disclose the estimated range of possible outcomes, and, if an outcome is probable, accrue an appropriate liability.

Lease Obligations

In connection with the management internalization, we assumed a lease obligation for office space in Chicago.  This office serves as the headquarters for our property management function.  As of December 31, 2016, the annual minimum rent due pursuant to this lease for each of the next five years and thereafter is estimated to be $148, $152, $156, $133, zero, and zero, respectively.

 

 

 

77


 

Independence Realty Trust

Schedule III

Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

As of December 31, 2016

(Dollars in thousands)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cost of

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Improvements,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

net of

 

 

Gross Carrying

 

 

Accumulated

 

 

Encumbrances

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Property

 

 

 

 

 

Initial Cost

 

 

Retirements

 

 

Amount

 

 

Depreciation-

 

 

(Unpaid

 

 

Year of

 

Life of

 

Name

 

Description

 

Location

 

Land

 

 

Building

 

 

Land

 

 

Building

 

 

Land (1)

 

 

Building   (1)

 

 

Building

 

 

Principal)

 

 

Acquisition

 

Depreciation

 

Crestmont

 

Apartment

 

Marietta, GA

 

$

3,254

 

 

$

13,017

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

866

 

 

$

3,254

 

 

$

13,883

 

 

$

(3,317

)

 

$

(6,427

)

 

2011

 

 

40

 

Runaway Bay

 

Apartment

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

 

3,079

 

 

 

12,318

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

694

 

 

 

3,079

 

 

 

13,012

 

 

 

(1,539

)

 

 

(9,635

)

 

2012

 

 

40

 

Reserve at Eagle Ridge

 

Apartment

 

Waukegan, IL

 

 

5,800

 

 

 

22,743

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

592

 

 

 

5,800

 

 

 

23,335

 

 

 

(1,772

)

 

 

(18,850

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Windrush

 

Apartment

 

Edmond, OK

 

 

1,677

 

 

 

7,464

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

244

 

 

 

1,677

 

 

 

7,708

 

 

 

(589

)

 

 

 

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Heritage Park

 

Apartment

 

Oklahoma, OK

 

 

4,234

 

 

 

12,232

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

891

 

 

 

4,234

 

 

 

13,123

 

 

 

(1,061

)

 

 

 

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Raindance

 

Apartment

 

Oklahoma, OK

 

 

3,503

 

 

 

10,051

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

730

 

 

 

3,503

 

 

 

10,781

 

 

 

(881

)

 

 

 

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Augusta

 

Apartment

 

Oklahoma, OK

 

 

1,296

 

 

 

9,930

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

441

 

 

 

1,296

 

 

 

10,371

 

 

 

(801

)

 

 

 

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Invitational

 

Apartment

 

Oklahoma, OK

 

 

1,924

 

 

 

16,852

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

569

 

 

 

1,924

 

 

 

17,421

 

 

 

(1,346

)

 

 

 

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Kings Landing

 

Apartment

 

Creve Coeur, MO

 

 

2,513

 

 

 

29,873

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

299

 

 

 

2,513

 

 

 

30,172

 

 

 

(2,095

)

 

 

(21,200

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Carrington

 

Apartment

 

Little Rock, AR

 

 

1,715

 

 

 

19,526

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

914

 

 

 

1,715

 

 

 

20,440

 

 

 

(1,430

)

 

 

(14,235

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Arbors

 

Apartment

 

Ridgeland, MS

 

 

4,050

 

 

 

15,946

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

757

 

 

 

4,050

 

 

 

16,703

 

 

 

(1,215

)

 

 

(13,150

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Walnut Hill

 

Apartment

 

Cordova, TN

 

 

2,230

 

 

 

25,251

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

652

 

 

 

2,230

 

 

 

25,903

 

 

 

(1,622

)

 

 

(18,650

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Lenox Place

 

Apartment

 

Raleigh, NC

 

 

3,480

 

 

 

20,482

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

450

 

 

 

3,480

 

 

 

20,932

 

 

 

(1,262

)

 

 

(15,991

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Stonebridge Crossing

 

Apartment

 

Memphis, TN

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

26,223

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

819

 

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

27,042

 

 

 

(1,625

)

 

 

(19,370

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Bennington Pond

 

Apartment

 

Groveport, OH

 

 

2,400

 

 

 

14,828

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

557

 

 

 

2,400

 

 

 

15,385

 

 

 

(875

)

 

 

(11,375

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Prospect Park

 

Apartment

 

Louisville, KY

 

 

2,837

 

 

 

11,193

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

176

 

 

 

2,837

 

 

 

11,369

 

 

 

(588

)

 

 

(9,230

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Brookside

 

Apartment

 

Louisville, KY

 

 

3,947

 

 

 

16,502

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

453

 

 

 

3,947

 

 

 

16,955

 

 

 

(893

)

 

 

(13,455

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Jamestown

 

Apartment

 

Louisville, KY

 

 

7,034

 

 

 

27,730

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

996

 

 

 

7,034

 

 

 

28,726

 

 

 

(1,529

)

 

 

(22,880

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Meadows

 

Apartment

 

Louisville, KY

 

 

6,857

 

 

 

30,030

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

976

 

 

 

6,857

 

 

 

31,006

 

 

 

(1,622

)

 

 

(24,245

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Oxmoor

 

Apartment

 

Louisville, KY

 

 

7,411

 

 

 

47,095

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

906

 

 

 

7,411

 

 

 

48,001

 

 

 

(2,485

)

 

 

(35,815

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Stonebridge at the Ranch

 

Apartment

 

Little Rock, AR

 

 

3,315

 

 

 

27,954

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

264

 

 

 

3,315

 

 

 

28,218

 

 

 

(1,434

)

 

 

(20,527

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Iron Rock Ranch

 

Apartment

 

Austin, TX

 

 

5,860

 

 

 

28,911

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

502

 

 

 

5,860

 

 

 

29,413

 

 

 

(1,538

)

 

 

(22,900

)

 

2014

 

 

40

 

Bayview Club

 

Apartment

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

 

2,525

 

 

 

22,506

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

468

 

 

 

2,525

 

 

 

22,974

 

 

 

(967

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Arbors River Oaks

 

Apartment

 

Memphis, TN

 

 

2,100

 

 

 

19,045

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

422

 

 

 

2,100

 

 

 

19,467

 

 

 

(637

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Aston

 

Apartment

 

Wake Forest, NC

 

 

3,450

 

 

 

34,333

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

76

 

 

 

3,450

 

 

 

34,409

 

 

 

(1,078

)

 

 

(25,050

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Avenues at Craig Ranch

 

Apartment

 

McKinney, TX

 

 

5,500

 

 

 

42,054

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

114

 

 

 

5,500

 

 

 

42,168

 

 

 

(1,326

)

 

 

(31,250

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Bridge Pointe

 

Apartment

 

Huntsville, AL

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

14,306

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

144

 

 

 

1,500

 

 

 

14,450

 

 

 

(460

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Creekstone at RTP

 

Apartment

 

Durham, NC

 

 

5,376

 

 

 

32,727

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

124

 

 

 

5,376

 

 

 

32,851

 

 

 

(1,035

)

 

 

(23,008

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Fountains Southend

 

Apartment

 

Charlotte, NC

 

 

4,368

 

 

 

37,254

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

63

 

 

 

4,368

 

 

 

37,317

 

 

 

(1,170

)

 

 

(23,750

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Fox Trails

 

Apartment

 

Plano, TX

 

 

5,700

 

 

 

21,944

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

320

 

 

 

5,700

 

 

 

22,264

 

 

 

(716

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Lakeshore on the Hill

 

Apartment

 

Chattanooga, TN

 

 

925

 

 

 

10,212

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

181

 

 

 

925

 

 

 

10,393

 

 

 

(334

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Millenia 700

 

Apartment

 

Orlando, FL

 

 

5,500

 

 

 

41,752

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

130

 

 

 

5,500

 

 

 

41,882

 

 

 

(1,317

)

 

 

(29,175

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Miller Creek at German Town

 

Apartment

 

Memphis, TN

 

 

3,300

 

 

 

53,504

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

71

 

 

 

3,300

 

 

 

53,575

 

 

 

(1,679

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Pointe at Canyon Ridge

 

Apartment

 

Atlanta, GA

 

 

11,100

 

 

 

36,995

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

560

 

 

 

11,100

 

 

 

37,555

 

 

 

(1,208

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

St James at Goose Creek

 

Apartment

 

Goose Creek, SC

 

 

3,780

 

 

 

27,695

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

264

 

 

 

3,780

 

 

 

27,959

 

 

 

(905

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Talison Row at Daniel Island

 

Apartment

 

Daniel Island, SC

 

 

5,480

 

 

 

41,409

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

150

 

 

 

5,480

 

 

 

41,559

 

 

 

(1,311

)

 

 

(33,442

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

The Aventine Greenville

 

Apartment

 

Greenville, SC

 

 

4,150

 

 

 

43,905

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

34

 

 

 

4,150

 

 

 

43,939

 

 

 

(1,376

)

 

 

(30,447

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Trails at Signal Mountain

 

Apartment

 

Chattanooga, TN

 

 

1,200

 

 

 

12,895

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

288

 

 

 

1,200

 

 

 

13,183

 

 

 

(428

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Vue at Knoll Trail

 

Apartment

 

Dallas, TX

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

6,077

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

98

 

 

 

3,100

 

 

 

6,175

 

 

 

(200

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Waterstone at Brier Creek

 

Apartment

 

Raleigh, NC

 

 

4,200

 

 

 

34,651

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

87

 

 

 

4,200

 

 

 

34,738

 

 

 

(1,093

)

 

 

(20,425

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Waterstone Big Creek

 

Apartment

 

Alpharetta, GA

 

 

7,600

 

 

 

61,971

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

85

 

 

 

7,600

 

 

 

62,056

 

 

 

(1,943

)

 

 

(49,680

)

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Westmont Commons

 

Apartment

 

Asheville, NC

 

 

2,750

 

 

 

25,225

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

198

 

 

 

2,750

 

 

 

25,423

 

 

 

(809

)

 

 

-

 

 

2015

 

 

40

 

Total Investment in Real Estate

 

 

 

$

165,120

 

 

$

1,066,611

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

17,625

 

 

$

165,120

 

 

$

1,084,236

 

 

$

(51,511

)

 

$

(564,162

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

78


 

Real Estate Held for Sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Copper Mill

 

Apartment

 

Austin, TX

 

 

3,472

 

 

 

13,888

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

993

 

 

 

3,472

 

 

 

14,881

 

 

 

(3,667

)

 

 

(6,998

)

 

2011

 

 

40

 

Heritage Trace

 

Apartment

 

Newport News,   VA

 

 

2,673

 

 

 

10,691

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

1,027

 

 

 

2,673

 

 

 

11,718

 

 

 

(2,930

)

 

 

(5,237

)

 

2011

 

 

40

 

The Crossings

 

Apartment

 

Jackson, MS

 

 

4,600

 

 

 

17,948

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

874

 

 

 

4,600

 

 

 

18,822

 

 

 

(1,580

)

 

 

(15,313

)

 

2013

 

 

40

 

Berkshire

 

Apartment

 

Indianapolis, IN

 

 

2,650

 

 

 

10,319

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

859

 

 

 

2,650

 

 

 

11,178

 

 

 

(1,031

)

 

 

(8,478

)

 

2013

 

 

40

 

Total Real Estate Held for Sale

 

 

 

$

13,395

 

 

$

52,846

 

 

$

-

 

 

$

3,753

 

 

$

13,395

 

 

$

56,599

 

 

$

(9,208

)

 

$

(36,026

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

79


 

 

 

Investments in Real Estate

 

For the

Year Ended

December 31,   2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

December 31,   2015

 

 

For the

Year Ended

December 31,   2014

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

1,372,015

 

 

$

689,112

 

 

$

190,096

 

Additions during period:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acquisitions

 

 

 

 

 

707,268

 

 

 

495,998

 

Improvements to land and building

 

 

10,664

 

 

 

8,941

 

 

 

4,159

 

Deductions during period:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dispositions of real estate

 

 

(63,329

)

 

 

(33,306

)

 

 

(1,141

)

Reclassification to held for sale

 

 

(69,994

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, end of period:

 

$

1,249,356

 

 

$

1,372,015

 

 

$

689,112

 

Balance, end of period - held for sale:

 

$

69,994

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

 

Accumulated Depreciation

 

For the

Year Ended

December   31, 2016

 

 

For the

Year Ended

December   31, 2015

 

 

For the

Year Ended

December   31, 2014

 

Balance, beginning of period

 

$

39,638

 

 

$

23,376

 

 

$

15,775

 

Depreciation expense

 

 

31,085

 

 

 

20,888

 

 

 

8,742

 

Dispositions of real estate

 

 

(10,004

)

 

 

(4,626

)

 

 

(1,141

)

Reclassification to held for sale

 

 

(9,208

)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Balance, end of period:

 

$

51,511

 

 

$

39,638

 

 

$

23,376

 

Balance, end of period - held for sale:

 

$

9,208

 

 

$

 

 

$

 

 

 

80


 

ITEM 9.

Changes in and Disagreements with Accou ntants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

 

None.

 

ITEM 9A.

Controls and Procedures

 

Disclosure Controls and Procedures

 

We maintain disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our chief executive officer and our chief financial officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, our management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and our management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures.

 

Under the supervision of our chief executive officer and chief financial officer and with the participation of our disclosure committee, we have carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer determined that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level.

 

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

 

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risks that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

 

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Based on this assessment, management believes that, as of December 31, 2016, our internal control over financial reporting is effective.

 

Our independent registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting. This report is included as part of Item 8 in this annual report on Form 10-K.

 

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

 

 

There were no changes in our internal control over financial reporting or in other factors during our last fiscal quarter, that have materially affected, or were reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting .

 

ITEM 9B.

Other Information

 

This disclosure below is intended to satisfy any obligation of ours to provide disclosures pursuant to the following items of Form 8-K: Item 1.01 “Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement”, Item 5.02 “Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers” and Item 5.03 “Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.”

 

Item 1.01. Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

On March 3, 2017, the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) of IRT approved a form of director’s and officer’s indemnification agreement (the “ D&O Indemnification Agreement ”).  The D&O Indemnification Agreement indemnifies directors and officers who are parties thereto with indemnification rights arising out of, or relating to, their service as directors and officers of IRT or where they serve at the request of IRT as an officer, director, representative or other agent at another entity.  The D&O Indemnification Agreement also provides for the directors and officers who are parties thereto with certain rights to advancement of expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of the disposition of any proceeding for which indemnification rights may be available pursuant to the D&O Indemnification Agreement. The foregoing description of the form of D&O Indemnification Agreement does not purport

81


 

to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the form of D&O Indemnification Agreement, a copy of which is attached to this Annual Report as Exhibit 10.7.2 and incorporated by reference herein in this Item 1.01 in its entirety.

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

The information included in Item 1.01 relating to the IRT’s form of D&O Indemnification Agreement is incorporated by reference in this Item 5.02.

Effective February 28, 2017,  the compensation committee (the “ Compensation Committee ”) of the board of directors (the “Board”) of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (“IRT”) approved awards under Independence Realty Trust, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan (as amended and restated May 12, 2016) (the “ 2016 Plan ”) for three of IRT’s executive officers (the “ Eligible Officers ”).  These awards included awards intended to qualify as “qualified performance-based compensation” under section 162(m) of Internal Revenue Code and Article X of the 2016 Plan.  The Compensation Committee adopted an Annual Cash Bonus Plan (the “ Annual Cash Bonus Plan ”) pursuant to the 2016 Plan and made the awards thereunder (“ 2017 Cash Bonus Awards ”) to the Eligible Officers setting forth the basis on which the Eligible Officers could earn cash bonuses for 2017.  In addition, the Compensation Committee adopted an Annual Equity Award Program (the “ Equity Program ”) pursuant to the 2016 Plan and made awards thereunder (the “2017 Equity Awards ”) to the Eligible Officers setting forth the basis on which the Eligible Officers could earn and vest in equity compensation over the years 2017 through 2020.  The Eligible Officers are Scott F. Schaeffer, IRT’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Farrell M. Ender, IRT’s President, and James J. Sebra, IRT’s Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.  The terms of the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards and the 2017 Equity Awards are described below.  On February 28, 2017, the Compensation Committee also made a separate award which vested immediately of 624 shares of IRT common stock under the 2016 Plan to Mr. Ender.

 

2017 Cash Bonus Awards

 

Beginning with IRT’s 2017 fiscal year, the Compensation Committee is implementing the new Annual Cash Bonus Plan that it believes will incentivize the Eligible Officers to produce a high level of operational performance by explicitly linking the majority of their annual bonuses to certain objectives and formulaic metrics that the Compensation Committee believes are important drivers in the creation of shareholder value, while also rewarding more subjective elements of each Eligible Officer’s performance through a subjective component.  This new program will set forth a target cash bonus award level for each Eligible Officer participant composed of two components, as described below:  

 

 

Objective/Formulaic Component ” — the objective/formulaic component of the Annual Cash Bonus Award that may be earned by each Eligible Officer will be determined by IRT’s performance relative to specified objective performance criteria established by the Compensation Committee as described below.  

 

 

Subjective Component ” – the subjective component of the Annual Cash Bonus Award may be determined based on the Compensation Committee’s subjective evaluation of such participant’s performance.  

 

 

Allocation of Components and Calculation of the Annual Cash Bonus Award . For 2017, the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards are allocated 75% to the objective/formulaic component and 25% to the subjective component.   The amount of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award of any Eligible Officer will be calculated by: (a) determining the sum of the results of multiplying the 2017 weighting for each metric (described below) by the Relevant Percentage (described below) achieved with respect to each metric, (b) multiplying such sum by the objective criteria allocation of 75% to obtain a percentage referred to as the “ Objective Criteria Bonus Earned ”, (c) determining the result of multiplying the subjective criteria Relevant Percentage by the subjective criteria allocation of 25% to obtain to obtain a percentage referred to as the “ Subjective Criteria Bonus Earned ”, (d) multiplying the 2017 base salary of the relevant Eligible Officer by the sum the Objective Criteria Bonus Earned and the Subjective Criteria Bonus Earned.   The actual 2017 Annual Cash Bonus Award earned by a participant may range from 0% to each Eligible Officer’s maximum Relevant Percentage of base salary based on actual performance for the year.

 


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The individual 2017 Cash Bonus Award ranges, as a percentage (each, a “ Relevant Percentage ”) of base salary for Threshol d, Target and Maximum performance levels for each of the Eligible Officers as follows:  

 

 

 

2017 Cash Bonus Award Ranges

Executive

2017 Base
Salary

Threshold

Target

Maximum

Scott F. Schaeffer

$618,600

100%

164%

250%

Farrell M. Ender

$308,600

57%

117%

177%

James J. Sebra

$398,600

50%

100%

150%

 

 

2017 Cash Bonus Award

Executive

Threshold

Target

Maximum

Scott F. Schaeffer

$618,600

$1,015,000

$1,546,500

Farrell M. Ender

$176,000

$      361,000

$   546,000

James J. Sebra

$199,300

$   398,600

$   597,900

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Objective/Formulaic Criteria

 

The Compensation Committee has established the following objective performance metrics to be utilized in determining any payout with respect to the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards weighted based on these performance measurements with their 2017 relative weighting:

 

Objective Performance Criteria

2017 Weighting

CORE FFO per share

40%

The increase in same store property net operating income as compared to the previous year

20%

Property net operating income margin

15%

General and Administrative expenses (excluding stock based compensation) as a percentage of revenues

15%

IRT’s ratio of net debt to Adjusted EBITDA

10%

 

All of these objective performance criteria shall be calculated in a manner consistent with how IRT discloses the metric in its public reporting; provided that the Compensation Committee will retain discretion to adjust the calculation of these metrics if it determines, due to unanticipated business developments, transactions or other factors affecting the calculation of such metrics, that such an adjustment would enhance incentivizing or rewarding actions in the best interests of IRT’s stockholders.  The actual 2017 Cash Bonus Award payment realized by an Eligible Officer with respect to each applicable metric will depend on IRT’s achievement of at least the “Threshold” level of performance established by the Compensation Committee with respect to that metric.  There will be no 2017 Cash Bonus Award payable for that metric in the event IRT achieves less than the Threshold level.   IRT’s achievement of the Threshold level for a designated metric will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to that metric; the achievement of the Target level for a designated metric will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to that metric; and the achievement of the Maximum level for a designated metric will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to that metric. If the calculated percentage is between Threshold and Target or between Target and Maximum for an annual performance period, then the earned percentage will be prorated.   See “Allocation of Components and Calculation of the Annual Cash Bonus Award” above for a description of how the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards will be calculated.

 

Subjective Criteria

 

The Subjective Bonus Award portion of each Eligible Officer’s Cash Bonus will be based on the Compensation Committee’s subjective evaluation of the Eligible Officer’s performance relative to achieving specified individual criteria established for 2017 for each participant, which the Compensation Committee has determined are also important elements of each Eligible Officer’s contribution to the creation of overall shareholder value.  These include the following elements; provided that the Compensation Committee will retain discretion to add or modify subjective criteria if it determines, due to unanticipated business developments,

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transactions or other factors affecting IRT, that such additions or modifications to the subjective criteria would enhance incentivizing or rewarding actions in the best interests of IRT’s stockhol ders:

 

o Broaden Company’s institutional shareholder base.

 

o Pursue financial transactions to lower cost of capital, extend debt maturities and enhance liquidity profile

o Increase analyst coverage of the Company

 

o Complete systems separation from RAIT Financial Trust (“ RAIT ”), including staffing and back office requirements in 2017.  

 

The Eligible Officer’s achievement of the Threshold level for subjective criteria will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to subjective criteria; the achievement of the Target level for subjective criteria will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to that metric; and the achievement of the Maximum level for subjective criteria will result in a payout of such Eligible Officer’s Relevant Percentage of the proportion of the 2017 Cash Bonus Award allocated to subjective criteria. If the calculated percentage is between Threshold and Target or between Target and Maximum for an annual performance period, then the earned percentage will be prorated. See “Allocation of Components and Calculation of the Annual Cash Bonus Award” above for a description of how the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards will be calculated.

 

Cash Bonus Award Payments

 

 

All Cash Bonus Award payments will be made in the year following the completion of the annual performance period to which the Cash Bonus Award payment relates.  The actual payment to each Eligible Officer will be made as soon as practical after final certification of the underlying performance results and approval of such payment by the Compensation Committee; provided, however, that, in order to comply with certain rules concerning the regulation of deferred compensation under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, in no event will any such payment be made later than March 15 of such year.

 

 

An Eligible Officer who terminates employment with IRT prior to the conclusion of any applicable performance period with respect to which an applicable Cash Bonus Award payment relates will not receive a Cash Bonus Award payment, except that:

 

 

o

In the event of such participant’s death or disability (as defined in the relevant Eligible Employee’s employment agreement, or, if not so defined, determined in accordance with the 2016 Plan) (“ Disability ”) prior to the end of the annual performance period, an otherwise eligible participant may receive a Cash Bonus Award payment in the amount of such participant’s full Cash Bonus Award, as determined by the Compensation Committee, provided a Cash Bonus Award was approved for such participant for the applicable performance period.

 

 

o

In the event of the termination of such participant’s employment, other than voluntarily or for Cause (as defined in the relevant employment agreement for each Eligible Officer), following a Change of Control (as defined in the relevant Eligible Employee’s employment agreement, or, if not so defined, in the 2016 Plan) but prior to end of the annual performance period, an otherwise eligible participant may receive an Cash Bonus Award payment in the amount of such participant’s full Cash Bonus Award, as determined by the Compensation Committee, provided a Cash Bonus Award was approved for such participant for the applicable annual performance period.

 

2017 Equity Awards

 

The Compensation Committee also is granting restricted share Equity Award under the 2017 Equity Awards Plan consisting of the following two components:

 

 

Performance Component ” - 75% of the value of each Eligible Officer’s 2017 potential Equity Award will be based on the attainment of absolute and relative Total Shareholder Return (“TSR”) hurdles over a three-year period, which include both share price appreciation and reinvestment of common stock dividends, as well as a subjective evaluation of the achievement of strategic objectives.   This component consists of Performance Share Unit Awards (the “ 2017 PSUs ”) authorized by the Compensation Committee under the Equity Program adopted pursuant to the 2016 Plan, with the number of shares of IRT common stock (“ Common Shares ”) issued or their equivalent value in cash paid, at the Compensation Committee’s option, at the conclusion of the relevant performance period. The number of 2017 PSUs earned will be determined (a) for 80% by IRT’s performance for the three year period commencing January 1, 2017 and ending December 31, 2019 relative to two long term performance metrics established by the Compensation Committee, as described in greater detail below, and (b) for 20% of the awards, by the Compensation Committee’s subjective evaluation of the Eligible Officer’s contribution to the creation of overall stockholder value.   

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The actual number of 2017 PSUs earned by a participant may range from 0% to 150% of target based on actual performance for the performance period. The performance based awards vest 50% at December 31, 2019 based on performance for 2017-2019, and the 50% ba lance, consisting of the same number of shares that were awarded at December 31, 2019, become time vesting and vest one year thereafter, subject to forfeiture in such year only in the event IRT has terminated the Eligible Officer’s employment for cause or the Eligible Officer has resigned without good reason as determined, in each situation, under such Eligible Officer’s employment agreement. The Compensation Committee currently intends to redeem any vested 2017 PSUs with Common Shares, subject to the avail ability of shares of IRT common stock under the 2016 Plan at the time of vesting.

 

Performance Criteria

2017 Weighting

Threshold

Performance Criteria
Target

Maximum

Relative 3-year TSR (1)

60%

30 th percentile

50 th percentile

75th percentile

Absolute 3-Year TSR

20%

22.50%

33.75%

45.00%

Strategic Objectives

20%

 

Subjective

 

(1) For purposes of determining the Company’s achievement against this metric, the Company’s TSR will be compared to the constituents of the FTSE NAREIT Apartment Index (the “ Index ”) over the performance period, using the relative percentile ranking approach for all constituents that are included in the Index over the full performance period.  

No awards will be earned if below Threshold performance is achieved for a particular metric.

 

 

“Time-Based Component ” - The remaining 25% of the potential Equity Award will be time-based.   This component consists of Restricted Stock Awards (the “ 2017 Stock Awards ”) authorized by the Compensation Committee under the Equity Program adopted pursuant to the 2016 Plan,.  The shares of IRT common stock subject to the Annual Restricted Share Awards will vest 25% per annum on the first four anniversaries from the date of grant.

 

Number of PSUs and 2017 Stock Awards

 

The number of 2017 PSUs awarded is set forth below and was determined by dividing the maximum dollar amount of the award that may be earned by IRT’s closing stock price on the NYSE MKT on February 28, 2017, the grant date, $9.19, based on the following proposed individual award opportunities.  The number of shares awarded for 2017 Stock Awards is set forth below and was determined by dividing the dollar amount of the award based by such closing stock price.

 

 

 

 

Performance-Based Award

Executive

Total Target Award

Time-Based Award

Threshold

Target

Maximum

Scott F. Schaeffer

$1,000,000

$250,000

$375,000

$750,000

$1,125,000

Farrell M. Ender

400,000

100,000

150,000

300,000

450,000

James J. Sebra

450,000

112.500

168,750

337,500

506,250

 

 

Executive

Number of 2017 Stock Awards

Number of 2017 PSUs

Scott F. Schaeffer

27,203

122,416

Farrell M. Ender

10,881

48,966

James J. Sebra

12,242

55,087

Additional Terms of the 2017 Equity Awards

Dividends will be paid with respect to outstanding 2017 Stock Awards, subject to forfeiture prior to vesting. Dividend equivalents will not be paid on the 50% of the 2017 PSUs that have met the 3 year performance based criteria and have vested, but dividend equivalents will be paid on the remaining 50 % of the 2017 PSUs only for the year during which they time vest, subject to forfeiture prior to vesting. No dividend equivalents will be paid while the 2017 PSUs are subject to performance criteria. Dividend equivalents will accrue only on the portion of the 2017 PSUs which have met the performance criteria and remain subject only to time vesting.

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The 2017 Stock Awards will have voting rights and the 2017 PSUs will not have any voting rights.

Any Eligible Officer whose employment is terminated will forfeit any unvested 2017 Equity Awards except with respect to 2017 PSUs in the event of a Qualified Termination or Retirement as described below and except where such Eligible Officer’s employment agreement with IRT provides for accelerated vesting in defined circumstances.

If an Eligible Officer’s employment is terminated due to death or disability and other than voluntarily or for cause (as defined in the relevant employment agreement for each Eligible Officer) (a “ Qualified Termination ”) prior to the conclusion of the 3-year performance period applicable to such Eligible Officer’s 2017 PSUs, then such performance period will be shortened to conclude on the date of such Qualified Termination (a “ Shortened Performance Period ”). In such event, the Compensation Committee will determine within three months after the date of such Qualified Termination the number of 2017 PSUs earned by such Eligible Officer, if any, for such Shortened Performance Period in accordance with the performance criteria established for such award. The Eligible Officer’s earned 2017 PSUs, if any, will vest as of the date that the Compensation Committee determines the achievement of such performance criteria and will not be subject to the additional time based vesting period. The number of 2017 PSUs eligible to be earned shall be determined on a pro rata basis by multiplying the number of 2017 PSUs issued to such Eligible Officer by a fraction, the numerator is the number of days in the Shortened Performance Period and the denominator of which is the number of days in the original 3-year Performance Period. With respect to earned 2017 PSUs held by the Officer for which the Performance Period is complete but for which the additional time-based vesting period is incomplete prior to the Eligible Officer’s Qualified Termination, any restrictions on such earned awards shall lapse and such earned awards shall automatically become fully vested as of the date of such Qualified Termination.

In the event of an Eligible Officer’s “Retirement” (as defined below), the 2017 PSUs will vest in the following manner. If such Retirement occurs during the performance period, the number of 2017 PSUs vested will be determined on a pro rata basis by multiplying the 2017 PSUs earned in the performance period by a fraction, the numerator is the number of days from the beginning of the performance period to the date of such Retirement and the denominator of which is the total number of days in the 3-year performance period. If an Eligible Officer’s Retirement occurs after the performance period, 100% of the 2017 PSUs earned in the performance period will vest upon Retirement. The above notwithstanding in no event will any 2017 PSUs vest if the performance targets are not met. “ Retirement ” is defined in the 2017 PSUs as the Eligible Officer’s voluntary separation of employment following satisfaction of the “Rule of 70.” The Rule of 70 will be satisfied upon (1) completion of at least fifteen (15) years of service with IRT or its related entities; (2) attainment of age 55 and (3) such Eligible Officer’s combined age and service equals at least 70. An Eligible Officer may separate upon Retirement subject to providing at least six (6) months’ advance notice to IRT and entering into a separate three-year non-competition and non-solicitation agreement if requested. In the event the 2017 PSUs vest due to Retirement, 50% of the vested 2017 PSUs will be redeemable as of the relevant determination date and the remaining 50% will be redeemable on the first anniversary of the last day of the performance period.

Clawback Policy

Awards made under the 2017 Cash Bonus Awards and the 2017 Equity Awards for the Eligible Officers are subject to a clawback policy which will allow IRT to recover amounts paid to such officer pursuant to such awards to the extent that the Compensation Committee, following an appropriate investigation and consideration of all relevant circumstances, determines that such officer has engaged in fraud or willful misconduct that caused the requirement for a material accounting restatement of IRT’s financial statements due to material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement (excluding any restatement due solely to a change in accounting rules).

 

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Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

On March 3, 2017, the Board approved amendments to amend and restate IRT’s bylaws, effective as of March 3, 2017 (the “ Bylaws ”).  The Bylaws have not been  amended since they were last filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) on May 13, 2013 as an exhibit to IRT’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 . The amendments to the Bylaws, particularly the amendments to the advance notice provisions thereof,  (i) enhance the information that the Board would have access to about the persons deemed to be proposing director nominees and/or stockholder proposals and further the Board’s ability to make informed recommendations to stockholders relating thereto; (ii) enhance the information that the Board would have access to about proposed nominees and/or stockholder proposals and further the Board’s ability to make informed recommendations to stockholders relating thereto; and (iii) enhance the information that IRT would have access to in preparing proxy materials commenting on any stockholder proposed nominees and/or stockholder proposals. Among other things, the amendments to the Bylaws:

 

Amend the provisions relating to how an annual meeting of IRT’s stockholders is called to provide that the date, time and place of an annual meeting shall be fixed by a resolution of the Board adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exists any vacancies in the previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board);

 

Specify certain procedural matters relating to the requirements for any business to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders, including, but not limited to, the prerequisites for a stockholder to bring any proposal before an annual meeting of stockholders including that the making of such proposal must be permitted by applicable law, IRT’s Articles of Restatement (the “ Articles of Restatement ”) and the Bylaws and must comply with the notice and other procedures contained in the Bylaws in all applicable respects;

 

Amend the provisions related to the  advance notice of stockholder proposals required to be submitted to IRT in connection with business intended to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders (the “ Proposal Notice ”), including, but not limited to, provisions that:

 

o

Provide for a defined term, “ Proposing Person ,” to encompass the individuals for whom information will be required to be included in a Proposal Notice or Nominating Notice (as defined below), as the case may be, and defining “ Proposing Person ” to include (i) the stockholder providing the applicable notice, (ii) the beneficial owner of IRT’s capital stock, if different, on whose behalf the applicable notice is given, (iii) any “affiliate” or “associate” (as such terms are defined in the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”)) of such stockholder or beneficial owner, (iv) each other person who is “ Acting in Concert ” (as defined below) with such stockholder or beneficial owner, persons who are members of any Schedule 13D group (as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) with such stockholder or beneficial owner, and (v) persons who are participants in any solicitation of proxies by such stockholder or beneficial owner;

 

o

Provide that a person shall be deemed to be “ Acting in Concert ” with another person if such person knowingly acts (whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, arrangement or understanding) in concert with, or towards a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of IRT in parallel with, such other person where (A) each person is conscious of the other person’s conduct or intent and this awareness is an element in their decision-making processes and (B) at least one additional factor suggests that such persons intend to act in concert or in parallel, which such additional factors may include, without limitation, exchanging information (whether publicly or privately), attending meetings, conducting discussions, or making or soliciting invitations to act in concert or in parallel; provided, that a person shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any other person solely as a result of the solicitation or receipt of revocable proxies from such other person in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a proxy or consent solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A. A person Acting in Concert with another person shall be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any third party who is also Acting in Concert with such other person;

 

o

Further specify the information required to be provided by Proposing Persons in respect of the business proposed in their Proposal Notice, including, but not limited to, the following information regarding such persons:

 

the name and address of the Proposing Person, as they appear on IRT’s stock transfer books.

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their ownership, direct and indirect, in IRT’s securities, including any shares, owned beneficially (as defined in Rule 13d-3 (or any successor thereof) un der the Exchange Act) and/or held of record by such persons (including any shares of any class or series of IRT as to which such person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future, whether such right is exercisable immediately, on ly after the passage of time or only upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent), the dates on which such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition of shares at the time they were acquired;

 

 

a description in reasonable detail of any pending, or to the knowledge of any such persons, threatened legal proceeding in which any Proposing Person is a party or participant involving IRT or any officer, director, affiliate or associate of IRT;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any relationship (including any direct or indirect interest in any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or oral) between any Proposing Person and IRT or any director, officer, affiliate or associate of IRT;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any derivative interests that are directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such persons with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of IRT’s securities (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares of stock) that has been made by or on behalf of such persons, the effect or intent of any of the foregoing being to mitigate loss to, or to manage risk of stock price changes for, any such persons or any of their “affiliates” or “associates” (as such terms are defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act) or to increase or decrease the voting power or pecuniary or economic interest of such persons or any of their affiliates or associates with respect to stock of IRT, including any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares of stock) that has been made by or on behalf of a Proposing Person, the effect or intent of any of the foregoing being to mitigate loss to, or to manage risk of stock price changes for, any Proposing Person or to increase or decrease the voting power or pecuniary or economic interest of such Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates with respect to stock of IRT;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship, written or oral and formal or informal, between such Proposing Person and any other person or entity (naming each such person or entity) pursuant to which the Proposing Person has a right to vote any shares of IRT;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of IRT directly or indirectly held of record or beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of IRT;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) to which the Proposing Person may be entitled as a result of any increase or decrease in the value of shares of IRT or any of its derivative securities;

 

any direct or indirect interest of such Proposing Person in any contract or agreement with IRT, or any affiliate or associate of IRT (naming such affiliate or associate);

 

a description in reasonable detail of all agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral, formal or informal (1) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (2) between or among any of the Proposing Persons and any other person or entity (naming each such person or entity) in connection with or related to the proposal of business by a stockholder, including without limitation, (A) any understanding, formal or informal, written or oral, that any Proposing Person may have reached with any stockholder of IRT (naming each such stockholder) with respect to how such stockholder will vote its shares in IRT at any meeting of IRT’s stockholders or take other action in support of or related to

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any business proposed, or other action to be taken, by the Proposing Person, and (B) any agreements that would be required to be disclosed by any Proposing Person or any other person or entity pursuant to Item 5 or Item 6 of a Schedule 13D tha t would be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (regardless of whether the requirement to file a Schedule 13D is applicable to the Proposing Person or other person or entity); and

 

all other information relating to such Proposing Persons that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made by any Proposing Persons in connection with the contested solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested solicitation is not involved) by such persons in support of the business proposed to be brought before the stockholders’ meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) and Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act;

 

o

Further specify, as to each item of business that the stockholder giving the Proposal Notice proposes to bring before the annual meeting, the information required to be provided about such proposed business, including, but not limited to the following:

 

a description in reasonable detail of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons (including the text of any reasons for the business that would be disclosed in any proxy statement or supplement thereto to be filed with the SEC) detailing why such stockholder or any other Proposing Person believes that the taking of the action or actions proposed to be taken would be in the best interests of IRT and its stockholders;

 

the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration);

 

a description in reasonable detail of any interest of any Proposing Person in such business, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder or any other Proposing Person therefrom, including any interest that would be disclosed to IRT’s stockholders in any proxy statement to be distributed to IRT’s stockholders; and

 

all other information relating to such proposed business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made by any of the Proposing Persons in connection with the solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested solicitation is not involved) in support of such proposed business by one or more Proposing Persons pursuant to Section 14(a) and Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act.

 

o

Require the Proposing Person to, from time to time, update and supplement the information provided by such stockholder in its Proposal Notice such that the information contained in the Proposal Notice is true, correct and complete in all respects;

 

o

Include a provision that allows IRT, the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof to request the Proposing Person to provide written verification of the accuracy of the information contained in the Proposal Notice;

 

o

Require that the Proposal Notice include a representation as to whether any Proposing Person intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of IRT’s outstanding capital stock entitled to vote and required to approve the proposed business described in the Proposal Notice and, if so, identifying each such Proposing Person;

 

o

Require that the Proposal Notice include a representation that the stockholder or its qualified representative intends to appear in person at the meeting (unless such meeting is held by means of remote communication and, in such case, a representation that the stockholder or its qualified representative shall appear at the meeting by means of remote communication) to propose the actions specified in the Proposal Notice and to vote all proxies solicited;

 

o

Require a stockholder to specifically identify in the Proposal Notice by way of an express reference how the information being provided is intended to comply with a specific advance notice requirement of the Bylaws; 

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o

Specify that a stockholder must set forth in writing directly within the body of the Proposal Notice (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Proposal Notice) all the information requir ed to be included in the Proposal Notice pursuant to the Bylaws;    

 

o

Clarify that the advance notice requirements for a Proposal Notice are not intended to require a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to include any information relating to their ordinary course business activities when they are directed to prepare and submit a Proposal Notice on behalf of an unaffiliated beneficial owner of IRT’s shares;

 

o

Specify that a stockholder submitting the Proposal Notice, by its delivery to IRT, represents and warrants that all information contained therein is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and such stockholder acknowledges that it intends for IRT and the Board to rely on such information as (i) being true, accurate and complete in all respects, without regard to what other information may be publicly available but not contained in the Proposal Notice, and (ii) not containing any false and misleading statements;

 

o

Require that, notwithstanding any notice of the annual meeting sent to stockholders on behalf of IRT, a stockholder must separately provide a Proposal Notice in accordance with the Bylaws to conduct business at any stockholder meeting and further clarifying that, if the stockholder’s proposed business is the same or relates to business brought by IRT and included in IRT’s annual meeting notice, the stockholder is nevertheless still required to comply with the advance notice of business provisions of the Bylaws and give its own separate and timely Proposal Notice to the Secretary of IRT which complies in all respects with the applicable requirements of the Bylaws;

 

o

Provide that, in addition to the requirements contained in the Bylaws, a Proposing Person must also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and Maryland law with respect to any business that may be sought to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders and any solicitations of proxies in connection therewith;

 

o

Provide that in no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a Proposal Notice;

 

o

Provide that the Bylaws’ advance notice provisions shall be the exclusive means for any stockholder of IRT to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders; and

 

 

o

Provide that the Bylaws’ advance notice provisions shall not be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to submit proposals pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act.

 

 

Specify certain procedural matters relating to the requirements for any director nominations to be brought before a stockholders’ meeting, including, but not limited to, the prerequisites for a stockholder to bring a proposed director nomination before a stockholders’ meeting;

 

Amend the provisions related to the advance notice of proposed director nominations, including, but not limited to, revisions to:

 

o

Further specify the information required to be provided by Proposing Persons in their advance notice of proposed nominations of candidates for election to the Board (the “ Nominating Notice ”) which includes, as to each Proposing Person, substantially the same information about such Proposing Person that is required to be included in a Proposal Notice, as more fully discussed above, except that any reference to “ business ” or “ proposal ” therein will be deemed to refer to the “ nomination ” of a director or directors by a stockholder which is proposed in a Nominating Notice ;

 

o

Further specify the information required to be provided in the Nominating Notice about each person being proposed as a nominee for election to the Board, including, but not limited to, the following:

 

all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a Nominating Notice if such proposed nominee was a Proposing Person;

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a description in reasonable detail of any and all l itigation, whether or not judicially resolved, settled or dismissed, relating to the proposed nominee’s past or current service on the Board (or similar governing body) of any Corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or any other entity w here a legal complaint filed in any state or federal court located within the United States alleges that the proposed nominee committed any act constituting (a) a breach of fiduciary duties, (b) misconduct, (c) fraud, (d) breaches of confidentiality obliga tions, and/or (e) a breach of the entity’s code of conduct applicable to directors;

 

to the extent that such proposed nominee has been convicted of any past criminal offenses involving dishonesty or a breach of trust or duty, a description in reasonable detail of such offense and all legal proceedings relating thereto;

 

to the extent that such proposed nominee has ever been suspended or barred by any governmental authority or self-regulatory organization from engaging in any profession or participating in any industry, or has otherwise been subject to a disciplinary action by a governmental authority or self-regulatory organization that provides oversight over the proposed nominee’s current or past profession or an industry that the proposed nominee has participated in, a description in reasonable detail of such action and the reasons therefor;

 

to the extent that such proposed nominee has been determined by any governmental authority or self-regulatory organization to have violated any federal or state securities or commodities laws, including but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act or the Commodity Exchange Act, a description in reasonable detail of such violation and all legal proceedings relating thereto;

 

all information relating to such proposed nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing required to be made with the SEC by any Proposing Person pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act to be made in connection with a contested solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested election is not involved) by a Proposing Person for an election of directors;

 

such proposed nominee’s executed written consent to be named in the proxy statement of the Proposing Person as a nominee and to serve as a director of IRT if elected;

 

to the extent that such proposed nominee has entered into (1) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with, or has given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to the positions that such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of IRT, would take in support of or in opposition to any issue or question that may be presented to him or her for consideration in his or her capacity as a director of IRT, (2) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with, or has given any commitment or assurance to, to any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of IRT, would act or vote with respect to any issue or question presented to him or her for consideration in his or her capacity as a director of IRT, (3) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with any person or entity that could be reasonably interpreted as having been both (a) entered into in contemplation of the proposed nominee being elected as a director of IRT, and (b) intended to limit or interfere with the proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of IRT, with his or her fiduciary duties, as a director of IRT, to IRT or its stockholders, or (4) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with any person or entity that could be reasonably interpreted as having been or being intended to require such proposed nominee to consider the interests of a person or entity (other than IRT and its stockholders) in complying with his or her fiduciary duties, as a director of IRT, to IRT or its stockholders, a description in reasonable detail of each such agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) or commitment or assurance;

 

the amount of any equity securities beneficially owned by such proposed nominee in any company that is a direct competitor of IRT or its operating subsidiaries if such beneficial ownership by such nominee, when aggregated with that of all other proposed nominees and the Proposing Persons, is five percent (5%) or more of the class of equity securities of such company;

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a description in reasonable detail of any and all agreements, arrangements and/or understandi ngs, written or oral, between such proposed nominee and any person or entity (naming each such person or entity) with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, indemnification or other benefit (whether monetary or non-monetary) in conn ection with or related to such proposed nominee’s candidacy for election to the Board and/or service on the Board if elected as a member of the Board;

 

a description in reasonable detail of any and all other agreements, arrangements and/or understandings, written or oral, between such proposed nominee and any person or entity (naming such person or entity) in connection with such proposed nominee’s service or action as a proposed nominee and, if elected, as a member of the Board;

 

a certificate executed by the proposed nominee (A) certifying that such proposed nominee (1) has disclosed any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than IRT in connection with service or action as a director; and (2) agreeing to comply, if elected as a director of IRT, with all corporate governance, conflicts of interest, code of conduct and ethics, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of IRT, as the same shall be amended from time to time by the Board; and (B) attaching a completed proposed nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by IRT, upon request, to the stockholder providing the notice); and

 

all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Items 403 and 404 under Regulation S-K if the stockholder giving the notice or any other Proposing Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant.

 

o

Require the Proposing Person to, from time to time, update and supplement the information provided by such stockholder in its Nominating Notice such that the information contained in the Nominating Notice is true, correct and complete in all respects;

 

o

Include a provision that allows IRT, the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof to request the Proposing Person to provide written verification of the accuracy of the information contained in the Nominating Notice;  

 

o

Require a stockholder to specifically identify in the Nominating Notice by way of an express reference how the information being provided is intended to comply with a specific advance notice requirement of the Bylaws; 

 

o

Specify that a Proposing Person must set forth in writing directly within the body of the Nominating Notice (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Proposal Notice) all the information required to be included in the Nominating Notice pursuant to the Bylaws;  

 

o

Clarify that the advance notice requirements for a Nominating Notice are not intended to require a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee to include any information relating to their ordinary course business activities when they are directed to prepare and submit a Nominating Notice on behalf of an unaffiliated beneficial owner of IRT’s shares;

 

o

Provide that a Proposing Person submitting the Nominating Notice, by its delivery to IRT, represents and warrants that all information contained therein is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and such Proposing Person acknowledges that it intends for IRT and the Board to rely on such information as (i) being true, accurate and complete in all respects, without regard to what other information may be publicly available but not contained in the Nominating Notice, and (ii) not containing any false and misleading statements;

 

o

Provide that, n otwithstanding any notice of stockholders’ meeting sent to stockholders on behalf of IRT, a Proposing Person must separately comply with the advance notice of nominations provisions of the Bylaws to propose director nominations at any stockholders’ meeting and would still be required to give its own separate and timely Nominating Notice to the Secretary of IRT which complies in all respects with the applicable requirements of the Bylaws;

 

o

Provide that the stockholder or a qualified representative of such stockholder must be present in person at a stockholders’ meeting and must represent that it will be present at such meeting (unless such meeting is held by

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means of remote communication and, in such case, a representation that the stockholder or its qualified representative shall appear at the meeting by means of remote communication) in order for a proposed director nomination to be brought before the meeting.

 

o

Provide that in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board of IRT is increased and there is no public disclosure naming all of the proposed nominees for director or specifying the size of the increased Board made by IRT at least one hundred and thirty (130) calendar days prior to the one year anniversary of the date of mailing of the definitive proxy statement for the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting, a Nominating Notice required by the Bylaws shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to proposed nominees for any new positions created by such increase, and only with respect to a stockholder who had, prior to such increase in the size of the Board, previously submitted a Nominating Notice that complied with the Bylaws prior to the deadline for submitting director nominations, if such Nominating Notice is delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of IRT at the principal office of IRT not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which such public disclosure is first made by IRT;

 

 

o

Provide that, in addition to the requirements contained in the Bylaws, a Proposing Person must also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act and Maryland law with respect to any nominations of directors  for election at an annual meeting of stockholders and any solicitations of proxies in connection therewith;

 

o

Provide that in no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a Nominating Notice; and

 

 

o

Provide that the Bylaws’ advance notice of nomination provisions shall be the exclusive means for any stockholder of IRT to propose nominees for election to the Board to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders.

 

 

Provide maximum flexibility and discretion to the chairman of the meeting to set rules for the conduct of any stockholders’ meeting.

 

Provide more detailed procedural provisions with respect to stockholders’ meetings, including, but not limited to, the organization and conduct of the meeting, meeting protocol, the retention of inspectors of election for such meetings, proxies for such meetings, the appointment of a presiding officer for such meetings, and the appointment of a secretary for such meetings.

 

Provide that for business to be properly brought before a special meeting of stockholders, it must be (i) specified in IRT’s notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board (or an authorized committee thereof), (ii) if not specified in the notice of meeting provided by or at the direction of the Board (or an authorized committee thereof), otherwise properly brought before the special meeting by or at the direction of the Board (or an authorized committee thereof) or the Chairman of the Board, or (iii) otherwise properly requested to be brought before a special meeting requested by holders of in the aggregate, not less than a majority of the outstanding shares of IRT, in accordance with the stockholder-requested special meeting provisions contained in the Bylaws.

 

Provide procedural provisions for having stockholders request that a record date be set by the Board for determining that the stockholders requesting that a special meeting be called hold, in the aggregate, not less than a majority of the outstanding shares of IRT that would be entitled to vote at the meeting and requiring informational disclosures to be included with such request that are substantially similar to those required to be included in a Proposal Notice or a Nominating Notice.

 

Provide procedures for having stockholders, who have met the requisite stock ownership threshold requirement necessary to request that a special meeting of stockholders be called, request that a special meeting be called and requiring informational disclosures to be made together with such request that are substantially similar to those required to be included in a Proposal Notice or a Nominating Notice.

 

Provide procedural provisions for special meetings called by stockholders that permit the Board to not call the special meeting under certain circumstances, including if the matter with respect to which the special meeting sought to be called relates to a similar or substantially similar matter intended to be considered at an upcoming annual meeting or if the actions proposed to be taken are not actions that stockholders are permitted to  take under Maryland law or under the Articles of Restatement or Bylaws.

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Require that any proposed bylaw amendments must be specifically identified in a notice of stockholder meeting such that any proposal to amend the Bylaws must be provided in the notice of the meeting along with the text of the proposed Bylaw amen dments.

 

Add provisions relating to electronic transmissions and communications, including permitting the participation by directors and stockholders in meetings by means of remote communications.

 

Provide for the ability of the Board to postpone or cancel any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of the stockholders by resolution of the Board upon public notice given prior to the time previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.

 

Revise the section of the Bylaws regarding the indemnification that IRT provides to its directors, officers and other agents to clarify the type of proceedings that are indemnified, the expenses that are reimbursable, the persons who are indemnifiable, the capacity that the person needs to be acting in to be indemnified, and the process that needs to be followed in determining whether indemnification is proper in a particular circumstance. In addition, the rights granted to indemnified persons to be advanced expenses incurred in defending a proceeding in advance of its final disposition have also been clarified to provide a specific time period by which the advancement needs to be made and to provide that advancement cannot be conditioned on the ability to repay, must be unsecured and must be interest-free and cannot be otherwise conditioned unless applicable Maryland law provides otherwise. Additional provisions have been added to avoid duplicate payments to indemnified persons, provide that IRT shall be subrogated to all rights of recovery of any person entitled to indemnification and provide that the conduct of one indemnified person will not be imputed to another.  

In addition to the foregoing, there are various other “clean-up” changes to the Bylaws including, but not limited to, grammatical and other typographi cal corrections, formatting changes, revisions to headings, titles and captions, and defining certain terms and the capitalization of such defined terms.

The foregoing description of various amendments included in the Bylaws does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the complete text of the Bylaws adopted by the Board on March 3, 2017, a copy of which is attached to this Annual Report as Exhibit 3.3 and incorporated by reference in this Item 5.03 in its entirety.

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART III

ITEM 10.

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

The information required by this item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11.

Executive Compensation

The information required by this item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 12.

Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

The information required by this item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 13.

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence

The information required by this item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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ITEM 14.

Principal Accou ntant Fees and Services

The information required by this item will be set forth in our definitive proxy statement with respect to our annual meeting of stockholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

PART IV

ITEM 15.

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

The following documents are filed as part of this report:

1.

Consolidated Financial Statements

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements

Independence Realty Trust, Inc.

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015.

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014.

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

2.

Financial Statement Schedules

Schedule III: Real Estate and Accumulated Depreciation

All other schedules are not applicable.

3.

Exhibits

The exhibits listed on the Exhibit Index (following the signatures section of this report on Form 10-K) are included herewith.

 

ITEM 16.

Form 10-K Summary

Not applicable.

 

 

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SIGNAT URES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

Date:

March 3, 2017

 

By:

/ S / S COTT F. S CHAEFFER

 

 

 

Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

 

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Name

 

Title

 

Date

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /    S COTT F. S CHAEFFER

 

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

March 3, 2017

Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /    J AMES J. S EBRA

 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

March 3, 2017

James J. Sebra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /     W ILLIAM C. D UNKELBERG

 

Director

 

March 3, 2017

William C. Dunkelberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /    R OBERT F. M C C ADDEN

 

Director

 

March 3, 2017

Robert F. McCadden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /    Mack D. Pridgen III

 

Director

 

March 3, 2017

Mack D. Pridgen III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /     Richard H. Ross

 

Director

 

March 3, 2017

Richard H. Ross

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/ S /    D E F OREST B. S OARIES , J R .

 

Director

 

March 3, 2017

DeForest B. Soaries, Jr.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

  2.1

Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and among Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (“IRT”), Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP (“IROP”), Adventure Merger Sub LLC, IRT Limited Partner, LLC, Trade Street Residential, Inc. and Trade Street Operating Partnership, LP, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 12, 2015 (the “5/12/15 Form 8-K”).

 

 

  2.2

Amendment No. 1, dated as of September 11, 2015, to Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and among Independence Realty Trust, Inc., IROP, Adventure Merger Sub LLC, IRT Limited Partner, LLC, Trade Street Residential, Inc. and Trade Street Operating Partnership, LP, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.1 of IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 11, 2015).

 

 

  3.1

Articles of Restatement of Independence Realty Trust, Inc., dated as of August 20, 2013, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 20, 2013.

 

 

  3.2

Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of IRT, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to IRT’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 (the “2013 Q1 10-Q”).

 

 

3.3

Amended and Restated Bylaws of IRT adopted March 3, 2017, filed herewith.  

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

  4.1.1

Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP, dated as of May 7, 2013 (the “IROP LP Agreement”), incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the 2013 Q1 10-Q.

 

 

  4.1.2

Form of Exchange Rights Agreement for Partnership Units, incorporated by reference to Exhibit C of Exhibit 4.1.1 hereto.

 

 

  4.1.3

First Amendment, dated as of August 20, 2013, to Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP, dated as of May 7, 2013, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 20, 2013.

 

 

  4.1.4

Admission Agreement and Amendment dated as of May 7, 2014 to Fourth Amendment and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP dated as of May 7, 2013, a corrected copy was incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to IRT’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2014 (the “2014 Q1 10-Q”), replacing the copy filed as Exhibit 4.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 7, 2014 (the “5/7/14 Form 8-K”).

 

 

  4.1.5

Admission Agreement and Amendment dated as of August 28, 2014 to Fourth Amendment and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP dated as of May 7, 2013, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.5 to IRT’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2014 (the “2014 Q3 10-Q”).

 

 

  4.1.6

Exchange Rights Agreement dated as of August 28, 2014 among IRT, IROP and the limited partners named therein, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the 2014 Q3 10-Q.

 

 

  4.1.7

Admission Agreement and Amendment dated as of November 24, 2014 to Fourth Amendment and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1.7 to IRT’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 (the “2014 10-K”).

 

 

  4.1.8

Admission Agreement and Amendment dated as of December 30, 2014 to Fourth Amendment and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP dated as of December 30, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1.8 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

  4.1.9

Exchange Rights Agreement dated as of December 30, 2014 among IRT, IROP and the limited partners named therein, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1.9 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

  4.1.10

Amendment dated as of January 1, 2015 to the 4th IROP LP Agreement, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1.10 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

  4.1.11

Exchange Rights Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2015, by and among Independence Realty Trust, Inc., IROP and Michael D. and Heidi Baumann, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 18, 2015 (the “9/18/15 Form 8-K”).

 

 

4.1.    4.1.12

Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of IROP, dated as of March 3, 2017, filed herewith.

 

 

 

10.1.1

Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement by and among IRT, IROP and Independence Realty Advisors, LLC, dated as of May 7, 2013, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the First Quarter 10-Q.

 

 

10.1.2

First Amendment dated as of July 26, 2013 to the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement dated May 7, 2013 by and among IRT, IROP and Independence Realty Advisors, LLC, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 1, 2013.

 

 

10.1.3

Second Amendment dated as of September 25, 2015 to the Second Amended and Restated Advisory Agreement dated May 7, 2013 among Independence Realty Trust, Inc., IROP and Independence Realty Advisors, LLC incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 11, 2015.

 

 

10.1.4

Termination Agreement dated December 20, 2016 IRT, IROP, and Independence Realty Advisors, LLC, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 22, 2016 (the “12/22/16 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.2.1

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended and restated as of July 29, 2013), incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 1, 2013.

 

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

10.2.2

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan Form of Stock Appreciation Rights Award Certificate adopted January 31, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on

February 6, 2014 (the “2/6/14 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.2.3

Independence Realty Trust, Inc. Long Term Incentive Plan a Form of Restricted Stock Award Certificate adopted January 31, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 2/6/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.2.4

IRT 2016 Long Term Incentive Plan, as amended and restated as of May 12, 2016 incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 17, 2016.

 

 

10.2.5

Termination of the IRT Independent Directors Compensation Plan as of May 12, 2016 incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 17, 2016.

 

 

10.3.1

Loan Agreement, dated as of April 29, 2011, by and between IRT Copper Mill Apartments Texas, LLC and RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Copper Mill, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.10 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.3.2

Guaranty of Non-Recourse Carveouts, dated as of April 29, 2011, by IROP for the benefit of RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Copper Mill, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.11 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.4.1

Loan Agreement, dated as of April 29, 2011, by and between IRT Crestmont Apartments Georgia, LLC and RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Crestmont, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.12 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.4.2

Guaranty of Non-Recourse Carveouts, dated as of April 29, 2011, by IROP for the benefit of RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Crestmont, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.5.1

Loan Agreement, dated as of April 29, 2011, by and between IRT Heritage Trace Apartments Virginia, LLC and RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Heritage Trace, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.16 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.5.2

Guaranty of Non-Recourse Carveouts, dated as of April 29, 2011, by IROP for the benefit of RAIT Partnership, L.P., relating to the property referred to as Heritage Trace, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.17 to Amendment No. 1.

 

 

10.6.1

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of October 11, 2012, by and between IRT Runaway Bay Apartments, LLC and Walker & Dunlop, LLC, relating to the property referred to as Runaway Bay Apartments, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 17, 2012 (the “10/17/12 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.6.2

Guaranty of Non-Recourse Obligations, dated as of October 11, 2012, by IROP for the benefit of Walker & Dunlop, LLC, relating to the property referred to as Runaway Bay Apartments, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 10/17/12 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.7.1

Indemnification Agreement dated March 17, 2011 between IRT and Scott F. Schaeffer, together with the schedule required by Instruction 2 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K, listing other substantially identical agreements incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.22 to Pre-Effective Amendment No. 1 to the Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed on June 18, 2013, Commission File No. 333-188577.

 

 

10.7.2

Form of Indemnification Agreement approved March 3, 2017 for IRT directors and executive officers, together with the schedule required by Instruction 2 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K, listing the parties to substantially identical agreements, filed herewith.

 

 

10.8.1

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 27, 2013 among Berkshire Square LLC and Berkshire II Cumberland, LLC, collectively as borrower, and Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 3, 2014 (the “1/3/14 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.8.2

Multifamily Note effective as of December 27, 2013 made by Berkshire Square LLC and Berkshire II Cumberland, LLC, collectively as borrower, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 1/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.8.3

Guaranty dated as of December 27, 2013 made by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of Grandbridge Real Estate Capital, LLC, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the 1/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

98


 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

10.9.1

Loan Agreement dated as of February 7, 2014 between Bank of America, N.A., as lender, and IRT Eagle Ridge Apartments Owner, LLC, as borrower, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on February 12, 2014 (the “2/12/14 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.9.2

Promissory Note dated February 7, 2014 made by IRT Eagle Ridge Apartments Owner, LLC, as borrower, payable to Bank of America, N.A., as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 2/12/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.9.3

Guaranty Agreement dated as of February 7, 2014 made by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of Bank of America, N.A., as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the 2/12/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.10.1

Note and Mortgage Assumption Agreement dated as of February 28, 2014 among U.S. Bank National Association, a national banking association, as trustee for the registered holders of J.P. Morgan Chase Commercial Mortgage Securities Corp., Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2006-LDP7, as lender, Kola Investments, LLC, as original borrower, IRT OKC Portfolio Owner, LLC, as new borrower, together with the Joinder by and Agreement of Original Indemnitor by Allstate Management Corp. and the Joinder by and Agreement of New Indemnitor by IROP and IRT, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.37 to the 2013 10-K.

 

 

10.11.1

Assumption and Release Agreement dated as of March 31, 2014 among the original guarantors named therein, IROP, as the new guarantor, between King’s Landing LLC, as borrower, and Fannie Mae, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 3, 2014 (the “4/3/14 Form 8-K”).

 

 

10.11.2

First Amendment to Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement made as of March 31, 2014 between King’s Landing LLC, as borrower, and Fannie Mae, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 4/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.11.3

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement made as of May 24, 2012 between King’s Landing LLC, as borrower, and CWCapital LLC, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the 4/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.11.4

Multifamily Note dated as of May 24, 2012 made by King’s Landing LLC, as borrower, to CWCapital LLC, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the 4/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.11.5

Guaranty of Non-Recourse Obligations dated as of May 24, 2012 made by the guarantors named therein, as guarantor, to CWCapital LLC, as lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the 4/3/14 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.12

Loan Assumption Agreement and Release dated as of May 5, 2014 effective May 7, 2014 among the transferors named therein, IRT Carrington Apartment Owner, LLC, as transferee, and IRT Lender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the 2014 Q1 10-Q.

 

 

10.13.1

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 8, 2014 between Brookside CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, and NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Brookside property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.6 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.2

Multifamily Note-Fixed Rate Defeasance effective as of December 8, 2014 made by Brookside CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, to NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Brookside property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.7 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.3

Multistate Guaranty effective as of December 8, 2014 by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Brookside property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.8 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.4

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 8, 2014 between Jamestown CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, and NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Jamestown property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.9 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.5

Multifamily Note-Fixed Rate Defeasance effective as of December 8, 2014 made by Jamestown CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, to NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Jamestown property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.10 to the 2014 10-K.

99


 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

 

 

10.13.6

Multistate Guaranty effective as of December 8, 2014 by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Jamestown property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.11 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.7

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 8, 2014 between Meadows CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, and NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Meadows property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.12 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.8

Multifamily Note-Fixed Rate Defeasance effective as of December 8, 2014 made by Meadows CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, to NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Meadows property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.13 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.9

Multistate Guaranty effective as of December 8, 2014 by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Meadows property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.14 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.10

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 8, 2014 between Oxmoor CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, and NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Oxmoor property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.15 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.11

Multifamily Note-Fixed Rate Defeasance effective as of December 8, 2014 made by Oxmoor CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, to NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Oxmoor property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.16 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.12

Multistate Guaranty effective as of December 8, 2014 by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Oxmoor property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.17 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.13

Multifamily Loan and Security Agreement dated as of December 8, 2014 between Prospect Park CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, and NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Prospect Park property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.18 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.14

Multifamily Note-Fixed Rate Defeasance effective as of December 8, 2014 made by Prospect Park CRA-B1, LLC, as borrower, to NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Prospect Park property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.19 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.13.15

Multistate Guaranty effective as of December 8, 2014 by IROP, as guarantor, for the benefit of NorthMarq Capital, LLC, as lender, relating to Prospect Park property, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.23.20 to the 2014 10-K.

 

 

10.14

Commitment Letter of Deutsche Bank AG New York Branch and Independence Realty Trust, Inc., dated May 11, 2015 incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the 5/12/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.15.1

Voting Agreement, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and between Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Senator Global Opportunity Intermediate Fund LP incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 5/12/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.15.2

Voting Agreement, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and between Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Senator Global Opportunity Fund LP incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the 5/12/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.15.3

Voting Agreement, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and between Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and Monarch Debt Recovery Master Fund Ltd, Monarch Opportunities Master Fund Ltd, MCP Holdings Master LP, Monarch Capital Master Partners II LP, P Monarch Recovery Ltd and Monarch Alternative Solutions Master Fund Ltd. incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the 5/12/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.15.4

Voting Agreement, dated as of May 11, 2015, by and between Trade Street Residential, Inc. and RAIT Financial Trust incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the 5/12/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.16.1

Credit Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2015, by and among, IROP, as Parent Borrower, KeyBank National Association, The Huntington National Bank, the other lenders which are parties to the Agreement and other lenders that may become parties to the Agreement, KeyBank National Association, as Agent and Issuing Lender, The Huntington National Bank, as Syndication Agent, and KeyBanc Capital Markets and The Huntington National Bank, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Book Managers, with respect to a $325 Million Senior Credit Facility, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the 9/18/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

100


 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

10.16.2

First Amendment dated as of October 2, 2015 to Credit Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2015, by and among, IROP, as Parent Borrower, KeyBank National Association, the other lenders which are parties to the Agreement and other lenders that may become parties to the Agreement, KeyBank National Association, as Agent and Issuing Lender

and as Swing Loan Lender, The Huntington National Bank, as Syndication Agent, KeyBanc Capital Markets and The Huntington National Bank, as Joint Lead Arranger and Book Man agers, and Capital One, National Association, as Documentation Agent, with respect to a $325 Million Senior Credit Facility, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 7, 2015 (the “10/7/15 Form 8-K”) .

 

 

  10.16.3

Increase Agreement dated as of December 21, 2016 by and among Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP (“ IROP ”), as borrower, subsidiaries of IROP named therein, KeyBank National Association (“ KeyBank ”), the other lenders party thereto, KeyBank, as administrative agent, The Huntington National Bank (“ HNB ”), as syndication agent and KeyBanc Capital Markets and HNB, as joint lead arrangers and book managers, and Capital One, National Association, as documentation agent, with a guarantor confirmation from IRT and Op Co, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the 12/22/16 Form 8-K.  

 

 

10.17.1

Credit Agreement, dated as of September 17, 2015, by and among, IROP, as Borrower, KeyBank National Association, The Huntington National Bank, the other lenders which are parties to the Agreement and other lenders that may become parties to the Agreement, KeyBank National Association, as Agent, The Huntington National Bank, as Syndication Agent, and KeyBanc Capital Markets and The Huntington National Bank, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Book Managers, with respect to a $120 Million Senior Interim Term Loan Facility , incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the 9/18/15 Form 8-K .

 

 

10.17.2

First Amendment dated as of October 2, 2015 to Credit Agreement dated as of September 17, 2015 by and among IROP, as Borrower, KeyBank National Association, the other lenders which are parties to the Agreement and other lenders that may become parties to the Agreement, KeyBank National Association, as Agent, The Huntington National Bank, as Syndication Agent, and KeyBanc Capital Markets and The Huntington National Bank, as Joint Lead Arranger and Joint Book Managers, and Capital One, National Association, as Documentation Agent, with respect to a $120 Million Senior Interim Term Loan Facility, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the 10/7/15 Form 8-K .

 

 

10.17.3

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement dated as of June 24, 2016 by and among, Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, as Borrower, KeyBank National Association, The Huntington National Bank, the other lenders which are parties to the Agreement and other lenders that may become parties to the Agreement, KeyBank National Association, as Agent, The Huntington National Bank, as Syndication Agent and KeyBanc Capital Markets and The Huntington National Bank, as Joint Lead Arrangers and Joint Book Managers, with respect to a $40 Million Senior Term Loan Facility incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 27, 2016.

 

 

10.18.1

Securities and Asset Purchase Agreement by and among RAIT Financial Trust, Jupiter Communities, LLC, RAIT TRS, LLC, the RAIT selling stockholders named therein, IRT and IROP dated as of September 27, 2016 incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on September 27, 2016.

 

 

10.18.2

Shared Services Agreement, dated December 20, 2016, by and among Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (“ IRT ”) and RAIT Financial Trust, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the 12/22/16 Form 8-K.

 

 

10.19

Employment Agreement, dated December 20, 2016, by and between IRT and Scott F. Schaeffer, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the 12/22/16 Form 8-K

 

 

10.20

Employment Agreement, dated December 20, 2016, by and between IRT and James J. Sebra, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the 12/22/16 Form 8-K

 

 

10.21

Employment Agreement, dated December 20, 2016, by and between IRT and Farrell M. Ender, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6 to the 12/22/16 Form 8-K

 

 

 

12.1

Statements regarding computation of ratios as of December 31, 2016, filed herewith.

 

 

21.1

Subsidiaries of IRT, filed herewith.

 

 

23.1

Consent of KPMG LLP, filed herewith.

 

 

31.1

Certification of the Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed herewith.

 

 

101


 

 

 

EXHIBIT INDEX

 

  Exhibit  

 

Description

31.2

Certification of the Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed

herewith.

 

 

32.1

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed herewith.

 

 

32.2

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 filed herewith.

 

 

99.1

Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations filed herewith.

 

 

99.2

Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Trade Street Residential, Inc. as of June 30, 2015 and for the three and six months ended July 30, 2015 and 2014 , incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the 9/18/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

99.3

Audited Consolidated Financial Statements of Trade Street Residential, Inc. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for each year in the three-year period ended December 31, 2014, incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of IRT’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 11, 2015.

 

 

99.4

Unaudited Pro Forma Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. as of and for the six months ended June 30, 2015 and for the year ended December 31, 2014 , incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.4 to the 9/18/15 Form 8-K.

 

 

101

XBRL (eXtensible Business Reporting Language). The following materials, formatted in XBRL: (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014. (iii) Consolidated Statements of Equity for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015 and 2014, (iv) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014, and (v) notes to the consolidated financial statements as of December 31, 2016, filed herewith.

 

 

 

102

Exhibit 3.3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

(a Maryland Corporation)

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

As Amended and Restated as of March 3, 2017

 


Table of Contents

Page

ARTICLE I OFFICES 1

Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE 1

Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES 1

ARTICLE II MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS 1

Section 1. PLACE 1

Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING 1

Section 3. NOTICE 1

Section 4. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT 2

Section 5. QUORUM 3

Section 6. VOTING 3

Section 7. PROXIES 4

Section 8. VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS 4

Section 9. INSPECTORS 4

Section 10. INTRODUCTION OF BUSINESS AT A MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS 5

Section 11. STOCKHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING 12

Section 12. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT. 12

Section 13. POSTPONEMENT AND CANCELLATION OF MEETINGS 12

Section 14. SPECIAL MEETINGS 13

Section 15. MEETINGS BY REMOTE COMMUNICATION 18

ARTICLE III DIRECTORS 19

Section 1. GENERAL POWERS 19

Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE AND RESIGNATION 19

Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS 19

Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS 19

Section 5. NOTICE 19

Section 6. QUORUM 20

Section 7. VOTING 20

Section 8. ORGANIZATION 20

Section 9. TELEPHONE MEETINGS 20

Section 10. CONSENT BY DIRECTORS WITHOUT A MEETING 21

Section 11. VACANCIES 21

Section 12. COMPENSATION 21

Section 13. RELIANCE 21

Section 14. RATIFICATION 21

Section 15. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS 22

Section 16. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS 22

Section 17. NOMINATION OF DIRECTORS 22

ARTICLE IV COMMITTEES 27

i

 


Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS 27

Section 2. POWERS 27

Section 3. MEETINGS 27

Section 4. TELEPHONE MEETINGS 28

Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING 28

Section 6. VACANCIES 28

ARTICLE V OFFICERS 28

Section 1. GE NERAL PROVISIONS 28

Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION 28

Section 3. VACANCIES 28

Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 29

Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER 29

Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER 29

Section 7. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 29

Section 8. PRESIDENT 29

Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS 29

Section 10. SECRETARY 29

Section 11. TREASURER 30

Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS 30

Section 13. COMPENSATION 30

ARTICLE VI CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS 30

Section 1. CONTRACTS 30

Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS 30

Section 3. DEPOSITS 30

ARTICLE VII STOCK 31

Section 1. CERTIFICATES 31

Section 2. TRANSFERS 31

Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE 31

Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE 32

Section 5. STOCK LEDGER 32

Section 6. FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNIT S 32

ARTICLE VIII ACCOUNTING YEAR 32

ARTICLE IX DISTRIBUTIONS 32

Section 1. AUTHORIZATION 32

Section 2. CONTINGENCIES 32

ARTICLE XI SEAL 33

Section 1. SEAL 33

ii

 


Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL 33

ARTICLE XII INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES 33

Section 1. INDEMNIFICATION FOR PROCEEDINGS OTHER THAN BY OR IN THE

RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION 33

Section 2. INDEMNIFICATION FOR PROCEEDINGS BY OR IN THE RIGHT OF THE CORPORATION34

Section 3. INDEMNIFICATION FOR EXPENSES OF SUCCESSFUL PARTY 34

Section 4. INDEMNIFICATION OF OTHERS 34

Section 5. RIGHT TO ADVANCEMENT 35

Section 6. LIMITATIONS ON INDEMNIFICATION 36

Section 7. PROCEDURE FOR INDEMNIFICATION; DETERMINATION 36

Section 8. PROCEDURES FOR THE DETERMINATION OF WHETHER

STANDARDS HAVE BEEN SATISFIED 3 8

Section 9. NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF RIGHTS 38

Section 10. CONTINUATION OF RIGHTS 39

Section 11. CONTACT RIGHTS 39

Section 12. SUBROGATION 39

Section 13. NO DUPLICATION OF PAYMENTS 39

Section 14. INSURANCE AND FUNDING 39

Section 15. SEVERABILITY 40

Section 16. NO IMPUTATION 40

Section 17. RELIANCE 40

Section 18. NOTICES 40

Section 19. CERTAIN DEFINITIONS 40

Section 20. INTENT OF ARTICLE 42

ARTICLE XIII WAIVER OF NOTICE 43

ARTICLE XIV AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS 43

 

 

iii

 


 

AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

(a Maryland Corporation)

As Amended and Restated as of March 3, 2017

 

ARTICLE I

OFFICES

Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE . The principal office of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (the “ Corporation ”) in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Board of Directors (the “ Board ”) may designate.

Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES . The Corporation may have additional offices, within or without the State of Maryland, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Board may from time to time determine or the business of the Corporation may require.

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS

Section 1. PLACE . All meetings of stockholders shall be held at such place or places, within or without the State of Maryland, as shall be fixed by resolution of the Board adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized Directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized Directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption) and stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING . An annual meeting of stockholders for the election of directors and the transaction of any other business as may properly be brought before the meeting in accordance with these Bylaws shall be held on the date and at the time fixed by (i) resolution of the Board adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized Directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized Directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption), (ii) a duly authorized committee of the Board, or (iii) the Chairman of the Board, if delegated that authority by the resolution of the Board adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized Directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized Directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption).

Section 3. NOTICE . Not less than ten (10) calendar days before each meeting of stockholders, the secretary shall give to each stockholder entitled to vote at such meeting and to each stockholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting, notice in writing or

1

 


by electronic transmission stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwis e may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called, by mail, by presenting it to such stockholder personally, by leaving it at the stockholder’s residence or usual place of business or by any other means permitted by applicable M aryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the stockholder at the stockholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Corporation, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the stockholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the stockholder at which the stockholder receives electronic transmissions. The Corporation may give a si ngle notice to all stockholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any stockholder at such address, unless such stockholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more stockholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.

Section 4. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT .

(a) At every meeting of the stockholders, the Chairman of the Board, if there is such an officer, or if not, such person who is designated by the Board, shall act as chairman of the meeting and shall call all meetings to order, determine the order of business and determine all other matters of procedure regarding the meeting. The Secretary shall act as secretary of all meetings of the stockholders; and in the absence of the Secretary, an Assistant Secretary, if any, shall act as secretary of such meeting of the stockholders; and in the absence of the Secretary or any Assistant Secretary, the chairman of the meeting may appoint any person to act as secretary of the meeting. In the event that the Secretary presides at a meeting of stockholders, an assistant secretary or, in the absence of all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the Board or the chairman of the meeting, shall record the minutes of the meeting.

(b) To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the Board shall be entitled to adopt, or in the absence of the Board doing so, the chairman of the meeting shall be entitled to prescribe, such rules, regulations or procedures for the conduct of meetings of stockholders as it, he or she shall deem appropriate. Such rules, regulations and procedures that the Board or the chairman of any meeting of stockholders may adopt include, without limitation: (1) establishing an agenda for the meeting and the order for the consideration of the items of business on such agenda, (2) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting, (3) limiting attendance at the meeting to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote at the meeting, their duly authorized proxies or other such persons as the chairman of the meeting may determine, (4) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to stockholders of record of the Corporation entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies or other such persons as the chairman of the meeting may determine to recognize and, as a condition to recognizing any such participant, requiring such participant to provide the chairman of the meeting with evidence of his or her name and affiliation, whether he or she is a stockholder or a proxy for a stockholder, and the class and series and number of shares of each class and series of capital stock of the Corporation which are owned beneficially and/or of record by such stockholder, (5) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments by participants, (6) taking such actions as are necessary or appropriate to maintain order, decorum, safety and security at

2

 


the meeting, (7) removing any stockholder who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as established by the chairman of the meeting, (8) comply ing with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security, (9) restricting use of audio or video recording devices at the meeting, and (10) taking such other action as, in the discretion of the chairman of the meeting, is deemed nece ssary, appropriate or convenient for the proper conduct of the meeting. Unless and to the extent determined by the Board or the chair of the meeting, meetings of stockholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with rules of parliamentary proced ure. Should any person in attendance become unruly or obstruct the meeting proceedings, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to have such person removed from participation.

Section 5. QUORUM . At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the charter of the Corporation (the “ Charter ”) for the vote necessary for the approval of any matter. If such quorum is not established at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than one hundred twenty (120) calendar days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

The stockholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough stockholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.

Section 6. VOTING . A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a director. Each share may be voted for as many individuals as there are directors to be elected and for whose election the share is entitled to be voted, without any right to cumulative votes. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Charter. Unless otherwise provided by statute or by the Charter, each outstanding share, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of stockholders. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order that voting be by ballot or otherwise.

Section 7. PROXIES . A holder of record of shares of stock of the Corporation may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the stockholder or by the stockholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Corporation before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

Section 8. VOTING OF STOCK BY CERTAIN HOLDERS .

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(a) Stock of the Corp oration registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, general partner, trustee or managing member thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such stock pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such stock. Any trustee or fiduciary may vote stock registered in the name of such person in the capacity of trustee or fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

(b) Shares of stock of the Corporation directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

(c) The Board may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a stockholder may certify in writing to the Corporation that any shares of stock registered in the name of the stockholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the stockholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of stockholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Corporation; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Board considers necessary or desirable. On receipt by the Corporation of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the holder of record of the specified stock in place of the stockholder who makes the certification.

Section 9. INSPECTORS .

(a) The Board or the chairman of a meeting of stockholders may, in advance of any such meeting, appoint one or more inspectors of election to act at the meeting and make a written report thereof. If no such appointment shall be made, or if any of the inspectors so appointed shall fail to attend, or refuse or be unable to serve, then such appointment may be made by the presiding officer of the meeting at the meeting or any adjournment thereof. No director or candidate for the office of director shall act as an inspector of an election of directors. The inspectors may appoint or retain other persons or entities to assist the inspectors in the performance of the duties of the inspectors. Each inspector, before entering upon the discharge of the duties of inspector, shall take and sign an oath faithfully to execute the duties of inspector with strict impartiality and according to the best of such person’s ability.

(b) If appointed, the inspectors shall ascertain the number of shares outstanding and the voting power of each; (i) determine the shares represented at the meeting, in person or by proxy, and the validity and effect of proxies and ballots; (ii) ascertain the existence of a quorum; (iii) receive and tabulate all votes and ballots; (iv) determine and retain for a reasonable period a record of the disposition of any challenges made to any determination by them; (v) certify their determination of the number of shares represented at the meeting, and their count of all votes and

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ballots; and (vi) do such acts as are proper to conduct the election or vote with fairness to all stockholders. In determining the validity and counting of all proxies and ballots, the inspectors shall act in accordance with applicable law. The date and time of the opening and the closing of the polls for each matter upon which the stockholders will vote at a meeting shall be announced at the meeting. No ballots, proxies or votes, nor any revocations thereof or changes thereto, shall be accepted by the inspectors after the closing of the polls. On request of the presiding officer at the meeting, the inspectors shall make a report in writing of any challeng e, request or matter determined by them and shall execute a certificate of any fact found by them. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.

Section 10. INTRODUCTION OF BUSINESS AT A MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS .

(a) Business Before Annual Meeting . Except as otherwise provided by applicable law, at an annual meeting of stockholders, no business shall be transacted and no corporate action shall be proposed or taken except as shall have been properly brought before the annual meeting in accordance with the Charter and these Bylaws. For business to be properly brought before an annual meeting, such business must be (i) specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (ii) if not specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) provided by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof), otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee of the Board) or the Chairman of the Board (if any), or (iii) brought before the annual meeting by a stockholder Present in Person (as defined below) who (A) was the beneficial owner of shares of the Corporation’s stock entitled to vote at the annual meeting as of the time of the delivery of the Proposal Notice (as defined below), on the record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at the annual meeting and as of the time of the annual meeting, (B) is entitled to vote at such annual meeting, and (C) has complied with this Article II, Section 10 in all applicable respects. For purposes of these Bylaws, “ Present in Person ” shall mean that the stockholder proposing that the business be brought before the annual meeting of the Corporation, or, if the proposing stockholder is not an individual, a qualified representative of such proposing stockholder, appear in person at such annual meeting (unless such meeting is held by means of remote communication in which case the proposing stockholder or its qualified representative shall be present at such annual meeting by means of remote communication). Notwithstanding the foregoing, stockholders seeking to nominate persons to serve on the Board must comply with Article III, Section 17 of these Bylaws and, other than defined terms, this Article II, Section 10 shall not be applicable to the nominations of directors for election to the Board. For purposes of these Bylaws, “ qualified representative ” means (i) if the stockholder is a corporation, any duly authorized officer of such corporation, (ii) if the stockholder is a limited liability company, any duly authorized member, manager or officer of such limited liability company, (iii) if the stockholder is a partnership, any general partner or person who functions as general partner for such partnership, (iv) if the stockholder is a trust, the trustee of such trust, or (v) if the stockholder is an entity other than the foregoing, the persons acting in such similar capacities as the foregoing with respect to such entity.

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(b) Advance Notice of Stockholder Business .

(i) Stockholder Proposals . Except with respect to nominations for election to the Board, which must be made in compliance with the provisions of Article III, Section 17 of these Bylaws, and except for stockholder proposals submitted for inclusion in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 14a-8 (and the interpretations thereunder) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “ Exchange Act ”) and the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “ SEC ”) promulgated thereunder and which proposals are not excludable under Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, whether pursuant to a no-action letter from the Staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance or a determination of a federal court of competent jurisdiction, and which are included in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof) and the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to Rule 14a-8 of the Exchange Act, for a proposal to be properly brought before any annual meeting of stockholders by a stockholder, in addition to the requirements of Article II, Section 10(a) of these Bylaws, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary (the “ Proposal Notice ”), which Proposal Notice shall be in proper form, and the making of such proposal must be permitted by applicable law, the Charter and these Bylaws, and must comply with the notice and other procedures set forth in this Article II, Section 10(b) in all applicable respects. To be timely, the Proposal Notice must be in writing and, except as provided in paragraph (iii) of this Section 10(b), must set forth all information required to be provided pursuant to this Section 10(b) and must be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal office of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and fiftieth (150th) calendar day and not later than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) calendar day prior to the one-year anniversary date of the date of the filing of the definitive proxy statement for the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however , that in the event that the date of the annual meeting of stockholders is more than thirty (30) calendar days before or more than thirty (30) calendar days after the one-year anniversary date of the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders or special meeting in lieu thereof, or if the Corporation did not hold an annual meeting of stockholders or special meeting in lieu thereof in the preceding fiscal year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred fiftieth (150th) calendar day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the later of (i) the close of business on the one hundred twentieth (120th) calendar day prior to such annual meeting or (ii) the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such annual meeting was first made by the Corporation (or if that day is not a business day for the Corporation, on the next succeeding business day). For purposes of these Bylaws, “ Proposal Notice Deadline ” shall mean the last date for a stockholder to deliver a Proposal Notice in accordance with the provisions of the previous sentence. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described above. For purposes of these Bylaws, “ close of business ” shall mean 5:00 p.m. local time at the principal executive offices of the Corporation on any calendar day, whether or not such day is a business day. For purposes of these Bylaws, “ public disclosure ” or its corollary “ publicly disclosed ” shall mean (i) disclosure by the Corporation in a document publicly filed or furnished by it with the SEC pursuant to Section 13, 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act, (ii) in a press release issued by the Corporation and distributed through a national news or wire service, or (iii) another method

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reasonably intended by the Corporation to achieve broad-based dissemination of the information contained therein.

(ii) Required Form of Proposal Notice for Stockholder Proposals . To be in proper form, the Proposal Notice shall set forth in writing:

(1) Information Regarding each Proposing Person . As to each Proposing Person (as such term is defined in Article II, Section 10(b)(vi)(1)):

(a) the name and address of such Proposing Person, as they appear on the Corporation’s stock transfer books;

(b) the class, series and number of shares of the Corporation directly or indirectly beneficially owned (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act) and/or held of record by such Proposing Person (including any shares of any class or series of the Corporation as to which such Proposing Person has a right to acquire beneficial ownership at any time in the future, whether such right is exercisable immediately, only after the passage of time or only upon the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent), the dates on which such shares were acquired and the investment intent of such acquisition of shares at the time they were acquired;

(c) a description in reasonable detail of any pending, or to such Proposing Person’s knowledge, threatened legal proceeding in which any Proposing Person is a party or participant involving the Corporation or any officer, director “affiliate” (for purposes of these Bylaws, as such term is used by Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) or “associate” (for purposes of these Bylaws, as such term is used by Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) of the Corporation;

(d) a description in reasonable detail of any relationship (including any direct or indirect interest in any agreement, arrangement or understanding, written or oral) between any Proposing Person and the Corporation or any director, officer, affiliate or associate of the Corporation;

(e) the full notional amount of any securities that, directly or indirectly, underlie any “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) that constitutes a “call equivalent position” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(b) under the Exchange Act) (together, a “ Synthetic Equity Position ”) and that is, directly or indirectly, held or maintained by such Proposing Person with respect to any shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation; provided that, for the purposes of the definition of “Synthetic Equity Position,” the term “derivative security” shall also include any security or instrument that would not otherwise constitute a “derivative security” (as such term is defined in Rule 16a-1(c) under the Exchange Act) as a result of any feature that would make any conversion, exercise or similar right or privilege of such security or instrument becoming determinable only at some future date or upon the happening of a future occurrence, in which case the determination of the amount of securities into which such security or instrument would be convertible or exercisable shall be made assuming that such security or instrument is immediately convertible or exercisable at the time of such determination; and, provided, further , that any Proposing Person satisfying the

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requirements of Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act (other than a Proposing Person that so satisfies Rule 13d-1(b)(1) under the Exchange Act solely by reason of Rule 13d-1(b)(1)(ii)(E)) shall not be deemed to hold or maintain the notion al amount of any securities that underlie a Synthetic Equity Position held by such Proposing Person as a hedge with respect to a bona fide derivatives trade or position of such Proposing Person arising in the ordinary course of such Proposing Person’s busi ness as a derivatives dealer;

(f) a description in reasonable detail of any agreement, arrangement or understanding (including any short position or any borrowing or lending of shares of stock) that has been made by or on behalf of such Proposing Person, the effect or intent of any of the foregoing being to mitigate loss to, or to manage risk of stock price changes for, any Proposing Person or to increase or decrease the voting power or pecuniary or economic interest of such Proposing Person or any of its affiliates or associates with respect to stock of the Corporation;

(g) a description in reasonable detail of any proxy, contract, arrangement, understanding or relationship, written or oral and formal or informal, between such Proposing Person and any other person or entity (naming each such person or entity) pursuant to which the Proposing Person has a right to vote any shares of the Corporation;

(h) a description in reasonable detail of any rights to dividends on the shares of any class or series of shares of the Corporation directly or indirectly held of record or beneficially by such Proposing Person that are separated or separable from the underlying shares of the Corporation;

(i) a description in reasonable detail of any performance-related fees (other than an asset-based fee) to which the Proposing Person may be entitled as a result of any increase or decrease in the value of shares of the Corporation or any of its derivative securities;

(j) a description in reasonable detail of any direct or indirect interest of such Proposing Person in any contract or agreement with the Corporation, or any affiliate or associate of the Corporation (naming such affiliate or associate);

(k) a description in reasonable detail of all agreements, arrangements and understandings, written or oral and formal or informal, (1) between or among any of the Proposing Persons or (2) between or among any Proposing Person and any other person or entity (naming each such person or entity) in connection with or related to the proposal of business by a stockholder, including without limitation (A) any understanding, formal or informal, written or oral, that any Proposing Person may have reached with any stockholder of the Corporation (including their names) with respect to how such stockholder will vote its shares in the Corporation at any meeting of the Corporation’s stockholders or take other action in support of or related to any business proposed, or other action to be taken, by the Proposing Person, and (B) any agreements that would be required to be disclosed by any Proposing Person or any other person or entity pursuant to Item 5 or Item 6 of a Schedule 13D that would be filed pursuant to the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder (regardless of whether the requirement to file a Schedule 13D is applicable to the Proposing Person or other person or entity);

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(l) all other information relating to such Proposing Person that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing if such a filing was to be made by any Proposing Person in connection with the contested solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested solicitation is not involved) by any Proposing Person in support of the business proposed to be brought before the meeting pursuant to Section 14(a) and Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act;

(m) a representation as to whether any Proposing Person intends to deliver a proxy statement and form of proxy to holders of at least the percentage of the Corporation’s outstanding capital stock entitled to vote and required to approve the proposed business described in the Proposal Notice and, if so, identifying each such Proposing Person; and

(n) a representation that the stockholder delivering the Proposal Notice or its qualified representative intends to appear in person at the meeting (unless such meeting is held by means of remote communication and, in such case, a representation that the stockholder or its qualified representative shall appear at the meeting by means of remote communication) to propose the actions specified in the Proposal Notice and to vote all proxies solicited.

(2) Information Regarding the Proposal : As to each item of business that the stockholder giving the Proposal Notice proposes to bring before the annual meeting:

(a) a description in reasonable detail of the business desired to be brought before the meeting and the reasons (including the text of any reasons for the business that will be disclosed in any proxy statement or supplement thereto to be filed with the SEC) detailing why such stockholder or any other Proposing Person believes that the taking of the action or actions proposed to be taken would be in the best interests of the Corporation and its stockholders;

(b) the text of the proposal or business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration);

(c) a description in reasonable detail of any interest of any Proposing Person in such business, including any anticipated benefit to the stockholder or any other Proposing Person therefrom, including any interest that will be disclosed to the Corporation’s stockholders in any proxy statement to be distributed to the Corporation’s stockholders); and

(d) all other information relating to such proposed business that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing if such a filing was to be made by any of the Proposing Persons in connection with the contested solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested solicitation is not involved) in support of such proposed business by one or more Proposing Persons pursuant to Section 14(a) and Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act.

(iii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 10, the information required to be included in a Proposal Notice provided pursuant to paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this Section 10(b) shall not include any ordinary course business activities of any

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broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is directed to prepare and submit the notice required by paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this Section 10(b) on behalf of a benefic ial owner of the shares held of record by such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee and who is not otherwise affiliated or associated with such beneficial owner.

(iv) Updating of Proposal Notice .

(1) A stockholder providing notice of any business proposed to be conducted at an annual meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, as necessary, from time to time, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Article II, Section 10(b) shall be true, correct and complete in all respects not only prior to the Proposal Notice Deadline but also at all times thereafter and prior to the annual meeting, and such update and supplement shall be received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the earlier of (A) five (5) business days following the occurrence of any event, development or occurrence which would cause the information provided to be not true, correct and complete in all respects, and (B) ten (10) business days prior to the meeting at which such proposals contained therein are to be considered.

(2) If the information submitted pursuant to this Article II, Section 10(b) by any stockholder proposing business for consideration at an annual meeting shall not be true, correct and complete in all respects prior to the Proposal Notice Deadline, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Article II, Section 10(b). For the avoidance of doubt, the updates required pursuant to this Article II, Section 10(b) do not cause a notice that was not in compliance with this Article II, Section 10(b) when first delivered to the Corporation prior to the Proposal Notice Deadline to thereafter be in proper form in accordance with this Article II, Section 10.

(3) Upon written request by the Secretary of the Corporation, the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof), any stockholder submitting a Proposal Notice proposing business for consideration at an annual meeting shall provide, within five (5) business days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory in the reasonable discretion of the Board, any duly authorized committee thereof or any duly authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder in the Proposal Notice delivered pursuant to this Article II, Section 10(b) (including, if requested by the Corporation, written confirmation by such stockholder that it continues to intend to bring the business proposed in the Proposal Notice before the meeting). If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Article II, Section 10(b).

(v) Exclusive Means . Except as provided by Rule 14a-8 (and the interpretations thereof) of the Exchange Act, and notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary (other than the provisions of Article II, Section 10(b)(xi) below relating to any proposal properly submitted in accordance with Rule 14a-8 (and the SEC’s interpretations thereunder, including those of the Staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance) under the Exchange Act and included in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) made by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof) and the Corporation’s proxy statement)

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and other than nominations for election to the Board which must comply wit h the provisions of Article III, Section 17 hereof), this Article II, Section 10 shall be the exclusive means for any stockholder of the Corporation to propose business to be brought before an annual meeting of stockholders and, except as aforesaid, no bus iness shall be conducted at any annual meeting of stockholders that is not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Article II, Section 10. If the chairman of such meeting shall determine, based on the facts and circumstances and in cons ultation with counsel (who may be the Corporation’s internal counsel), that such business was not properly brought before the meeting in accordance with this Article II, Section 10, then the chairman of the meeting shall so declare to the meeting and not p ermit such business to be transacted at such meeting. In addition, business proposed to be brought by a stockholder may not be brought before an annual meeting if such stockholder takes action contrary to the representations made in the stockholder notice applicable to such business or if the stockholder notice applicable to such business contains an untrue statement of a fact or omits to state a fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(vi) Definitions of Proposing Person and Acting in Concert .

(1) For purposes of these Bylaws, “ Proposing Person ” means (i) the stockholder providing the Proposal Notice or Nominating Notice (as defined below), as applicable, (ii) the beneficial owner of the Corporation’s capital stock, if different, on whose behalf the Proposal Notice or Nominating Notice, as applicable, is given, (iii) any affiliate or associate (as defined under the Exchange Act) of such stockholder or beneficial owner, (iv) each person who is a member of a “group” (for purposes of these Bylaws, as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) or is otherwise Acting in Concert (as defined below) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) with respect to the proposals or nominations, as applicable, and (v) any participant (as defined in paragraphs (a)(ii)-(vi) of Instruction 3 to Item 4 of Schedule 14A, or any successor instructions) with such stockholder or beneficial owner in the solicitation of proxies in respect of any nominations or other business proposed to be brought before the Corporation’s stockholders.

(2) For purposes of these Bylaws, a person shall be deemed to be “ Acting in Concert ” with another person if such person knowingly acts (whether or not pursuant to an express agreement, arrangement or understanding) in concert with, or towards a common goal relating to the management, governance or control of the Corporation in parallel with, such other person where (A) each person is conscious of the other person’s conduct or intent and this awareness is an element in their decision-making processes and (B) at least one additional factor suggests that such persons intend to act in concert or in parallel, which such additional factors may include, without limitation, exchanging information (whether publicly or privately), attending meetings, conducting discussions, or making or soliciting invitations to act in concert or in parallel; provided, however , that a person shall not be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any other person solely as a result of the solicitation or receipt of revocable proxies, or special meeting demands from such other person in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a proxy statement filed on Schedule 14A. A person Acting in Concert with another person shall be deemed to be Acting in Concert with any third party who is also Acting in Concert with such other person.

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(vii) Referencing and Cross-Referencing . The Proposal Notice is required to clearly indicate and expressly reference which provisions of this Article II, Section 10(b) the information disclosed is intended to be responsive to. Information disclose d in one section of the Proposal Notice, or an Exhibit, Annex or Schedule thereto, in response to one provision of this Article II, Section 10(b) shall not be deemed responsive to any other provision of this Article II, Section 10(b) unless it is expressly cross-referenced to such other provision.

(viii) No Incorporation by Reference . For a Proposal Notice to comply with the requirements of this Article II, Section 10(b), it must set forth in writing directly within the body of the Proposal Notice (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Proposal Notice) all the information required to be included therein as set forth in this Article II, Section 10(b). For the avoidance of doubt, a Proposal Notice shall not be deemed to be in compliance with this Article II, Section 10(b) if it attempts to include the required information by incorporating by reference any other document, writing or part thereof not included with, and made a part of, the Proposal Notice.

(ix) Accuracy of Information . A stockholder submitting the Proposal Notice, by its delivery to the Corporation, represents and warrants that all information contained therein, as of the Proposal Notice Deadline, is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and such stockholder acknowledges that it intends for the Corporation and the Board to rely on such information as (i) being true, accurate and complete in all respects and (ii) not containing any false and misleading statements.

(x) Requirement for Separate and Timely Notice . Notwithstanding any notice of the annual meeting sent to stockholders on behalf of the Corporation, a stockholder must separately comply with this Article II, Section 10 to conduct business at any stockholder meeting. If the stockholder’s proposed business is the same or relates to business brought by the Corporation and included in the Corporation’s annual meeting notice, the stockholder is nevertheless still required to comply with this Article II, Section 10 and deliver, prior to the Proposal Notice Deadline, its own separate and timely Proposal Notice to the Secretary of the Corporation that complies in all respects with the requirements of this Article II, Section 10.

(xi) Rule 14a-8 . Nothing in this Article II, Section 10 shall be deemed to affect the rights of stockholders to request inclusion of proposals in the Corporation’s proxy statement pursuant to, and in compliance with, Rule 14a-8 (and the SEC’s interpretations thereof, including those of the Staff of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance) of the Exchange Act.

(xii) Exchange Act and Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”) . In addition to the provisions of this Article II, Section 10(b), a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, the MGCL and other applicable law with respect to any business that may be brought before an annual meeting and any solicitations of proxies in connection therewith.

Section 11. STOCKHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of stockholders may be taken without a meeting (a) if a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each stockholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of

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proceedings of the stockholders or (b) if the action is advised, and submitted to the stockholders for approval, by the Board and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of stockholders entitled to cast no t less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of stockholders is delivered to the Corporation in accordance with the MGCL. The Corporation shall give notice of any action taken by less than una nimous consent to each stockholder not later than ten days after the effective time of such action.

Section 12. CONTROL SHARE ACQUISITION ACT . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, Title 3, Subtitle 7 of the MGCL or any successor statute, shall not apply to any acquisition by any person of shares of stock of the Corporation. This section may be repealed, in whole or in part, at any time, whether before or after an acquisition of control shares and, upon such repeal, may, to the extent prov ided by any successor bylaw, apply to any prior or subsequent control share acquisition.

Section 13. POSTPONEMENT AND CANCELLATION OF MEETINGS . Any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of the stockholders may be postponed, and any previously scheduled annual or special meeting of the stockholders called by the Board may be canceled, by resolution of the Board upon public notice given prior to the time previously scheduled for such meeting of stockholders.

Section 14. SPECIAL MEETINGS.

(a) Special meetings of the stockholders of the Corporation may only be called (i) at any time and for any purpose or purposes, by the Board pursuant to a resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption), or by the Chairman of the Board, or (ii) by the Secretary of the Corporation, upon the written request of the record stockholders of the Corporation as of the record date fixed in accordance with Article II, Section 14(d) of these Bylaws who hold, in the aggregate, not less than a majority of the outstanding shares of the Corporation that would be entitled to vote at the meeting (the “ Requisite Percentage ”) at the time such request is submitted by the holders of such Requisite Percentage, subject to and in accordance with this Article II, Section 14. The notice of a special meeting shall state the purpose or purposes of the special meeting, and the business to be conducted at the special meeting shall be limited to the purpose or purposes stated in the notice. At any special meeting of the stockholders, only such business shall be conducted or considered as shall have been properly brought before the special meeting. For business to be properly brought before a special meeting, it must be (i) specified in the Corporation’s notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) given by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof), (ii) if not specified in the notice of meeting (or any supplement thereto) provided by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof), otherwise properly brought before the special meeting by or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee of the Board) or the Chairman of the Board (if any), or (iii) otherwise properly requested to be brought before a special meeting requested by holders of the Requisite Percentage in accordance with the provisions of this Article II, Section 14 (a “ Stockholder Requested Special Meeting ”). Except in accordance with this Article II, Section 14 and except as provided in Article III, Section 17 with respect to a stockholder’s ability to propose candidates for election as directors at a special meeting of stockholders where the election of directors is a

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matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Article II, Section 14, stockholders shall n ot be permitted to propose business to be brought before a special meeting of the stockholders. Stockholders seeking to  propose candidates for election to the Board at a special meeting, whether a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting or other special mee ting of stockholders where the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting in accordance with the provisions of this Article II, Section 14, must also comply w ith the requirements set forth in Article III, Section 17 for providing a timely and proper written notice for the proposal of candidates for election as directors.

(b) No stockholder may request that the Secretary of the Corporation call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting unless a stockholder of record of the Corporation has first submitted a request in writing (“ Record Date Request Notice ”) that the Board fix a record date (a “ Request Record Date ”) for the purpose of determining the stockholders entitled to request that the Secretary of the Corporation call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, which Record Date Request Notice shall be in proper form and shall comply with, and include all the information required by, Article II, Section 14(c), and shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation.

(c) To be in proper form for purposes of this Article II, Section 14, a Record Date Request Notice shall set forth:

(1) As to each Requesting Person (as defined below), (A) the information required by Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1), except that for purposes of this Article II, Section 14 the term “ Requesting Person ” shall be substituted for the term “ Proposing Person ” in all places it appears in Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1); (B) a representation that such Requesting Person intends to hold the shares of the Corporation described in response to Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1) through the date of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting; and (C) the disclosure in clauses (k) and (l) of Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1) shall be made with respect to the business proposed to be conducted at the special meeting or the proposed election of directors at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, as the case may be);

(2) As to the purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, (A) a description of (1) the specific purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, (2) the matter(s) proposed to be acted on at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, and (3) the reasons for conducting such business at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (including the text of any reasons for the business that will be disclosed in any proxy statement or supplement thereto to be filed with the SEC); (B) a reasonably detailed description of any material interest in such matter of each Requesting Person; and (C) a reasonably detailed description of all agreements, arrangements and understandings (x) between or among any of the Requesting Persons and (y) between or among any Requesting Person and any other person or entity (naming each such person or entity) in connection with the request for the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting or the business or nominees for election to the Board proposed to be acted on at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting; and

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(3) If directors are proposed to be elected at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, (i) as to each Requesting Person, the information set forth in Article II, Section 10( b)(ii)(1) of these Bylaws (except that for purposes of this Article II, Section 14(c), the term “ Requesting Person ” shall be substituted for the term “ Proposing Person ” in all places it appears in Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1) of these Bylaws and any re ference to “ business ” or “ proposal ” therein will be deemed to be a reference to the “ nomination ” contemplated by this Article II, Section 14(c); and (ii) the information for each person whom a Requesting Person proposes to nominate for election as a direct or at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting that is required to be disclosed for each person by Article III, Section 17(c)(2) of these Bylaws.

For purposes of this Article II, Section 14(c), the term “ Requesting Person ” shall mean (i) the stockholder submitting the a Record Date Request Notice; (ii) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf such notice is being sent is made; (iii) any affiliate or associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner; and (iv) each other person who is a member of a “group” (for purposes of these Bylaws, as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) or is otherwise Acting in Concert (as defined below) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) with respect to any actions intended to have the Corporation fix a Request Record Date or call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

A stockholder submitting a Record Date Request Notice, by its delivery to the Corporation, represents and warrants that all information contained therein is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and such stockholder acknowledges that it intends for the Corporation and the Board to rely on such information as being true, accurate and complete in all respects. The Record Date Request Notice is required to clearly indicate and expressly reference which provisions of this Section 14(c) the information disclosed is intended to be responsive to. Information disclosed in one section of the Record Date Request Notice, or an Exhibit, Annex or Schedule thereto, in response to one provision of this Section 14(c) shall not be deemed responsive to any other provision of this Section 14(c) unless it is expressly cross-referenced to such other provision. For a Record Date Request Notice to comply with the requirements of this Section 14(c), it must set forth in writing directly within the body (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Record Date Request Notice) of the Record Date Request Notice all the information required to be included therein as set forth in this Section 14(c). For the avoidance of doubt, a Record Date Request Notice shall not be deemed to be in compliance with this Section 14(c) if it attempts to include the required information by incorporating by reference any other document, writing or part thereof not included with, and made a part of, the Record Date Request Notice where such information may be included. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 14, the information required to be included in a Record Date Request Notice provided pursuant to this Section 14(c) shall not include any ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is directed to prepare and submit the notice required by this Section 14(c) on behalf of a beneficial owner of the shares held of record by such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee and who is not otherwise affiliated or associated with such beneficial owner.

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(d) Within ten (10) calendar days after rec eipt of a Record Date Request Notice in proper form and otherwise in compliance with this Article II, Section 14 from any stockholder of record, the Board may adopt a resolution fixing a Request Record Date for the purpose of determining the stockholders e ntitled to request that the Secretary of the Corporation call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, which date shall not precede the date upon which the resolution fixing the Request Record Date is adopted by the Board. If no resolution fixing a Request Record Date has been adopted by the Board within the ten (10) calendar day period after the date on which such a request to fix a Request Record Date was received, the Request Record Date in respect thereof shall be deemed to be the twentieth (20th) calen dar day after the date on which such a request is received. Notwithstanding anything in this Article II, Section 14 to the contrary, no Request Record Date shall be fixed if the Board determines that the written request or requests to call a Stockholder Re quested Special Meeting (each, a “ Special Meeting Request ” and collectively, the “ Special Meeting Requests ”), that would otherwise be submitted following such Request Record Date would not reasonably be expected to comply with the requirements set forth in Article II, Section 14(g).

(e) In order for a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting to be called, one or more Special Meeting Requests, in the form required by this Article II, Section 14, must be signed by stockholders who, as of the Request Record Date, hold of record or beneficially, in the aggregate, the Requisite Percentage and must be timely delivered to the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal executive offices of the Corporation. To be timely, a Special Meeting Request must be delivered to the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following the Request Record Date. In determining whether a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting has been properly requested, multiple Special Meeting Requests delivered to the Secretary will be considered together only if (i) each Special Meeting Request identifies the same purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and the same matters proposed to be acted on at such meeting (in each case as determined in good faith by the Board), and (ii) such Special Meeting Requests have been dated and delivered to the Secretary within sixty (60) calendar days of the earliest dated Special Meeting Request.

(f) To be in proper form for purposes of this Article II, Section 14, a Special Meeting Request must include and set forth (a) a description of (i) the specific purpose or purposes of the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, (ii) the matter(s) proposed to be acted on at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, and (iii) the reasons for conducting such business at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (including the text of any reasons for the business that will be disclosed in any proxy statement or supplement thereto to be filed with the SEC), and (b) the text of the proposed business (including the text of any resolutions proposed for consideration), if applicable, and (c) with respect to (1) any stockholder or stockholders submitting a Special Meeting Request; (2) the beneficial owner or beneficial owners, if different, on whose behalf such Special Meeting Request is made; (3) any affiliate or associate of such stockholder or beneficial owner; and (4) each other person who is a member of a “group” (for purposes of these Bylaws, as such term is used in Rule 13d-5 under the Exchange Act) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) or is otherwise Acting in Concert (as defined below) with any such stockholder or beneficial owner (or their respective affiliates and associates) with respect to any actions intended to have the Corporation fix a Request Record Date or call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting (but excluding any stockholder that has provided such request in response to a solicitation made pursuant to, and in

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accordance with, Section 14(a) of the Exchange Act by way of a solicitation statement filed on Schedule 14A (a “ Solicited Stockholder ”)), the information required to be provided pursuant to this Article II, Section 14 of a Requesting Pe rson. A stockholder submitting a Special Meeting Request, by its delivery to the Corporation, represents and warrants that all information contained therein is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and suc h stockholder acknowledges that it intends for the Corporation to rely on such information as being true, accurate and complete in all respects. The Special Meeting Request is required to clearly indicate and expressly reference which provisions of this Se ction 14 the information disclosed is intended to be responsive to. Information disclosed in one section of the Special Meeting Request, or an Exhibit, Annex or Schedule thereto, in response to one provision of this Section 14 shall not be deemed responsiv e to any other provision of this Section 14 unless it is expressly cross-referenced to such other provision. For a Special Meeting Request to comply with the requirements of this Section 14, it must set forth in writing directly within the body (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Special Meeting Request) of the Special Meeting Request all the information required to be included therein as set forth in this Section 14. F or the avoidance of doubt, a Special Meeting Request shall not be deemed to be in compliance with this Section 14 if it attempts to include the required information by incorporating by reference any other document, writing or part thereof not included with , and made a part of, the Special Meeting Request where such information may be included. A stockholder may revoke a Special Meeting Request by written revocation delivered to the Secretary at any time prior to the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. If any such revocation(s) are received by the Secretary after the Secretary’s receipt of Special Meeting Requests from the Requisite Percentage of stockholders, and as a result of such revocation(s) there no longer are unrevoked demands from the Requisite Pe rcentage of stockholders to call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, then the Board shall have the discretion to determine whether or not to proceed with the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

(g) The Secretary shall not accept, and shall consider ineffective, a Special Meeting Request if (i) such Special Meeting Request does not comply with this Article II, Section 14 or relates to an item of business to be transacted at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting that is not a proper subject for stockholder action under applicable law; (ii) the Board calls an annual or special meeting of stockholders (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) in accordance with Article II, Section 14(j); or (iii) such Special Meeting Request was made in a manner that involved a violation of Regulation 14A under the Exchange Act or other applicable law.

(h) Business brought before any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting by stockholders shall be limited to the matters proposed in the valid Special Meeting Request; provided, however , that nothing herein shall prohibit the Board from bringing other matters before the stockholders at any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and including such matters in the notice of the meeting its provides to stockholders. If none of the stockholders who submitted and signed the Special Meeting Request (but excluding any Solicited Stockholder) appears in person at the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting or sends a qualified representative to the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting to present the matters to be presented for consideration that were specified in the Stockholder Meeting Request (unless the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting is held by means of remote communication in which

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case the requesting stockholder or its qualified representative shall be present by means of remote communication), the Corporation need not present such matters for a vote at such meeting.

(i) Any special meeting of stockholders, including any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, shall be held at such date and time as may be fixed by the Board in accordance with these Bylaws and in compliance with applicable law; provided that a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall be held within ninety (90) calendar days after the Corporation receives one or more valid Special Meeting Requests in compliance with this Article II, Section 14 from stockholders having beneficial ownership of at least the Requisite Percentage; provided , however that if the Board neglects or refuses to fix the date of such Stockholder Requested Special Meeting and give the notice required by Article II, Section 3, then the person or persons making the request may do so; provided, further , that the Board shall have the discretion to call an annual or special meeting of stockholders (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) in accordance with Article II, Section 14(j) or cancel any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting that has been called but not yet held for any of the reasons set forth in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, Section 14.

(j) If a Special Meeting Request is made that complies with this Article II, Section 14, the Board may (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) present an identical or substantially similar item for stockholder approval at any other meeting of stockholders that is held within ninety (90) calendar days after the Corporation receives such Special Meeting Request.

(k) In connection with a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting called in accordance with this Article II, Section 14, the stockholder or stockholders (except for any Solicited Stockholder) who requested that the Board fix a record date for notice and voting for the special meeting in accordance with this Article II, Section 14 or who signed and delivered a Special Meeting Request to the Secretary shall further update and supplement the information previously provided to the Corporation in connection with such requests, if necessary, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such requests pursuant to this Article II, Section 14 shall be true, correct and complete as of (i) the record date for the determination of persons entitled to receive notice of the special meeting and (ii) the date that is five (5) business days prior to the special meeting and, in the event of any adjournment or postponement thereof, five (5) business days prior to such adjourned or postponed special meeting. In the case of an update and supplement pursuant to clause (i) of this Section, such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than eight (8) business days after the record date for the determination of persons entitled to receive notice of the special meeting. In the case of an update and supplement pursuant to clause (ii) of this Section, such update and supplement shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Corporation not later than two (2) business days prior to the date for the special meeting, and, in the event of any adjournment or postponement thereof, two (2) business days prior to such adjourned or postponed special meeting.

(l) Upon written request by the Secretary of the Corporation, the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof, any stockholder or stockholders (except for any Solicited

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Stockholder) who requested that the Board fix a record date for notice and voting for the special meeting in accordance with this Article II, Section 14 or who signed and delivered a Special Meeting Request to the Secretary shall provide, within five (5) business days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory in the reasonable discretion of the Board, any duly authorized committee thereof or any duly authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder or stockholders in accordance with this Article II , Section 14. If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Article II, Section 14.

(m) Notwithstanding anything in these Bylaws to the contrary, the Secretary shall not be required to call a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting pursuant to this Article II, Section 14 except in accordance with this Article II, Section 14. If the Board shall determine that any request to fix a record date for notice and voting for the special meeting or Special Meeting Request was not properly made in accordance with this Article II, Section 14, or shall determine that the stockholder or stockholders requesting that the Board fix such record date or submitting a Special Meeting Request have not otherwise complied with this Article II, Section 14, then the Board shall not be required to fix such record date or to call and hold the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting. In addition to the requirements of this Article II, Section 14, each Requesting Person shall comply with all requirements of applicable law, including all requirements of the Exchange Act and the MGCL, with respect to (i) any request to fix a record date for notice and voting for the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting, (ii) any Special Meeting Request or (iii) a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting.

(n) After receipt of Special Meeting Requests in proper form and in accordance with this Article II, Section 14 from a stockholder or stockholders holding the Requisite Percentage, the Board shall duly call, and determine the place, date and time of, a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting for the purpose or purposes and to conduct the business specified in the Special Meeting Requests received by the Corporation; provided, however that the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall be held within ninety (90) calendar days after the Corporation receives one or more valid Special Meeting Requests in compliance with this Article II, Section 14 from stockholders holding at least the Requisite Percentage; provided, further , that the Board shall have the discretion to call an annual or special meeting of stockholders (in lieu of calling the Stockholder Requested Special Meeting) in accordance with Article II, Section 14(j) or cancel any Stockholder Requested Special Meeting that has been called but not yet held for any of the reasons set forth in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, Section 14. The Board shall provide written notice of such Stockholder Requested Special Meeting in accordance with Article II, Section 3 of these Bylaws. The record date for notice and voting for such a Stockholder Requested Special Meeting shall be fixed in accordance with Article VII, Section 4 of these Bylaws.

Section 15. MEETINGS BY REMOTE COMMUNICATION . If authorized by the Board, and subject to such guidelines and procedures as the Board may adopt, stockholders and proxy holders not physically present at a meeting of stockholders may, by means of remote communication, participate in the meeting and be deemed present in person and vote at the meeting, whether such meeting is to be held at a designated place or solely by means of remote

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communication, provided that (i) the Corporation shall imple ment reasonable measures to verify that each person deemed present and permitted to vote at the meeting by means of remote communication is a stockholder or proxy holder, (ii) the Corporation shall implement reasonable measures to provide such stockholders and proxy holders a reasonable opportunity to participate in the meeting and to vote on matters submitted to the stockholders, including an opportunity to read or hear the proceedings of the meeting substantially concurrently with such proceedings, and (i ii) if any stockholder or proxy holder votes or takes other action at the meeting by means of remote communication, a record of such vote or other action shall be maintained by the Corporation.

ARTICLE III

DIRECTORS

Section 1. GENERAL POWERS . The business and affairs of the Corporation shall be managed under the direction of its Board.

Section 2. NUMBER, TENURE AND RESIGNATION . At any regular meeting or at any special meeting called for that purpose, a majority of the entire Board may establish, increase or decrease the number of directors, provided that the number thereof shall never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL, nor more than fifteen (15), and further provided that the tenure of office of a director shall not be affected by any decrease in the number of directors. Any director of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board, the chairman of the Board or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation.

Section 3. ANNUAL AND REGULAR MEETINGS . An annual meeting of the Board shall be held once each calendar year. The Board may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of regular meetings of the Board without other notice than such resolution.

Section 4. SPECIAL MEETINGS . Special meetings of the Board may be called by or at the request of the chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or a majority of the directors then in office. The person or persons authorized to call special meetings of the Board may fix any place as the place for holding any special meeting of the Board called by them. The Board may provide, by resolution, the time and place for the holding of special meetings of the Board without other notice than such resolution.

Section 5. NOTICE . Notice of any special meeting of the Board shall be delivered personally or by telephone, electronic mail, facsimile transmission, courier or United States mail to each director at his or her business or residence address. Notice by personal delivery, telephone, electronic mail or facsimile transmission shall be given at least 24 hours prior to the meeting. Notice by United States mail shall be given at least three days prior to the meeting. Notice by courier shall be given at least two days prior to the meeting. Telephone notice shall be deemed to be given when the director or his or her agent is personally given such notice in a telephone call to which the director or his or her agent is a party. Electronic mail notice shall be

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deemed to be given upon tr ansmission of the message to the electronic mail address given to the Corporation by the director. Facsimile transmission notice shall be deemed to be given upon completion of the transmission of the message to the number given to the Corporation by the di rector and receipt of a completed answer-back indicating receipt. Notice by United States mail shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail properly addressed, with postage thereon prepaid. Notice by courier shall be deemed to be gi ven when deposited with or delivered to a courier properly addressed. Neither the business to be transacted at, nor the purpose of, any annual, regular or special meeting of the Board need be stated in the notice, unless specifically required by statute or these Bylaws.

Section 6. QUORUM . A majority of the directors then in office shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Board, provided that, if less than a majority of such directors is present at such meeting, a majority of the directors present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice, and provided further that if, pursuant to applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws, the vote of a majority or other percentage of a particular group of directors is required for action, a quorum must also include a majority or such other percentage of such group. The directors present at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough directors to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum.

Section 7. VOTING . The action of a majority of the directors present at a meeting at which a quorum is present shall be the action of the Board, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws. If enough directors have withdrawn from a meeting to leave fewer than required to establish a quorum, but the meeting is not adjourned, the action of the majority of that number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum at such meeting shall be the action of the Board, unless the concurrence of a greater proportion is required for such action by applicable law, the Charter or these Bylaws.

Section 8. ORGANIZATION . At each meeting of the Board, the chairman of the Board or, in the absence of the chairman, the vice chairman of the Board, if any, shall act as chairman of the meeting. In the absence of both the chairman and vice chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer or, in the absence of the chief executive officer, the president or, in the absence of the president, a director chosen by a majority of the directors present shall act as chairman of the meeting. The secretary or, in his or her absence, an assistant secretary of the Corporation or, in the absence of the secretary and all assistant secretaries, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary of the meeting.

Section 9. TELEPHONE MEETINGS . Directors may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 10. CONSENT BY DIRECTORS WITHOUT A MEETING . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each director and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of the Board.

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Section 11. VACANCIES . If for any reason any or all the directors cease to be directors, such event shall not terminate the Corporation or affect these Bylaws or the powers of the remaining directors hereunder. Except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of any class or series of preferred stock, any vacancy on the Board may be filled only by a majority of the remaining directors, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum. Any director ele cted to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is duly elected and qualified.

Section 12. COMPENSATION . Directors shall not receive any stated salary for their services as directors but, by resolution of the Board, may receive compensation per year and/or per meeting and/or per visit to real property or other facilities owned or leased by the Corporation and for any service or activity they performed or engaged in as directors. Directors may be reimbursed for expenses of attendance, if any, at each annual, regular or special meeting of the Board or of any committee thereof and for their expenses, if any, in connection with each property visit and any other service or activity they perform or engage in as directors; but nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any directors from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefor.

Section 13. RELIANCE . Each director and officer of the Corporation shall, in the performance of his or her duties with respect to the Corporation, be entitled to rely on any information, opinion, report or statement, including any financial statement or other financial data, prepared or presented by an officer or employee of the Corporation whom the director or officer reasonably believes to be reliable and competent in the matters presented, by a lawyer, certified public accountant or other person, as to a matter which the director or officer reasonably believes to be within the person’s professional or expert competence, or, with respect to a director, by a committee of the Board on which the director does not serve, as to a matter within its designated authority, if the director reasonably believes the committee to merit confidence.

Section 14. RATIFICATION . The Board or the stockholders may ratify and make binding on the Corporation any action or inaction by the Corporation or its officers to the extent that the Board or the stockholders could have originally authorized the matter. Moreover, any action or inaction questioned in any stockholders’ derivative proceeding or any other proceeding on the ground of lack of authority, defective or irregular execution, adverse interest of a director, officer or stockholder, non-disclosure, miscomputation, the application of improper principles or practices of accounting or otherwise, may be ratified, before or after judgment, by the Board or by the stockholders, and if so ratified, shall have the same force and effect as if the questioned action or inaction had been originally duly authorized, and such ratification shall be binding upon the Corporation and its stockholders and shall constitute a bar to any claim or execution of any judgment in respect of such questioned action or inaction.

Section 15. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS . A director or officer of the Corporation shall have no responsibility to devote his or her full time to the affairs of the Corporation. Any director or officer, in his or her personal capacity or in a capacity as an affiliate, employee or agent of any other person, or otherwise, may have business interests and engage in business activities similar to, in addition to or in competition with those of or relating to the Corporation.

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Section 16. EMERGENCY PROVISIONS . Notwithstanding any other provision in the Charter or these Bylaws, this Section 16 shall apply during the existence of any catastrophe, or other similar emergency condition, as a result of which a quorum of the Board under Article III of these Bylaws cannot readily be obtai ned (an “ Emergency ”). During any Emergency, unless otherwise provided by the Board, (i) a meeting of the Board or a committee thereof may be called by any director or officer by any means feasible under the circumstances; (ii) notice of any meeting of the Board during such an Emergency may be given less than 24 hours prior to the meeting to as many directors and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication, television or radio; and (iii) the number of directors necessary to constitute a quorum shall be one-third of the entire Board.

Section 17. NOMINATION OF DIRECTORS.

(a) Method of Nomination . Nominations of candidates for election as directors may be made at any annual meeting of stockholders or at any special meeting of stockholders, but in the case of any special meeting of stockholders, only if the election of directors is a matter specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of the person calling such special meeting in accordance with Article II, Section 14 of these Bylaws, (i) by, or at the direction of the Board (or any duly authorized committee thereof) (including, without limitation, by making reference to the nominees in the proxy statement delivered to stockholders on behalf of the Board), or (ii) by any stockholder of the Corporation Present in Person who (A) is a beneficial owner (as of the time notice of such proposed nomination is given by the stockholder as set forth in this Article III, Section 17, as of the record date for the meeting in question and at the time of the meeting) of any shares of the Corporation’s capital stock outstanding, (B) is entitled to vote at such meeting, and (C) complies with all applicable requirements of this Article III, Section 17. Only persons who are proposed as director nominees in accordance with the procedures set forth in this Article III, Section 17 shall be eligible for election as directors at any meeting of stockholders.

(b) Stockholder Nominations . For a person to be properly brought before any stockholders’ meeting by a stockholder as a proposed nominee for election as director, the stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in writing to the Secretary (the “ Nominating Notice ”), which Nominating Notice shall be in proper form. To be timely, the Nominating Notice must be made in writing and, except as provided in Section 17(d), must set forth all information required to be provided pursuant to this Section 17(b) and must be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the principal office of the Corporation (i) not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred and fiftieth (150th) calendar day and not later than the close of business on the one hundred and twentieth (120th) calendar day prior to the one-year anniversary date of the date of the filing of the definitive proxy statement for the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders or (ii) in the case of a special meeting of stockholders called in accordance with Article II, Section 14 of these Bylaws for the purpose of electing directors, or in the event that the annual meeting of stockholders is called for a date that is more than thirty (30) calendar days before or more than thirty (30) calendar days after the one-year anniversary date of the immediately preceding year’s annual meeting of stockholders or special meeting in lieu thereof, or if the Corporation did not hold an annual meeting (or special meeting in lieu of an annual meeting) in the preceding fiscal year, notice by the stockholder to be timely must be so delivered to, or mailed and received by,

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the Secretary of the Corporation not earlier than the close of business on the one hundred fiftieth (150th) calendar day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the later of (i) the close of busines s on the one hundred twentieth (120th) calendar day prior to the scheduled date of such stockholders’ meeting or (ii) the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which public disclosure of the date of such stockholders’ meet ing was first made by the Corporation (or if that day is not a business day for the Corporation, on the next succeeding business day). For purposes of these Bylaws, “ Nominating Notice Deadline ” shall mean the last date for a stockholder to deliver a Nomina ting Notice in accordance with the provisions of the previous sentence. In no event shall any adjournment or postponement of an annual meeting or the announcement thereof commence a new time period for the giving of a stockholder’s notice as described abov e. Notwithstanding anything in the second sentence of this Article III, Section 17(b) to the contrary, in the event that the number of directors to be elected to the Board is increased and there is no public disclosure naming all of the nominees for direct or or specifying the size of the increased Board made by the Corporation at least one hundred and thirty (130) calendar days prior to the one-year anniversary date of the date of the filing of the definitive proxy statement for the immediately preceding ye ar’s annual meeting of stockholders, a stockholder’s notice required by this Article III, Section 17 shall also be considered timely, but only with respect to nominees for any new positions created by such increase, and only with respect to a stockholder w ho had, prior to such increase in the size of the Board, previously submitted in proper form a Nominating Notice prior to the Nominating Notice Deadline, if it shall be delivered to, or mailed and received by, the Secretary of the Corporation at the princi pal office of the Corporation not later than the close of business on the tenth (10th) calendar day following the day on which such public disclosure is first made by the Corporation.

(c) Required Form of Nominating Notice . To be in proper form, the Nominating Notice to the Secretary of the Corporation shall set forth in writing:

(1) Information Regarding the Proposing Person . As to each Proposing Person, the information set forth in Article II, Section 10(b)(ii)(1) of these Bylaws (except that for purposes of this Article III, Section 17(c), any reference to “ business ” or “ proposal ” therein will be deemed to be a reference to the “ nomination ” contemplated by this Article III, Section 17(c).

(2) Information Regarding the Nominee : As to each person whom the Proposing Person giving notice proposes to nominate for election as a director:

(i) all information with respect to such proposed nominee that would be required to be set forth in a Nominating Notice pursuant to Article III, Section 17(c)(1) if such proposed nominee were a Proposing Person;

(ii) a description in reasonable detail of any and all litigation, whether or not judicially resolved, settled or dismissed, relating to the proposed nominee’s past or current service on the Board (or similar governing body) of any Corporation, limited liability company, partnership, trust or any other entity where a legal complaint filed in any state or federal court located within the United States alleges that the proposed nominee committed any act constituting (a) a breach of fiduciary duties, (b) misconduct, (c) fraud, (d) breaches of

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confidentiality obligations, and/or (e) a breach of the entity’s code of conduct applicable to directors;

(iii) to the extent that such proposed nominee has been convicted of any past criminal offenses involving dishonesty or a breach of trust or duty, a description in reasonable detail of such offense and all legal proceedings relating thereto;

(iv) to the extent that such proposed nominee has ever been suspended or barred by any governmental authority or self-regulatory organization from engaging in any profession or participating in any industry, or has otherwise been subject to a disciplinary action by a governmental authority or self-regulatory organization that provides oversight over the proposed nominee’s current or past profession or an industry that the proposed nominee has participated in, a description in reasonable detail of such action and the reasons therefor;

(v) to the extent that such proposed nominee has been determined by any governmental authority or self-regulatory organization to have violated any federal or state securities or commodities laws, including but not limited to, the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Exchange Act or the Commodity Exchange Act, a description in reasonable detail of such violation and all legal proceedings relating thereto;

(vi) all information relating to such proposed nominee that would be required to be disclosed in a proxy statement or other filing that would be required to be made by any Proposing Person pursuant to Section 14(a) under the Exchange Act in connection with a contested solicitation of proxies or consents (even if a contested solicitation is not involved) by a Proposing Person for the election of directors;

(vii) such proposed nominee’s executed written consent to be named in the proxy statement of the Proposing Person as a nominee and to serve as a director of the Corporation if elected;

(viii) to the extent that such proposed nominee has entered into (a) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with, or has given any commitment or assurance to, any person or entity as to the positions that such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, would take in support of or in opposition to any issue or question that may be presented to him or her for consideration in his or her capacity as a director of the Corporation, (b) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with, or has given any commitment or assurance to, to any person or entity as to how such proposed nominee, if elected as a director of the Corporation, would act or vote with respect to any issue or question presented to him or her for consideration in his or her capacity as a director of the Corporation, (c) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with any person or entity that could be reasonably interpreted as having been both (1) entered into in contemplation of the proposed nominee being elected as a director of the Corporation, and (2) intended to limit or interfere with the proposed nominee’s ability to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with his or her fiduciary duties, as a director of the Corporation, to the Corporation or its stockholders, or (d) any agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) with any person or entity that could be reasonably interpreted as having been or being intended to require such proposed nominee to consider the interests of a person or

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entity (other than the Corporation and its stockholders) in co mplying with his or her fiduciary duties, as a director of the Corporation, to the Corporation or its stockholders, a description in reasonable detail of each such agreement, arrangement or understanding (whether written or oral) or commitment or assurance ;

(ix) the amount of any equity securities beneficially owned by such proposed nominee in any company that is a direct competitor of the Corporation or its operating subsidiaries if such beneficial ownership by such nominee, when aggregated with that of all other proposed nominees and the Proposing Persons, is five percent (5%) or more of the class of equity securities of such company;

(x) a description in reasonable detail of any and all agreements, arrangements and/or understandings, written or oral, between such proposed nominee and any person or entity (naming each such person or entity) with respect to any direct or indirect compensation, reimbursement, indemnification or other benefit (whether monetary or non-monetary) in connection with or related to such proposed nominee’s service on the Board if elected as a member of the Board;

(xi) a description in reasonable detail of any and all other agreements, arrangements and/or understandings, written or oral, between such proposed nominee and any person or entity (naming such person or entity) in connection with such proposed nominee’s service or action as a proposed nominee and, if elected, as a member of the Board;

(xii) a certificate executed by the proposed nominee (A) certifying that such proposed nominee (1) is not, and will not become, a party to any agreement, arrangement or understanding with any person or entity other than the Corporation in connection with service or action as a director that has not been disclosed to the Corporation; and (2) agreeing to comply, if elected as a director of the Corporation, with all corporate governance, conflicts of interest, code of conduct and ethics, confidentiality and stock ownership and trading policies and guidelines of the Corporation, as the same shall be amended from time to time by the Board; and (B) attaching a completed proposed nominee questionnaire (which questionnaire shall be provided by the Corporation, upon request, to the stockholder providing the notice); and

(xiii) all information that would be required to be disclosed pursuant to Items 403 and 404 under Regulation S-K if the stockholder providing the Nominating Notice or any other Proposing Person were the “registrant” for purposes of such rule and the proposed nominee were a director or executive officer of such registrant.

(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in this Section 17, the information required to be included in a Nominating Notice provided pursuant to paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 17 shall not include any ordinary course business activities of any broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee who is directed to prepare and submit the notice required by paragraphs (b) and (c) of this Section 17 on behalf of a beneficial owner of the shares held of record by such broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee and who is not otherwise affiliated or associated with such beneficial owner.

(e) Updating of Nominating Notice .

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(1) A stockholder providing a Nominating Notice with respect to any nominations proposed to be made at any stockh olders’ meeting shall further update and supplement such notice, as necessary, from time to time, so that the information provided or required to be provided in such notice pursuant to this Article III, Section 17 shall be true, correct and complete in all respects not only prior to the Nominating Notice Deadline but also at all times thereafter, and such update and supplement shall be received by the Secretary of the Corporation not later than the earlier of (A) five (5) business days following the occurre nce of any event, development or occurrence which would cause the information provided to be not true, correct and complete in all respects, and (B) ten (10) business days prior to the meeting at which such proposals contained therein are to be considered.

(2) If the information submitted pursuant to this Article III, Section 17 by any stockholder of a proposed nomination to be made at a stockholders’ meeting shall not be true, correct and complete in all respects prior to the Nominating Notice Deadline, such information may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Article III, Section 17. For the avoidance of doubt, the updates required pursuant to this Article III, Section 17 do not cause a notice that was not in compliance with this Article III, Section 17 when delivered to the Corporation prior to the Nominating Notice Deadline to thereafter be in proper form in accordance with this Article III, Section 17.

(3) Upon written request by the Secretary of the Corporation, the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof, any stockholder proposing nominees for consideration at a stockholders’ meeting shall provide, within five (5) business days of delivery of such request (or such other period as may be specified in such request), written verification, satisfactory in the reasonable discretion of the Board, any duly authorized committee thereof or any duly authorized officer of the Corporation, to demonstrate the accuracy of any information submitted by the stockholder pursuant to this Article III, Section 17 (including, if requested by the Corporation, written confirmation by such stockholder that it continues to intend to bring the nominations proposed in the Nominating Notice before the meeting). If a stockholder fails to provide such written verification within such period, the information as to which written verification was requested may be deemed not to have been provided in accordance with this Article III, Section 17.

(f) Exclusive Means . Article III, Section 17 of these Bylaws shall be the exclusive means of any stockholder of the Corporation to propose a Nominee for election to the Board at any stockholders’ meeting. No candidate shall be eligible for nomination as a director of the Corporation unless such candidate for nomination and the Proposing Person seeking to place such candidate’s name in nomination for election at a stockholders’ meeting shall have complied with this Article III, Section 17 in all respects. If the chairman of such stockholders’ meeting shall determine, based on the facts and circumstances and in consultation with counsel (who may be the Corporation’s internal counsel), that such Nominee was not properly nominated in accordance with this Article III, Section 17, then the chairman of the stockholders’ meeting shall so declare such determination to the stockholders’ meeting, the defective nomination shall be disregarded and any ballots cast for the candidate in question (but in the case of any form of ballot listing other qualified nominees, only the ballots cast for the nominee in question) shall be void and of no force or effect. In addition, nominations made by a stockholder may not be brought before a stockholders’ meeting if such stockholder takes action contrary to the

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representations made in the Nominating Notice applic able to such nomination or if the Nominating Notice applicable to such nomination contains an untrue statement of a fact or omits to state a fact necessary to make the statements therein not misleading.

(g) No Incorporation by Reference . For a Nominating Notice to comply with the requirements of this Article III, Section 17, it must set forth in writing directly within the body (as opposed to being incorporated by reference from any other document or writing not included with, and made a part of, the Nominating Notice) of the Nominating Notice all the information required to be included therein as set forth in this Article III, Section 17. For the avoidance of doubt, a Nominating Notice shall not be deemed to be in compliance with this Article III, Section 17 if it attempts to include the required information by incorporating by reference any other document, writing or part thereof not included with, and made a part of, the Nominating Notice.

(h) Referencing and Cross-Referencing . The Nominating Notice is required to clearly indicate and expressly reference which provisions of this Article III, Section 17 the information disclosed is intended to be responsive to. Information disclosed in one section of the Proposal Notice, or an Exhibit, Annex or Schedule thereto, in response to one provision of this Article III, Section 17 shall not be deemed responsive to any other provision of this Article III, Section 17 unless it is expressly cross-referenced to such other provision.

(i) Accuracy of Information . A stockholder submitting the Nominating Notice, by its delivery to the Corporation, represents and warrants that, as of the Nominating Notice Deadline, all information contained therein is true, accurate and complete in all respects, contains no false and misleading statements and such stockholder acknowledges that it intends for the Corporation and the Board to rely on such information as (i) being true, accurate and complete in all respects and (ii) not containing any false and misleading statements.

(j) Requirement for Separate and Timely Notice . Notwithstanding any notice of stockholders’ meeting sent to stockholders on behalf of the Corporation, a stockholder must separately comply with this Article III, Section 17 to propose director nominations at any stockholders’ meeting and is still required to deliver its own separate and timely Nominating Notice to the Secretary of the Corporation prior to the Nominating Notice Deadline which complies in all respects with the requirements of this Article III, Section 17.

(k) Exchange Act and MGCL . In addition to the provisions of this Article III, Section 17, a stockholder shall also comply with all applicable requirements of the Exchange Act, the MGCL and other applicable law with respect to any nominations of directors for election at any stockholders’ meeting and any solicitations of proxies in connection therewith.

ARTICLE IV

COMMITTEES

Section 1. NUMBER, TENURE AND QUALIFICATIONS . The Board may appoint from among its members committees, composed of one or more directors, to serve at the pleasure of the Board.

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Section 2. POWERS . The Board may delegate to committees appointed under Section 1 of this Article any of the powers of the Board, except as prohibited by law.

Section 3. MEETINGS . Notice of committee meetings shall be given in the same manner as notice for special meetings of the Board. A majority of the members of the committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the committee. The act of a majority of the committee members present at a meeting shall be the act of such committee. The Board may designate a chairman of any committee, and such chairman or, in the absence of a chairman, any two members of any committee (if there are at least two members of the committee) may fix the time and place of its meeting unless the Board shall otherwise provide. In the absence of any member of any such committee, the members thereof present at any meeting, whether or not they constitute a quorum, may appoint another director to act in the place of such absent member.

Section 4. TELEPHONE MEETINGS . Members of a committee of the Board may participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

Section 5. CONSENT BY COMMITTEES WITHOUT A MEETING . Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of a committee of the Board may be taken without a meeting, if a consent in writing or by electronic transmission to such action is given by each member of the committee and is filed with the minutes of proceedings of such committee.

Section 6. VACANCIES . Subject to the provisions hereof, the Board shall have the power at any time to change the membership of any committee, to fill any vacancy, to designate an alternate member to replace any absent or disqualified member or to dissolve any such committee.

ARTICLE V

OFFICERS

Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS . The officers of the Corporation shall include a president, a secretary and a treasurer and may include a chairman of the Board, a vice chairman of the Board, a chief executive officer, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, one or more assistant secretaries and one or more assistant treasurers. In addition, the Board may from time to time elect such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Corporation shall be elected annually by the Board, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents, assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers or other officers. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is elected and qualifies or until his or her death, or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Election of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Corporation and such officer or agent.

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Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION . Any officer or agent of the Corporation may be removed, with or without cause, by the Board if in its judgment the best interests of the Corporation would be served thereby, but such removal shall be without prejudice to the cont ract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Corporation may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Board, the chairman of the Board, the chief executive officer, the president or the secretary. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without pre judice to the contract rights, if any, of the Corporation.

Section 3. VACANCIES . A vacancy in any office may be filled by the Board for the balance of the term.

Section 4. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER . The Board may designate a chief executive officer. In the absence of such designation, the chairman of the Board shall be the chief executive officer of the Corporation. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Corporation, as determined by the Board, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Corporation. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board from time to time.

Section 5. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER . The Board may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board or the chief executive officer.

Section 6. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER . The Board may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Board or the chief executive officer.

Section 7. CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD . The Board may designate from among its members a chairman of the Board, who shall not, solely by reason of these Bylaws, be an officer of the Corporation. The Board may designate the chairman of the Board as an executive or non-executive chairman. The chairman of the Board shall preside over the meetings of the Board. The chairman of the Board shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to him or her by these Bylaws or the Board.

Section 8. PRESIDENT . In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Corporation. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Board, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Board or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Corporation or shall be required by law to be

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otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all duties incident to the office of president and such other duti es as may be prescribed by the Board from time to time.

Section 9. VICE PRESIDENTS . In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board. The Board may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president, senior vice president, or vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

Section 10. SECRETARY . The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the stockholders, the Board and committees of the Board in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the corporate records and of the seal of the Corporation; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each stockholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such stockholder; (e) have general charge of the stock transfer books of the Corporation; and (f) in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board.

Section 11. TREASURER . The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Corporation, shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Corporation, shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Corporation in such depositories as may be designated by the Board and in general perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Board, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Corporation.

Section 12. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES AND ASSISTANT TREASURERS . The assistant secretaries and assistant treasurers, in general, shall perform such duties as shall be assigned to them by the secretary or treasurer, respectively, or by the chief executive officer, the president or the Board.

Section 13. COMPENSATION . The compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by or under the authority of the Board and no officer shall be prevented from receiving such compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also a director.

ARTICLE VI

CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

Section 1. CONTRACTS . The Board may authorize any officer or agent to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Corporation and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement,

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deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Corporation when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Board and executed by an authorized person.

Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS . All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Corporation shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Corporation in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Board.

Section 3. DEPOSITS . All funds of the Corporation not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Corporation as the Board, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer or any other officer designated by the Board may determine.

ARTICLE VII

STOCK

Section 1. CERTIFICATES . Except as may be otherwise provided by the Board, stockholders of the Corporation are not entitled to certificates representing the shares of stock held by them. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock represented by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Board or a duly authorized officer, shall contain the statements and information required by the MGCL and shall be signed by the officers of the Corporation in any manner permitted by the MGCL. In the event that the Corporation issues shares of stock without certificates, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of stockholders based on whether or not their shares are represented by certificates.

Section 2. TRANSFERS . All transfers of shares of stock shall be made on the books of the Corporation, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Board or any officer of the Corporation may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Board that such shares shall no longer be represented by certificates. Upon the transfer of any uncertificated shares, to the extent then required by the MGCL, the Corporation shall provide to the record holders of such shares a written statement of the information required by the MGCL to be included on stock certificates.

The Corporation shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of stock as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of stock will be subject in all respects to the Charter and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

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Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE . Any officer of the Corpo ration may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Corporation alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by th e person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such stockholder and the Board has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by an officer of the Corporation, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition pr ecedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Corporation a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Corporation.

Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE . The Board may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining stockholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of stockholders or determining stockholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of stockholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of stockholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of stockholders of record is to be held or taken.

When a record date for the determination of stockholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of stockholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting may be determined as set forth herein.

Section 5. STOCK LEDGER . The Corporation shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate stock ledger containing the name and address of each stockholder and the number of shares of each class held by such stockholder.

Section 6. FRACTIONAL STOCK; ISSUANCE OF UNITS . The Board may authorize the Corporation to issue fractional stock or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Charter or these Bylaws, the Board may issue units consisting of different securities of the Corporation. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Corporation, except that the Board may provide that for a specified period securities of the Corporation issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Corporation only in such unit.

ARTICLE VIII

ACCOUNTING YEAR

The Board shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Corporation by a duly adopted resolution.

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ARTICLE IX

DISTRIBUTIONS

Section 1. AUTHORIZATION . Dividends and other distributions upon the stock of the Corporation may be authorized by the Board, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or stock of the Corporation, subject to the provisions of law and the Charter.

Section 2. CONTINGENCIES . Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Corporation available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Board may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Corporation or for such other purpose as the Board shall determine, and the Board may modify or abolish any such reserve.

ARTICLE X

SEAL

Section 1. SEAL . The Board may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Corporation. The seal shall contain the name of the Corporation and the year of its incorporation and the words “Incorporated Maryland.” The Board may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL . Whenever the Corporation is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Corporation.

ARTICLE XI

INDEMNIFICATION AND ADVANCE OF EXPENSES

Section 1. Indemnification for Proceedings Other Than by or in the Right of the Corporation . Subject to the other provisions of this Article XII, any person (and the spouses, heirs, executors, administrators and estate of such person) who was or is made a party or is threatened to be made a party to or is otherwise involved in any Proceeding (as defined in Section 19 of this Article XII), other than an action by or in the right of the Corporation, by reason of the fact that such person, or another person of whom such person is the legal representative, is or was serving in an Official Capacity (as defined in Section 19 of this Article XII) for the Corporation, or, while serving in an Official Capacity for the Corporation, is or was serving, at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of, the Corporation, in an Official Capacity for another corporation, limited liability company, partnership, joint venture, trust, association, or other entity or enterprise, whether for profit or not-for profit, including any subsidiaries of the Corporation, and any employee benefit plans maintained or sponsored by the Corporation (an “ Other Enterprise ”), whether the basis of such Proceeding is an

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alleged action in an Official Capacity or in any other capacity while serving in an Official Capacity, or is an employee of the Corporation specifically designated by the Board as an indemnified e mployee (hereinafter, each of the foregoing persons, a “ Covered Person ”), shall be indemnified and held harmless by the Corporation to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL (as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, but, in the case of any such am endment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment) against any and all Expenses (as defined in Section 19 of this Art icle XII) actually and reasonably incurred or suffered by such person in connection with such Proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, an d, with respect to any criminal Proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful.

Section 2. Indemnification for Proceedings by or in the Right of the Corporation . Subject to the other provisions of this Article XII, the Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by the MGCL (as the same exists now or as it may be hereinafter amended, but, in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Corporation to provide broader indemnification rights than said law permitted the Corporation to provide prior to such amendment), any Covered Person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to, or otherwise becomes involved in, a Proceeding by or in the right of the Corporation against Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of such Proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation; provided that no indemnification shall be made in respect of any claim, issue or matter as to which such person, or another person of whom such person is the legal representative, shall have been adjudged to be liable to the Corporation unless and only to the extent that the court in which such Proceeding was brought shall determine upon application that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such Expenses which the court shall deem proper.

Section 3. Indemnification for Expenses of Successful Party . Notwithstanding the other provisions of this Article XII, to the extent that a Covered Person has been successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any Proceeding described in Section 1 or Section 2 of this Article XII, or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, such person shall be indemnified against Expenses (as defined in Section 19 of this Article XII) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection therewith, notwithstanding an earlier determination by the Corporation (including by its directors, stockholders or any Independent Counsel) that the Covered Person is not entitled to indemnification under applicable law. For purposes of these Bylaws, the term “successful on the merits or otherwise” shall include, but not be limited to, (i) any termination, withdrawal, or dismissal (with or without prejudice) of any Proceeding against the Covered Person without any express finding of liability or guilt against the Covered Person, (ii) the expiration of one-hundred twenty (120) days after the making of any claim or threat of a Proceeding without the institution of the same and without any promise or payment made to induce a settlement, and (iii) the settlement of any Proceeding pursuant to which the Covered Person is required to pay less than $100,000.

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Section 4. Indemnification of Others . Subject to the other provisions of this Article XII, the Corporation shall h ave the power to indemnify its employees and its agents to the extent not prohibited by the MGCL or other applicable law. Subject to applicable law, the Board shall have the power to delegate the determination of whether employees or agents shall be indemn ified to such person or persons as the Board determines.

Section 5. Right to Advancement . Expenses incurred by a Covered Person in defending a Proceeding shall be paid by the Corporation in advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding. Such advances shall be paid by the Corporation within ten (10) business days after the receipt by the Corporation of a statement or statements from the Covered Person requesting such advance or advances from time to time together with a reasonable accounting of such Expenses;  provided however , that, if the MGCL so requires, the payment of such Expenses incurred by a Covered Person in his or her capacity as a director, officer, employee or representative in advance of the final disposition of a proceeding, shall be made only upon delivery to the Corporation of an undertaking in writing, by or on behalf of such Covered Person, to repay all amounts so advanced if it shall ultimately be determined by final judicial decision from which there is no further right of appeal (a “ final disposition ”) that such Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified under this Article XII or otherwise. The Covered Person’s undertaking to repay the Corporation any amounts advanced for Expenses shall not be required to be secured and shall not bear interest.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in the MGCL or this Section 5, the Corporation shall not impose on the Covered Person additional conditions to the advancement of Expenses or require from the Covered Person additional undertakings regarding repayment. Advancements of Expenses shall be made without regard to the Covered Person’s ability to repay the Expenses.

(b) Advancements of Expenses pursuant to this Section 5 shall not require approval of the Board or the stockholders of the Corporation, or of any other person or body. The Secretary shall promptly advise the Board in writing of the request for advancement of Expenses, of the amount and other details of the request and of the undertaking to make repayment provided pursuant to this Section 5.

(c) Advancements of Expenses to a Covered Person shall include any and all reasonable expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce this right of advancement, including Expenses incurred preparing and forwarding statements to the Corporation to support the advancements claimed.

(d) The right to advancement of Expenses shall not apply to (i) any Proceeding against a Covered Person brought by the Corporation and approved by resolution adopted by the affirmative vote of a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption) which alleges willful misappropriation of corporate assets by such agent, wrongful disclosure of confidential information, or any other willful and deliberate breach in bad faith of such agent’s duty to the Corporation or its stockholders, or (ii) any claim for which indemnification is excluded pursuant to these Bylaws, but shall apply to any

36

 


Proceeding referenced i n Section 6(c) or Section 6(d) of this Article XII prior to a determination that the person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Corporation.

Section 6. Limitations on Indemnification . Except as otherwise required by the MGCL or the Charter, the Corporation shall not be obligated to indemnify any person pursuant to this Article XII in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding):

(a) for which payment has actually been made to or on behalf of such person under any statute, insurance policy, indemnity provision, vote or otherwise, except with respect to any excess beyond the amount paid;

(b) for an accounting or disgorgement of profits pursuant to Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act, or similar provisions of federal, state or local statutory law or common law, if such person is held liable therefor (including pursuant to any settlement arrangements);

(c) for any reimbursement of the Corporation by such person of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by such person from the sale of securities of the Corporation, as required in each case under the Exchange Act, including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Corporation pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”) or the rules of any national securities exchange upon which the Corporation’s securities are listed, if such person is held liable therefor (including pursuant to any settlement arrangements);

(d) for any reimbursement of the Corporation by such person of profits arising from the purchase and sale by such person of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, if such person is held liable therefor (including pursuant to any settlement arrangements);

(e) initiated by such person against the Corporation or its directors, officers, employees, agents or other Covered Persons, unless (i) the Board, by resolution thereof adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption), authorized the Proceeding (or the relevant part of the Proceeding) prior to its initiation, (ii) the Corporation provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Corporation under applicable law, (iii) otherwise made under Section 5 of this Article XII or (iv) otherwise required by applicable law; or

(f) if prohibited by applicable law.

Section 7. Procedure for Indemnification; Determination .

(a) To obtain indemnification under this Article XII, a Covered Person shall submit to the Corporation a written request, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to the Covered Person and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification.

(b) Upon written request by a Covered Person for indemnification, a determination (the “ Determination ”), if required by applicable law, with respect to the Covered

37

 


Person’s entitlement thereto shall be made as follows: (i) by the Board by majority vote of a quorum consisting of Disinterested Directors (as defined in this Article XII, Section 19), (ii) if such a quorum of Disinterested Directo rs cannot be obtained, by majority vote of a committee duly designated by the Board (all directors, whether or not Disinterested Directors, may participate in such designation) consisting solely of two or more Disinterested Directors, (iii) if such a commi ttee cannot be designated, by any Independent Counsel (as defined in this Article XII, Section 19) selected by the Board, as prescribed in clause (i) above or by the committee of the Board prescribed in clause (ii) above, in a written opinion to the Board, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Covered Person; or if a quorum of the Board cannot be obtained for clause (i) above and the committee cannot be designated under clause (ii) above, selected by a majority vote of the Board (in which directors who are parties may participate); or (iv) if such Independent Counsel determination cannot be obtained, by a majority vote of a quorum of stockholders consisting of stockholders who are not parties to such Proceeding, or if no such quorum is obtainable, by a m ajority vote of stockholders who are not parties to the Proceeding.

(c) If, in regard to any Expenses (i) the Covered Person shall be entitled to indemnification pursuant to Article XII, Section 3, (ii) no determination with respect to the Covered Person’s entitlement is legally required as a condition to indemnification of the Covered Person hereunder, or (iii) the Covered Person has been determined pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(b) to be entitled to indemnification hereunder, then payments of the Expenses shall be made as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the later of (A) the date on which written demand is presented to the Corporation pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(a) or (B) the earliest date on which the applicable criterion specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 7(c) is satisfied.

(d) If (i) the Corporation (including by its Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel or stockholders) determines that the Covered Person is not entitled to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, (y) any amount of Expenses is not paid in full by the Corporation according to Article XII, Section 7(c) after the Determination is made pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(b) that the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified, or (z) any amount of any requested advancement of Expenses is not paid in full by the Corporation according to Article XII, Section 5 above after a request and an undertaking pursuant to Article XII, Section 5 above have been received by the Corporation, in each case, the Covered Person shall have the right to commence litigation in any court of competent jurisdiction, either challenging any such Determination, which shall not be binding, or any aspect thereof (including the legal or factual bases therefor), seeking to recover the unpaid amount of Expenses and otherwise to enforce the Corporation’s obligations under these Bylaws and, if successful in whole or in part, the Covered Person shall be entitled to be paid also any and all Expenses incurred in connection with prosecuting such claim. In any such suit, the Corporation shall, to the fullest extent not prohibited by law, have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion, to establish by clear and convincing evidence, that the Covered Person is not entitled to either (i) the requested indemnification or, (ii) except where the required undertaking, if any, has not been tendered to the Corporation, the requested advancement of Expenses. If the Covered Person commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that the Covered Person should be indemnified under applicable law, any such judicial proceeding shall be conducted in all respects as a  de novo  trial, on the merits, the Covered Person shall continue to be entitled to receive Expense advancements, and the Covered Person shall not be

38

 


required to reimburse the Corporation for any Expenses advanced, unless and until a final judicial determination is made (as to which all rights of appeal t herefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that the Covered Person is not entitled to be so indemnified under applicable law. Neither the failure of the Corporation (including its Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel or stockholders) to have made a de termination prior to the commencement of such action that indemnification of the Covered Person is proper in the circumstances because he or she has met the applicable standard of conduct set forth under the MGCL or other applicable law, nor an actual dete rmination by the Corporation (including its Disinterested Directors, Independent Counsel or stockholders) that the Covered Person has not met such applicable standard of conduct, shall be a defense to the action or create a presumption that the Covered Per son has not met the applicable standard of conduct.

(e) The termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not, of itself, create a presumption that the person did not act in good faith and in a manner which the person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Corporation, and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that the person’s conduct was unlawful.

(f)  Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if a Determination shall have been made pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(b) above that the Covered Person is entitled to indemnification, the Corporation shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(d) above.

(g) The Corporation shall be precluded from asserting in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to Article XII, Section 7(d) above that the procedures and presumptions of these Bylaws are not valid, binding and enforceable and shall stipulate in such proceeding that the Corporation is bound by all the provisions of these Bylaws.

Section 8. Procedures For The Determination of Whether Standards Have Been Satisfied .

(a)  All costs incurred by the Corporation in making the Determination shall be borne solely by the Corporation, including, but not limited to, the costs of legal counsel, proxy solicitations and judicial determinations. The Corporation shall also be solely responsible for paying all costs incurred by it in defending any suits or Proceedings challenging payments by the Corporation to a Covered Person under these Bylaws.

(b) The Corporation shall use its best efforts to make the Determination contemplated by this Article XII, Section 7(b) hereof as promptly as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

Section 9. Non-Exclusivity of Rights . The right to indemnification and the advancement of Expenses incurred in defending a Proceeding in advance of its final disposition conferred in this Article XII shall not be deemed exclusive of any other rights to which any Covered Person seeking indemnification or advancement of Expenses may be entitled to under any law (common law or statutory law), provision of the Charter, bylaw, agreement, insurance

39

 


policy, vote of stockholders or Disinterested Directors or otherwise, both as to action in such person’s Official Capacity and as to action in another capacity while holding such office or while employed by or acting as agent for the Corporation, and shal l continue as to a person who has ceased to be a Covered Person and shall inure to the benefit of the spouses, heirs, executors and administrators of such a person. The Corporation is specifically authorized to enter into an agreement with any of its direc tors, officers, employees or agents providing for indemnification and advancement of Expenses that may change, enhance, qualify or limit any right to indemnification or the advancement of Expenses provided by this Article XII, to the fullest extent not pro hibited by the MGCL or other applicable law.

Section 10. Continuation of Rights . The rights of indemnification and advancement of Expenses provided in this Article XII shall continue as to any person who has ceased to serve in an Official Capacity and shall inure to the benefit of his or her spouses, heirs, executors, administrators and estates.

Section 11. Contract Rights . Without the necessity of entering into an express contract with any Covered Person, the obligations of the Corporation to indemnify a Covered Person under this Article XII, including the duty to advance Expenses, shall be considered a contract right between the Corporation and such individual and shall be effective to the same extent and as if provided for in a contract between the Corporation and the Covered Person. Such contract right shall be deemed to vest at the commencement of such Covered Person’s service to or at the request of the Corporation, and no amendment, modification or repeal of this Article XII shall affect, to the detriment of the Covered Person and such Covered Person’s heirs, executors, administrators and estate, such obligations of the Corporation in connection with a claim based on any act or failure to act occurring before such modification or repeal.

Section 12. Subrogation . In the event of payment of indemnification to a Covered Person, the Corporation shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to any right of recovery such person may have and such person, as a condition of receiving indemnification from the Corporation, shall execute all documents and do all things that the Corporation may deem necessary or desirable to perfect such right of recovery, including the execution of such documents necessary to enable the Corporation effectively to enforce any such recovery.

Section 13. No Duplication of Payments . The Corporation shall not be liable under this Article XII to make any payment in connection with any claim made against a Covered Person to the extent such person has otherwise received payment (under any insurance policy, bylaw, agreement or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise payable as indemnity hereunder.

Section 14. Insurance and Funding .

(a) The Corporation shall purchase and maintain insurance, at its expense, to protect itself and any person against any liability or expense asserted against or incurred by such person in connection with any Proceeding, to the fullest extent authorized by the MGCL, as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, whether or not the Corporation would have the power to indemnify such person against such expense, liability or loss under this Article XII or the MGCL or otherwise; provided that such insurance is available on acceptable terms, which determination shall be made by resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of

40

 


authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time any such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption). The Corporation may create a trust fund, grant a security interest or use other means (including, without limitation, a letter of credit) to insure the payment of such sums as may become necessary to effect the indemnification prov ided herein.

(b) Any full or partial payment by an insurance company under any insurance policy covering any Covered Person indemnified above made to or on behalf of a Covered Person under this Article XII shall relieve the Corporation of its liability for indemnification provided for under this Article XII or otherwise to the extent of such payment.

(c)  In the absence of fraud, (i) the decision of the Board as to the propriety of the terms and conditions of any insurance or other financial arrangement made pursuant to this Section 14 and the choice of the person to provide the insurance or other financial arrangement is conclusive, and (ii) the insurance or other financial arrangement does not subject any director approving it to personal liability for his or her action in approving the insurance or other financial arrangement; even if a director approving the insurance or other financial arrangement is a beneficiary of the insurance or other financial arrangement.

Section 15. Severability . If this Article XII or any word, clause, provision or other portion hereof or any award made hereunder shall for any reason be determined to be invalid on any ground by any court of competent jurisdiction, the provisions hereof shall not otherwise be affected thereby but shall remain in full force and effect, and the Corporation shall nevertheless indemnify and hold harmless each Covered Person indemnified pursuant to this Article XII as to all Expenses with respect to any Proceeding to the fullest extent permitted by any applicable portion of this Article XII that shall not have been invalidated and to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

Section 16. No Imputation . The knowledge and/or actions, or failure to act, of any officer, director, employee or representative of the Corporation, an Other Enterprise or any other person shall not be imputed to a Covered Person for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Article XII.

Section 17. Reliance . Persons who after the date of the adoption of this Article XII or any amendment thereto serve or continue to serve the Corporation in an Official Capacity or who, while serving in an Official Capacity, serve or continue to serve in an Official Capacity for an Other Enterprise, shall be conclusively presumed to have relied on the rights to indemnification and advancement of Expenses contained in this Article XII.

Section 18. Notices . Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be given to the Corporation under this Article XII shall be in writing and either delivered in person or sent by U.S. mail, overnight courier or by e-mail or other electronic transmission, to the Secretary of the Corporation and shall be effective only upon receipt by the Secretary.

Section 19. Certain Definitions .

(a) The term “ Corporation ” shall include, in addition to Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and, in the event of a consolidation or merger involving the Corporation, in addition to

41

 


the resulting corporation, any constituent corporation (including any constituent of a constituent) absorbed in a consolidation or merger which, if its separate existence had continued, would have had power and authority to indemnify its directors, officers, employees or agents, so that any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of such constituent corporation, or is or was se rving at the request of such constituent corporation as a director, officer, employee or agent of an Other Enterprise, shall stand in the same position under the provisions of this Article XII with respect to the resulting or surviving corporation as such person would have with respect to such constituent corporation if its separate existence had continued.

(b)  The term “ Disinterested Director ” means a director of the Corporation who is not and was not a party to the matter in respect of which indemnification is sought by the Covered Person.

(c) The term “ Expenses ” shall be broadly construed and shall include all direct and indirect losses, liabilities, damages, expenses, including fees and expenses of attorneys, fees and expenses of accountants, court costs, transcript costs, fees and expenses of experts, witness fees and expenses, travel expenses, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, delivery service fees, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any bond (including cost bonds, appraisal bonds, or their equivalents), judgments, fines, penalties (whether civil, criminal or other), ERISA excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan, and amounts paid or payable in connection with any judgment, award or settlement, including any interest, assessments, any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any indemnification or expense advancement payments, and all other disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with (i) the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, mediation, arbitration, appeal or settlement of a Proceeding, (ii) serving as an actual or prospective witness, or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding, or other participation in, or other preparation for, any Proceeding, (iii) any compulsory interviews or depositions related to a Proceeding, (iv) any non-compulsory interviews or depositions related to a Proceeding, subject to the person receiving advance written approval by the Corporation to participate in such interviews or depositions, and (v) responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding. Expenses shall also include any federal, state, local and foreign taxes imposed on such person as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Article XII.

(d) The term “ Independent Counsel ” means a law firm, a member of a law firm, or an independent practitioner, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither currently is, nor in the five (5) years previous to its selection has been, retained to represent (i) the Corporation or the Covered Person in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Covered Person under this Article XII) or other indemnitees concerning similar indemnification arrangements or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Corporation or the Covered Person in an action to determine the Covered Person’s rights under this Article XII.

42

 


(e) The term “ not oppose d to the best interest of the Corporation ,” when used in the context of a Covered Person’s service with respect to employee benefit plans maintained or sponsored by the Corporation, describes the actions of a person who acts in good faith and in a manner h e or she reasonably believes to be in the best interests of the participants and beneficiaries of an employee benefit plan.

(f) The term “ Official Capacity ” shall mean (i) service as a director or officer of the Corporation or (ii) while serving as a director or officer of the Corporation, service, at the request of the Corporation, as an officer, director, manager, member, partner, tax matters partner, employee, agent, fiduciary, trustee or other representative of the Corporation or an Other Enterprise.

(g) The term “ Proceeding ” shall be broadly construed and shall include any threatened, pending or completed action, suit, investigation (including any internal investigation), inquiry, hearing, mediation, arbitration, other alternative dispute mechanism or any other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, regulatory, arbitrative, legislative, investigative or otherwise and whether formal or informal, or any appeal of any kind therefrom, including an action initiated by a Covered Person to enforce a Covered Person’s rights to indemnification or advancement of Expenses under these Bylaws, and whether instituted by or in the right of the Corporation, a governmental agency, the Board, any authorized committee thereof, a class of its security holders or any other party, and whether made pursuant to federal, state or other law, or any inquiry, hearing or investigation (including any internal investigation), whether formal or informal, whether instituted by or in the right of the Corporation, a governmental agency, the Board, any committee thereof, a class of its security holders, or any other party that the Covered Person believes might lead to the institution of any such proceeding.

(h) The term “ serving at the request of the Corporation ” shall include any service by an officer or director of the Corporation to the Corporation or an Other Enterprise, including any service as an officer, director, manager, member, partner, tax matters partner, employee, agent, fiduciary, trustee or other representative of the Corporation or an Other Enterprise, including service relating to an employee benefit plan and its participants or beneficiaries, at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of, the Corporation or any subsidiary of the Corporation. For the purposes of these Bylaws, a director’s or officer’s service to the Corporation or an Other Enterprise shall be presumed to be “serving at the request of the Corporation,” unless it is conclusively determined to the contrary by a majority vote of the directors of the Corporation, excluding, if applicable, such director. With respect to such determination, it shall not be necessary for the Covered Person to show any actual or prior request by the Corporation or its Board for such service to the Corporation or such Other Enterprise.

Section 20. Intent of Article . The intent of this Article XII is to provide for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by the applicable laws of the State of Maryland. To the extent that such applicable laws may be amended or supplemented from time to time, this Article XII shall be amended automatically and construed so as to permit indemnification to the fullest extent from time to time permitted by applicable law. Neither an amendment nor repeal of this Article XII, nor the adoption of any provision of these Bylaws inconsistent with this Article XII, shall eliminate or reduce the effect of this Article XII in respect of any matter occurring, or

43

 


action or proceeding accruing or arising or that, but for this Article XII, would accrue or arise, prior to such amendment repeal or adoption of any inconsistent provision.

ARTICLE XII

WAIVER OF NOTICE

Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Charter or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.

ARTICLE XIII

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

The Board shall have the exclusive power to adopt, amend, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws by resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of authorized directors (whether or not there exist any vacancies in previously authorized directorships at the time such resolution is presented to the Board for adoption) acting at any special or regular meeting of the Board if, in addition to any other notice required by these Bylaws and other applicable requirements contained herein, notice of such amendment, alteration or repeal is contained in the notice or waiver of notice of such meeting, which notice shall also include, without limitation, the text of any such proposed amendment and/or any resolution calling for any such amendment, alteration or repeal.

44

 

Exhibit 4.1.12

FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

OF

INDEPENDENCE REALTY OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP

 

 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

ARTICLE 1 DEFINED TERMS 2

ARTICLE 2 ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS 14

 

2.1

Continuation14

 

 

2.2

Name14

 

 

2.3

Registered Office and Agent; Principal Office15

 

 

2.4

Power of Attorney15

 

 

2.5

Term16

 

ARTICLE 3 PURPOSE 17

 

3.1

Purpose and Business17

 

 

3.2

Powers17

 

ARTICLE 4 CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS 18

 

4.1

Capital Contributions of the Partners18

 

 

4.2

Additional Funds; Restrictions on the General Partner18

 

 

4.3

Issuance of Additional Partnership Interests; Admission of Additional Limited Partners20

 

 

4.4

Contribution of Proceeds of Issuance of REIT Stock21

 

 

4.5

Repurchase of REIT Stock; Shares-In-Trust22

 

 

4.6

No Third-Party Beneficiary22

 

 

4.7

No Interest; No Return23

 

 

4.8

No Preemptive Rights.23

 

ARTICLE 5 DISTRIBUTIONS 23

 

5.1

Distributions23

 

 

5.2

Qualification as a REIT24

 

 

5.3

Withholding24

 

 

5.4

Additional Partnership Interests24

 

ARTICLE 6 ALLOCATIONS 24

 

6.1

Allocations24

 

 

6.2

Revisions to Allocations to Reflect Issuance of Partnership Interests24

 

ARTICLE 7 MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS OF BUSINESS 25

 

7.1

Management25

 

 

7.2

Certificate of Limited Partnership29

 

 

7.3

Reimbursement of the General Partner30

 

 

7.4

Outside Activities of the General Partner31

 

 

7.5

Contracts with Affiliates31

 

 

7.6

Indemnification32

 

 

7.7

Liability of the General Partner34

 

 

7.8

Other Matters Concerning the General Partner35

 

 

7.9

Title to Partnership Assets35

 

 


 

 

7.10

Reliance by Third Parties 36

 

 

7.11

Loans By Third Parties36

 

ARTICLE 8 RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF LIMITED PARTNERS 37

 

8.1

Limitation of Liability37

 

 

8.2

Management of Business37

 

 

8.3

Outside Activities of Limited Partners37

 

 

8.4

Return of Capital38

 

 

8.5

Rights of Limited Partners Relating to the Partnership38

 

 

8.6

Exchange Rights Agreements38

 

ARTICLE 9 BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS 39

 

9.1

Records and Accounting39

 

 

9.2

Fiscal Year39

 

 

9.3

Reports39

 

ARTICLE 10 TAX MATTERS 40

 

10.1

Preparation of Tax Returns40

 

 

10.2

Tax Elections40

 

 

10.3

Tax Matters Partner40

 

 

10.4

Organizational Expenses42

 

 

10.5

Withholding42

 

ARTICLE 11 TRANSFERS AND WITHDRAWALS 43

 

11.1

Transfer43

 

 

11.2

Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest44

 

 

11.3

Limited Partners’ Rights to Transfer45

 

 

11.4

Substituted Limited Partners47

 

 

11.5

Assignees47

 

 

11.6

General Provisions48

 

ARTICLE 12 ADMISSION OF PARTNERS 50

 

12.1

Admission of Successor General Partner50

 

 

12.2

Admission of Additional Limited Partners51

 

 

12.3

Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership52

 

ARTICLE 13 DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION AND TERMINATION 52

 

13.1

Dissolution52

 

 

13.2

Winding Up53

 

 

13.3

No Obligation to Contribute Deficit54

 

 

13.4

Rights of Limited Partners54

 

 

13.5

Notice of Dissolution55

 

 

13.6

Termination of Partnership and Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership55

 

 

13.7

Reasonable Time for Winding-Up55

 

 

13.8

Waiver of Partition55

 

-ii-

2 = 1


 

ARTICLE 14 A MENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS 55

 

14.1

Amendments55

 

 

14.2

Meetings of the Partners56

 

ARTICLE 15 GENERAL PROVISIONS 58

 

15.1

Addresses and Notice58

 

 

15.2

Titles and Captions58

 

 

15.3

Pronouns and Plurals58

 

 

15.4

Further Action58

 

 

15.5

Binding Effect58

 

 

15.6

Creditors58

 

 

15.7

Waiver58

 

 

15.8

Counterparts59

 

 

15.9

Applicable Law59

 

 

15.10

Invalidity of Provisions59

 

 

15.11

Entire Agreement59

 

 

15.12

Merger59

 

 

15.13

No Rights as Stockholders59

 

 

EXHIBITS

Exhibit A – Certificate of Limited Partnership

Exhibit B – Allocations

Exhibit C – Exchange Rights Agreement for Partnership Units

 

 

 

-iii-

3 = 1


 

FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED

AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

OF

independence REALTY OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP

THIS FIFTH AMENDED AND RESTATED AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF INDEPENDENCE REALTY OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP (this “ Agreement ”), dated as of March 3, 2017 (the “ Effective Date ”), is entered into by and among INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC., a Maryland corporation, as general partner (“ IRT ” or the “ General Partner ”), IRT Limited Partner, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and IRT as limited partners (the “ Limited Partners ”), and the Limited Partners party hereto from time to time.

WHEREAS, the General Partner formed Empire American Realty Operating Partnership, LP, now known as Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, (the “ Partnership ”) as a limited partnership on March 27, 2009 pursuant to the Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act of the State of Delaware and filed a certificate of limited partnership with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware; and

WHEREAS, the General Partner filed a certificate of amendment to the certificate of limited partnership with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on February 22, 2011 in order to change the name of the Partnership to “Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP,”; and

WHEREAS, the certificate of limited partnership and certificate of amendment to the certificate of limited partnership filed with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware are attached hereto as Exhibit A ; and

WHEREAS, the Partnership previously was governed by the terms of the Agreement of Limited Partnership of Empire American Realty Partnership, LP, dated as of January 21, 2010, as amended and restated in the Second Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, dated as of April 29, 2011, as amended and restated in the Third Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, dated as of January 4, 2012, as amended (the “ Third Amended and Restated Agreement ”), as amended and restated in the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, dated as of May 7, 2013, as amended (the “ Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement ”); and

WHEREAS, the General Partner and the Limited Partners of the Partnership now wish to amend and restate the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement as set forth herein, which shall, amend, restate and supersede the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement in its entirety.

NOW THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained, and other valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties do hereby agree as follows:

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ARTICLE 1
DEFINED TERMS

The following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.

Act ” means the Delaware Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act, as amended from time to time, and any successor to such statute.

Additional Limited Partner ” means a Person that has executed and delivered an additional limited partner signature page in the form attached hereto, has been admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner pursuant to Section 4.3 hereof and that is shown as such on the books and records of the Partnership.

Adjusted Capital Account Deficit ” means with respect to any Partner, the negative balance, if any, in such Partner’s Capital Account as of the end of any relevant fiscal year, determined after giving effect to the following adjustments:

(a) credit to such Capital Account any portion of such negative balance which such Partner (i) is treated as obligated to restore to the Partnership pursuant to the provisions of Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(c) of the Regulations, or (ii) is deemed to be obligated to restore to the Partnership pursuant to the penultimate sentences of Sections 1.704-2(g)(1) and 1.704-2(i)(5) of the Regulations; and

(b) debit to such Capital Account the items described in Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6) of the Regulations.

Affiliate ” means,

(a) with respect to any individual Person, any member of the Immediate Family of such Person or a trust established for the benefit of such member, or

(b) with respect to any Entity, any Person which, directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with, any such Entity. For purposes of this definition, “control,” when used with respect to any Person, means the power to direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise, and the terms “controlling” and “controlled” have meanings correlative to the foregoing.

Agreement ” means this Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, as originally executed and as amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time, as the context requires.

Articles of Incorporation ” means the General Partner’s Sixth Articles of Amendment Restatement, filed with the Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, or other organizational document governing the General Partner, as amended, modified, supplemented or restated from time to time.

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Assignee ” means a Person to whom one or more Partnership Units have been transferred in a manner permitted under this Agreement, but who has not become a Substituted Limited Partner, and who has the rights set forth in Section 11.5.

Available Cash ” means, with respect to the applicable period of measurement (i.e., any period beginning on the first day of the fiscal year, quarter or other period commencing immediately after the last day of the fiscal year, quarter or other applicable period for purposes of the prior calculation of Available Cash for or with respect to which a distribution has been made, and ending on the last day of the fiscal year, quarter or other applicable period immediately preceding the date of the calculation), the excess, if any, as of such date, of

(a) the gross cash receipts of the Partnership for such period from all sources whatsoever, including, without limitation, the following:

(i) all rents, revenues, income and proceeds derived by the Partnership from its operations, including, without limitation, distributions received by the Partnership from any Entity in which the Partnership has an interest;

(ii) all proceeds and revenues received by the Partnership on account of any sales of any Partnership property or as a refinancing of or payment of

(iii) principal, interest, costs, fees, penalties or otherwise on account of any borrowings or loans made by the Partnership or financings or refinancings of any property of the Partnership;

(iv) the amount of any insurance proceeds and condemnation awards received by the Partnership;

(v) all capital contributions and loans received by the Partnership from its Partners;

(vi) all cash amounts previously reserved by the Partnership, to the extent such amounts are no longer needed for the specific purposes for which such amounts were reserved; and

(vii) the proceeds of liquidation of the Partnership’s property in accordance with this Agreement;

over

(b) the sum of the following:

(i) all operating costs and expenses, including taxes and other expenses of the properties directly and indirectly held by the Partnership and capital expenditures made during such period (without deduction, however, for any capital expenditures, charges for Depreciation or other expenses not paid in cash or expenditures from reserves described in (viii) below);

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(ii) all costs and expenses expended or paid during such period in connection with the sale or other disposition, or financing or refinancing, of the property directly or indirectly held by the Partnership or the recovery of insurance or condemnation proceeds;

(iii) all fees provided for under this Agreement;

(iv) all debt service, including principal and interest, paid during such period on all indebtedness (including under any line of credit) of the Partnership;

(v) all capital contributions, advances, reimbursements, loans or similar payments made to any Person in which the Partnership has an interest;

(vi) all loans made by the Partnership in accordance with the terms of this Agreement;

(vii) all reimbursements to the General Partner or its Affiliates during such period; and

(viii) the amount of any new reserve or increase in reserves established during such period which the General Partner determines is necessary or appropriate in its sole and absolute discretion.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, Available Cash shall not include any cash received or reductions in reserves, or take into account any disbursements made or reserves established, after commencement of the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership.

Business Combination ” has the meaning set forth in Section 7.1(a)(iii)(C).

Capital Account ” means with respect to any Partner, the Capital Account maintained for such Partner in accordance with the following provisions:

(a) to each Partner’s Capital Account there shall be credited

(i) such Partner’s Capital Contributions;

(ii) such Partner’s distributive share of Net Income as determined pursuant to Paragraph 1 of Exhibit B and any items in the nature of income or gain which are specially allocated to such Partner pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Exhibit B; and

(iii) the amount of any Partnership liabilities assumed by such Partner or which are secured by any asset distributed to such Partner;

(b) to each Partner’s Capital Account there shall be debited

(i) the amount of cash and the Gross Asset Value of any property distributed to such Partner pursuant to any provision of this Agreement;

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(ii) such Partner’s distributive share of Net Losses as determined pursuant to Paragraph 1 of Exhibit B and any items in the nature of expenses or losses which are specially allocated to such Partner pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Exh ibit B; and

(iii) the amount of any liabilities of such Partner assumed by the Partnership or which are secured by any asset contributed by such Partner to the Partnership; and

(c) in the event all or a portion of a Partnership Interest is transferred in accordance with the terms of this Agreement, the transferee shall succeed to the Capital Account of the transferor to the extent it relates to the transferred Partnership Interest.

The foregoing provisions and the other provisions of this Agreement relating to the maintenance of Capital Accounts are intended to comply with Sections 1.704-1(b) and 1.704-2 of the Regulations, and shall be interpreted and applied in a manner consistent with such Regulations. In the event the General Partner shall reasonably determine that it is prudent to modify the manner in which the Capital Accounts, or any debits or credits thereto (including, without limitation, debits or credits relating to liabilities which are secured by contributed or distributed assets or which are assumed by the Partnership, the General Partner or any Limited Partner) are computed in order to comply with such Regulations, the General Partner may make such modification; provided that it would not cause the amounts distributable to any Partner pursuant to Article 13 hereof upon the dissolution of the Partnership to vary from the amount contemplated as set forth in Section 2(g) of Exhibit B.

Capital Contribution ” means, with respect to any Partner, any cash, cash equivalents or the Gross Asset Value of property which such Partner contributes or is deemed to contribute to the Partnership pursuant to Article 4 hereof.

Capital Transaction ” means any sale, or other disposition (other than a deemed disposition pursuant to Section 708(b)(1)(B) and the regulations thereunder) of all or substantially all of the assets and properties of the Partnership or a related series of transactions that, taken together, result in the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets and properties of the Partnership.

Cash Available for Distribution ” means Available Cash.

Certificate ” means the Certificate of Limited Partnership relating to the Partnership filed in the office of the Delaware Secretary of State on March 27, 2009, as amended by the Certificate of Amendment filed on February 22, 2011, and as further amended from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof and the Act.

Code ” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended and in effect from time to time, as interpreted by the applicable regulations thereunder. Any reference herein to a specific section or sections of the Code shall be deemed to include a reference to any corresponding provision of future law.

Common Stock ” means a share of the common stock of the General Partner, $.01 par value per share.  Common Stock may be issued in one or more classes or series in accordance with the terms of the Articles of Incorporation. If there is more than one class or series of Common Stock, the term “Common Stock” shall, as the context requires, be deemed to refer to the class or series of Common

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Stock that correspond to the class or series of Partnership Interests for which the reference to Common Stock is made.

Common Units means Partnership Units that are not Preferred Units.

Consent ” means the consent or approval of a proposed action by a Partner given in accordance with Section 14.2 hereof.

Consent of the Limited Partners ” means the Consent of Limited Partners (excluding for this purpose any Partnership Interests held by the General Partner, any other Person of which they own or control more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting interests and any Person directly or indirectly owning or controlling more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding voting interests of the General Partner) holding Percentage Interests that are greater than fifty percent (50%) of the aggregate Percentage Interest of all Limited Partners who are not excluded for the purposes hereof.

Contributed Property ” means each property, partnership interest, contract right or other asset, in such form as may be permitted by the Act, contributed or deemed contributed to the Partnership by any Partner, including any interest in any successor partnership occurring as a result of a termination of the Partnership pursuant to Section 708 of Code.

Cumulative Non-Compound Return ” means the percentage resulting from dividing: (i) the total amount of dividends and distributions paid by the General Partner to the Stockholders or the total amount of distributions made by the Partnership to the Limited Partners, in each case reduced by distributions from the sale or refinancing of properties, from the Effective Date until the Distribution Date, by (ii) the product of (a) the weighted average Net Investment for such period (calculated on a daily basis), and (b) the number of years (including the fractions thereof) elapsed from the Effective Date until the Distribution Date (based on a year of 365 days).

Debt ” means, as to any Person, as of any date of determination, (a) all indebtedness of such Person for borrowed money or for the deferred purchase price of property or services; (b) all amounts owed by such Person to banks or other Persons in respect of reimbursement obligations under letters of credit, surety bonds and other similar instruments guaranteeing payment or other performance of obligations by such Person; (c) all indebtedness for borrowed money or for the deferred purchase price of property or services secured by any lien on any property owned by such Person, to the extent attributable to such Person’s interest in such property, even though such Person has not assumed or become liable for the payment thereof; and (d) obligations of such Person incurred in connection with entering into a lease which, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, should be capitalized.

Depreciation ” means, with respect to any asset of the Partnership for any fiscal year or other period, the depreciation, depletion, amortization or other cost recovery deduction, as the case may be, allowed or allowable for federal income tax purposes in respect of such asset for such fiscal year or other period; provided, however, that except as otherwise provided in Section 1.704-2 of the Regulations, if there is a difference between the Gross Asset Value (including the Gross Asset Value, as increased pursuant to paragraph (d) of the definition of Gross Asset Value) and the adjusted tax basis of such asset at the beginning of such fiscal year or other period, Depreciation for such asset shall be an amount that bears the same ratio to the beginning Gross Asset Value of such asset as the federal

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income tax depreciation, depletion, amortization or other cost recovery deduction for such fiscal year or other period bears to the beginning adjusted tax basis of such asset; provided, further, that if the fede ral income tax depreciation, depletion, amortization or other cost recovery deduction for such asset for such fiscal year or other period is zero, Depreciation of such asset shall be determined with reference to the beginning Gross Asset Value of such asse t using any reasonable method selected by the General Partner.

Director ” means a member of the board of directors of the General Partner.

Distribution Date ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.1.

Effective Date ” shall have the meaning set forth in the opening recital.

Entity ” means any general partnership, limited partnership, corporation, joint venture, trust, business trust, real estate investment trust, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, cooperative or association.

ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended from time to time (or any corresponding provisions of succeeding laws).

Exchange Factor ” has the meaning set forth in the Exchange Rights Agreements.

Exchange Right ” has the meaning set forth in the Exchange Rights Agreements.

Exchange Rights Agreements ” has the meaning set forth in Section 8.6.

General Partner ” means Independence Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and any successor as general partner of the Partnership.

General Partner Interest ” means a Partnership Interest held by the General Partner, in its capacity as general partner. A General Partner Interest may be expressed as a number of Partnership Units.

Gross Asset Value ” means, with respect to any asset of the Partnership, such asset’s adjusted basis for federal income tax purposes, except as follows:

(a) the initial Gross Asset Value of any asset contributed by a Partner to the Partnership shall be the gross fair market value of such asset, without reduction for liabilities, as determined by the contributing Partner and the Partnership on the date of contribution thereof;

(b) if the General Partner determines that an adjustment is necessary or appropriate to reflect the relative economic interests of the Partners, the Gross Asset Values of all Partnership assets shall be adjusted in accordance with Sections 1.704- 1(b)(2)(iv)(f) and (g) of the Regulations to equal their respective gross fair market values, without reduction for liabilities, as reasonably determined by the General Partner, as of the following times:

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(i) a Capital Contribution (other than a de minimis Capital Contribution) to the Partnership by a new or existing Partner as consideration for a Partnership Interest; or

(ii) the distribution by the Partnership to a Partner of more than a de minimis amount of Partnership assets as consideration for the repurchase of a Partnership Interest; or

(iii) the liquidation of the Partnership within the meaning of Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(g) of the Regulations;

(c) the Gross Asset Values of Partnership assets distributed to any Partner shall be the gross fair market values of such assets (taking Section 7701(g) of the Code into account) without reduction for liabilities, as determined by the General Partner as of the date of distribution; and

(d) the Gross Asset Values of Partnership assets shall be increased (or decreased) to reflect any adjustments to the adjusted basis of such assets pursuant to Sections 734(b) or 743(b) of the Code, but only to the extent that such adjustments are taken into account in determining Capital Accounts pursuant to Section 1.704- 1(b)(2)(iv)(m) of the Regulations (as set forth in Exhibit B); provided, however, that Gross Asset Values shall not be adjusted pursuant to this paragraph (d) to the extent that the General Partner determines that an adjustment pursuant to paragraph (b) above is necessary or appropriate in connection with a transaction that would otherwise result in an adjustment pursuant to this paragraph (d).

At all times, Gross Asset Values shall be adjusted by any Depreciation taken into account with respect to the Partnership’s assets for purposes of computing Net Income and Net Loss.

Incapacity ” or “ Incapacitated ” means,

(a) as to any individual who is a Partner, death, total physical disability or entry by a court of competent jurisdiction adjudicating him incompetent to manage his person or his estate;

(b) as to any corporation which is a Partner, the filing of a certificate of dissolution, or its equivalent, for the corporation or the revocation of its charter;

(c) as to any partnership which is a Partner, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the partnership;

(d) as to any limited liability company which is a Partner, the dissolution and commencement of winding up of the limited liability company;

(e) as to any estate which is a Partner, the distribution by the fiduciary of the estate’s entire interest in the Partnership;

(f) as to any trustee of a trust which is a Partner, the termination of the trust (but not the substitution of a new trustee); or

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(g) as to any Partner, the bankruptcy of such Partner, which shall be deemed to have occurred when

(i) the Partner commences a voluntary proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect;

(ii) the Partner is adjudged as bankrupt or insolvent, or a final and nonappealable order for relief under any bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law now or hereafter in effect has been entered against the Partner;

(iii) the Partner executes and delivers a general assignment for the benefit of the Partner’s creditors;

(iv) the Partner files an answer or other pleading admitting or failing to contest the material allegations of a petition filed against the Partner in any proceeding of the nature described in clause (ii) above;

(v) the Partner seeks, consents to or acquiesces in the appointment of a trustee, receiver or liquidator for the Partner or for all or any substantial part of the Partner’s properties;

(vi) any proceeding seeking liquidation, reorganization or other relief of or against such Partner under any bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect has not been dismissed within one hundred twenty (120) days after the commencement thereof;

(vii) the appointment without the Partner’s consent or acquiescence of a trustee, receiver or liquidator has not been vacated or stayed within ninety (90) days of such appointment; or

(viii) an appointment referred to in clause (vii) which has been stayed is not vacated within ninety (90) days after the expiration of any such stay.

Indemnitee ” means

(a) any Person made a party to a proceeding by reason of its status as

(i) the General Partner,

(ii) a Limited Partner,

(iii) a trustee, director or officer of the Partnership or the General Partner, or

(iv) a director, trustee, member or officer of any other Entity, each Person serving in such capacity at the request of the Partnership or the General Partner, or

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(v) his or its liabilities, pursuant to a loan guarantee or ot herwise, for any indebtedness of the Partnership or any Subsidiary of the Partnership (including, without limitation, any indebtedness which the Partnership or any Subsidiary of the Partnership has assumed or taken assets subject to); and

(b) such other Persons (including Affiliates of the General Partner, a Limited Partner or the Partnership) as the General Partner may designate from time to time (whether before or after the event giving rise to potential liability), in its sole and absolute discretion.

Independent Directors ” means a Director who is an “Independent Director” as set forth in the General Partner’s Charter.

Initial Limited Partners ” means IRT Limited Partner, LLC and IRT.

IRS ” shall mean the Internal Revenue Service of the United States.

IRT ” shall mean Independence Realty Trust, Inc.

Joint Venture ” means any joint venture or general partnership arrangement in which the Partnership is a co-venturer or general partner which are established to acquire one or more Investments.

Lien ” means any lien, security interest, mortgage, deed of trust, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, option, right of first offer or first refusal and any other right or interest of others of any kind or nature, actual or contingent, or other similar encumbrance of any nature whatsoever.

Limited Partner ” means, prior to the admission of the first Additional Limited Partner to the Partnership, the Initial Limited Partners, and thereafter any Person admitted to the Partnership as a Limited Partner as reflected in the Partnership Interest Records, as the same may be updated from time to time by the General Partner or the transfer agent, upon the execution and delivery by such Person of an additional limited partner signature page, or any Substituted Limited Partner or Additional Limited Partner, in such Person’s capacity as a Limited Partner of the Partnership.

Limited Partner Interest ” means a Partnership Interest of a Limited Partner in the Partnership representing a fractional part of the Partnership Interests of all Partners and includes any and all benefits to which the holder of such a Partnership Interest may be entitled, as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations of such Person to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement. A Limited Partner Interest may be expressed as a number of Partnership Units.

Liquidating Event ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.1 hereof.

Liquidator ” has the meaning set forth in Section 13.2 hereof.

Net Income ” or “ Net Loss ” means, for each fiscal year or other applicable period, an amount equal to the Partnership’s taxable income or loss for such year or period as determined for federal income tax purposes by the General Partner, determined in accordance with Section 703(a) of the Code (for this purpose, all items of income, gain, loss or deduction required to be stated separately pursuant to Section 703(a) of the Code shall be included in taxable income or loss), adjusted as follows:

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(a) by including as an item of gross income any tax-exempt income received by the Partnership and not otherwise taken into account in computing Net Income or Net Loss;

(b) by treating as a deductible expense any expenditure of the Partnership described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code (or which is treated as a Section 705(a)(2)(B) expenditure pursuant to Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(i) of the Regulations) and not otherwise taken into account in computing Net Income or Net Loss, including amounts paid or incurred to organize the Partnership (unless an election is made pursuant to Section 709(b) of the Code) or to promote the sale of interests in the Partnership and by treating deductions for any losses incurred in connection with the sale or exchange of Partnership property disallowed pursuant to Section 267(a)(1) or 707(b) of the Code as expenditures described in Section 705(a)(2)(B) of the Code;

(c) by taking into account Depreciation in lieu of depreciation, depletion, amortization and other cost recovery deductions taken into account in computing taxable income or loss;

(d) by computing gain or loss resulting from any disposition of Partnership property with respect to which gain or loss is recognized for federal income tax purposes by reference to the Gross Asset Value of such property rather than its adjusted tax basis;

(e) in the event of an adjustment of the Gross Asset Value of any Partnership asset which requires that the Capital Accounts of the Partnership be adjusted pursuant to Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(e), (f) and (g) of the Regulations, by taking into account the amount of such adjustment as if such adjustment represented additional Net Income or Net Loss pursuant to Exhibit B; and

(f) by not taking into account in computing Net Income or Net Loss items separately allocated to the Partners pursuant to Paragraph 2 of Exhibit B.

Net Investment ” means (i) as it relates to the Stockholders, the original issue price paid by such stockholders for the purchase of Common Stock; and (ii) as it relates to the Limited Partners the total amount of Capital Contributions with respect to Common Units; in each case reduced by distributions from the sale or refinancing of properties with respect to Common Stock or Common Units.

Nonrecourse Deductions ” has the meaning set forth in Sections 1.704-2(b)(1) and 1.704-2(c) of the Regulations.

Nonrecourse Liabilities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 1.704-2(b)(3) of the Regulations.

Partner ” means the General Partner or a Limited Partner, and “Partners” means the General Partner and the Limited Partners collectively.

Partner Minimum Gain ” means an amount, with respect to each Partner Nonrecourse Debt, equal to the Partnership Minimum Gain that would result if such Partner Nonrecourse Debt were treated as a Nonrecourse Liability, determined in accordance with Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(3).

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Partner Nonrecour se Debt ” has the meaning set forth in Regulations Section 1.704- 2(b)(4).

Partner Nonrecourse Deductions ” has the meaning set forth in Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(2), and the amount of Partner Nonrecourse Deductions with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt for a Partnership taxable year shall be determined in accordance with the rules of Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(2).

Partnership ” means the limited partnership formed under the Act and governed by this Agreement, and any successor thereto.

Partnership Interest ” means an ownership interest in the Partnership of a Limited Partner or the General Partner and includes any and all benefits to which the holder of such a Partnership Interest may be entitled as provided in this Agreement, together with all obligations of such Person to comply with the terms and provisions of this Agreement. A Partnership Interest may be expressed as a number of Partnership Units.

Partnership Interest Records ” means a current written record maintained by the General Partner, or a transfer agent appointed by General Partner, which such record shall reflect (a) the outstanding number of Partnership Units, (b) the Percentage Interests in the Partnership represented by such Partnership Units, (c) Capital Contributions, (d) the issuance of Partnership Units, (e) the admission of any Additional Limited Partner or any Substituted Limited Partner, and (f) the name and address for each Partner, (b)

Partnership Minimum Gain ” has the meaning set forth in Regulations Section 1.704- 2(b)(2), and the amount of Partnership Minimum Gain, as well as any net increase or decrease in a Partnership Minimum Gain, for a Partnership taxable year shall be determined in accordance with the rules of Regulations Section 1.704-2(d).

Partnership Record Date ” means the record date established by the General Partner for a distribution pursuant to Section 5.1 hereof, which record date shall be the same as the record date established by the General Partner for a distribution to its stockholders of some or all of its portion of such distribution.

Partnership Unit ” means a fractional, undivided share of the Partnership Interests and includes Common Units, Preferred Units and any classes or series of Partnership Units established after the date hereof. The number of Partnership Units outstanding and the Percentage Interests in the Partnership represented by such Partnership Units are set forth in the Partnership Interest Records, as the same may be updated from time to time. The ownership of Partnership Units shall be evidenced by such form of certificate for Partnership Units as the General Partner adopts from time to time unless the General Partner determines that the Partnership Units shall be uncertificated securities.

Partnership Unit Designation has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2.

Partnership Year ” means the fiscal year of the Partnership, as set forth in Section 9.2 hereof.

Percentage Interest ” means, with respect to each Partner, the product of 100% and a fraction, the numerator of which is equal to the number of Common Units owned by the Partner and the denominator of which is equal to the total number of outstanding Common Units.

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Permitted Transferee ” means any person to whom Partnership Units are Transferred in accordance with Section 11.3 of this Agreement.

Person ” means an individual or Entity.

Precontribution Gain ” has the meaning set forth in subparagraph 3(c) of Exhibit B.

Preferred Units means any Units issued after the date of this Agreement pursuant to Section 4.2 that are designated as Preferred Units.

Property ” means any real property or properties transferred or conveyed to the Partnership, either directly or indirectly, including through ownership interests in a Joint Venture.

Quarter ” means each of the three-month periods ending on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31.

Registration Statement ” means the Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed by the General Partner with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and any amendments at any time made thereto.

Regulations ” means the final, temporary or proposed Income Tax Regulations promulgated under the Code, as such regulations may be amended from time to time (including corresponding provisions of succeeding regulations).

REIT ” means a real estate investment trust as defined in Section 856 of the Code.

REIT Requirements ” has the meaning set forth in Section 5.2.

REIT Stock ” means shares of the General Partner’s common stock.

REIT Stock Amount ” has the meaning set forth in the Exchange Rights Agreement.

Sale ” means (i) any transaction or series of transactions whereby: (A) the Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of any Investment or portion thereof, including the transfer of any Property that is the subject of a ground lease, including any event with respect to any Investment that gives rise to a significant amount of insurance proceeds or condemnation awards, and including the issuance by one of the General Partner’s subsidiaries of any asset-backed securities or collateralized debt obligations as part of a securitization transaction; (B) the Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of all or substantially all of the interest of the Partnership in any Joint Venture in which it is a partner; or (C) any Joint Venture in which the Partnership is a co-venturer or partner, sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of any Investment or portion thereof, including any event with respect to any Investment that gives rise to insurance claims or condemnation awards, and including the issuance by such Joint Venture or one of its subsidiaries of any asset-backed securities or collateralized debt obligations as part of a securitization transaction.

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Securities ” has the meaning set forth in Section 4.2(b).

Stockholder ” means a holder of Common Stock.

Subsidiary ” means, with respect to any Person, any corporation, partnership, limited liability company or other entity of which a majority of

(a) the voting power of the voting equity securities; and/or

(b) the outstanding equity interests (whether or not voting), is owned, directly or indirectly, by such Person.

Substituted Limited Partner ” means a Person who is admitted as a Limited Partner to the Partnership pursuant to Section 11.4 hereof.

Tax Items ” has the meaning set forth in Exhibit B.

Transfer ” as a noun, means any sale, assignment, conveyance, pledge, hypothecation, gift, encumbrance or other transfer, and as a verb, means to sell, assign, convey, pledge, hypothecate, give, encumber or otherwise transfer.

Certain additional terms and phrases have the meanings set forth in Exhibit B.

ARTICLE 2
ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS

2.1 Continuation

The Partners agree that as of the date of this Agreement (i) the Persons listed in the Partnership Interest Records are the current Partners and (ii) the Fourth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership dated as of May 7, 2013, as amended (the “ Prior Partnership Agreement ”), that previously evidenced the Partnership is hereby amended and restated in its entirety, subject to the terms provided herein, and the Partnership is continued without interruption under and pursuant to the terms and provisions of the Act.  Except as expressly provided herein to the contrary, the rights and obligations of the Partners and the administration and termination of the Partnership shall be governed by the Act. The Partnership Interest of each Partner shall be personal property for all purposes.

2.2 Name

The name of the Partnership is Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP. The Partnership’s business may be conducted under any other name or names deemed advisable by the General Partner, including the name of the General Partner or any Affiliate thereof. The words “Limited Partnership,” “LP,” “Ltd.” or similar words or letters shall be included in the Partnership’s name where necessary for the purposes of complying with the laws of any jurisdiction that so requires. The General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion may change the name of the Partnership and shall notify the Limited Partners of such change in the next regular communication to the Limited Partners.

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2.3 Registered Office and Agent; Principal Office

The address of the registered office of the Partnership in the State of Delaware and the name and address of the registered agent for service of process on the Partnership in the State of Delaware is the Corporation Service Company, 2711 Centerville Road Suite 400, Wilmington, Delaware 19808. The principal office of the Partnership shall be Two Logan Square, 100 N. 18 th St., 23 rd Floor, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 191043 or such other place as the General Partner may from time to time designate by notice to the Limited Partners. The Partnership may maintain offices at such other place or places within or outside the State of Delaware as the General Partner deems advisable.

2.4 Power of Attorney

(a) Each Limited Partner and each Assignee who accepts Partnership Units (or any rights, benefits or privileges associated therewith) is deemed to irrevocably constitute and appoint the General Partner, any Liquidator, and authorized officers and attorneys-in-fact of each, and each of those acting singly, in each case with full power of substitution, as its true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact, with full power and authority in its name, place and stead to:

(i) execute, swear to, acknowledge, deliver, file and record in the appropriate public offices

(A) all certificates, documents and other instruments (including, without limitation, this Agreement and the Certificate and all amendments or restatements thereof) that the General Partner or the Liquidator deems appropriate or necessary to form, qualify or continue the existence or qualification of the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the Limited Partners have limited liability) in the State of Delaware and in all other jurisdictions in which the Partnership may or plans to conduct business or own property, including, without limitation, any documents necessary or advisable to convey any Contributed Property to the Partnership;

(B) all instruments that the General Partner or any Liquidator deems appropriate or necessary to reflect any amendment, change, modification or restatement of this Agreement in accordance with its terms;

(C) all conveyances and other instruments or documents that the General Partner or any Liquidator deems appropriate or necessary to reflect the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership pursuant to the terms of this Agreement, including, without limitation, a certificate of cancellation;

(D) all instruments relating to the admission, withdrawal, removal or substitution of any Partner pursuant to, or other events described in, Article 11, 12 or 13 hereof or the Capital Contribution of any Partner;

(E) all certificates, documents and other instruments relating to the determination of the rights, preferences and privileges of Partnership Interest; and

(F) amendments to this Agreement as provided in Article 14 hereof; and

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(ii) execute, swear to, seal, acknowledge and file all ballots, consents, approvals, waivers, certificates and other instruments appropriate or necessary, in the sole and absolute discretion of the General Partner or any Liquidator, to make, evidence, give, confirm or ratify any vote, consent, approva l, agreement or other action which is made or given by the Partners hereunder or is consistent with the terms of this Agreement or appropriate or necessary, in the sole discretion of the General Partner or any Liquidator, to effectuate the terms or intent of this Agreement.

Nothing contained herein shall be construed as authorizing the General Partner or any Liquidator to amend this Agreement except in accordance with Article 14 hereof or as may be otherwise expressly provided for in this Agreement.

(b)

(i) The foregoing power of attorney is hereby declared to be irrevocable and a power coupled with an interest, in recognition of the fact that each of the Partners will be relying upon the power of the General Partner and any Liquidator to act as contemplate d by this Agreement in any filing or other action by it on behalf of the Partnership, and it shall survive and not be affected by the subsequent Incapacity of any Limited Partner or Assignee and the Transfer of all or any portion of such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s Partnership Units and shall extend to such Limited Partner’s or Assignee’s heirs, successors, assigns and personal representatives.

(ii) Each such Limited Partner or Assignee hereby agrees to be bound by any representation made by the General Partner or any Liquidator, acting in good faith pursuant to such power of attorney, and each such Limited Partner or Assignee hereby waives any and all defenses which may be available to contest, negate or disaffirm the action of the General Partner or any Liquidator, taken in good faith under such power of attorney.

(iii) Each Limited Partner or Assignee shall execute and deliver to the General Partner or the Liquidator, within fifteen (15) days after receipt of the General Partner’s or Liquidator’s reque st therefor, such further designation, powers of attorney and other instruments as the General Partner or the Liquidator, as the case may be, deems necessary to effectuate this Agreement and the purposes of the Partnership.

2.5 Term

The term of the Partnership began on March 27, 2009  and shall continue until December 31, 2099, unless the Partnership is dissolved sooner pursuant to the provisions of Article 13 or as otherwise provided by law.

ARTICLE 3
PURPOSE

3.1 Purpose and Business

(a) The purpose and nature of the business to be conducted by the Partnership is to conduct any business that may be lawfully conducted by a limited partnership organized pursuant to the Act including, without limitation, to engage in the following activities:

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(i) to acquire, hold, own, develop, constr uct, improve, maintain, operate, sell, lease, transfer, encumber, convey, exchange, and otherwise dispose of or deal with real and personal property of all kinds;

(ii) to enter into any partnership, joint venture, corporation, limited liability company, trust or other similar arrangement to engage in any of the foregoing;

(iii) to undertake such other activities as may be necessary, advisable, desirable or convenient to the business of the Partnership; and

(iv) to engage in such other ancillary activities as shall be necessary or desirable to effectuate the foregoing purposes;

provided, however, that such business shall be limited to and conducted in such a manner as to permit the General Partner at all times to be qualified as a REIT, unless the General Partner determines not to qualify as a REIT or ceases to qualify as a REIT for any reason not related to the business conducted by the Partnership.

(b) The Partnership shall have all powers necessary or desirable to accomplish the purposes enumerated.

3.2 Powers

(a) The Partnership is empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary, appropriate, proper, advisable, incidental to or convenient for the furtherance and accomplishment of the purposes and business described herein and for the protection and benefit of the Partnership including, without limitation, full power and authority to enter into, perform, and carry out contracts of any kind, to borrow money and to issue evidences of indebtedness, whether or not secured by mortgage, trust deed, pledge or other Lien, and, directly or indirectly, to acquire, own, improve, develop and construct real property, and lease, sell, transfer and dispose of real property; provided, that the Partnership shall not take, or refrain from taking, any action which, in the judgment of the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion,

(i) could adversely affect the ability of the General Partner to continue to qualify as a REIT, unless the General Partner otherwise ceases to qualify as a REIT;

(ii) could subject the General Partner to any additional taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code; or

(iii) could violate any law or regulation of any governmental body or agency having jurisdiction over the General Partner or its securities, unless such action (or inaction) shall have been specifically consented to by the General Partner in writing.

(b) The General Partner also is empowered to do any and all acts and things necessary, appropriate or advisable to ensure that the Partnership will not be classified as a “publicly traded partnership” for the purposes of Section 7704 of the Code, including but not limited to imposing restrictions on exchanges of Partnership Units.

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ARTICLE 4
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS

4.1 Capital Contributions of the Partners

(a) The Partners own the Partnership Units as set forth in the Partnership Interest Records which were issued for Capital Contributions made by such Partners or their predecessors.  The General Partner shall, or shall cause the transfer agent to update the Partnership Interest Records to reflect the admission of new Partners and issuances, redemptions and transfers of Partnership Units from time to time.

(b) To the extent the Partnership acquires any property by the merger of any other Person into the Partnership or the contribution of assets by any other Person, Persons who receive Partnership Interests in exchange for their interests in the Person merging into or contributing assets to the Partnership shall become Partners and shall be deemed to have made Capital Contributions as provided in the applicable merger agreement or contribution agreement and as set forth in the Partnership Interest Records, as updated to reflect such deemed Capital Contributions.

(c) The Partnership may issue an unlimited number of Partnership Units. Partnership Units may be issued to, acquired and owned by Limited Partners or the General Partner.

(d) The number of Partnership Units held by the General Partner, in its capacity as general partner, shall be deemed to be the General Partner Interest.

(e) Except as provided in Sections 4.2 and 10.5, the Limited Partners shall have no obligation to make any additional Capital Contributions or provide any additional funding to the Partnership (whether in the form of loans, repayments of loans or otherwise) and no Limited Partner shall have any obligation to restore any deficit that may exist in its Capital Account, either upon a liquidation of the Partnership or otherwise.

4.2 Additional Funds; Restrictions on the General Partner

(a) (i)Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the General Partner is hereby authorized to ca use the Partnership to issue such additional Partnership Interests in the form of Partnership Units for any Partnership purpose at any time or from time to time, to Partners (other than the General Partner) or to other Persons, for such consideration and on such terms and conditions as shall be established by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion, all without the approval of any Limited Partner. The Partnership may also from time to time issue to the General Partner additional Partnership Units in consideration of a contribution by the General Partner. Any additional Units issued pursuant to this Section 4.2 may be Common Units or Preferred Units and, if Preferred Units, may be issued in one or more classes, or one or more series of any of such classes, with such designations, preferences and relative, participating, optional or other special rights, powers and duties, including rights, powers and duties senior to Common or Preferred Units (subject to the terms of any existing Preferred Units) then outstanding, all as shall be determined by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion and without the approval of any Limited Partner, including, without limitation, in respect of (A) the allocations of items of Partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to each such class or series of Preferred Units; (B) the right of each such class or series of Preferred Units to share in Partnership

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distributions; and (C) the rights of each such class or series of Preferred Units upon diss olution and liquidation of the Partnership; provided , that a written designation of preferences setting forth the rights, powers, duties and preferences of each class or series of Preferred Units shall be set forth as an additional Exhibit to this Agreemen t on or prior to the date of issuance of such Preferred Units (each a “ Partnership Unit Designation ”).

 

(ii) In the event additional financing is needed for any reason, the General Partner may, in its sole and absolute discretion, in such amounts and at such times as it solely shall determine to be necessary or appropriate,

(A) cause the Partnership to issue additional Partnership Interests and admit additional Limited Partners to the Partnership in accordance with Section 4.3;

(B) make additional Capital Contributions to the Partnership (subject to the provisions of Section 4.2(b));

(C) cause the Partnership to borrow money, enter into loan arrangements, issue debt securities, obtain letters of credit or otherwise borrow money on a secured or unsecured basis;

(D) make a loan or loans to the Partnership (subject to Section 4.2(b)); or

(E) sell any assets or properties directly or indirectly owned by the Partnership.

(iii) In no event shall any Limited Partners be required to make any additional Capital Contributions or any loan to, or otherwise provide any financial accommodation for the benefit of, the Partnership.

(b) The General Partner shall not issue any debt securities, any preferred stock or any common stock (including additional REIT Stock (other than (i) as payment of the REIT Stock Amount or (ii) in connection with the conversion or exchange of securities of the General Partner solely in conversion or exchange for other securities of the General Partner)) or rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities containing the right to subscribe for or purchase any of the foregoing (collectively, “ Securities ”), other than to all holders of REIT Stock, unless the General Partner shall

(i) in the case of debt securities, issued by the General Partner, lend to the Partnership the proceeds of or consideration received for such Securities on the same terms and conditions, including interest rate and repayment schedule, as shall be applicable with respect to or incurred in connection with the issuance of such Securities and the proceeds of, or consideration received from, any subsequent exercise, exchange or conversion thereof (if applicable);

(ii) in the case of equity Securities issued by the General Partner that are senior or junior to the REIT Stock as to dividends and distributions on liquidation, contribute to the Partnership the proceeds of or consideration (including any property or other non-cash assets)

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received for such Securities and the proceeds of, or consideration received from, any subsequent exercise, exchange or c onversion thereof (if applicable), and receive from the Partnership, interests in the Partnership in consideration therefore with the same terms and conditions, including dividend, dividend priority and liquidation preference, as are applicable to such Sec urities; and

(iii) in the case of REIT Stock or other equity Securities on a parity with the REIT Stock as to dividends and distributions on liquidation issued by the General Partner, (including, without limitation, REIT Stock or other Securities granted as a stock award to directors and officers of the General Partner or directors, officers or employees of its Affiliates in consideration for services or future services, and REIT Stock issued a pursuant to a dividend reinvestment plan or issued to enable the General Partner make distributions to satisfy the REIT Requirements), contribute to the Partnership the proceeds of or consideration (including any property or other non-cash assets, including services) received for such Securities and the proceeds of, or consideration received from, any subsequent exercise, exchange or conversion thereof (if applicable), and receive from the Partnership a number of additional Partnership Units in consideration therefore equal to the product of

(A) the number of shares of REIT Stock or other equity Securities issued by the General Partner, multiplied by

(B) a fraction the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the Exchange Factor in effect on the date of such contribution.

4.3 Issuance of Additional Partnership Interests; Admission of Additional Limited Partners

(a) In addition to any Partnership Interests issuable by the Partnership pursuant to Section 4.2, the General Partner is authorized to cause the Partnership to issue additional Partnership Interests (or options therefor) for any Partnership purpose in the form of Partnership Units or other Partnership Interests in one or more series or classes, or in one or more series of any such class senior, on a parity with, or junior to the Partnership Units to any Persons at any time or from time to time, on such terms and conditions and with such designations, preferences and relative, participating, option and other special rights, powers and duties, all as the General Partner shall establish in each case in its sole and absolute discretion subject to Delaware law, including, without limitation, (i) the allocations of items of Partnership income, gain, loss, deduction and credit to each class or series of Partnership Interests, (ii) the right of each class or series of Partnership Interests to share in Partnership distributions, and (iii) the rights of each class or series of Partnership Interest upon dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership; provided, that, no such Partnership Interests shall be issued to the General Partner unless either (a) the Partnership Interests are issued in connection with the grant, award, or issuance of REIT Stock or other equity interests in the General Partner having designations, preferences and other rights such that the economic interests attributable to such REIT Stock or other equity interests are substantially similar to the designations, preferences and other rights (except voting rights) of the Partnership Interests issued to the General Partner in accordance with this Section 4.3(a) or (b) the additional Partnership Interests are issued to all Partners holding Partnership Interests in the same class in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests in such class, without any approval being required from any Limited Partner or any other Person. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the

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General Partner is expressly authorized to cause the Partnership to issue Partnership Units for less than fair market value, so long as the General Partner concludes in good faith that such iss uance is in the best interests of the General Partner and the Partnership; provided, however , that

(i) such issuance does not cause the Partnership to become, with respect to any employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, a “party in interest” (as defined in Section 3(14) of ERISA) or a “disqualified person” (as defined in Section 4975(e) of the Code); and

(ii) such issuance would not cause any portion of the assets of the Partnership to constitute assets of any employee benefit plan pursuant to Section 2510.3-101 of the regulations of the United States Department of Labor.

(b) Subject to the limitations set forth in Section 4.3(a), the General Partner may take such steps as it, in its sole and absolute discretion, deems necessary or appropriate to admit any Person as a Limited Partner of the Partnership or to issue any Partnership Interests, including, without limitation, amending the Certificate or any other provision of this Agreement, or updating, or causing the transfer agent to update the Partnership Interest Records.

4.4 Contribution of Proceeds of Issuance of REIT Stock

In connection with any offering, grant, award, or issuance of REIT Stock or securities, rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities pursuant to Section 4.2, the General Partner shall make aggregate Capital Contributions to the Partnership of the proceeds (if any) raised in connection with such offering, grant, award, or issuance, including any property issued to the General Partner pursuant to a merger or contribution agreement in exchange for Common Stock; provided, however, that if the proceeds actually received by the General Partner are less than the gross proceeds of such offering, grant, award, or issuance as a result of any underwriter’s discount, commission, or fee or other expenses paid or incurred in connection with such offering, grant, award, or issuance, then the General Partner shall be deemed to have made a Capital Contribution to the Partnership in the amount of the gross proceeds of such issuance and the Partnership shall be deemed simultaneously to have paid pursuant to Section 7.3(c) for the amount of such underwriter’s discount or other expenses.

4.5 Repurchase of REIT Stock; Shares-In-Trust

(a) In the event that the General Partner shall elect to purchase from its stockholders REIT Stock for the purpose of delivering such REIT Stock to satisfy an obligation under any distribution reinvestment program adopted by the General Partner, any employee stock purchase plan adopted by the General Partner, or any other obligation or arrangement undertaken by the General Partner in the future, the purchase price paid by the General Partner for such REIT Stock and any other expenses incurred by the General Partner in connection with such purchase shall be considered expenses of the Partnership and shall be reimbursed to the General Partner, subject to the condition that:

(i) if such REIT Stock subsequently is to be sold by the General Partner, the General Partner shall pay to the Partnership any proceeds received by the General Partner from the sale of such REIT Stock (provided that an exchange of REIT Stock for Partnership Units pursuant to the applicable Exchange Rights Agreement would not be considered a sale for such purposes); and

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(ii) if such REIT Stock i s not re-transferred by the General Partner within 30 days after the purchase thereof, the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to cancel a number of Partnership Units held by the General Partner (as applicable) equal to the product of

 

(x)

the number of shares of such REIT Stock, multiplied by

 

(y)

a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the Exchange Factor in effect on the date of such cancellation.

(b) In the event the General Partner purchases shares of  REIT Stock held by a trustee for the benefit of  Charitable Beneficiary  (as from time to time defined in the Articles of Incorporation, as may be amended from time to time), the Partnership will purchase from the General Partner a number of Partnership Units equal to the product of

(i) the number of  shares of  REIT Stock purchased by the General Partner, multiplied by

(ii) a fraction, the numerator of which is one and the denominator of which is the Exchange Factor in effect on the date of such purchase.

4.6 No Third-Party Beneficiary

No creditor or other third party having dealings with the Partnership shall have the right to enforce the right or obligations of any Partner to make Capital Contributions or loans or to pursue any other right or remedy hereunder or at law or in equity, it being understood and agreed that the provisions of this Agreement shall be solely for the benefit of, and may be enforced solely by, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns. None of the rights or obligations of the Partners herein set forth to make Capital Contributions or loans to the Partnership shall be deemed an asset of the Partnership for any purpose by any creditor or other third party, nor may such rights or obligations be sold, transferred or assigned by the Partnership or pledged or encumbered by the Partnership to secure any debt or other obligation of the Partnership or of any of the Partners. In addition, it is the intent of the parties hereto that no distribution to any Limited Partner shall be deemed a return of money or other Property in violation of the Act. However, if any court of competent jurisdiction holds that, notwithstanding the provisions of this Agreement, any Limited Partner is obligated to return such money or Property, such obligation shall be the obligation of such Limited Partner and not of the General Partner. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, a deficit Capital Account of a Partner shall not be deemed to be a liability of such Partner nor an asset or Property of the Partnership

4.7 No Interest; No Return

(a) No Partner shall be entitled to interest on its Capital Contribution or on such Partner’s Capital Account.

(b) Except as provided herein or by law, the General Partner shall have no obligation to return to any Partner or withdrawn Partner, and no Partner shall have any right to demand or receive the return, of any Capital Contribution from the Partnership.

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4.8 No Preemptive Rights.

Subject to any preemptive rights that may be granted pursuant to Section 4.3 hereof, no Person shall have any preemptive or other similar right with respect to

(a) additional Capital Contributions or loans to the Partnership; or

(b) issuance or sale of any Partnership Units or other Partnership Interests.

ARTICLE 5
DISTRIBUTIONS

5.1 Distributions

Subject to the provisions of Sections 5.3, 5.4 and 12.2(c), the General Partner shall cause the Partnership to distribute, at such times as the General Partner shall determine (each a “ Distribution Date ”), an amount of Cash Available for Distribution, determined by the General Partner in its sole discretion to the Limited Partners and the General Partner, as of the applicable Partnership Record Date, (i) first, at the time and in the manner set forth in the applicable Partnership Unit Designation, to each holder of Preferred Units in accordance with the preferences set forth in such Partnership Unit Designation; and (ii) thereafter, to the holders of Common Units (and Preferred Units entitled pursuant to an applicable Partnership Unit Designation to participate pari passu with Common Units) pro rata in proportion to their respective Percentage Interests (and, with respect to the holders of Preferred Units, as provided in such applicable Partnership Unit Designation). In no event may any Partner receive a distribution pursuant to this Section 5.1 with respect to a Partnership Unit if such Partner is entitled to receive a distribution with respect to REIT Stock for which such a Partnership Unit has been exchanged.

5.2 Qualification as a REIT

The General Partner shall use its best efforts to cause the Partnership to distribute sufficient amounts under this Article 5 to enable the General Partner to pay dividends to the Stockholders that will enable the General Partner to

(a) satisfy the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code and Regulations (“ REIT Requirements ”), and

(b) avoid any federal income or excise tax liability;

provided, however, the General Partner shall not be bound to comply with this covenant to the extent such distributions would

 

(x)

violate applicable Delaware law or

 

(y)

contravene the terms of any notes, mortgages or other types of debt obligations to which the Partnership may be subject in conjunction with borrowed funds.

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5.3 Withholding

With respect to any withholding tax or other similar tax liability or obligation to which the Partnership may be subject as a result of any act or status of any Partner or to which the Partnership becomes subject with respect to any Partnership Unit, the Partnership shall have the right to withhold amounts distributable pursuant to this Article V to such Partner or with respect to such Partnership Units, to the extent of the amount of such withholding tax or other similar tax liability or obligation pursuant to the provisions contained in Section 10.5.

5.4 Additional Partnership Interests

If the Partnership issues Partnership Interests in accordance with Section 4.2 or 4.3, the distribution priorities set forth in Section 5.1 shall be amended, as necessary, to reflect the distribution priority of such Partnership Interests and corresponding amendments shall be made to the provisions of Exhibit B.

ARTICLE 6
ALLOCATIONS

6.1 Allocations

The Net Income, Net Loss and other Partnership items shall be allocated pursuant to the provisions of Exhibit B.

6.2 Revisions to Allocations to Reflect Issuance of Partnership Interests

If the Partnership issues Partnership Interests to the General Partner or any existing or  additional Limited Partner pursuant to Article IV, the General Partner shall make such revisions to this Article 6 and Exhibit B as it deems necessary to reflect the terms of the issuance of such Partnership Interests, including making preferential allocations to classes of Partnership Interests that are entitled thereto. Such revisions shall not require the consent or approval of any other Partner.

ARTICLE 7
MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS OF BUSINESS

7.1 Management

(a)

(i) (i) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, full, complete and exclusive discretion to manage and control the business and affairs of the Partnership are and shall be vested in the General Partner, and no Limited Partner shall have any right to participate in or exercise control or management power over the business and affairs of the Partnership.

(ii) The General Partner may not be removed by the Limited Partners with or without cause.

(iii) In addition to the powers now or hereafter granted a general partner of a limited partnership under applicable law or which are granted to the General Partner under any other provision of this Agreement, the General Partner, subject to Section 7.11, shall have full power

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and authority to do all things deemed necessary or desirable by it to conduct the business of the Partnership, to exercise all powers set forth in Section 3.2 hereof and to effectuate the purposes set forth in Section 3.1 hereof, including, without limitation:

(A)

(1) (1) the making of any expenditures, the lending or borrowing of money, including, without limitation, making prepayments on loans and borrowing money to permit the Partnership to make distributions to its Partners in such amounts as will permit the General Partner (so long as the General Partner qualifies as a REIT) to avoid the payment of any federal income tax (including, for this purpose, any excise tax pursuant to Section 4981 of the Code) and to make distributions to its stockholders in amounts sufficient to permit the General Partner to maintain REIT status,

(2) the assumption or guarantee of, or other contracting for, indebtedness and other liabilities,

(3) the issuance of evidence of indebtedness (including the securing of the same by deed, mortgage, deed of trust or other lien or encumbrance on the Partnership’s assets) and

(4) the incurring of any obligations it deems necessary for the conduct of the activities of the Partnership, including the payment of all expenses associated with the General Partner;

(B) the making of tax, regulatory and other filings, or rendering of periodic or other reports to governmental or other agencies having jurisdiction over the business or assets of the Partnership or the General Partner;

(C) the acquisition, disposition, mortgage, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation or exchange of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership (including the exercise or grant of any conversion, option, privilege, or subscription right or other right available in connection with any assets at any time held by the Partnership) or the merger, consolidation or other combination (each a “Business Combination”) of the Partnership with or into another Entity on such terms as the General Partner deems proper, provided that the General Partner shall be required to send to each Limited Partner a notice of such proposed Business Combination no less than 15 days prior to the record date for the vote of the General Partner’s stockholders on such Business Combination, if any;

(D) the use of the assets of the Partnership (including, without limitation, cash on hand) for any purpose consistent with the terms of this Agreement and on any terms it sees fit, including, without limitation,

(1) the financing of the conduct of the operations of the General Partner, the Partnership or any of the Partnership’s Subsidiaries,

(2) the lending of funds to other Persons (including, without limitation, the Subsidiaries of the Partnership and/or the General Partner)

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and the repayment of obligations of the Partnership and its Subsidiaries and any other Person in which it has an equity investment, and

(3) the making of capital contributions to its Subsidiaries;

(E) the expansion, development, construction, leasing, repair, alteration, demolition or improvement of any property in which the Partnership or any Subsidiary of the Partnership owns an interest;

(F) the negotiation, execution, and performance of any contracts, conveyances or other instruments that the General Partner considers useful or necessary to the conduct of the Partnership’s operations or the implementation of the General Partner’s powers under this Agreement, including contracting with contractors, developers, consultants, accountants, legal counsel, other professional advisors and other agents and the payment of their expenses and compensation out of the Partnership’s assets;

(G) the distribution of Partnership cash or other Partnership assets in accordance with this Agreement;

(H) holding, managing, investing and reinvesting cash and other assets of the Partnership;

(I) the collection and receipt of revenues and income of the Partnership;

(J) the establishment of one or more divisions of the Partnership, the selection and dismissal of employees of the Partnership (including, without limitation, employees having titles such as “president,” “vice president,” “secretary” and “treasurer” of the Partnership), and agents, outside attorneys, accountants, consultants and contractors of the Partnership, and the determination of their compensation and other terms of employment or engagement;

(K) the maintenance of such insurance for the benefit of the Partnership and the Partners and directors and officers thereof as it deems necessary or appropriate;

(L) the formation of, or acquisition of an interest (including non-voting interests in entities controlled by Affiliates of the Partnership or third parties) in, and the contribution of property to, any further Entities or other relationships that it deems desirable, including, without limitation, the acquisition of interests in, and the contributions of funds or property to, or making of loans to, its Subsidiaries and any other Person from time to time, or the incurrence of indebtedness on behalf of such Persons or the guarantee of the obligations of such Persons; provided that, as long as the General Partner has determined to elect to qualify as a REIT or to continue to qualify as a REIT, the Partnership may not engage in any such formation, acquisition or contribution that would cause the General Partner to fail to qualify as a REIT;

(M) the control of any matters affecting the rights and obligations of the Partnership, including

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(1) the settlement, compromise, submission to arbitration or any other form of dispute resolution, or abandonment of, any claim, cause of action, liability, debt or damages, due or owing to or from the Partnership,

(2) the commencement or defense of suits, legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, arbitration or other forms of dispute resolution, and

(3) the representation of the Partnership in all suits or legal proceedings, administrative proceedings, arbitrations or other forms of dispute resolution, the incurring of legal expenses, and the indemnification of any Person against liabilities and contingencies to the extent permitted by law;

(N) the undertaking of any action in connection with the Partnership’s direct or indirect investment in its Subsidiaries or any other Person (including, without limitation, the contribution or loan of funds by the Partnership to such Persons);

(O) the determination of the fair market value of any Partnership property distributed in kind using such reasonable method of valuation as the General Partner, in its sole discretion, may adopt;

(P) the exercise, directly or indirectly, through any attorney-in-fact acting under a general or limited power of attorney, of any right, including the right to vote, appurtenant to any asset or investment held by the Partnership;

(Q) the exercise of any of the powers of the General Partner enumerated in this Agreement on behalf of or in connection with any Subsidiary of the Partnership or any other Person in which the Partnership has a direct or indirect interest, or jointly with any such Subsidiary or other Person;

(R) the exercise of any of the powers of the General Partner enumerated in this Agreement on behalf of any Person in which the Partnership does not have an interest pursuant to contractual or other arrangements with such Person;

(S) the making, execution and delivery of any and all deeds, leases, notes, mortgages, deeds of trust, security agreements, conveyances, contracts, guarantees, warranties, indemnities, waivers, releases or legal instruments or agreements in writing necessary or appropriate, in the judgment of the General Partner, for the accomplishment of any of the foregoing;

(T) the issuance of additional Partnership Units in connection with Capital Contributions by Additional Limited Partners and additional Capital Contributions by Partners pursuant to Article 4 hereof;

(U) the opening of bank accounts on behalf of, and in the name of, the Partnership and its Subsidiaries; and

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(V) maintaining, or causing the transfer agent to maintain the Partnership Interest Records to reflect accurately at all times the Capital Contributions and Percentage Interests of the Partners as th e same are adjusted from time to time to the extent necessary to reflect redemptions, Capital Contributions, the issuance of Partnership Units, the admission of any Additional Limited Partner or any Substituted Limited Partner or otherwise.

(b)

(iv) (i) Each o f the Limited Partners agree that the General Partner is authorized to execute, deliver and perform the above-mentioned agreements and transactions on behalf of the Partnership without any further act, approval or vote of the Partners, notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement to the fullest extent permitted under the Act or other applicable law, rule or regulation.

(ii) The execution, delivery or performance by the General Partner or the Partnership of any agreement authorized or permitted under this Agreement shall not constitute a breach by the General Partner of any duty that the General Partner may owe the Partnership or the Limited Partners or any other Persons under this Agreement or of any duty stated or implied by law or equity.

(c) At all times from and after the date hereof, the General Partner at the expense of the Partnership, may or may not, cause the Partnership to obtain and maintain

(i) casualty, liability and other insurance on the properties of the Partnership;

(ii) liability insurance for the Indemnitees hereunder; and

(iii) such other insurance as the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines to be appropriate and reasonable.

(d) At all times from and after the date hereof, the General Partner may cause the Partnership to establish and maintain at any and all times working capital accounts and other cash or similar balances in such amount as the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, deems appropriate and reasonable from time to time.

(e) (i) In exercising its authority under this Agreement, the General Partner may, but shall be under no obligation to, take into account the tax consequences to any Partner (including the General Partner) of any action taken (or not taken) by it. The General Partner and the Partnership shall not have liability to any Limited Partner for monetary damages or otherwise for losses sustained, liabilities incurred or benefits not delivered by such Limited Partner in connection with such decisions, provided that the General Partner has acted in good faith pursuant to its authority under this Agreement. The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge that the General Partner is acting on behalf of the Partnership, the General Partner, and the General Partner’s stockholders, collectively.

(ii) The General Partner and the Partnership shall not have liability to the any Limited Partner under any circumstances as a result of an income tax liability incurred by such Limited Partner as a result of an action (or inaction) by the General Partner taken pursuant to its authority under and in accordance with this Agreement.

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7.2 Certificate of Limited Partnership

(a) The General Partner has previously filed the Certificate with the Secretary of State of Delaware as required by the Act.

(b) (i) The General Partner shall use all reasonab le efforts to cause to be filed
such other certificates or documents as may be reasonable and necessary or appropriate for the formation, continuation, qualification and operation of a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) in the State of Delaware and any other state, or the District of Columbia, in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property.

(ii) To the extent that such action is determined by the General Partner to be reasonable and necessary or appropriate, the General Partner shall file amendments to and restatements of the Certificate and do all of the things to maintain the Partnership as a limited partnership (or a partnership in which the limited partners have limited liability) under the laws of the State of Delaware and each other state, or the District of Columbia, in which the Partnership may elect to do business or own property.

(iii) Subject to the terms of Section 8.5(a)(iv) hereof, the General Partner shall not be required, before or after filing, to deliver or mail a copy of the Certificate or any amendment thereto to any Limited Partner.

7.3 Reimbursement of the General Partner

(a) Except as provided in this Section 7.3 and elsewhere in this Agreement (including the provisions of Articles 5 and 6 regarding distributions, payments, and allocations to which it may be entitled), the General Partner shall not be compensated for its services as general partner of the Partnership.

(b) (i) The Partnership shall be responsible for and shall pay all ex penses relating to the Partnership’s organization, the ownership of its assets and its operations. The General Partner shall be reimbursed on a monthly basis, or such other basis as it may determine in its sole and absolute discretion, for all expenses that it incurs on behalf of the Partnership relating to the ownership and operation of the Partnership’s assets, or for the benefit of the Partnership, including all expenses associated with compliance by the General Partner and the Initial Limited Partner with laws, rules and regulations promulgated by any regulatory body, expenses related to the operations of the General Partner and to the management and administration of any Subsidiaries of the General Partner or the Partnership or Affiliates of the Partnership, such as auditing expenses and filing fees and any and all salaries, compensation and expenses of officers and employees of the General Partner, but excluding any portion of expenses reasonably attributable to assets not owned by or for the benefit of, or to operations not for the benefit of, the Partnership or Affiliates of the Partnership; provided, that the amount of any such reimbursement shall be reduced by any interest earned by the General Partner with respect to bank accounts or other instruments or accounts held by it in its name.

(ii) Such reimbursement shall be in addition to any reimbursement made as a result of indemnification pursuant to Section 7.6 hereof.

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(iii) The General Partner shall determine in good faith the amount of expenses incurred by it related to the ownership and operation of, or for the benefit of, the Partnership. If certain expenses are incurred for the benefit of the Partnership and other entities (including the General Partner), such expenses will be allocated to the Partnership an d such other entities in such a manner as the General Partner in its reasonable discretion deems fair and reasonable. All payments and reimbursements hereunder shall be characterized for federal income tax purposes as expenses of the Partnership incurred o n its behalf, and not as expenses of the General Partner.

(c) (i) Expenses incurred by the General Partner relating to the organization or reorganization of the Partnership and the General Partner and any issuance of additional Partnership Interests, Securitie s or rights, options, warrants, or convertible or exchangeable securities pursuant to Section 4.2 hereof and all costs and expenses associated with the preparation and filing of any periodic reports by the General Partner under federal, state or local laws or regulations (including, without limitation, all costs, expenses, damages, and other payments resulting from or arising in connection with litigation related to any of the foregoing) are primarily obligations of the Partnership.

(ii) To the extent the General Partner pays or incurs such expenses, the General Partner shall be reimbursed for such expenses.

7.4 Outside Activities of the General Partner

(a) Without the Consent of the Limited Partners, the General Partner shall not directly or indirectly enter into or conduct any business other than in connection with the ownership, acquisition, and disposition of Partnership Interests and the management of its business and the business of the Partnership, and such activities as are incidental thereto.

(b) The General Partner and any Affiliates of the General Partner may acquire Limited Partner Interests and shall be entitled to exercise all rights of a Limited Partner relating to such Limited Partner Interests.

7.5 Contracts with Affiliates

(a) (i) The Partnership may lend or contribute funds or other assets to its Subsidiaries or other Persons in which it has an equity investment and such Subsidiaries and Persons may borrow funds from the Partnership, on terms and conditions established in the sole and absolute discretion of the General Partner.

(ii) The foregoing authority shall not create any right or benefit in favor of any Subsidiary or any other Person.

(b) Except as provided in Section 7.4, the Partnership may Transfer assets to Entities in which it is or thereby becomes a participant upon such terms and subject to such conditions consistent with this Agreement and applicable law as the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, may determine.

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(c) Except as expressly permitted by this Agreement, neither the General Partner n or any of its Affiliates shall sell, Transfer or convey any property to, or purchase any property from, the Partnership, directly or indirectly, except pursuant to transactions that are determined by the General Partner in good faith to be fair and reasona ble.

(d) The General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion and without the approval the Limited Partners, may propose and adopt, on behalf of the Partnership, employee benefit plans, stock option plans, and similar plans funded by the Partnership for the benefit of employees of the Partnership, the General Partner, any Subsidiaries of the Partnership or any Affiliate of any of them in respect of services performed, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of the Partnership, the General Partner, any Subsidiaries of the Partnership or any Affiliate of any of them.

(e) The General Partner is expressly authorized to enter into, in the name and on behalf of the Partnership, a “right of first opportunity” or “right of first offer” arrangement, non-competition agreements and other conflict avoidance agreements with various Affiliates of the Partnership and the General Partner, on such terms as the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, believes are advisable.

7.6 Indemnification

(a) (i) To the fullest extent p ermitted by Delaware law, the Partnership shall indemnify each Indemnitee from and against any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities, joint or several, expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees and other legal fees and expenses), judgments, fines, settlements, and other amounts arising from any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (collectively, “Claims”), that relate to the operations of the Partnership or the General Partner as set forth in this Agreement, in which such Indemnitee may be involved, or is threatened to be involved, as a party or otherwise, so long as (x) the course of conduct which gave rise to the Claim was taken, in the reasonable determination of the Indemnitee made in good faith, in the best interests of the Partnership or the General Partner, (y) such Claim was not the result of negligence or misconduct by the Indemnitee and (z) such indemnification is not satisfied or recoverable from the assets of the stockholders of the General Partner. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no Indemnitee shall be indemnified for any Claim arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws unless (x) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged securities law violations as to such Indemnitee, (y) such allegations have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to such Indemnitee, or (z) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of such allegations against such Indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which Securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities law.

(ii) Without limitation, the foregoing indemnity shall extend to any liability of any Indemnitee, pursuant to a loan guaranty (except a guaranty by a Limited Partner of nonrecourse indebtedness of the Partnership or as otherwise provided in any such loan guaranty),

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contractual obligation for any indebtedness or other obligation or otherwise for any indebtedness of the Partnership or any Subsidiary of the Partnership (including, without limitation, any indebtedness which the Partnership or any S ubsidiary of the Partnership has assumed or taken subject to), and the General Partner is hereby authorized and empowered, on behalf of the Partnership, to enter into one or more indemnity agreements consistent with the provisions of this Section 7.6 in fa vor of any Indemnitee having or potentially having liability for any such indebtedness.

(iii) Any indemnification pursuant to this Section 7.6 shall be made only out of the assets of the Partnership, and neither the General Partner nor any Limited Partner shall have any obligation to contribute to the capital of the Partnership, or otherwise provide funds, to enable the Partnership to fund its obligations under this Section 7.6.

(b) Reasonable expenses incurred by an Indemnitee who is a party to a proceeding shall be paid or reimbursed by the Partnership in advance of the final disposition of any and all claims, demands, actions, suits or proceedings, civil, criminal, administrative or investigative made or threatened against an Indemnitee upon receipt by the Partnership of (i) a written affirmation by the Indemnitee of the Indemnitee’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Partnership as authorized in this Section 7.6 has been met; and (ii) a written undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnitee to repay the amount if it shall ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct has not been met.

(c) The indemnification provided by this Section 7.6 shall be in addition to any other rights to which an Indemnitee or any other Person may be entitled under any agreement, pursuant to any vote of the Partners, as a matter of law or otherwise, and shall continue as to an Indemnitee who has ceased to serve in such capacity unless otherwise provided in a written agreement pursuant to which such Indemnities are indemnified.

(d) The Partnership may, but shall not be obligated to, purchase and maintain insurance, on behalf of the Indemnities and such other Persons as the General Partner shall determine, against any liability that may be asserted against or expenses that may be incurred by such Person in connection with the Partnership’s activities, regardless of whether the Partnership would have the power to indemnify such Person against such liability under the provisions of this Agreement.

(e) For purposes of this Section 7.6, the Partnership shall be deemed to have requested an Indemnitee to serve as fiduciary of an employee benefit plan whenever the performance by such Indemnitee of its duties to the Partnership also imposes duties on, or otherwise involves services by, such Indemnitee to the plan or participants or beneficiaries of the plan; excise taxes assessed on an Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan pursuant to applicable law shall constitute fines within the meaning of this Section 7.6; and actions taken or omitted by the Indemnitee with respect to an employee benefit plan in the performance of its duties for a purpose reasonably believed by it to be in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries of the plan shall be deemed to be for a purpose which is not opposed to the best interests of the Partnership.

(f) In no event may an Indemnitee subject any of the Partners (other than the General Partner) to personal liability by reason of the indemnification provisions set forth in this Agreement.

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(g) An Indemnitee shall not be denied indemnification in whole or in part under this Section 7.6 because the Indemnitee had an interest in the transaction with respect to which the indemnification applies if the transaction was otherwise pe rmitted by the terms of this Agreement.

(h) (i) The provisions of this Section 7.6 are for the benefit of the Indemnitees, their heirs, successors, assigns and administrators and shall not be deemed to create any rights for the benefit of any other Persons.

(ii) Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.6 or any provision hereof shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the Partnership’s liability to any Indemnitee under this Section 7.6, as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification, or repeal with respect to claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims may arise or be asserted.

(i) If and to the extent any payments to the General Partner pursuant to this Section 7.6 constitute gross income to the General Partner (as opposed to the repayment of advances made on behalf of the Partnership), such amounts shall constitute guaranteed payments within the meaning of Section 707(c) of the Code, shall be treated consistently therewith by the Partnership and all Partners, and shall not be treated as distributions for purposes of computing the Partners’ Capital Accounts.

(j) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, the General Partner shall not be entitled to indemnification hereunder for any loss, claim, damage, liability or expense for which the General Partner is obligated to indemnify the Partnership under any other agreement between the General Partner and the Partnership.

7.7 Liability of the General Partner

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in this Agreement, neither the General Partner nor any of its officers and directors, shall be liable for monetary damages to the Partnership, any Partners or any Assignees for losses sustained or liabilities incurred as a result of errors in judgment or mistakes of fact or law or of any act or omission unless the General Partner acted in bad faith and the act or omission was material to the matter giving rise to the loss, liability or benefit not derived.

(b) (i) The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge that the General Partner  is acting on behalf of the Partnership and the shareholders of the General Partner collectively, that the General Partner, subject to the provisions of Section 7.1(e) hereof, is under no obligation to consider the separate interest of the Limited Partners (including, without limitation, the tax consequences to the Limited Partners or Assignees) in deciding whether to cause the Partnership to take (or decline to take) any actions, and that the General Partner  shall not be liable for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred, or benefits not derived by Limited Partners in connection with such decisions; provided that the General Partner has acted in good faith.

(ii) With respect to any indebtedness of the Partnership which any Limited Partner may have guaranteed, the General Partner shall have no duty to keep such indebtedness outstanding.

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(c) (i) Subject to its obligations and dut ies as General Partner set forth in Section
7.1(a) hereof, the General Partner may exercise any of the powers granted to it by this Agreement and perform any of the duties imposed upon it hereunder either directly or by or through its agent.

(ii) The General Partner shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any such agent appointed by the General Partner in good faith.

(d) The Limited Partners expressly acknowledge that in the event of any conflict in the fiduciary duties owed by the General Partner to its stockholders and by the General Partner, in its capacity as a general partner of the Partnership, to the Limited Partners, the General Partner may act in the best interests of the General Partner’s stockholders without violating its fiduciary duties to the Limited Partners, and that the General Partner shall not be liable for monetary damages for losses sustained, liabilities incurred, or benefits not derived by the Limited Partners in connection with any such violation.

(e) Any amendment, modification or repeal of this Section 7.7 or any provision hereof shall be prospective only and shall not in any way affect the limitations on the General Partner’s and its officers’ and directors’ liability to the Partnership and the Limited Partners under this Section 7.7 as in effect immediately prior to such amendment, modification or repeal with respect to claims arising from or relating to matters occurring, in whole or in part, prior to such amendment, modification or repeal, regardless of when such claims may arise or be asserted.

7.8 Other Matters Concerning the General Partner

(a) The General Partner may rely and shall be protected in acting, or refraining from acting, upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice, request, consent, order, bond, debenture, or other paper or document believed by it in good faith to be genuine and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties.

(b) The General Partner may consult with legal counsel, accountants, appraisers, management consultants, investment bankers, architects, engineers, environmental consultants and other consultants and advisers selected by it, and any act taken or omitted to be taken in reliance upon the opinion of such Persons as to matters which such General Partner reasonably believes to be within such Person’s professional or expert competence shall be conclusively presumed to have been done or omitted in good faith and in accordance with such opinion.

(c) (i) The General Partner shall have the right, in re spect of any of its powers or obligations hereunder, to act through any of its duly authorized officers and duly appointed attorneys-in-fact.

(ii) Each such attorney shall, to the extent provided by the General Partner in the power of attorney, have full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and duty which is permitted or required to be done by the General Partner hereunder.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement or the Act, any action of the General Partner on behalf of the Partnership or any decision of the General Partner to refrain from acting on behalf of the Partnership, undertaken in the good faith belief that such action or omission is necessary

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or advisable in order to protect the ability of the General Partner to conti nue to qualify as a REIT; or to avoid the General Partner incurring any federal income or excise taxes is expressly authorized under this Agreement and is deemed approved by all of the Limited Partners.

7.9 Title to Partnership Assets

(a) Title to Partnership assets, whether real, personal or mixed and whether tangible or intangible, shall be deemed to be owned by the Partnership as an entity, and no Partner, individually or collectively, shall have any ownership interest in such Partnership assets or any portion thereof.

(b) (i) Title to any or all of the Partnership assets may be held in the name of the
Partnership, the General Partner or one or more nominees, as the General Partner may determine, including Affiliates of the General Partner.

(ii) The General Partner hereby declares and warrants that any Partnership asset for which legal title is held in the name of the General Partner or any nominee or Affiliate of the General Partner shall be held by the General Partner for the use and benefit of the Partnership in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement; provided, that the General Partner shall use its best efforts to cause beneficial and record title to such assets to be vested in the Partnership as soon as reasonably practicable.

(iii) All Partnership assets shall be recorded as the property of the Partnership in its books and records, irrespective of the name in which legal title to such Partnership assets is held.

7.10 Reliance by Third Parties

(a) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, any Person dealing with the Partnership shall be entitled to assume that the General Partner has full power and authority, without consent or approval of any other Partner or Person, to encumber, sell or otherwise use in any manner any and all assets of the Partnership and to enter into any contracts on behalf of the Partnership, and take any and all actions on behalf of the Partnership, and such Person shall be entitled to deal with the General Partner as if the General Partner were the Partnership’s sole party in interest, both legally and beneficially.

(b) Each Limited Partner hereby waives any and all defenses or other remedies which may be available against such Person to contest, negate or disaffirm any action of the General Partner in connection with any such dealing.

(c) In no event shall any Person dealing with the General Partner or its representatives be obligated to ascertain that the terms of this Agreement have been complied with or to inquire into the necessity or expediency of any act or action of the General Partner or its representatives.

(d) Each and every certificate, document or other instrument executed on behalf of the Partnership by the General Partner or its representatives shall be conclusive evidence in favor of any and every Person relying thereon or claiming thereunder that

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(i) at the time of the execution and delivery of such certificate, document or instrument, this Agreement was in full force and effect;

(ii) the Person executing and delivering such certificate, document or instrument was duly authorized and empowered to do so for and on behalf of the Partnership; and

(iii) such certificate, document or instrument was duly executed and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of this Agreement and is binding upon the Partnership.

7.11 Loans By Third Parties

The Partnership may incur Debt, or enter into similar credit, guarantee, financing or refinancing arrangements for any purpose (including, without limitation, in connection with any acquisition of property) with any Person upon such terms as the General Partner determines appropriate.

ARTICLE 8
RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF LIMITED PARTNERS

8.1 Limitation of Liability

No Limited Partner shall have any liability under this Agreement except as expressly provided in this Agreement, including Section 10.5 hereof, or under the Act.

8.2 Management of Business

(a) No Limited Partner or Assignee (other than the General Partner, any of its Affiliates or any officer, director, employee, agent or trustee of the General Partner, the Partnership or any of their Affiliates, in their capacity as such) shall take part in the operation, management or control (within the meaning of the Act) of the Partnership’s business, transact any business in the Partnership’s name or have the power to sign documents for or otherwise bind the Partnership.

(b) The transaction of any such business by the General Partner, any of its Affiliates or any officer, director, employee, partner, agent or trustee of the General Partner, the Partnership or any of their Affiliates, in their capacity as such, shall not affect, impair or eliminate the limitations on the liability of the Limited Partners or Assignees under this Agreement.

8.3 Outside Activities of Limited Partners

(a) Subject to any agreements entered into pursuant to Section 7.5 hereof and any other agreements entered into by a Limited Partner or its Affiliates with the Partnership or any of its Subsidiaries, and any Limited Partner and any officer, director, employee, agent, trustee, Affiliate or shareholder of any Limited Partner shall be entitled to and may have business interests and engage in business activities in addition to those relating to the Partnership, including business interests and activities that are in direct competition with the Partnership or that are enhanced by the activities of the Partnership.

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(b) Neither the Part nership nor any Partners shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement in any business ventures of any Limited Partner or Assignee.

(c) No Limited Partner nor any other Person shall have any rights by virtue of this Agreement or the Partnership relationship established hereby in any business ventures of any other Person and such Person shall have no obligation pursuant to this Agreement to offer any interest in any such business ventures to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or any such other Person, even if such opportunity is of a character which, if presented to the Partnership, any Limited Partner or such other Person, could be taken by such Person.

8.4 Return of Capital

(a) Except pursuant to the Exchange Rights Agreements, no Limited Partner shall be entitled to the withdrawal or return of its Capital Contribution, except to the extent of distributions made pursuant to this Agreement or upon termination of the Partnership as provided herein.

(b) Except as provided in Articles 5 and 13 hereof, no Limited Partner or Assignee shall have priority over any other Limited Partner or Assignee, either as to the return of Capital Contributions or as to profits, losses or distributions.

8.5 Rights of Limited Partners Relating to the Partnership

(a) In addition to the other rights provided by this Agreement or by the Act, and except as limited by Section 8.5(b) hereof, each Limited Partner shall have the right, for a purpose reasonably related to such Limited Partner’s interest as a limited partner in the Partnership, upon written demand with a statement of the purpose of such demand and at such Limited Partner’s own expense (including such reasonable copying and administrative charges as the General Partner may establish from time to time):

(i) to obtain a copy of the most recent annual and quarterly reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission by the General Partner pursuant to the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;

(ii) to obtain a copy of the Partnership’s federal, state and local income tax returns for each Partnership Year;

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section 8.5, the General Partner may keep confidential from the Limited Partners, for such period of time as the General Partner determines in its sole and absolute discretion to be reasonable, any information that

(i) the General Partner reasonably believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other information, the disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes is not in the best interests of the Partnership or could damage the Partnership or its business; or

(ii) the Partnership is required by law or by agreement with an unaffiliated third party to keep confidential.

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8.6 Exchange Rights Agreements

(a) The Limited Partners will be granted the right, but not the obligation, to exchange all or a portion of their Common Units for cash or, at the option of the General Partner, for shares of REIT Stock on the terms and subject to the conditions and restrictions contained in certain Exchange Rights Agreements between the General Partners and the Limited Partners (as amended from time to time, the “ Exchange Rights Agreements ”). The form of Exchange Rights Agreement governing the exchange of Partnership Units shall be substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit C, with such changes as may be agreed to by the General Partner.

(b) The Limited Partners and all successors, assignees and transferees (whether by operation of law, including by merger or consolidation, dissolution or liquidation of an entity that is a Limited Partner, or otherwise) shall be bound by the provisions of the Exchange Rights Agreement to which they are parties.

ARTICLE 9
BOOKS, RECORDS, ACCOUNTING AND REPORTS

9.1 Records and Accounting

(a) The General Partner shall keep or cause to be kept at the principal office of the Partnership those records and documents required to be maintained by the Act and other books and records deemed by the General Partner to be appropriate with respect to the Partnership’s business, including, without limitation, all books and records necessary for the General Partner to comply with applicable REIT Requirements and to provide to the Limited Partners any information, lists and copies of documents required to be provided pursuant to Sections 8.5(a) and 9.3 hereof.

(b) Any records maintained by or on behalf of the Partnership in the regular course of its business may be kept on, or be in the form of, punch cards, magnetic tape, photographs, micrographics or any other information storage device, provided that the records so maintained are convertible into clearly legible written form within a reasonable period of time.

(c) The books of the Partnership shall be maintained, for financial and tax reporting purposes, on an accrual basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, or such other basis as the General Partner determines to be necessary or appropriate.

9.2 Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the Partnership shall be the calendar year.

9.3 Reports

(a) As soon as practicable, but in no event later than the date on which the General Partner mails its annual report to its stockholders, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed to each Limited Partner as of the close of the Partnership Year, an annual report containing financial statements of the Partnership, or of the General Partner, if such statements are prepared on a consolidated basis with the Partnership, for such Partnership Year, presented in accordance with the standards of the Public

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Accounting Oversight Board (United States), such statements to be audited by a nationally recognized firm of independent public accountants selected by the General Partner in its sole discretion.

(b) If and to the extent that the General Partner mails quarterly reports to its stockholders, then as soon as practicable, but in no event later than the date such reports are mailed, the General Partner shall cause to be mailed to each Limited Partner a report containing unaudited financial statements as of the last day of the calendar quarter of the Partnership, or of the General Partner, if such statements are prepared on a consolidated basis with the Partnership, and such other information as may be required by applicable law or regulation, or as the General Partner determines to be appropriate.

(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the General Partner may deliver to the Limited Partners each of the reports described above, as well as any other communications that it may provide hereunder, by E-mail or by any other electronic means.

ARTICLE 10
TAX MATTERS

10.1 Preparation of Tax Returns

The General Partner shall arrange for the preparation and timely filing of all returns of Partnership income, gains, deductions, losses and other items required of the Partnership for federal and state income tax purposes and shall use all reasonable efforts to furnish, within ninety (90) days of the close of each taxable year, the tax information reasonably required by the Limited Partners for federal and state income tax reporting purposes.

10.2 Tax Elections

(a) Except as otherwise provided herein, the General Partner shall, in its sole and absolute discretion, determine whether to make any available election pursuant to the Code.

(b) The General Partner shall elect a permissible method (which need not be the same method for each item or property) of eliminating the disparity between the book value and the tax basis for each item of property contributed to the Partnership or to a Subsidiary of the Partnership pursuant to the regulations promulgated under the provisions of Section 704(c) of the Code.

(c) The General Partner shall have the right to seek to revoke any tax election it makes, including, without limitation, the election under Section 754 of the Code, upon the General Partner’s determination, in its sole and absolute discretion, that such revocation is in the best interests of the Partners.

(d) The General Partner may cause the Partnership to make the safe harbor election provided for by the Proposed Revenue Procedure included in Notice 2005-43, or any similar election provided in a similar final revenue procedure or other published guidance relating to the compensatory transfer or partnership interests (a “ Safe Harbor Election ”) in the manner the General Partner determines will be most advantageous to the Partnership.  The Partnership and each Partner agrees to comply with all requirements of the Proposed Revenue Procedure included in Notice 2005-43, or any similar final revenue procedure or other published guidance relating to the compensatory transfer of

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partnership interests, if a Safe Harbor Election is made, in a similar manner consistent with such election.

10.3 Tax Matters Partner

(a) (i) The General Partner shall be the “tax matters partner” of the Partnership for federal income tax purposes.

(ii) Pursuant to Section 6230(e) of the Code, upon receipt of notice from the Internal Revenue Service of the beginning of an administrative proceeding with respect to the Partnership, the tax matters partner shall furnish the Internal Revenue Service with the name, address, taxpayer identification number, and profit interest of each of the Limited Partners and the Assignees; provided, that such information is provided to the Partnership by the Limited Partners and the Assignees.

(iii) The tax matters partner is authorized, but not required:

(A) to enter into any settlement with the Internal Revenue Service with respect to any administrative or judicial proceedings for the adjustment of Partnership items required to be taken into account by a Partner for income tax purposes (such administrative proceedings being referred to as a “tax audit” and such judicial proceedings being referred to as “judicial review”), and in the settlement agreement the tax matters partner may expressly state that such agreement shall bind all Partners, except that such settlement agreement shall not bind any Partner

(1) who (within the time prescribed pursuant to the Code and Regulations) files a statement with the Internal Revenue Service providing that the tax matters partner shall not have the authority to enter into a settlement agreement on behalf of such Partner; or

(2) who is a “notice partner” (as defined in Section 6231(a)(8) of the Code) or a member of a “notice group” (as defined in Section 6223(b)(2) of the Code);

(B) in the event that a notice of a final administrative adjustment at the Partnership level of any item required to be taken into account by a Partner for tax purposes (a “final adjustment”) is mailed to the tax matters partner, to seek judicial review of such final adjustment, including the filing of a petition for readjustment with the Tax Court or the filing of a complaint for refund with the United States Claims Court or the District Court of the United States for the district in which the Partnership’s principal place of business is located;

(C) to intervene in any action brought by any other Partner for judicial review of a final adjustment;

(D) to file a request for an administrative adjustment with the Internal Revenue Service and, if any part of such request is not allowed by the Internal Revenue

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Service, to file an appropriate pleading (petition or complaint) for judicial review with respect to such request;

(E) to enter into an agreement with the Internal Revenue Service to extend the period for assessing any tax which is attributable to any item required to be taken account of by a Partner for tax purposes, or an item affected by such item; and

(F) to take any other action on behalf of the Partners or the Partnership in connection with any tax audit or judicial review proceeding to the extent permitted by applicable law or regulations.

The taking of any action and the incurring of any expense by the tax matters partner in connection with any such proceeding, except to the extent required by law, is a matter in the sole and absolute discretion of the tax matters partner and the provisions relating to indemnification of the General Partner set forth in Section 7.6 of this Agreement shall be fully applicable to the tax matters partner in its capacity as such.

(b) (i) The tax matters partner shall receive no compensation for its services.

(ii) All third party costs and expenses incurred by the tax matters partner in performing its duties as such (including legal and accounting fees and expenses) shall be borne by the Partnership.

(iii) Nothing herein shall be construed to restrict the Partnership from engaging an accounting firm to assist the tax matters partner in discharging its duties hereunder, so long as the compensation paid by the Partnership for such services is reasonable.

10.4 Organizational Expenses

The Partnership shall elect to deduct expenses, if any, incurred by it in organizing the Partnership ratably over a one hundred eighty (180) month period as provided in Section 709 of the Code.

10.5 Withholding

(a) Each Limited Partner hereby authorizes the Partnership to withhold from, or pay on behalf of or with respect to, such Limited Partner any amount of federal, state, local, or foreign taxes that the General Partner determines that the Partnership is required to withhold or pay with respect to any amount distributable or allocable to such Limited Partner pursuant to this Agreement, including, without limitation, any taxes required to be withheld or paid by the Partnership pursuant to Sections 1441, 1442, 1445, or 1446 of the Code.

(b) (i) Any amount paid on behalf of or with respect to a Limited Partner shall
constitute a loan by the Partnership to such Limited Partner, which loan shall be repaid by such Limited Partner as the case may be within fifteen (15) days after notice from the General Partner that such payment must be made unless

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(A) the Partnership withholds such payment from a distribution which would otherwise be made to the Limited Partner; or

(B) the General Partner determines, in its sole and absolute discretion, that such payment may be satisfied out of the available funds of the Partnership which would, but for such payment, be distributed to the Limited Partner.

(ii) Any amounts withheld pursuant to the foregoing clauses (i)(A) or (B) shall be treated as having been distributed to the Limited Partner.

(c) (i) Each Limited Partner hereby unconditionally and irrevocably grants to the Partnership a security interest in such Limited Partner’s Partnership Interest, as the case may be, to secure such Limited Partner’s obligation to pay to the Partnership any amounts required to be paid pursuant to this Section 10.5.

(ii) (A) In the event that a Limited Partner fails to pay when due any
amounts owed to the Partnership pursuant to this Section 10.5, the General Partner may, in its sole and absolute discretion, elect to make the payment to the Partnership on behalf of such defaulting Limited Partner, and in such event shall be deemed to have loaned such amount to such defaulting Limited Partner and shall succeed to all rights and remedies of the Partnership as against such defaulting Limited Partner.

(B) Without limitation, in such event, the General Partner shall have the right to receive distributions that would otherwise be distributable to such defaulting Limited Partner until such time as such loan, together with all interest thereon, has been paid in full, and any such distributions so received by the General Partner shall be treated as having been distributed to the defaulting Limited Partner and immediately paid by the defaulting Limited Partner to the General Partner in repayment of such loan.

(iii) Any amount payable by a Limited Partner hereunder shall bear interest at the highest base or prime rate of interest published from time to time by The Wall Street Journal, plus four (4) percentage points, but in no event higher than the maximum lawful rate of interest on such obligation, such interest to accrue from the date such amount is due (i.e., fifteen (15) days after demand) until such amount is paid in full.

(iv) Each Limited Partner shall take such actions as the Partnership or the General Partner shall request in order to perfect or enforce the security interest created hereunder.

ARTICLE 11
TRANSFERS AND WITHDRAWALS

11.1 Transfer

(a) (i) The term “Transfer,” when used in this Ar ticle 11 with respect to a Partnership Interest or a Partnership Unit, shall be deemed to refer to a transaction by which the General Partner purports to assign all or any part of its General Partner Interest to another Person, or a Limited Partner purports to assign all or any part of its Limited Partner Interest to another

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Person, and includes a sale, assignment, gift, pledge, encumbrance, hypothecation, mortgage, exchange or any other disposition by law or otherwise.

(ii) The term “Transfer” when used in this Article 11 does not include any exchange of Partnership Units for cash or REIT Stock pursuant to the Exchange Rights Agreement.

(b) (i) No Partnership Interest shall be Transferred, in whole or in part, except in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Article 11.

(ii) Any Transfer or purported Transfer of a Partnership Interest not made in accordance with this Article 11 shall be null and void.

11.2 Transfer of the General Partner’s General Partner Interest

(a) The General Partner may not Transfer any of its General Partner Interest or withdraw as General Partner, or Transfer any of its Limited Partner Interest, except

(i) if holders of at least two-thirds of the Limited Partner Interests consent to such Transfer or withdrawal;

(ii) if such Transfer is to an entity which is wholly owned by the General Partner and is a Qualified REIT Subsidiary as defined in Section 856(i) of the Code; or

(iii) in connection with a transaction described in Section 11.2(c) or 11.2(d) (as applicable)

(b) In the event the General Partner withdraws as general partner of the Partnership in accordance with Section 11.2(a), the General Partner’s General Partner Interest shall immediately be converted into a Limited Partner Interest.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in Section 11.2(d), the General Partner shall not engage in any merger, consolidation or other combination of the General Partner with or into another Person (other than a merger in which the General Partner is the surviving entity) or sale of all or substantially all of its assets, or any reclassification, or any recapitalization of outstanding REIT Stock (other than a change in par value, or from par value to no par value, or as a result of a subdivision or combination of REIT Stock) (a “ Transaction ”), unless

(i) in connection with the Transaction all Limited Partners will either receive, or will have the right to elect to receive, for each Partnership Unit an amount of cash, securities, or other property equal to the product of the Exchange Factor and the amount of cash, securities or other property or value paid in the Transaction to or received by a holder of one share of REIT Stock corresponding to such Partnership Unit in consideration of one share of REIT Stock at any time during the period from and after the date on which the Transaction is consummated; provided that if, in connection with the Transaction, a purchase, tender or exchange offer (“ Offer ”) shall have been made to and accepted by the holders of more than fifty percent (50%)  of the outstanding REIT Stock, each holder of Partnership Units shall be

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given the option to exchange its Partnership Units for the amount of cash, securities, or other property which a Limited Partner would have received had it

(A) exercised its Exchange Right and

(B) sold, tendered or exchanged pursuant to the Offer the REIT Stock received upon exercise of the Exchange Right immediately prior to the expiration of the Offer.

The foregoing is not intended to, and does not, affect the ability of (i) a stockholder of the General Partner to sell its stock in the General Partner or (ii) the General Partner to perform its obligations (under agreement or otherwise) to such stockholders (including the fulfillment of any obligations with respect to registering the sale of stock under applicable securities laws).

(d) (i) Notwithstandi ng Section 11.2(c), the General Partner may merge into or consolidate with another entity if immediately after such merger or consolidation

(A) substantially all of the assets of the successor or surviving entity (the “ Surviving General Partner ”), other than Partnership Units held by the General Partner, are contributed to the Partnership as a Capital Contribution in exchange for Partnership Units with a fair market value equal to the value of the assets so contributed as determined by the Surviving General Partner in good faith and

(B) the Surviving General Partner expressly agrees to assume all obligations of the General Partner hereunder.

(ii) (A) Upon such contribution and assumption, the Surviving General Partner shall have the right and duty to amend this Agreement and the Exchange Rights Agreement as set forth in this Section 11.2(d).

(B) (1) The Surviving General Partner shall in good faith arrive at a new method for the calculation of the Exchange Factor for a Partnership Unit after any such merger or consolidation s o as to approximate the existing method for such calculation as closely as reasonably possible.

(2) Such calculation shall take into account, among other things, the kind and amount of securities, cash and other property that was receivable upon such merger or consolidation by a holder of REIT Stock or options, warrants or other rights relating thereto, and which a holder of Partnership Units could have acquired had such Partnership Units been redeemed for REIT Stock immediately prior to such merger or consolidation.

(C) Such amendment to this Agreement shall provide for adjustment to such method of calculation, which shall be as nearly equivalent as may be practicable to the adjustments provided for with respect to the Exchange Factor.

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(iii) The above provisions of this Section 11.2(d) shall similarly apply to successive mergers or consolidations permitted hereunder.

11.3 Limited Partners’ Rights to Transfer

(a) Subject to the provisions of Sections 11.3(c), 11.3(d), 11.3(e), 11.4 and 11.6, a Limited Partner may, without the consent of the General Partner, Transfer all or any portion of its Limited Partner Interest, or any of such Limited Partner’s economic right as a Limited Partner. In order to effect such transfer, the Limited Partner must deliver to the General Partner a duly executed copy of the instrument making such transfer and such instrument must evidence the written acceptance by the assignee of all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and represent that such assignment was made in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.

(b) (i) If a Limited Partner is Incapacitated, the executor, administrator, trustee,
committee, guardian, conservator or receiver of such Limited Partner’s estate shall have all of the rights of a Limited Partner, but not more rights than those enjoyed by other Limited Partners, for the purpose of settling or managing the estate and such power as the Incapacitated Limited Partner possessed to Transfer all or any part of his or its interest in the Partnership.

(ii) The Incapacity of a Limited Partner, in and of itself, shall not dissolve or terminate the Partnership.

(c) The General Partner may prohibit any Transfer by a Limited Partner of its Partnership Units if it reasonably believes (based on the advice of counsel) such Transfer would require filing of a registration statement under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or would otherwise violate any federal or state securities laws or regulations applicable to the Partnership or the Partnership Units.

(d) No Transfer by a Limited Partner of its Partnership Units may be made to any Person if

(i) it would adversely affect the ability of the General Partner to continue to qualify as a REIT or would subject the General Partner to any additional taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code;

(ii) it would result in the Partnership being treated as an association taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes;

(iii) such Transfer would cause the Partnership to become, with respect to any employee benefit plan subject to Title I of ERISA, a “party-in-interest” (as defined in Section 3(14) of ERISA) or a “disqualified person” (as defined in Section 4975(c) of the Code);

(iv) such Transfer would, in the opinion of legal counsel for the Partnership, cause any portion of the assets of the Partnership to constitute assets of any employee benefit plan pursuant to Department of Labor Regulations Section 2510.2-101;

(v) such Transfer would subject the Partnership to regulation under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940 or the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, each as amended;

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(vi) without the consent of the General Partner, which consent may be withheld in its sole and absolute discretion, such Transfer is a sale or exchange, and such sale or exchange would, when aggregated with al l other sales and exchanges during the 12-month period ending on the date of the proposed Transfer, result in fifty percent (50%) or more of the interests in Partnership capital and profits being sold or exchanged during such 12- month period; or

(vii) such Transfer is effectuated through an “established securities market” or a “secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code.

(e) No transfer of any Partnership Units may be made to a lender to the Partnership or any Person who is related (within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.752-4(b)) to any lender to the Partnership whose loan constitutes a nonrecourse liability (within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.752-1(a)(2)), without the consent of the General Partner, which may be withheld in its sole and absolute discretion, provided that as a condition to such consent the lender may be required to enter into an arrangement with the Partnership and the General Partner to exchange for the Cash Amount (as such term is defined in the Exchange Rights Agreement) any Partnership Units in which a security interest is held simultaneously with the time at which such lender would be deemed to be a partner in the Partnership for purposes of allocating liabilities to such lender under Section 752 of the Code.

(f) Any Transfer in contravention of any of the provisions of this Section 11.3 shall be void and ineffectual and shall not be binding upon, or recognized by, the Partnership.

11.4 Substituted Limited Partners

(a) (i) No Limited Partner shall have the right to substitute a Permitted Transferee for a Limited Partner in its place.

(ii) The General Partner shall, however, have the right to consent to the admission of a Permitted Transferee of the Partnership Interest of a Limited Partner pursuant to this Section 11.4 as a Substituted Limited Partner, which consent may be given or withheld by the General Partner in its sole and absolute discretion.

(iii) The General Partner’s failure or refusal to permit such transferee to become a Substituted Limited Partner shall not give rise to any cause of action against the Partnership or any Partner.

(b) A transferee who has been admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner in accordance with this Article 11 shall have all the rights and powers and be subject to all the restrictions and liabilities of a Limited Partner under this Agreement.

(c) (i) No Permitted Transferee will be admitted as a Substituted Limited Partner, unless such transferee has furnished to the General Partner evidence of acceptance in f orm satisfactory to the General Partner of all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and, as it relates to the Substituted Limited Partners, the Exchange Rights Agreement, including, without limitation, the power of attorney granted in Section 2.4 hereof.

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(ii) Upon the admission of a Substituted Limited Partner, the General Partner shall update, or cause the transfer agent to update the Partnership Interest Records to reflect the name, address, number of Partnership Units, and Percentage Interest of such Substituted Limited Partner, and to eliminate or adjust, if necessary, the name, address and interest of the predecessor of such Substituted Limited Partner.

11.5 Assignees

(a) If the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, does not consent to the admission of any transferee as a Substituted Limited Partner, as described in Section 11.4(a), such transferee shall be considered an Assignee for purposes of this Agreement.

(b) An Assignee shall be deemed to have had assigned to it, and shall be entitled to receive distributions from the Partnership and the share of Net Income, Net Losses and any other items of gain, loss, deduction or credit of the Partnership attributable to the Partnership Units assigned to such transferee, but shall not be deemed to be a holder of Partnership Units for any other purpose under this Agreement, and shall not be entitled to vote such Partnership Units in any matter presented to the Limited Partners, for a vote (such Partnership Units being deemed to have been voted on such matter in the same proportion as all other Partnership Units held by Limited Partners are voted).

(c) In the event any such transferee desires to make a further assignment of any such Partnership Units, such transferee shall be subject to all of the provisions of this Article 11 to the same extent and in the same manner as any Limited Partner desiring to make an assignment of Partnership Units.

11.6 General Provisions

(a) No Limited Partner may withdraw from the Partnership other than as a result of a permitted Transfer of all of such Limited Partner’s Partnership Units in accordance with this Article 11 or, as it relates to the Limited Partners, pursuant to exchange of all of its Partnership Units pursuant to the applicable Exchange Rights Agreement.

(b) (i) Any Limited Partner which shall Transfer all of its Partnership Units in a Transfer permitted pursuant to this Article 11 shall cease to be a Limited Partner upon the admission of all Assignees of such Partnership Units as Substituted Limited Partners.

(ii) Similarly, any Limited Partner which shall Transfer all of its Partnership Units pursuant to an exchange of all of its Partnership Units pursuant to an Exchange Rights Agreement shall cease to be a Limited Partner.

(c) Other than pursuant to the Exchange Rights Agreement or with the consent of the General Partner, transfers pursuant to this Article 11 may only be made as of the first day of a fiscal quarter of the Partnership.

(d) (i) If any Partnership Interest is transferred or assigned during the Partnership’s fiscal year in complianc e with the provisions of this Article 11 or exchanged pursuant to the applicable Exchange Rights Agreement on any day other than the first day of a Partnership Year, then Net Income, Net Losses, each item thereof and all other items attributable to such

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in terest for such Partnership Year shall be divided and allocated between the transferor Partner and the transferee Partner by taking into account their varying interests during the Partnership Year in accordance with the method selected by the General Partn er under Section 706(d) of the Code.

(ii) Solely for purposes of making such allocations, each of such items for the calendar month in which the Transfer or assignment occurs shall be allocated to the transferee Partner, and none of such items for the calendar month in which an exchange occurs shall be allocated to the exchanging Partner, provided, however, that the General Partner may adopt such other conventions relating to allocations in connection with transfers, assignments, or exchanges as it determines are necessary or appropriate.

(iii) All distributions pursuant to Section 5.1 attributable to Partnership Units, with respect to which the Partnership Record Date is before the date of such Transfer, assignment, or exchange of such Partnership Units, shall be made to the transferor Partner or the exchanging Partner, as the case may be, and in the case of a Transfer or assignment other than an exchange, all distributions pursuant to Section 5.1 thereafter attributable to such Partnership Units shall be made to the transferee Partner.

(e) In addition to any other restrictions on transfer herein contained, including without limitation the provisions of this Article 11, in no event may any Transfer or assignment of a Partnership Interest by any Partner (including pursuant to Section 8.6) be made without the express consent of the General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, (i) to any person or entity who lacks the legal right, power or capacity to own a Partnership Interest; (ii) in violation of applicable law; (iii) of any component portion of a Partnership Interest, such as the Capital Account, or rights to distributions, separate and apart from all other components of a Partnership Interest; (iv) if in the opinion of legal counsel to the Partnership such transfer would cause a termination of the Partnership for federal or state income tax purposes (except as a result of the exchange for REIT Stock of all Partnership Units held by all Limited Partners or pursuant to a transaction expressly permitted under Section 7.11 or Section 11.2); (v) if in the opinion of counsel to the Partnership, there would be a significant risk that such transfer would cause the Partnership to cease to be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (except as a result of the exchange for REIT Stock of all Partnership Units held by all Limited Partners or pursuant to a transaction expressly permitted under Section 7.11 or Section 11.2); (vi) if such transfer requires the registration of such Partnership Interest pursuant to any applicable federal or state securities laws; (vii) if such transfer is effectuated through an “established securities market” or a “secondary market” (or the substantial equivalent thereof) within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code or such transfer causes the Partnership to become a “publicly traded partnership,” as such term is defined in Section 469(k)(2) or Section 7704(b) of the Code (provided that this clause (vii) shall not be the basis for limiting or restricting in any manner the exercise of the Exchange Right under Section 8.6 unless, and only to the extent that, outside tax counsel provides to the General Partner an opinion to the effect that, in the absence of such limitation or restriction, there is a significant risk that the Partnership will be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” and, by reason thereof, taxable as a corporation); (viii) such transfer could adversely affect the ability of the General Partner to remain qualified as a REIT; or (ix) if in the opinion of legal counsel of the transferring Partner (which opinion and counsel are reasonably satisfactory to the Partnership), or legal counsel of the Partnership, such transfer would adversely affect the ability of the General Partner to continue to qualify as a REIT or

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subject the General Partner to any additional taxes under Section 857 or Section 4981 of the Code, in the event that the General Partner has elected to be qualified as a REIT.

(f) The General Partner shall monitor the transfers of interests in the Partnership to determine (i) if such interests are being traded on an “established securities market” or a “secondary market” (or the substantial equivalent thereof) within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code; and (ii) whether additional transfers of interests would result in the Partnership being unable to qualify for at least one of the “safe harbors” set forth in Regulations Section 1.7704-1 (or such other guidance subsequently published by the IRS setting forth safe harbors under which interests will not be treated as “readily tradable on a secondary market (or the substantial equivalent thereof)” within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code) (the “Safe Harbors”). The General Partner shall take all steps reasonably necessary or appropriate to prevent any trading of interests or any recognition by the Partnership of transfers made on such markets and, except as otherwise provided herein, to insure that at least one of the Safe Harbors is met; provided, however, that the foregoing shall not authorize the General Partner to limit or restrict in any manner the right of any Limited Partner to exercise the Exchange Right in accordance with the terms of the applicable Exchange Rights Agreement unless, and only to the extent that, outside tax counsel provides to the General Partner an opinion to the effect that, in the absence of such limitation or restriction, there is a significant risk that the Partnership will be treated as a “publicly traded partnership” and, by reason thereof, taxable as a corporation.

ARTICLE 12
ADMISSION OF PARTNERS

12.1 Admission of Successor General Partner

(a) (i) A successor to all of the General Partner Interest pursuant to Section 11 hereof who is proposed to be admitted as a successor General Partner shall be admitted to the Partnership as the General Partner, effec tive immediately following such transfer and the admission of such successor General Partner as a general partner of the Partnership upon the satisfaction of the terms and conditions set forth in Section 12.1(b).

(ii) Any such transferee shall carry on the business of the Partnership without dissolution.

(b) A Person shall be admitted as a substitute or successor General Partner of the Partnership only if the following terms and conditions are satisfied:

(i) the Person to be admitted as a substitute or additional General Partner shall have accepted and agreed to be bound by all the terms and provisions of this Agreement by executing a counterpart thereof and such other documents or instruments as may be required or appropriate in order to effect the admission of such Person as a General Partner;

(ii) if the Person to be admitted as a substitute or additional General Partner is a corporation or a partnership it shall have provided the Partnership with evidence satisfactory to counsel for the Partnership of such Person’s authority to become a General Partner and to be bound by the terms and provisions of this Agreement; and

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(iii) counsel for the Partnership shall have rendered an opinion (relying on such opinions from other counsel as may be n ecessary) that the admission of the person to be admitted as a substitute or additional General Partner is in conformity with the Act, that none of the actions taken in connection with the admission of such Person as a substitute or additional General Part ner will cause

(A) the Partnership to be classified other than as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, or

(B) the loss of any Limited Partner’s limited liability.

(c) In the case of such admission on any day other than the first day of a Partnership Year, all items attributable to the General Partner Interest for such Partnership Year shall be allocated between the transferring General Partner and such successor as provided in Section 11.6(d) hereof.

12.2 Admission of Additional Limited Partners

(a) A Person who makes a Capital Contribution to the Partnership in accordance with this Agreement shall be admitted to the Partnership as an Additional Limited Partner only upon furnishing to the General Partner

(i) evidence of acceptance in form satisfactory to the General Partner of all of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the applicable Exchange Rights Agreement, including, without limitation, the power of attorney granted in Section 2.4 hereof, and

(ii) such other documents or instruments as may be required in the discretion of the General Partner in order to effect such Person’s admission as an Additional Limited Partner.

(b) (i) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Section 12.2, no Person shall be admitted as an Additional Limited Partner without the consent o f the General Partner, which consent may be given or withheld in the General Partner’s sole and absolute discretion.

(ii) The admission of any Person as an Additional Limited Partner shall become effective on the date upon which the name of such Person is recorded on the books and records of the Partnership, following the consent of the General Partner to such admission.

(c) (i) If any Additional Limited Partner is admitted to the Partnership on any
day other than the first day of a Partnership Year, then Net Income, Net Losses, each item thereof and all other items allocable among Partners and Assignees for such Partnership Year shall be allocated among such Additional Limited Partner and all other Partners and Assignees by taking into account their varying interests during the Partnership Year in accordance with the method selected by the General Partner under Section 706(d) of the Code.

(ii) (A) Solely for purposes of making such allocations, each of such items for the calendar month in which an admission of any Additio nal Limited Partner occurs shall be allocated among all of the Partners and Assignees, including such Additional Limited Partner.

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(B) distributions pursuant to Section 5.1 with respect to which the Partnership Record Date is before the date of such admission s hall be made solely to Partners and Assignees, other than the Additional Limited Partner, and all distributions pursuant to Section 5.1 thereafter shall be made to all of the Partners and Assignees, including such Additional Limited Partner.

12.3 Amendment of Agreement and Certificate of Limited Partnership

For the admission to the Partnership of any Partner, the General Partner shall take all steps necessary and appropriate under the Act to amend the records of the Partnership (including the Partnership Interest Records) and, if necessary, to prepare as soon as practical an amendment of this Agreement and, if required by law, shall prepare and file an amendment to the Certificate and may for this purpose exercise the power of attorney granted pursuant to Section 2.4 hereof.

ARTICLE 13
DISSOLUTION, LIQUIDATION AND TERMINATION

13.1 Dissolution

(a) The Partnership shall not be dissolved by the admission of Substituted Limited Partners, Additional Limited Partners or by the admission of a successor General Partner in accordance with the terms of this Agreement. Upon the withdrawal of the General Partner, any successor General Partner shall continue the business of the Partnership.

(b) The Partnership shall dissolve, and its affairs shall be wound up, only upon the first to occur of any of the following (“ Liquidating Events ”):

(i) the expiration of its term as provided in Section 2.5 hereof;

(ii) an event of withdrawal of the General Partner, as defined in the Act (other than an event of bankruptcy), unless, within ninety (90) days after such event of withdrawal, a “majority in interest” (as defined below) of the remaining Partners Consent in writing to continue the business of the Partnership and to the appointment, effective as of the date of withdrawal, of a successor General Partner;

(iii) an election to dissolve the Partnership made by the General Partner, with the Consent of the Limited Partners holding at least a majority of the Percentage Interest of the Limited Partners (including Limited Partner Interests held by the General Partner);

(iv) entry of a decree of judicial dissolution of the Partnership pursuant to the provisions of the Act;

(v) a Capital Transaction;

(vi) a final and non-appealable judgment is entered by a court of competent jurisdiction ruling that the General Partner is bankrupt or insolvent, or a final and non-appealable order for relief is entered by a court with appropriate jurisdiction against the General Partner, in each case under any federal or state bankruptcy or insolvency laws as now or

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hereafter in effect, unless prior to the entry of su ch order or judgment and a “majority in interest” (as defined below) of the remaining Partners Consent in writing to continue the business of the Partnership and to the appointment, effective as of a date prior to the date of such order or judgment, of a s ubstitute General Partner.

As used herein, a “majority in interest” shall refer to Partners (excluding the General Partner) who hold more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding Percentage Interests not held by the General Partner.

13.2 Winding Up

(a) (i) Upon the occurrence of a Liquidating Event, the Partnership shall continue solely for the purposes of winding up its affairs in an orderly manner, liquidating its assets, and satisfying the claims of its creditors and Partners.

(ii) No Partner shall take any action that is inconsistent with, or not necessary to or appropriate for, the winding up of the Partnership’s business and affairs.

(iii) The General Partner, or, in the event there is no remaining General Partner, any Person elected unanimously by the Limited Partners holding at least a “majority in interest” (the General Partner or such other Person being referred to herein as the “Liquidator”), shall be responsible for overseeing the winding up and dissolution of the Partnership and shall take full account of the Partnership’s liabilities and property and the Partnership property shall be liquidated as promptly as is consistent with obtaining the fair value thereof, and the proceeds therefrom (which may, to the extent determined by the General Partner, include shares of common stock or other securities of the General Partner) shall be applied and distributed in the following order:

(A) First, to the payment and discharge of all of the Partnership’s debts and liabilities to creditors other than the Partners;

(B) Second, to the payment and discharge of all of the Partnership’s debts and liabilities to the General Partner;

(C) Third, to the payment and discharge of all of the Partnership’s debts and liabilities to the other Partners; and

(D) the balance, if any, shall be distributed to all Partners in accordance with Section 5.1.

(iv) The General Partner shall not receive any additional compensation for any services performed pursuant to this Article 13.

(v) Any distributions pursuant to this Section 13.2(a) shall be made by the end of the Partnership’s taxable year in which the liquidation occurs (or, if later, within 90 days after the date of the liquidation).

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(b) (i) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 13.2(a) hereof which require liquidation of the assets of the Partnership, but subject to the order of priorities set forth therein, if prior to or upon dissolution of the Partnership the Liquidator determines that an immediate sale of part or all of the Partnership’s assets would be impractical or would cause undue loss to the Partners, the Liqui dator may, in its sole and absolute discretion, defer for a reasonable time the liquidation of any asset except those necessary to satisfy liabilities of the Partnership (including to those Partners as creditors) or distribute to the Partners, in lieu of c ash, as tenants in common and in accordance with the provisions of Section 13.2(a) hereof, undivided interests in such Partnership assets as the Liquidator deems not suitable for liquidation.

(ii) Any such distributions in kind shall be made only if, in the good faith judgment of the Liquidator, such distributions in kind are in the best interests of the Partners, and shall be subject to such conditions relating to the disposition and management of such properties as the Liquidator deems reasonable and equitable and to any agreements governing the operation of such properties at such time.

(iii) The Liquidator shall determine the fair market value of any property distributed in kind using such reasonable method of valuation as it may adopt.

(c) In the discretion of the Liquidator, a pro rata portion of the distributions that would otherwise be made to the General Partner and Limited Partners pursuant to this Article 13 may be:

(A) distributed to a trust established for the benefit of the General Partner and Limited Partners for the purposes of liquidating Partnership assets, collecting amounts owed to the Partnership, and paying any contingent or unforeseen liabilities or obligations of the Partnership or the General Partner arising out of or in connection with the Partnership; the assets of any such trust shall be distributed to the General Partner and Limited Partners from time to time, in the reasonable discretion of the Liquidator, in the same proportions as the amount distributed to such trust by the Partnership would otherwise have been distributed to the General Partner and Limited Partners pursuant to this Agreement; or

(B) withheld or escrowed to provide a reasonable reserve for Partnership liabilities (contingent or otherwise) and to reflect the unrealized portion of any installment obligations owed to the Partnership, provided that such withheld or escrowed amounts shall be distributed to the General Partner and Limited Partners in the manner and order of priority set forth in Section 13.2(a), as soon as practicable.

13.3 No Obligation to Contribute Deficit

If any Partner has a deficit balance in his Capital Account (after giving effect to all contributions, distributions and allocations for all taxable years, including the year during which such liquidation occurs), such Partner shall have no obligation to make any contribution to the capital of the Partnership with respect to such deficit, and such deficit shall not be considered a debt owed to the Partnership or to any other Person for any purpose whatsoever.

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13.4 Rights of Limited Partners

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Limited Partner shall look solely to the assets of the Partnership for the return of its Capital Contributions and shall have no right or power to demand or receive property other than cash from the Partnership.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Limited Partner shall have priority over any other Partner as to the return of its Capital Contributions, distributions, or allocations.

13.5 Notice of Dissolution

In the event a Liquidating Event occurs or an event occurs that would, but for the provisions of an election or objection by one or more Partners pursuant to Section 13.1, result in a dissolution of the Partnership, the General Partner shall, within thirty (30) days thereafter, provide written notice thereof to each of the Partners.

13.6 Termination of Partnership and Cancellation of Certificate of Limited Partnership

Upon the completion of the liquidation of the Partnership’s assets, as provided in Section 13.2 hereof, the Partnership shall be terminated, a certificate of cancellation shall be filed, and all qualifications of the Partnership as a foreign limited partnership in jurisdictions other than the state of Delaware shall be canceled and such other actions as may be necessary to terminate the Partnership shall be taken.

13.7 Reasonable Time for Winding-Up

A reasonable time shall be allowed for the orderly winding-up of the business and affairs of the Partnership and the liquidation of its assets pursuant to Section 13.2 hereof in order to minimize any losses otherwise attendant upon such winding-up, and the provisions of this Agreement shall remain in effect among the Partners during the period of liquidation.

13.8 Waiver of Partition

Each Partner hereby waives any right to partition of the Partnership property.

ARTICLE 14
AMENDMENT OF PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT; MEETINGS

14.1 Amendments

(a) (i) The General Partner shall have the power, without the consent of the Li mited Partners, to amend this Agreement except as set forth in Section 14.1(b) hereof.

(ii) The General Partner shall provide notice to the Limited Partners when any action under this Section 14.1(a) is taken in the next regular communication to the Limited Partners.

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(b) Notwithstanding Section 14.1(a) hereof, this Agreement shall not be amended with respect to

(i) any Partner adversely affected without the Consent of such Partner adversely affected if such amendment would:

(A) convert a Limited Partner’s interest in the Partnership into a General Partner Interest;

(B) modify the limited liability of a Limited Partner in a manner adverse to such Limited Partner; or

(C) amend this Section 14.1(b)(i).

(ii) any Limited Partner adversely affected without the Consent of Limited Partners holding more than fifty percent (50%) of the outstanding Percentage Interests of the Limited Partners adversely affected if such amendment would:

(A) alter or change Exchange Rights;

(B) create an obligation to make Capital Contributions not contemplated in this Agreement;

(C) alter or change the terms of this Agreement or the Exchange Rights Agreement regarding the rights of the Limited Partners with respect to Business Combinations;

(D) alter or change the distribution and liquidation rights provided in Section 5 and 13 hereto, except as otherwise permitted under this Agreement; or

(E) amend this Section 14.1(b)(ii).

(iii) any initial Limited Partner adversely affected without the Consent of such Partner adversely affected if such amendment would:

(A) adversely alter or change the rights under the Limited Partnership Interests held by any such Partner in the commercially reasonable judgment of such Partner; or

(B) amend this Section 14.1(b)(iii).

Section 14.1(b)(i) does not require unanimous consent of all Partners adversely affected unless the amendment is to be effective against all Partners adversely affected.

14.2 Meetings of the Partners

(a) (i) Meetings of the Partners may be called by the General Partner and shall be called upon the receipt by the General Partner of a written request by Limit ed Partners holding 25 percent or more of the Partnership Interests.

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(ii) The request shall state the nature of the business to be transacted.

(iii) Notice of any such meeting shall be given to all Partners not less than seven (7) days nor more than thirty (30) days prior to the date of such meeting.

(iv) Partners may vote in person or by proxy at such meeting.

(v) Whenever the vote or Consent of the Limited Partners is permitted or required under this Agreement, such vote or Consent may be given at a meeting of the Partners or may be given in accordance with the procedure prescribed in Section 14.2(b) hereof.

(vi) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the Consent of holders of a majority of the Percentage Interests held by Partners (including the General Partner) shall control.

(b) (i) Subject to Section 14.2(a)(vi), any action required or permitted to be taken at a meeting of the Partners may be taken without a meeting if a written consent setting forth the action so taken is signed by a majority of the Percentage I nterests of the Partners (or such other percentage as is expressly required by this Agreement).

(ii) Such consent may be in one instrument or in several instruments, and shall have the same force and effect as a vote of a majority of the Percentage Interests of the Partners (or such other percentage as is expressly required by this Agreement).

(iii) Such consent shall be filed with the General Partner.

(iv) An action so taken shall be deemed to have been taken at a meeting held on the effective date of the consent as certified by the General Partner.

(c) (i) Each Limited Partner may authorize any Person or Persons to act for him by proxy on all matters in which a Limited Partner is entitled to participate, including waiving notice of any meeting, or voting or participating at a meeting.

(ii) Every proxy must be signed by the Partner or an attorney-in-fact and a copy thereof delivered to the Partnership.

(iii) No proxy shall be valid after the expiration of eleven (11) months from the date thereof unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

(iv) Every proxy shall be revocable at the pleasure of the Partner executing it, such revocation to be effective upon the General Partner’s receipt of written notice of such revocation from the Partner executing such proxy.

(d) (i) Each meeting of the Partners shal l be conducted by the General Partner or such other Person as the General Partner may appoint pursuant to such rules for the conduct of the meeting as the General Partner or such other Person deems appropriate.

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(ii) Meetings of Partners may be conducted in the same manner as meetings of the stockholders of the General Partner and may be held at the same time, and as part of, meetings of the stockholders of the General Partner.

ARTICLE 15
GENERAL PROVISIONS

15.1 Addresses and Notice

Any notice, demand, request or report required or permitted to be given or made to a Partner or Assignee under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given or made when delivered in person or five days after being sent by first class United States mail or by overnight delivery or via facsimile to the Partner or Assignee at the address set forth in the Partnership Interest Records or such other address of which the Partner shall notify the General Partner in writing. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the General Partner may elect to deliver any such notice, demand, request or report by E-mail or by any other electronic means, in which case such communication shall be deemed given or made one day after being sent.

15.2 Titles and Captions

All article or section titles or captions in this Agreement are for convenience of reference only, shall not be deemed part of this Agreement and shall in no way define, limit, extend or describe the scope or intent of any provisions hereof. Except as specifically provided otherwise, references to “Articles” and “Sections” are to Articles and Sections of this Agreement.

15.3 Pronouns and Plurals

Whenever the context may require, any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa.

15.4 Further Action

The parties shall execute and deliver all documents, provide all information and take or refrain from taking action as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement.

15.5 Binding Effect

This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

15.6 Creditors

Other than as expressly set forth herein with respect to the Indemnities, none of the provisions of this Agreement shall be for the benefit of, or shall be enforceable by, any creditor of the Partnership.

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15.7 Waiver

No failure by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any covenant, duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy consequent upon a breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any such breach or any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.

15.8 Counterparts

This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one agreement binding on all of the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all such parties are not signatories to the original or the same counterpart. Each party shall become bound by this Agreement immediately upon affixing its signature hereto.

15.9 Applicable Law

This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of laws thereof.

15.10 Invalidity of Provisions

If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

15.11 Entire Agreement

This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement among the Partners with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any other prior written or oral understandings or agreements among them with respect thereto.

15.12 Merger

Subject to Section 4.2 herein, the Partnership may merge with, or consolidate into, any Person or Entity in accordance with Section 17-211 of the Act.

15.13 No Rights as Stockholders

Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as conferring upon the holders of the Partnership Units any rights whatsoever as stockholders of the General Partner, including, without limitation, any right to receive dividends or other distributions made to shareholders or to vote or to consent or receive notice as shareholders in respect to any meeting or shareholders for the election of directors of the General Partner or any other matter.

[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have hereunder affixed their signatures to this Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership, all as of the date first written above.

GENERAL PARTNER:

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

By:

/s/ James J. Sebra

Name: James J. Sebra

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

INITIAL LIMITED PARTNERS:

IRT LIMITED PARTNER, LLC

By: Independence Realty Trust, Inc., its sole member

 

By: /s/ James J. Sebra

 

Name: James J. Sebra

 

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 

 

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

 

 

By:

/s/ James J. Sebra

Name: James J. Sebra

Title: Chief Financial Officer

 


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Corporate/Limited Liability Company Additional Limited Partner Signature Page to Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement
of Limited Partnership of Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, by and among the
undersigned and the other parties thereto.

Dated: ____________ __, 20___ [Name of Corporation/LLC]

By:

Name:

Title:


2 = 1


 

Individual Additional Limited Partner Signature Page to Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Pa rtnership of
Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, by and among the undersigned and the

other parties thereto.

Dated: __, 20___

 


3 = 1


 

Partnership Limited Partner Signature Page to Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, by and among the undersigned and the other
parties thereto.

 

Dated: ____________ __, 20___ [Name of Partnership]

By:

Name:

Title:

 

4 = 1


 

Exhibit A

CERTIFICATE OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

[intentionally omitted]

A-1


 

Exhibit B

ALLOCATIONS

1. Allocation of Net Income and Net Loss .  Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, Net Income, Net Loss and, to the extent necessary, individual items of income, gain, loss or deduction, of the Partnership shall be allocated among the Partners in a manner such that the Capital Account of each Partner, immediately after making such allocation, is, as nearly as possible, equal proportionately to (i) the distributions that would be made to such Partner pursuant to Section 5.1if the Partnership were dissolved, its affairs wound up and its assets sold for cash equal to their Gross Asset Value, all Partnership liabilities were satisfied (limited with respect to each nonrecourse liability to the Gross Asset Value of the assets securing such liability), and the net assets of the Partnership were distributed in accordance with Section 5.1 to the Partners immediately after making such allocation, minus (ii) such Partner’s share of Partnership minimum gain (within the meaning of Regulation Section 1.704-2(d)) and Partner nonrecourse debt minimum gain (within the meaning of Regulation Section 1.704-2(i)(5)), computed immediately prior to the hypothetical sale of assets.

2. Special Allocations .  Notwithstanding any provisions of paragraph 1 of this Exhibit B, the following special allocations shall be made.

(a) Minimum Gain Chargeback (Nonrecourse Liabilities) .  Except as otherwise provided in Section 1.704-2(f) of the Regulations, if there is a net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain for any Partnership fiscal year, each Partner shall be specially allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to such Partner’s share of the net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain to the extent required by Regulations Section 1.704-2(f). The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Sections 1.704-2(f) and (i) of the Regulations. This subparagraph 2(a) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement in said section of the Regulations and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. Allocations pursuant to this subparagraph 2(a) shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Partner pursuant hereto.

(b) Partner Minimum Gain Chargeback .  Except as otherwise provided in Section 1.704-2(i)(4) of the Regulations, if there is a net decrease in Partner Minimum Gain attributable to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt during any fiscal year, each Partner who has a share of the Partner Minimum Gain attributable to such Partner Nonrecourse Debt, determined in accordance with Section 1.704-2(i)(5) of the Regulations, shall be specially allocated items of Partnership income and gain for such year (and, if necessary, subsequent years) in an amount equal to that Partner’s share of the net decrease in the Partner Minimum Gain attributable to such Partner Nonrecourse Debt to the extent and in the manner required by Section 1.704-2(i) of the Regulations. The items to be so allocated shall be determined in accordance with Sections 1.704-2(i)(4) and (j)(2) of the Regulations. This subparagraph 2(b) is intended to comply with the minimum gain chargeback requirement with respect to Partner Nonrecourse Debt contained in said section of the Regulations and shall be interpreted consistently therewith. Allocations pursuant to this subparagraph 2(b) shall be made in proportion to the respective amounts required to be allocated to each Partner pursuant hereto.

(c) Qualified Income Offset .  In the event a Partner unexpectedly receives any adjustments, allocations or distributions described in Sections 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) or (6) of the

B-1


 

Regulations, and such Partner has an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit, items of Partnership income (including gross income) and gain shall be specially allocated to such Partner in an amount and manner suf ficient to eliminate the Adjusted Capital Account Deficit as quickly as possible as required by the Regulations. This subparagraph 2(c) is intended to constitute a “qualified income offset” under Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) of the Regulations and shall be interpreted consistently therewith.

(d) Other Chargeback of Impermissible Negative Capital Account .  To the extent any Partner has an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit at the end of any Partnership fiscal year, each such Partner shall be specially allocated items of Partnership income (including gross income) and gain in the amount of such excess as quickly as possible, provided that an allocation pursuant to this paragraph 2(d) shall be made if and only to the extent that such Partner would have an Adjusted Capital Account Deficit after all other allocations provided for in this Exhibit B have been tentatively made as if this paragraph 2(d) were not in the Agreement.

(e) Nonrecourse Deductions .  Nonrecourse Deductions for any fiscal year or other applicable period shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.

(f) Partner Nonrecourse Deductions .  Partner Nonrecourse Deductions for any fiscal year or other applicable period with respect to a Partner Nonrecourse Debt shall be specially allocated to the Partner that bears the economic risk of loss for such Partner Nonrecourse Debt (as determined under Sections 1.704-2(b)(4) and 1.704-2(i)(1) of the Regulations).

(g) Section 754 Adjustment .  To the extent an adjustment to the adjusted tax basis of any asset of the Partnership pursuant to Section 734(b) of the Code or Section 743(b) of the Code is required, pursuant to Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(m) of the Regulations, to be taken into account in determining Capital Accounts, the amount of such adjustment to the Capital Accounts shall be treated as an item of gain (if the adjustment increases the basis of the asset) or loss (if the adjustment decreases such basis) and such gain or loss shall be specially allocated among the Partners in a manner consistent with the manner in which each of their respective Capital Accounts are required to be adjusted pursuant to such section of the Regulations.

(h) Gross Income Allocation .  There shall be specially allocated to the General Partner an amount of Partnership income and gain during each Partnership Year or portion thereof, before any other allocations are made hereunder, which is equal to the excess, if any, of the cumulative distributions of cash made to the General Partner under Section 7.3(b) hereof over the cumulative allocations of Partnership income and gain to the General Partner pursuant to this Section 2(h) of this Exhibit B.

3. Tax Allocations .

(a) Items of Income or Loss .  Except as is otherwise provided in this Exhibit B, an allocation of Partnership Net Income or Net Loss to a Partner shall be treated as an allocation to such Partner of the same share of each item of income, gain, loss, deduction and item of tax-exempt income or Section 705(a)(2)(B) expenditure (or item treated as such expenditure pursuant to Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv)(i)) (“Tax Items”) that is taken into account in computing Net Income or Net Loss.

B-2


 

(b) Section 1245/1250 Recapture .  If any portion of gain from the sale of Partnership assets is treated as gain which is ordin ary income by virtue of the application of Code Sections 1245 or 1250 (“Affected Gain”), then such Affected Gain shall be allocated among the Partners in the same proportion that the depreciation and amortization deductions giving rise to the Affected Gain were allocated. This subparagraph 3(b) shall not alter the amount of Net Income (or items thereof) allocated among the Partners, but merely the character of such Net Income (or items thereof). For purposes hereof, in order to determine the proportionate a llocations of depreciation and amortization deductions for each fiscal year or other applicable period, such deductions shall be deemed allocated on the same basis as Net Income and Net Loss for such respective period.

(c) Precontribution Gain, Revaluations .  With respect to any Contributed Property, the Partnership shall use any permissible method contained in the Regulations promulgated under Section 704(c) of the Code selected by the General Partner, in its sole discretion, to take into account any variation between the adjusted basis of such asset and the fair market value of such asset as of the time of the contribution (“Precontribution Gain”). Each Partner hereby agrees to report income, gain, loss and deduction on such Partner’s federal income tax return in a manner consistent with the method used by the Partnership. If any asset has a Gross Asset Value which is different from the Partnership’s adjusted basis for such asset for federal income tax purposes because the Partnership has revalued such asset pursuant to Regulations Section 1.704- 1(b)(2)(iv)(f), the allocations of Tax Items shall be made in accordance with the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code and the Regulations and the methods of allocation promulgated thereunder. The intent of this subparagraph 3(c) is that each Partner who contributed to the capital of the Partnership a Contributed Property will bear, through reduced allocations of depreciation, increased allocations of gain or other items, the tax detriments associated with any Precontribution Gain. This subparagraph 3(c) is to be interpreted consistently with such intent.

(d) Excess Nonrecourse Liability Safe Harbor .  Pursuant to Regulations Section 1.752-3(a)(3), solely for purposes of determining each Partner’s proportionate share of the “excess nonrecourse liabilities” of the Partnership (as defined in Regulations Section 1.752- 3(a)(3)), the Partners’ respective interests in Partnership profits shall be determined under any permissible method reasonably determined by the General Partner; provided, however, that each Partner who has contributed an asset to the Partnership shall be allocated, to the extent possible, a share of “excess nonrecourse liabilities” of the Partnership which results in such Partner being allocated nonrecourse liabilities in an amount which is at least equal to the amount of income pursuant to Section 704(c) of the Code and the Regulations promulgated thereunder (the “Liability Shortfall”). In the event there is an insufficient amount of nonrecourse liabilities to allocate to each Partner an amount of nonrecourse liabilities equal to the Liability Shortfall, then an amount of nonrecourse liabilities in proportion to, and to the extent of, the Liability Shortfall shall be allocated to each Partner.

(e) References to Regulations .  Any reference in this Exhibit B or the Agreement to a provision of proposed and/or temporary Regulations shall, in the event such provision is modified or renumbered, be deemed to refer to the successor provision as so modified or renumbered, but only to the extent such successor provision applies to the Partnership under the effective date rules applicable to such successor provision.)

(f) Successor Partners .  For purposes of this Exhibit B, a transferee of a Partnership Interest shall be deemed to have been allocated the Net Income, Net Loss and other items of Partnership

B-3


 

income, gain, loss, deduction and credit allocable to the transferred Partnership Interest that previously have been allocated to the transferor Partner pursuant to this Agreement.

 

B-4


 

Exhibit C

FORM OF EXCHANGE RIGHTS AGREEMENT

THIS EXCHANGE RIGHTS AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of _______, 20__, is entered into by and among Independence Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership (the “Operating Partnership”), and the Persons whose names are set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto (as it may be amended from time to time).

R E C I T A L S :

(1)

The Company, together with certain other limited partners, has entered into the Fifth Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of the Operating Partnership dated March 3, 2017 (as such agreement may be amended or amended and restated from time to time, the “Partnership Agreement”).

(2)

Pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, the Limited Partners (as defined below) directly or indirectly hold common units of limited partnership interest (“Partnership Units”) in the Operating Partnership.

(3)

The Operating Partnership has agreed to provide the Limited Partners with certain direct or indirect rights to exchange their Partnership Units for cash or, at the election of the Company, for shares of the Company’s common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “REIT Stock”).

Accordingly, the parties hereto do hereby agree as follows:

ARTICLE I
DEFINED TERMS

The following definitions shall be for all purposes, unless otherwise clearly indicated to the contrary, applied to the terms used in this Agreement.

Assignee ” means a Person to whom one or more Partnership Units have been transferred in a manner permitted under the Partnership Agreement, but who has not become a substituted Limited Partner in accordance therewith.

Business Day ” means any day except a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks in New York, New York are authorized or required by law to close.

Capital Contribution ” means, with respect to any Partner, any cash, cash equivalents or the Gross Asset Value (as defined in the Partnership Agreement) of property which such Partner contributes or is deemed to contribute to the Partnership pursuant to the terms of the Partnership Agreement.

Cash Amount ” means an amount of cash per Partnership Unit equal to the Value on the Valuation Date of the REIT Stock Amount.

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Exchange Factor means 1.0, provided, that in the event that the Company (i) declares or pays a dividend on its outstanding REIT Stock in the form of shares of REIT Stock or makes a distribution to all holders of its outstanding REIT Stock in the form of shares of REIT Sto ck; (ii) subdivides its outstanding REIT Stock; or (iii) combines its outstanding REIT Stock into a smaller number of shares of REIT Stock, the Exchange Factor shall be adjusted by multiplying the Exchange Factor by a fraction, the numerator of which shall be the number of shares of REIT Stock issued and outstanding on the record date for such dividend, contribution, subdivision or combination (assuming for such purpose that such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination has occurred as of such tim e), and the denominator of which shall be the actual number of shares of REIT Stock (determined without the above assumption) issued and outstanding on the record date for such dividend, distribution, subdivision or combination. Any adjustment to the Excha nge Factor shall become effective immediately after the effective date of such event retroactive to the record date, if any, for such event. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Exchange Factor shall not be adjusted in connection with such event if,  in conn ection with such event, the Operating Partnership make a distribution of cash, Partnership Units, REIT Stock and/or rights, options or warrants to acquire Partnership Units and/or REIT Stock with respect to all applicable Partnership Units or effects a rev erse split of, or otherwise combines, the Partnership Units, as applicable, that is comparable as a whole in all material respects with such an event.

Exchanging Partner ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 hereof.

Exchange Right ” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.1 hereof.

Lien ” means any lien, security interest, mortgage, deed of trust, charge, claim, encumbrance, pledge, option, right of first offer or first refusal and any other right or interest of others of any kind or nature, actual or contingent, or other similar encumbrance of any nature whatsoever.

Limited Partner ” means any Person, other than the Company, named as a Limited Partner in the Partnership Interest Records, as the same may be updated from time to time.

Notice of Exchange ” means the Notice of Exchange substantially in the form of Exhibit B to this Agreement.

Person ” shall mean an individual, partnership, corporation, limited liability company, trust, estate, or unincorporated organization, or other entity, or a government or agency or political subdivision thereof.

REIT Stock Amount ” means that number of shares of REIT Stock equal to the product of the number of Partnership Units offered for exchange by an Exchanging Partner, multiplied by the Exchange Factor as of the Valuation Date, provided, that in the event the Company or the Operating Partnership issues to all holders of REIT Stock rights, options, warrants or convertible or exchangeable securities entitling the stockholders to subscribe for or purchase REIT Stock, or any other securities or property (collectively, the “rights”), then the REIT Stock Amount shall also include such rights that a holder of that number of shares of REIT Stock would be entitled to receive.

SEC ” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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Specified Exchange Date means the tenth (10th) Business Day after receipt by the Operating Partnership and the Company of a Notice of Exchange; provided, however, that if the Operating Partnership has more than 99 partners, as determined in accordance with the provisions of Treasury Regulation Section 1.7704-1(h), then the Specified Exchange Date shall mean the thirty-first (31st) calendar day after receipt by the Operating Partnership and the Company of a Notice of Exchange.

Valuation Date ” means the date of receipt by the Operating Partnership and the Company of a Notice of Exchange or, if such date is not a Business Day, the first Business Day thereafter.

Value ” means, with respect to shares of REIT Stock, the average of the daily market price for the five (5) consecutive trading days immediately preceding the Valuation Date. The market price for each such trading day shall be:

(i) if the REIT Stock is listed or admitted to trading on the New York Stock Exchange (the “ NYSE ”) or any other national securities exchange, the closing price on such day, or if no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day; or

(ii) if the REIT Stock is not listed or admitted to trading on the NYSE or any other national securities exchange, the last reported sale price on such day; or

(iii) if no sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices on such day, as reported by a reliable quotation source designated by the Company or if the REIT Stock is not then traded on any market, as determined in good faith by the Company’s Independent Directors (as defined by the Company’s charter).

In the event the REIT Stock Amount includes rights that a holder of REIT Stock would be entitled to receive, then the Value of such rights shall be determined by the independent directors of the Company acting in good faith on the basis of such quotations and other information as they consider, in their reasonable judgment, appropriate.

ARTICLE II
EXCHANGE RIGHT

2.1

Exchange Right. (a) Subject to Sections 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 hereof, and subject to any limitations under applicable law, the Operating Partnership hereby grants to each Limited Partner and each Limited Partner hereby accepts the right (the “ Exchange Right ”), exercisable (i) on or after the date that is one year after the issuance of the Limited Partner’s Limited Partnership Interest or (ii) upon the liquidation of the Operating Partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Operating Partnership, to exchange on a Specified Exchange Date all or a portion of the Partnership Units held by such Limited Partner at an exchange price equal to and in the form of the Cash Amount.

(b) The Exchange Right shall be exercised pursuant to a Notice of Exchange deli vered to the Operating Partnership, with a copy delivered to the Company, by the Limited Partner who is exercising the Exchange Right (the “ Exchanging Partner ”); provided, however, that the Company, in its capacity as General Partner of the Operating Partnership, may elect, after a

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Notice of Exchange is delivered, to satisfy the Exchange Right which is the subject of such notice in accordance with Section 2.2.

(c) A Limited Partner may exercise the Exchange Right in accordance with the terms of this Agreeme nt from time to time with respect to part or all of the Partnership Units that it owns, as selected by the Limited Partner, provided that, except as provided in the Agreement, a Limited Partner may not exercise the Exchange Right for less than one thousand (1,000) Partnership Units unless such Limited Partner then holds less than one thousand (1,000) Partnership Units, in which event the Limited Partner must exercise the Exchange Right for all of the Partnership Units held by such Limited Partner.  

(d) An Exchanging Partner shall have no right with respect to any Partnership Units so exchanged to receive any distributions paid after the Specified Exchange Date with respect to such Partnership Units.

(e) Any Assignee of a Limited Partner may exercise the rig hts of such Limited Partner pursuant to this Article 2, and such Limited Partner shall be deemed to have assigned such rights to such Assignee and shall be bound by the exercise of such rights by such Assignee.

(f) In connection with any exercise of such rights by an Assignee on behalf of a Limited Partner, the Cash Amount or the REIT Stock Amount, as the case may be, shall be satisfied by the Operating Partnership or the Company, as the case may be, directly to such Assignee and not to such Limited Partner.

2.2

Option of Company to Exchange for REIT Stock .  (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.1, the Company may, in its capacity as the General Partner of  the Operating Partnership, in its sole and absolute discretion (subject to the limitations on ownership and transfer of REIT Stock set forth in the Company’s charter), elect to assume directly and satisfy an Exchanging Partner’s Exchange Right by exchanging REIT Stock and rights equal to the REIT Stock Amount on the Specified Exchange Date for the Partnership Units offered for exchange by the Exchanging Partner, whereupon the Company shall acquire the Partnership Units offered for exchange by the Exchanging Partner and shall be treated for all purposes of the Partnership Agreement as the owner of such Partnership Units. Unless the Company, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall exercise its right to assume directly and satisfy the Exchange Right, the Company shall not have any obligation to the Exchanging Partner or to the Operating Partnership with respect to the Exchanging Partner’s exercise of the Exchange Right. If the Company shall exercise its right to satisfy the Exchange Right in the manner described in the first sentence of this Section 2.2 and shall fully perform its obligations in connection therewith, the Operating Partnership shall have no right or obligation to pay any amount to the Exchanging Partner with respect to such Exchanging Partner’s exercise of the Exchange Right, and each of the Exchanging Partner, the Operating Partnership and the Company shall, for federal income tax purposes, treat the transaction between the Company and the Exchanging Partner as a sale of the Exchanging Partner’s Partnership Units to the Company. Nothing contained in this Section 2.2 shall imply any right of the Company to require any Limited Partner to exercise the Exchange Right afforded to such Limited Partner pursuant to Section 2.1.

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(b) In the event the Company shall elect to satisfy, on behalf of the Operating Partnership, an Exchanging Partner’s Exchange Right by exchanging REIT Stock for the Partnership Units offered for exchange,

(i) the Company hereby agrees so to notify the Exchanging Partner within five (5) Business Days after the receipt by the Company of such Notice of Exchange,

(ii) each Exchanging Partner hereby agrees to execute such documents and instruments as the Company may reasonably require in connection with the issuance of REIT Stock upon exercise of the Exchange Right, and

(iii) the Company hereby agrees to deliver stock certificates representing fully paid and nonassessable shares of REIT Stock.

2.3

Prohibition of Exchange for REIT Stock. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be entitled to satisfy an Exchanging Partner’s Exchange Right pursuant to Section 2.2 if the delivery of REIT Stock to such Limited Partner by the Company pursuant to Section 2.2 (regardless of the Operating Partnership’s obligations to the Limited Partner under Section 2.1)

(a) would be prohibited under the Articles of Incorporation of the Company,

(b) if the Company has elected REIT status, would otherwise jeopardize the REIT status of the Company, or

(c) would cause the acquisition of the REIT Stock by the Limited Partner to be “integrated” with any other distribution of REIT Stock by the Company for purposes of complying with the registration provisions of the Securities Act.

2.4

Payment Date .  Any Cash Amount to be paid to an Exchanging Partner shall be paid on the Specified Exchange Date; provided, however, that the Operating Partnership may elect to cause the Specified Exchange Date to be delayed for up to an additional 180 days to the extent required for the Company to cause additional REIT Stock to be issued to provide financing to be used to make such payment of the Cash Amount by the Operating Partnership.

2.5

Expiration of Exchange Right. The Exchange Right shall expire with respect to any Partnership Units for which an Exchange Notice has not been delivered to the Operating Partnership and the Company on or before December 31, 2040.

2.6

Effect of Exchange .  (a) Any exchange of Partnership Units pursuant to this Article 2 shall be deemed to have occurred as of the Specified Exchange Date for all purposes, including without limitation the payment of distributions or dividends in respect of Partnership Units or REIT Stock, as applicable.

(b) Any Partnership Units acquired by the Company pursuant to an exercise by any Limited Partner of an Exchange Right shall be deemed to be acquired by and reallocated or reissued to the Company.

 

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(c) The Company , as general partner of the Operating Partnership, shall amend the Partnership Agreement to reflect each such exchange and reallocation or reissuance of Partnership Units and each corresponding recalculation of the Partnership Units of the Limited Partners .

ARTICLE III
OTHER PROVISIONS

3.1

Covenants of the Company .  (a) At all times during the pendency of the Exchange Right, the Company shall reserve for issuance such number of shares of REIT Stock as may be necessary to enable the Company to issue such shares in full payment of the REIT Stock Amount in regard to all Partnership Units held by Limited Partners which are from time to time outstanding.

(b) During the pendency of the Exchange Right, the Company shall deliver to Limited Partners in a timely manner all reports filed by the Company with the SEC to the extent the Company also transmits such reports to its stockholders and all other communications transmitted from time to time by the Company to its stockholders generally.

(c) The Company shall notify each Limited Partner, upon request, of the then current Exchange Factor and such notice will include a reasonable explanation of the Exchange Factor calculation to be applied at such time.

3.2

Fractional Shares .  (a) No fractional shares of REIT Stock shall be issued upon exchange of Partnership Units.

(b) The number of full shares of REIT Stock which shall be issuable upon exchange of Partnership Units (or the cash equivalent amount thereof if the Cash Amount is paid) shall be computed on the basis of the aggregate amount of Partnership Units so surrendered.

(c) Instead of any fractional shares of REIT Stock which would otherwise be issuable upon exchange of any Partnership Units, the Operating Partnership shall pay a cash adjustment in respect of such fraction in an amount equal to the Cash Amount of a Partnership Unit multiplied by such fraction.

3.3

Investment Representations and Warranties .  By delivering to the Company a Notice of Exchange, each Exchanging Partner will be deemed to represent and warrant to the Company and the Operating Partnership that such Exchanging Partner is aware of the Company’s option to exchange such Exchanging Partner’s Partnership Units for REIT Stock pursuant to Section 2.2 hereof and that:

(a) (i) such Exchanging Partner has reviewed (1) if the Company is required to file reports under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “ Exchange Act ”)copies of all reports and other filings (the “ SEC Reports ”), in the form filed on the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system, including Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, made by the Company with the SEC pursuant to the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations thereunder, and understands the risks of, and other considerations relating to, an investment in REIT Stock or (2) if the Company is not required to file SEC reports, [such information regarding the business, operations, financial condition, assets and liabilities of the Company] as

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the Exchanging Partn er deems necessary and appropriate in connection with the receipt of REIT Stock.]

(ii) Such Exchanging Partner, by reason of its business and financial experience, together with the business and financial experience of those persons, if any, retained by it to represent or advise it with respect to its investment in REIT Stock,

(A) has such knowledge, sophistication and experience in financial and business matters and in making investment decisions of this type that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of and of making an informed investment decision with respect to an investment in REIT Stock,

(B) is capable of protecting its own interest or has engaged representatives or advisors to assist it in protecting its interests and

(C) is capable of bearing the economic risk of such investment.

(iii) (A) Such Exchanging Partner is an “accredited investor” as defined in Rule 501 of the regulations promulgated under the Securities Act.

(B) If such Exchanging Partner has retained or retains a person to represent or advise it with respect to its investment in REIT Stock, such Exchanging Partner will advise the Company of such retention and, at the Company’s request, such Exchanging Partner shall, prior to or at delivery of the REIT Stock hereunder,

 

(I)

acknowledge in writing such representation and

 

(II)

cause such representative or advisor to deliver a certificate to the Company containing such representations as may be reasonably requested by the Company.

(b) (i) Such Exchanging Partner understands that an investment in the Company inv olves substantial risks.

(ii) Such Exchanging Partner has been given the opportunity to make a thorough investigation of the activities of the Company and has been furnished with materials relating to the Company and its activities, including, without limi tation, each Prospectus and the SEC Reports.

(iii) Such Exchanging Partner has relied and is making its investment decision based upon the Prospectus/Consent Solicitation Statement relating to the Consolidation and any subsequent Prospectus, the SEC Report s and other written information provided to the Exchanging Partner by or on behalf of the Company and, as applicable, such Exchanging Partner’s position as a director or executive officer of the Company.

(c) (i) The REIT Stock to be issued to such Exchangi ng Partner hereunder will be acquired by such Exchanging Partner for its own account, for investment only and not with a view

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to, or with any intention of, a distribution or resale thereof, in whole or in part, or the grant of any participation therein.

(ii) Such Exchanging Partner was not formed for the specific purpose of acquiring an interest in the Company.

(d) (i) Such Exchanging Partner acknowledges that

(A) the shares of REIT Stock to be issued to such Exchanging Partner hereunder have not been registered under the Securities Act or state securities laws by reason of a specific exemption or exemptions from registration under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws and, the certificates representing such shares of REIT Stock will bear a legend to such effect,

(B) the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s reliance on such exemptions is predicated in part on the accuracy and completeness of the representations and warranties of such Exchanging Partner contained herein,

(C) the REIT Stock to be issued to such Exchanging Partner hereunder may not be resold or otherwise distributed unless registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws, or unless an exemption from registration is available,

(D) there may be no market for unregistered shares of REIT Stock, and

(E) the Company has no obligation or intention to register such REIT Stock under the Securities Act or any state securities laws or to take any action that would make available any exemption from the registration requirements of such laws, except as provided in the Registration Rights Agreement entered into by the Company and the Exchanging Partner (the “ Registration Rights Agreement ”).

(ii) Such Exchanging Partner acknowledges that because of the restrictions on transfer or assignment of such REIT Stock to be issued hereunder, such Exchanging Partner may have to bear the economic risk of its investment in REIT Stock issued hereunder for an indefinite period of time, although the holder of any such REIT Stock will be afforded certain rights to have the resale of such REIT Stock registered under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws pursuant to the Registration Rights Agreement.

(e) The address set forth under such Exchanging Partner’s name in the Notice of Exchange is the address of the Exchanging Partner’s principal place of business or, if a natural person, the address of the Exchanging Partner’s residence, and such Exchanging Partner has no present intention of becoming a resident of any country, state or jurisdiction other than the country and state in which such principal place of business or residence is situated.

ARTICLE IV
GENERAL PROVISIONS

4.1

Addresses and Notice .  Any notice, demand, request or report required or permitted to be given or made to the Operating Partnership, the Company, a Limited Partner or Assignee, as the

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case may be, under this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed given or made when delivered in person or when sent by first class United States mail or by other similar ly reliable means of written communication to the Operating Partnership, the Company, a Limited Partner or Assignee, as the case may be, at the address listed on the records of the Operating Partnership.

4.2

Titles and Captions .  All article or section titles or captions in this Agreement are for convenience only. They shall not be deemed part of this Agreement and in no way define, limit, extend or describe the scope or intent of any provisions hereof. Except as specifically provided otherwise, references to “Articles” and “Sections” are to Articles and Sections of this Agreement.

4.3

Pronouns and Plurals .  Whenever the context may require, any pronoun used in this Agreement shall include the corresponding masculine, feminine or neuter forms, and the singular form of nouns, pronouns and verbs shall include the plural and vice versa.

4.4

Further Action and Additional Restrictions .  The parties shall execute and deliver all documents, provide all information and take or refrain from taking action as may be necessary or appropriate to achieve the purposes of this Agreement.

4.5

Binding Effect .  This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns.

4.6

Waiver .  No failure by any party to insist upon the strict performance of any covenant, duty, agreement or condition of this Agreement or to exercise any right or remedy consequent upon a breach thereof shall constitute waiver of any such breach or any other covenant, duty, agreement or condition.

4.7

Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, all of which together shall constitute one agreement binding on all of the parties hereto, notwithstanding that all such parties are not signatories to the original or the same counterpart. Each party shall become bound by this Agreement immediately upon affixing its signature hereto.

4.8

Applicable Law .  This Agreement shall be construed and enforced in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to the principles of conflicts of law thereof.

4.9

Invalidity of Provisions .  If any provision of this Agreement is or becomes invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not be affected thereby.

4.10

Entire Agreement .  This Agreement contains the entire understanding and agreement among the Limited Partners, the Operating Partnership and the Company with respect to the subject matter hereof and supersedes any other prior written or oral understandings or agreements among them with respect thereto.

4.11

Amendment .  This Agreement may be amended from time to time with the consent of the Company by a vote of the Limited Partners in the same manner as the Partnership Agreement (in accordance with Section 14.1(a) thereof) may be amended as provided therein, provided, however, that

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the Company shall vote its limited partnership interests in proportion to the votes of the other Limited Partners.

 

[Signatures on next page]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Exchange Rights Agreement as of the date first written above.

THE COMPANY:

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

By:

Name:

Title:

OPERATING PARTNERSHIP:

INDEPENDENCE REALTY OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, LP

BY:  INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC., its general partner

By:

Name:

Title:

 

 

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11 = 1


 

Exhibit A – Exchange Rights Agreement

Name and Address of Limited Partners

 

C-12

12 = 1


 

Exhibit B – Exchange Rights Agreement

Notice of Exchange

The undersigned Limited Partner hereby irrevocably (i) exchanges ___________ Partnership Units in Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP, in accordance with the terms of the Exchange Rights Agreement, dated as of __________, 20__ (the “ Exchange Rights Agreement ”), and the Exchange Right referred to therein; (ii) surrenders such Partnership Units and all right, title and interest therein; and (iii) directs that the Cash Amount or REIT Stock Amount (as determined by the Company) deliverable upon exercise of the Exchange Right be delivered to the address specified below, and if REIT Stock is to be delivered, such REIT Stock will be registered or placed in the name(s) and at the address(es) specified below. Capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the meaning ascribed to such terms in the Exchange Rights Agreement.

The undersigned hereby represents, warrants, and certifies that the undersigned (a) has marketable and unencumbered title to such Partnership Units, free and clear, other than any encumbrance arising pursuant to the Partnership Agreement, of the rights or interests of any other person or entity; (b) has the full right, power, and authority to exchange and surrender such Partnership Units as provided herein; and (c) has obtained the consent or approval of all persons or entities, if any, (other than consent or approval that may be required of the Company or the Operating Partnership) having the right to consent or approve such exchange and surrender on the part of the undersigned.

The undersigned hereby makes the representations and warranties contained in Section 3.3 of the Exchange Rights Agreement as if such representations and warranties had been set forth in full in this Notice of Exchange.

Dated:_________________________

Name of Limited Partner (Please Print)

Signature guaranteed by:

 

(Signature of Limited Partner)

 

 

 

(Street Address)

 

(City) (State) (Zip Code)

 

If REIT Stock is to be issued, issue to:

 

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Exhibit 10.7.2

FORM OF

INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT

THIS AGREEMENT, dated as of [●], is by and between Independence Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “ Company ”), and [●] (the “ Indemnitee ”).

WHEREAS, it is essential that the Company be able to retain and attract as directors and officers the most capable persons available;

WHEREAS, the Company desires to have the Indemnitee serve or continue to serve as a director and/or officer of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Company and the Indemnitee recognize the increased risk of litigation and other claims being asserted in today’s environment against directors and officers of publicly-traded companies;

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee recognize that the interpretation of ambiguous statutes, regulations and court opinions, and of the Articles of Restatement (the “ Articles ”) and Amended and Restated Bylaws (the “ Bylaws ”) of the Company, and the vagaries of public policy, are too uncertain to provide the directors and/or officers of the Company with adequate or reliable advance knowledge or guidance with respect to the potential litigation risks and expenses to which they may become personally exposed as a result of performing their duties in good faith for the Company;

WHEREAS, the Company does not want capable persons available to serve as directors and/or officers of the Company to be dissuaded from serving in such roles due to concerns related to the increased corporate litigation that has subjected directors and/or officers of publicly-traded companies to litigation risks and expenses;

WHEREAS, the Company has determined that its preserving and enhancing its ability to retain and attract as directors and officers the most capable persons available is in the best interests of the Company;

WHEREAS, the Company desires to provide Indemnitee with specific contractual assurance of Indemnitee’s rights to indemnification against litigation risks and expenses and to the advancement of expenses (regardless of, among other things, any amendment to the Articles or Bylaws, or any change in the ownership of the Company or the composition of its Board of Directors);

WHEREAS, the Company and Indemnitee desire to enter into this Agreement in order for Indemnitee to rely upon the rights afforded under this Agreement in accepting and continuing in Indemnitee’s position as a director and/or officer of the Company; and

WHEREAS, this Agreement is a supplement to and in furtherance of the indemnification, advancement of expenses and any other rights provided to, or for the benefit of, the Indemnitee by the Articles and/or Bylaws and any resolutions adopted


pursuant thereto and shall not be deemed a substitute thereof, nor to diminish or abrogate any rights of Inde mnitee thereunder;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and of the Indemnitee agreeing to serve, or continuing to serve, the Company after the date hereof directly or, at the Company’s request, as an officer, director, manager, member, partner, tax matters partner, fiduciary or trustee of, or in any other capacity with, another Person (as defined below) or any employee benefit plan, the sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound hereby, the parties hereto agree as follows:

1. Certain Definitions .  In addition to terms defined elsewhere herein, the following terms have the following meanings when used in this Agreement:

 

(a)

Agreement :  means this Indemnification Agreement, as amended from time to time hereafter.

 

(b)

Board of Directors :  means the Board of Directors of the Company.

 

(c)

Change in Control shall be deemed to have occurred upon any of the following events:

(i) A merger, recapitalization, consolidation, or other similar transaction to which the Company is a party, unless securities representing at least 50% of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the surviving entity or a parent thereof are immediately thereafter beneficially owned, directly or indirectly and in substantially the same proportion, by the persons who beneficially owned the Company’s outstanding voting securities immediately before the transaction;

(ii) A sale, transfer or disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets, unless securities representing at least 50% of the combined voting power of the then-outstanding securities of the entity acquiring the Company’s assets or parent thereof are immediately thereafter beneficially owned, directly or indirectly and in substantially the same proportion, by the persons who beneficially owned the Company’s outstanding voting securities immediately before the transaction;

(iii)  A merger, recapitalization, consolidation or other transaction to which the Company is a party or the sale, transfer or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets if, in either case, the members of the Company’s Board of Directors immediately prior to consummation of the transaction do not, upon consummation of the transaction, constitute at least a majority of the board of directors of the surviving entity or the entity acquiring the Company’s assets, as the case may be, or a parent thereof (for this purpose, any change in the composition of the Company’s Board of

2


Directors that is anticipated or pursuant to an understanding or agreement in connection with a transaction will be deemed to have occurred at the time of the transaction); or

(iv)  During any period of twelve (12) consecutive months, a majority of the members of the Board of Directors ceases to be composed of individuals (i) who were members of the Board of Directors on the first day of such period, (ii) whose election or nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by individuals referred to in clause (i) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of the Board of Directors, or (iii) whose election or nomination to the Board of Directors was approved by individuals referred to in clauses (i) and (ii) above constituting at the time of such election or nomination at least a majority of the Board of Directors.

 

(d)

Exchange Act : means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

 

(e)

Expenses : shall be broadly construed and shall include all direct and indirect losses, liabilities, damages, expenses, including fees and expenses of attorneys, fees and expenses of accountants, court costs, transcript costs, fees and expenses of experts, witness fees and expenses, travel expenses, printing and binding costs, telephone charges, delivery service fees, the premium, security for, and other costs relating to any bond (including cost bonds, appraisal bonds, or their equivalents), judgments, fines, penalties (whether civil, criminal or other), ERISA excise taxes assessed on a person with respect to an employee benefit plan, and amounts paid or payable in connection with any judgment, award or settlement, including any interest, assessments, any federal, state, local or foreign taxes imposed as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any indemnification or expense advancement payments, and all other disbursements or expenses incurred in connection with (i) the investigation, preparation, prosecution, defense, settlement, mediation, arbitration and appeal of a Proceeding (as defined below), (ii) serving as an actual or prospective witness, or preparing to be a witness in a Proceeding, or other participation in, or other preparation for, any Proceeding, (iii) any compulsory interviews or depositions related to a Proceeding, (iv) any non-compulsory interviews or depositions related to a Proceeding, subject to the person receiving advance written approval by the Company to participate in such interviews or depositions, (v) responding to, or objecting to, a request to provide discovery in any Proceeding, and (vi) establishing or enforcing a right to indemnification under this Agreement, the Bylaws, the Articles, applicable law or otherwise. Expenses shall also include any federal, state, local and foreign taxes

3


 

imposed on such person as a result of the actual or deemed receipt of any payments under this Agreement.

 

(f)

Indemnifiable Event : means any event or occurrence, whether occurring before, on or after the date of this Agreement, related to or arising out of the fact that the Indemnitee is or was serving in an Official Capacity, or by reason of an action or inaction by the Indemnitee in any such Official Capacity, whether the basis of such Proceeding is an alleged action in an Official Capacity or in any other capacity while serving in an Official Capacity and whether or not serving in any Official Capacity at the time any Expenses are incurred for which indemnity can be provided under this Agreement.

 

(g)

Independent Counsel : means a law firm, a member of a law firm, or an independent practitioner, that is experienced in matters of corporate law and neither currently is, nor in the five (5) years previous to its selection has been, retained to represent (i) the Company or the Indemnitee in any matter material to either such party (other than with respect to matters concerning the Indemnitee under this Agreement or of other indemnitees under similar indemnification agreements) or (ii) any other party to the Proceeding giving rise to a claim for indemnification hereunder.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, the term “Independent Counsel” shall not include any Person who, under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, would have a conflict of interest in representing either the Company or the Indemnitee in an action to determine the Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement. The Company agrees to pay the reasonable fees and expenses of the Independent Counsel referred to above.

 

(h)

Official Capacity : means (i) serving as a director or officer of the Company or (ii) while serving as a director or officer of the Company, serving at the request of the Company as an officer, director, manager, member, partner, tax matters partner, employee, agent, fiduciary, trustee or other representative of an Other Enterprise (as defined below).

 

(i)

Other Enterprise : means another corporation, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, association or other enterprise, whether for profit or not-for-profit, including any subsidiaries of the Company, any entities formed by the Company and any employee benefit plans maintained or sponsored by the Company where the Indemnitee is serving at the request of the Company in any capacity.

 

(j)

Person :  means any individual, corporation, firm, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, estate, trust, business association, organization, governmental entity or other entity.

4


 

(k)

The term “ Proceeding ” shall be broadly construed and shall include any threatened, asserted, pending or completed action, suit, investigation (including any internal investigation), inquiry, hearing, mediation, arbitration, other alternative dispute mechanism or any other proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative, regulatory, arbitrative, legislative, investigative or oth erwise and whether formal or informal, or any appeal of any kind therefrom, including an action initiated by the Indemnitee to enforce Indemnitee’s rights to indemnification or Expense Advance (as defined below) under this Agreement or any provision of the Articles, the Bylaws, the MGCL (as defined below) or other applicable law, and whether instituted by or in the right of the Company, a governmental agency, the Board of Directors of the Company, any authorized committee thereof, a class of its security ho lders or any other party, and whether made pursuant to federal, state or other law, or any inquiry, hearing or investigation (including any internal investigation), whether formal or informal, whether instituted by or in the right of the Company, a governm ental agency, the Board of Directors, any committee thereof, a class of its security holders, or any other party that the Indemnitee believes might lead to the institution of any such proceeding.

 

(l)

The term “ serving at the request of the Company ” shall include any service to the Company or an Other Enterprise by the Indemnitee in Indemnitee's Official Capacity at the request of, for the convenience of, or to represent the interests of, the Company or any subsidiary of the Company. For the purposes of this Agreement, Indemnitee's service in Indemnitee's Official Capacity to the Company or an Other Enterprise shall be presumed to be “ Service at the Request of the Company ,” unless it is conclusively determined to the contrary by a majority vote of the directors of the Company, excluding, if applicable, the Indemnitee. With respect to such determination, it shall not be necessary for Indemnitee to show any actual or prior request by the Company or its Board of Directors for such service to the Company or an Other Enterprise.

2. Agreement to Indemnify; Advancement of Expenses .

(a) In the event that the Indemnitee was, is or becomes subject to, a party to or witness or other participant in, or is threatened to be made subject to, a party to or witness or other participant in, a Proceeding arising by reason of (or arising in part out of) an Indemnifiable Event, including Proceedings brought by or in the right of the Company, Proceedings brought by third parties, and Proceedings in which the Indemnitee is solely a witness, the Company shall indemnify the Indemnitee, or cause such Indemnitee to be indemnified, to the fullest extent permitted by the Maryland General Corporation Law (Titles 1 & 2 of the Corporations and Associations Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland, as the same exists now or as it may be hereinafter amended (the “ MGCL ”)), but,

5


in the case of any such amendment, only to the extent that such amendment permits the Company to provide broader indemnification rights than the MGCL permitted the Company to provide prior to such amendment, against any and all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee or on his or her behalf in connection with such Proceedings. If, in regard to any such Expenses, (i) the Indemnitee shall be entitled to indemnificatio n pursuant to Section 2(h) or Section 4, (ii) no determination with respect to the Indemnitee’s entitlement is legally required as a condition to indemnification of the Indemnitee hereunder, or (iii) the Indemnitee has been determined pursuant to Section 2 (e) to be entitled to indemnification hereunder, then payments of such Expenses shall be made as soon as practicable but in any event no later than thirty (30) calendar days after the later of (A) the date on which written demand is presented to the Compan y pursuant to Section 2(d) or (B) the earliest date on which the applicable criterion specified in clause (i), (ii) or (iii) of this Section 2(a) is satisfied.

(b) Expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding arising by reason of (or arising in part out of) an Indemnifiable Event shall be paid by the Company in advance of the final disposition of such Proceeding (“ Expense Advance ”). Except as provided in the following sentence, the Company shall promptly pay the amount of such Expenses to the Indemnitee, but in no event shall such payment be made later than ten (10) business days after the receipt by the Company of a statement or statements from the Indemnitee requesting such advance or advances pursuant to this Section 2(b), together with a reasonable accounting of such Expenses. The right to Expense Advance shall not apply to (i) any Proceeding against an officer, director or other agent of the Company brought by the Company and approved by a majority of the authorized members of the Board which alleges willful misappropriation of corporate assets by such officer, director or other agent, wrongful disclosure of confidential information, or any other willful and deliberate breach in bad faith of such officer’s, director’s or other agent’s duty to the Company or its shareholders, or (ii) any claim for which indemnification is excluded pursuant to this Agreement, but shall apply to any Proceeding referenced in Section 2(c)(iv) of this Agreement prior to a determination that the person is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company. The obligation of the Company to make an Expense Advance pursuant to this Section 2(b) shall be conditioned upon delivery to the Company of an undertaking in writing by or on behalf of the Indemnitee in which the Indemnitee undertakes and agrees to repay to the Company any advances made pursuant to this   Section 2(b)   if and to the extent that it shall ultimately be determined (in accordance with this Section 2 or by final judicial determination from which there is no further right to appeal, as applicable) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified by the Company for such amounts. The Company shall make the advances contemplated by this   Section 2(b)   regardless of the Indemnitee’s financial ability to make repayment, and regardless of whether indemnification of the Indemnitee by the Company will ultimately be required. Any advances pursuant to this   Section 2(b)   shall be unsecured and interest-free. Except as set forth in this Section 2(b), the Company shall not impose on the Indemnitee additional conditions to Expense Advance or require from the Indemnitee additional undertakings regarding repayment. Advancements shall include any and all reasonable Expenses incurred pursuing an action to enforce the Indemnitee’s right of advancement of Expenses pursuant to this Agreement or any provision of the Articles, the Bylaws, the MGCL or other applicable law, including Expenses incurred preparing and

6


forwarding statements to the Company to support the advancements claimed pursuant to this Agreement.

(c) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement to the contrary, the Indemnitee shall not be entitled to indemnification or advancement of Expenses pursuant to this Agreement (i) in connection with any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by the Indemnitee (other than any cross-claim, counterclaim or affirmative defense asserted by the Indemnitee in an action brought against Indemnitee), including any Proceeding (or any part of any Proceeding) initiated by the Indemnitee against the Company, any entity that the Company controls, any of the directors, officers, or employees thereof, other indemnitees or any third party, unless (A) the Company has joined in or the Board of Directors of the Company has authorized or consented to the initiation of such Proceeding, (B) it is a Proceeding referenced in Section 3 below, (C) the Company provides the indemnification, in its sole discretion, pursuant to the powers vested in the Company under applicable law, (D) otherwise made under Section 2(b), or (E) otherwise required by applicable law, (ii) if a final adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction determines that such indemnification is prohibited by applicable law, (iii) on account of any Proceeding for an accounting of profits made from the purchase and sale (or sale and purchase) by the Indemnitee of securities of the Company within the meaning of Section 16(b) of the Exchange Act or similar provisions of state statutory law or common law, (iv) on account of any Proceeding for any reimbursement of the Company by the Indemnitee of any bonus or other incentive-based or equity-based compensation or of any profits realized by the Indemnitee from the sale of securities of the Company, as required in each case under the Exchange Act (including any such reimbursements that arise from an accounting restatement of the Company pursuant to Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the “ Sarbanes-Oxley Act ”), or the payment to the Company of profits arising from the purchase and sale by the Indemnitee of securities in violation of Section 306 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act), or (v) as limited by Section 17 of this Agreement.

(d) To obtain indemnification under this Agreement, the Indemnitee shall deliver to the Secretary of the Company a written request for indemnification, including therein or therewith such documentation and information as is reasonably available to the Indemnitee and is reasonably necessary to determine whether and to what extent the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification hereunder. The Secretary of the Company shall, promptly upon receipt of such a request for indemnification, advise the Board of Directors of the Company in writing that the Indemnitee has requested indemnification.

(e) Upon written request by the Indemnitee for indemnification pursuant to the first sentence of Section 2(d), a determination, if required by applicable law, with respect to Indemnitee’s entitlement thereto shall be made in the specific case by one of the following four methods: (i) by majority vote of a quorum consisting of directors who are not parties to such Proceeding (“ Disinterested Directors ”), (ii) if such a quorum of Disinterested Directors cannot be obtained, by majority vote of a committee duly designated by the Board of Directors (all directors, whether or not Disinterested Directors, may participate in such designation) consisting solely of two or more Disinterested Directors, (iii) if such a committee cannot be designated, by any Independent Counsel

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selected (A) by the Board of Directors (as prescribed in clause (i) above), (B) by the committee of the Board of Directors (as prescribed in clause (ii) above) or (C) if a quorum of the Board of Directors cannot be obtained for clause (i) above and the committee cannot b e designated under clause (ii) above, by majority vote of the full Board of Directors (in which directors who are parties to the Proceeding may participate), in a written opinion to the Board of Directors, a copy of which shall be delivered to the Indemnit ee, or (iv) if such Independent Counsel determination cannot be obtained, by majority vote of a quorum of shareholders consisting of shareholders who are not parties to such Proceeding, or if no such quorum is obtainable, by a majority vote of shareholders who are not parties to such Proceeding, using its best efforts to make such determination as promptly as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances, that the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified under applicable law. If it is so determined that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, payment to the Indemnitee shall be made within thirty (30) calendar days after such determination. The Indemnitee shall reasonably cooperate with the Person or Persons making such determination with respect t o the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification, including providing to such Person or Persons upon reasonable advance request any documentation or information which is not privileged or otherwise protected from disclosure and which is reasonably availab le to the Indemnitee and reasonably necessary to such determination. Any costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements) actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in so cooperating with the Person or Persons making such determinati on shall be borne by the Company (irrespective of the determination as to the Indemnitee’s entitlement to indemnification) and the Company hereby indemnifies and agrees to hold Indemnitee harmless therefrom. Any determination by the Company (including by i ts directors, shareholders or any Independent Counsel) otherwise (that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification) shall be conclusive and binding on the Company and the Indemnitee.  The Company agrees that all costs incurred by the Company in making th e determination under this Section 2(e) shall be borne solely by the Company, including, but not limited to, the costs of legal counsel (including any Independent Counsel serving under this Section 2(e)), proxy solicitations and judicial determinations.  

(f) If (x) the Company (including by its directors, shareholders or any Independent Counsel) determines that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified in whole or in part under applicable law, (y) any amount of Expenses is not paid in full by the Company according to Section 2(a) after a determination is made pursuant to Section 2(e) that the Indemnitee is entitled to be indemnified, or (z) any amount of Expense Advance is not paid in full by the Company according to Section 2(b) after a request and an undertaking pursuant to Section 2(b) have been received by the Company, in each case, the Indemnitee shall have the right to commence litigation in any court in the State of Maryland having subject matter jurisdiction thereof and in which venue is proper, either challenging any such determination, which shall not be binding, or any aspect thereof (including the legal or factual bases therefor), seeking to recover the unpaid amount of Expenses or Expense Advance, as applicable, and otherwise to enforce the Company’s obligations under this Agreement. The Company hereby consents to service of process and to appear in any such proceeding. If the Indemnitee commences legal proceedings in a court of competent jurisdiction to secure a determination that the Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, any such judicial proceeding shall be conducted in all respects as a

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de novo trial, on the merits, any determination that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be indemnified under applicable law shall not be bind ing on, and shall not prejudice the Indemnitee, the Indemnitee shall continue to be entitled to receive Expense Advance, and the Indemnitee shall not be required to reimburse the Company for any Expense Advance, unless and until a final judicial determinat ion is made (as to which all rights of appeal therefrom have been exhausted or lapsed) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to be so indemnified under applicable law. The Company shall also be solely responsible for paying all costs incurred by it in defend ing any Proceeding made pursuant to this Section 2(f) challenging its determination or seeking its payment.

(g) If a Determination shall have been made pursuant to Section 2(e) that the Indemnitee is entitled to indemnification, the Company shall be bound by such determination in any judicial proceeding commenced pursuant to Section 2(f).

(h) To the extent that the Indemnitee has been successful on the merits or otherwise, either in defense of any Proceeding relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable Event or in defense of any claim, issue or matter therein, including dismissal without prejudice, or  in prosecution of any Proceeding relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable Event pursuant to Section 2(f), the Indemnitee shall be indemnified by the Company against all Expenses actually and reasonably incurred in connection therewith, notwithstanding an earlier determination by the Company (including by its directors, shareholders or any Independent Counsel) that the Indemnitee is not entitled to indemnification under applicable law. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “successful on the merits or otherwise” shall include, but not be limited to, (i) any termination, withdrawal, or dismissal (with or without prejudice) of any Proceeding against the Indemnitee without any express finding of liability or guilt against the Indemnitee, (ii) the expiration of one-hundred twenty (120) days after the making of any claim or threat of a Proceeding without the institution of the same and without any promise or payment made to induce a settlement, and (iii) the settlement of any Proceeding pursuant to which the Indemnitee pays less than $100,000.

3. Indemnification for Expenses of the Indemnitee in Enforcing Rights . To the fullest extent allowable under applicable law, the Company shall also indemnify, or cause the indemnification of, the Indemnitee against any and all Expenses and, if requested by the Indemnitee, shall advance such Expenses to the Indemnitee subject to and in accordance with Sections 2(b) and (f), which are actually and reasonably incurred by the Indemnitee in connection with any Proceeding brought by the Indemnitee for (i) indemnification or an Expense Advance by the Company under any provision of this Agreement, under any other agreement that the Indemnitee is a party to, or under any provision of the Articles, the Bylaws, the MGCL or other applicable law now or hereafter in effect, in each case, relating to the Indemnitee’s rights to indemnification or Expense Advance, and/or (ii) recovery under any director’s and officer’s liability or other insurance policies maintained by the Company, regardless of, in the case of (i) or (ii),  whether the Indemnitee ultimately is determined to be entitled to such indemnification, Expense Advance or insurance recovery, as the case may be. Indemnitee shall be required to reimburse the Company in the event that a final judicial determination is made that any such Proceeding brought by the Indemnitee was frivolous or not made in good faith.

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4. Partial Indemnity .  If the Indemnitee is entitled under any provision of this Agreement to indemnification by the Company for some or a portion of the  Expenses in respect of a Proceeding relating in whole or in part to an Indemnifiable Event but not, however, for all of the total a mount thereof, the Company shall nevertheless indemnify the Indemnitee for the portion thereof to which the Indemnitee is entitled.

5. Burdens of Proof and Persuasion .  In any judicial proceeding brought under Section 2(f) above, the Company shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion to establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that the Indemnitee is not entitled to the indemnification or Expense Advance provided pursuant to this Agreement.

6. Presumptions and Effect of Certain Proceedings .

(a) In connection with any determination, pursuant to Section 2(e), concerning the Indemnitee’s right to Indemnification, the Person or Persons making such determination shall presume that the Indemnitee has satisfied the applicable standard of conduct and is entitled to indemnification under this Agreement if the Indemnitee has submitted a request for indemnification in accordance with Section 2(d) above, and, except where any required undertaking under Section 2(b) has not been delivered to the Company, anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and burden of persuasion, by clear and convincing evidence.

(b) The Indemnitee shall be deemed to have met the applicable standard of conduct and to be entitled to indemnification under the MGCL for any action or omission to act undertaken (i) in good faith reliance upon the records of the Company, including its financial statements, or upon information, opinions, reports or statements furnished to the Indemnitee by the officers or employees of the Company or any of its subsidiaries in the course of their duties, or by committees of the Board of Directors, or by any other Person as to matters the Indemnitee reasonably believes are within such other Person’s professional or expert competence, or (ii) on behalf of the Company in furtherance of the interests of the Company in good faith in reliance upon, and in accordance with, the advice of legal counsel or accountants; provided such legal counsel or accountants were selected with reasonable care by or on behalf of the Company.  In addition, the knowledge and/or actions, or failures to act, of any director, officer, agent or employee of the Company or an Other Enterprise shall not be imputed to the Indemnitee for purposes of determining the right to indemnification under this Agreement. Whether or not the foregoing provisions of this Section 6(b) are satisfied, it shall in any event be presumed that the Indemnitee has at all times acted in good faith and in a manner Indemnitee reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the Company. Anyone seeking to overcome this presumption shall have the burden of proof and the burden of persuasion, by clear and convincing evidence.  

(c) For purposes of this Agreement, the termination of any Proceeding by judgment, order, settlement (whether with or without court approval) or conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or its equivalent, shall not create a presumption that the Indemnitee did not meet any particular standard of conduct or have any particular belief or that a court has determined that indemnification is not permitted by applicable law.

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(d) Neither the failure of the Company (including by its directors, shareholders or any Independent Counsel) to have made a determination as to w hether the Indemnitee has met any particular standard of conduct or had any particular belief, nor an actual determination by the Company (including by its directors, shareholders or any Independent Counsel) that the Indemnitee has not met such standard of conduct or did not have such belief, prior to the commencement of legal proceedings by the Indemnitee to secure a judicial determination that the Indemnitee should be indemnified under applicable law, shall be a defense to the Indemnitee’s claim for indem nification or create a presumption that the Indemnitee has not met any particular standard of conduct or did not have any particular belief.

7. Failure to Act Not a Defense .  The failure of the Company (including its Board of Directors or any committee thereof, Independent Legal Counsel, or shareholders) to make a determination concerning the permissibility of the payment of Expenses or the Expense Advance under this Agreement shall not be a defense in any action brought under Section 2(f) hereof, and shall not create a presumption that such payment or advancement is not permissible.  

8. Access to Information . Indemnitee shall be entitled to access such information in the possession of the Company as may be reasonably necessary to enforce Indemnitee’s rights under this Agreement.

9. Nonexclusivity, Etc.   The rights of the Indemnitee hereunder to indemnification and Expense Advance shall be in addition to, but not exclusive of,  any other rights the Indemnitee may have at any time under the Bylaws or the Articles, applicable law, any insurance policy purchased or maintained by the Indemnitee or any other agreement, vote of shareholders or directors (or a committee of directors), or otherwise, both as to action in Indemnitee’s Official Capacity and as to action in any other capacity while Indemnitee is serving in an Official Capacity. The right to be indemnified or to receive advancement of Expenses under this Agreement (i) is a contract right based upon good and valuable consideration, pursuant to which Indemnitee may sue, (ii) is and is intended to be retroactive and shall be available as to events occurring prior to the date of this Agreement and (iii) shall continue after any rescission or restrictive modification of this Agreement as to events occurring prior thereto.

10. Change in Law . To the extent that a change in the MGCL or the interpretation thereof (whether by statute or judicial decision) permits broader indemnification or advancement of Expenses than is provided under the terms of the  Articles, the Bylaws and this Agreement, it is the intent of the parties hereto that the Indemnitee shall enjoy by this Agreement the greater benefits so afforded by such change in law. In the event of any change in the MGCL (whether by statute or judicial decision) which narrows the right of a Maryland corporation to indemnify a member of its Board of Directors, an officer, or other agent, such changes, to the extent not required by applicable law to be applied to this Agreement, shall have no effect on this Agreement or the parties’ rights and obligations hereunder.

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11. Representations and Warranties of the Company . The Company hereby represents and warrants to Indemnitee as follows:

(a) Authority . The Company has all necessary power and authority to enter into, and be bound by the terms of, this Agreement, and the execution, delivery and performance of the undertakings contemplated by this Agreement have been duly authorized by the Company.

(b) Enforceability . This Agreement, when executed and delivered by the Company in accordance with the provisions hereof, shall be a legal, valid and binding obligation of the Company, enforceable against the Company in accordance with its terms, except as such enforceability may be limited by applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization or similar laws affecting the enforcement of creditors’ rights generally.

12. Maintenance of D&O Insurance .  

(a) The Company represents that it presently has in force and effect directors’ and officers’ liability insurance covering the directors and officers of the Company (“ D&O Insurance ”)  as set forth on Annex A hereto (the “ Insurance Policies ”).

(b) The Company shall, from time to time, make the good faith determination whether or not it is practicable for the Company to obtain and maintain a policy or policies of insurance with reputable insurance companies providing the officers and directors of the Company with D&O Insurance. Among other considerations, the Company will weigh the costs of obtaining such D&O Insurance coverage against the protection afforded by such coverage. All decisions as to whether and to what extent the Company maintains D&O Insurance shall be made by the Board in its sole and absolute discretion.

(c) In all policies of D&O Insurance, the Indemnitee shall be covered as an insured in such a manner as to provide the Indemnitee with the same rights and benefits as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s directors, if the Indemnitee is a director; or as are accorded to the most favorably insured of the Company’s officers, if the Indemnitee is not a director of the Company but is an officer.

(d) Notwithstanding the foregoing, except as provided in Section 12(b) and as provided below in Section 12(f) in the event of a Change in Control, the Company shall have no obligation pursuant to this Agreement to obtain or maintain D&O Insurance coverage at least comparable to that provided by the Insurance Policies.

(e) Promptly after (i) learning of facts and circumstances which may give rise to a Proceeding, the Company shall notify its D&O Insurance carriers, if such notice is required by the applicable insurance policies, and any other insurance carrier providing applicable insurance coverage to the Company, of such facts and circumstances, or (ii) receiving notice of a Proceeding, whether from the Indemnitee, or otherwise, the Company shall give prompt notice to its D&O Insurance carriers, and any other insurance carriers providing applicable insurance coverage to the Company, in the case of (i) and (ii),

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in accordance with the requirements of the respective insur ance policies. The Company shall, thereafter, take all necessary or appropriate action to cause such insurance carriers to pay, on behalf of the Indemnitee, all Expenses incurred or to be incurred, and liability incurred, by the Indemnitee with respect to such Proceeding, in accordance with the terms of the applicable insurance policies.

(f) At or prior to any Change in Control, the Company shall obtain a prepaid, fully-earned and non-cancellable “tail” directors’ and officers’ liability insurance policy in respect of acts or omissions occurring at or prior to the Change in Control with a claims period of six (6) years from the Change in Control, covering the Indemnitee, to the extent that the Indemnitee is covered by D&O Insurance immediately prior to the Change in Control, with the coverage and amounts and containing terms and conditions that are not less advantageous to the directors and officers of the Company and its subsidiaries than those of the D&O Insurance in effect immediately prior to such Change in Control; provided, however , that the aggregate premium therefor is not in excess of 200% of the annual premium then paid by the Company for coverage for its then current policy year for such insurance, and if the premium therefor would be in excess of such amount, the Company shall purchase such “tail” policy with the greatest coverage available as to matters occurring prior to the Change in Control as is available for a cost not exceeding that premium amount. Any such tail policy may not be amended, modified, cancelled or revoked after the Change in Control by the Company or any successor thereto in any manner that is adverse to the Indemnitee. 

13. Covenant Not To Sue, Limitation of Actions and Release of Claims .  No legal action shall be brought and no cause of action shall be asserted by or in the right of the Company (or any of its subsidiaries) against the Indemnitee, the Indemnitee’s spouse, heirs, executors, or personal or legal representatives, administrators or estate after the expiration of two (2) years from the date of accrual of such cause of action, and any claim or cause of action of the Company shall be extinguished and deemed released unless asserted by the timely filing of a legal action within such two(2) year period; provided, however , that if any shorter period of limitations is otherwise applicable to any such cause of action such shorter period shall govern.

14. Modifications and Waiver.   Except as provided in Section 10 with respect to changes in the MGCL that broaden the right of Indemnitee to be indemnified by the Company and Section 15 which provides for the Indemnitee to be afforded the benefit of a more favorable term or terms included in other indemnification agreements, no supplement, modification or amendment of this Agreement shall be binding unless executed in writing by both of the parties hereto.  No waiver of any of the provisions of this Agreement shall be binding unless in the form of a writing signed by the party against whom enforcement of the waiver is sought, or shall be deemed or shall constitute a waiver of any other provisions hereof (whether or not similar), nor shall such waiver constitute a continuing waiver.  

15. More Favorable Indemnification Agreements . In the event the Company or any of its subsidiaries enters into an indemnification agreement with another director or officer of the Company or any of its subsidiaries containing a term or terms more favorable

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to the Indemnitee than the terms contained herein, the Indemnitee shall be afforded the benefit of such more favorab le term or terms and such more favorable term or terms shall be deemed incorporated by reference herein as if set forth in full herein.

16. Subrogation .  In the event of any payment to or on behalf of Indemnitee under this Agreement, the Company shall be subrogated to the extent of such payment to all of the rights of contribution or recovery of the Indemnitee against other persons, and the Indemnitee shall execute all papers reasonably required and shall do everything that may be reasonably necessary to secure such rights, including the execution of such documents necessary to enable the Company effectively to bring suit to enforce such rights.  

17. No Duplication of Payments .  The Company shall not be liable under this Agreement to make any payment in connection with any Proceeding to the extent the Indemnitee has otherwise actually received payment (whether under any statute, insurance policy, any provision of the Bylaws, any provision of the Articles, vote of shareholders or directors (or a committee of directors), other agreement or otherwise) of the amounts otherwise indemnifiable hereunder. The Company’s obligation of indemnification or Expense Advance hereunder to the Indemnitee who is or was serving at the request of the Company as a director, officer, trustee, partner, managing member, fiduciary, board of directors’ committee member, employee or agent of any other Person shall be reduced by any amount the Indemnitee has actually received as indemnification or advancement of Expenses from such Person.

18. Notification and Defense of Proceedings .  

(a) As soon as reasonably practicable after receipt by the Indemnitee of written notice that he or she is a party to or a participant (as a witness or otherwise) in any Proceeding or of any other matter in respect of which the Indemnitee intends to seek indemnification or Expense Advance hereunder, the Indemnitee shall provide to the Company written notice thereof, including the nature of and the facts underlying such Proceeding or matter. The omission by the Indemnitee to so notify the Company will not relieve the Company from any liability which it may have to the Indemnitee hereunder or otherwise unless the Company is materially prejudiced by such omission.  

(b) The Company shall be entitled, at its option and expense, either to participate in the defense of any Proceeding relating to an Indemnifiable Event or, upon written notice to the Indemnitee, to assume the defense thereof with counsel reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee and after delivery of such notice, the Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any fees or expenses of counsel subsequently incurred by the Indemnitee with respect to such Proceeding; provided that (i) the Indemnitee shall have the right to retain separate counsel in respect of such Proceeding at the Indemnitee’s expense or, if previously authorized in writing by the Company, at the Company’s expense, and (ii) if the Indemnitee believes, after consultation with counsel selected by the Indemnitee, that (A) the use of counsel chosen by the Company to represent the Indemnitee would present such counsel with an actual or potential conflict of interest, (B) the named parties in any such Proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include the Company or any subsidiary of the Company and the Indemnitee, and the Indemnitee

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concludes that there may be one or more legal defenses available to him or her that are different from or in addition to those available to the Company or any subsidiary of the Company, or (C) any such represen tation by such counsel would be precluded under the applicable standards of professional conduct then prevailing, then the Indemnitee shall be entitled to retain separate counsel (but not more than one law firm plus, if applicable, local counsel in respect of any particular Proceeding) at the Company’s expense.  

(c) The Company shall not be liable to the Indemnitee under this Agreement for any amounts paid in settlement of any Proceeding relating to an Indemnifiable Event effected without the Company’s prior written consent and the Company shall not, without the prior written consent of the Indemnitee, effect any settlement of any Proceeding relating to an Indemnifiable Event which the Indemnitee is or has been threatened to be made a party or has otherwise been a participant in such Proceeding, including, but not limited to, as a witness, unless such settlement solely involves the payment of money and includes a complete and unconditional release of the Indemnitee from all liability on all claims that are the subject matter of such Proceeding; provided that neither the Company nor the Indemnitee shall unreasonably withhold its or his or her consent to any proposed settlement; and provided that the Indemnitee may withhold consent to any settlement or compromise which (i) includes an admission of fault of the Indemnitee or (ii) does not include, as an unconditional term thereof, the full release of the Indemnitee from all liability in respect of the Proceeding, which release shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee.

19. Contribution.   

(a) Whether or not the indemnification provided in Section 2 of this Agreement is available, in respect of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in the Proceeding that is the basis for the Proceeding), the Company shall pay, in the first instance, the entire amount of any judgment or settlement of such Proceeding without requiring the Indemnitee to contribute to such payment and the Company hereby waives and relinquishes any right of contribution it may have against Indemnitee. The Company shall not enter into any settlement of any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in the Proceeding that is the basis for the Proceeding) unless such settlement provides for a full and final release of all claims asserted against Indemnitee, which release shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Indemnitee.  

(b) Without diminishing or impairing the obligations of the Company set forth in Section 19(a), if, for any reason, the Indemnitee shall elect or be required to pay all or any portion of any judgment or settlement relating to any Proceeding in which the Company is jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding), the Company shall contribute to the amount of expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred and paid or payable by the Indemnitee in proportion to the relative benefits received by the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other than the Indemnitee who are jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such Proceeding), on the one hand, and Indemnitee, on the other hand, from the transaction from

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which such Proceeding arose; provided, however , that the proportion determined on the basis of relative benefit may, to the extent necessary to conform to applicable law, be further adjusted by reference to the relative fault of the Company and all officers, director s or employees of the Company other than the Indemnitee who are jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such action, suit or proceeding), on the one hand, and the Indemnitee, on the other hand, in connection with the events that result ed in such expenses, judgments, fines or settlement amounts, as well as any other equitable considerations which applicable law may require to be considered. The relative fault of the Company and all officers, directors or employees of the Company other th an the Indemnitee who are jointly liable with the Indemnitee (or would be if joined in such  Proceeding), on the one hand, and the Indemnitee, on the other hand, shall be determined by reference to, among other things, the degree to which their actions wer e motivated by intent to gain personal profit or advantage, the degree to which their liability is primary or secondary, and the degree to which their conduct is active or passive.

(c) The Company hereby agrees to fully indemnify and hold the Indemnitee harmless from any claims of contribution which may be brought by officers, directors or employees of the Company other than Indemnitee who may be jointly liable with the Indemnitee.

20. Services of Indemnitee . This Agreement shall not be deemed to constitute an agreement of employment nor shall it impose any obligation on Indemnitee or the Company to continue the Indemnitee’s service to the Company beyond any period otherwise required by applicable law or by other agreements or commitments of the parties, if any. The Indemnitee, if a member of the Board of Directors, hereby agrees to serve or continue to serve as a director of the Company, for so long as the Indemnitee is duly elected or appointed or until the Indemnitee tenders his or her resignation or is removed in accordance with the Articles, the Bylaws and applicable law.  

21. Binding Effect, Successors.   This Agreement shall be (a) binding upon all successors and assigns of the Company (including any transferee of all or a substantial portion of the business, stock and/or assets of the Company and any direct or indirect successor by merger or consolidation or otherwise by operation of applicable law) and (b) binding on and shall inure to the benefit of the personal and legal representatives, spouses, heirs, executors and administrators of Indemnitee. This Agreement shall continue in effect for the benefit of the Indemnitee and such personal and legal representatives, assigns, spouses, heirs, executors and administrators regardless of whether the Indemnitee continues to serve as an officer, director or other representative or agent of the Company or any other Person at the request of the Company. The Company shall require and cause any successor (whether direct or indirect by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all, substantially all, or a significant portion, of the business and/or assets of the Company and/or its subsidiaries, by written agreement in form and substance satisfactory to the Indemnitee, expressly to assume and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Company would be required to perform if no such succession had taken place. Except as otherwise provided in this Section 21, neither this Agreement nor any duties or responsibilities pursuant hereto may be assigned by the Company to any other Person without the express prior written consent of the Indemnitee.

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22. Entire Agreement .  This Agreement and the documents referred to herein constitute the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to t he matters covered hereby, and any other prior or contemporaneous oral or written understandings or agreements with respect to the matters covered hereby are expressly superseded by this Agreement, including, but not limited to, any previous forms of direc tor’s and officer’s indemnification agreements adopted by the Board and/or entered into by the Company with the Indemnitee; provided, however , that this Agreement is supplemental to and in furtherance of the rights provided to, or for the benefit of the In demnitee, by the Articles, the Bylaws, the MGCL and any other applicable law, and shall not be deemed a substitute therefor, and does not diminish or abrogate any rights of the Indemnitee thereunder.

23. Severability . If any provision or provisions of this Agreement shall be held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by any court of competent jurisdiction for any reason whatsoever, (i) the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement (including all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that are not themselves invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby and shall remain enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and (ii) to the fullest extent possible, the provisions of this Agreement (including all portions of any paragraph of this Agreement containing any such provision held to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable) shall be construed or deemed reformed so as to give the maximum effect to the intent of the parties hereto manifested by the provision held invalid, illegal or unenforceable and to give the maximum effect to the unaffected terms of this Agreement.

24. Specific Performance.   The Company and the Indemnitee agree that a monetary remedy for breach of this Agreement may be inadequate, impracticable and difficult to prove, and further agree that such breach may cause Indemnitee irreparable harm. Accordingly, the parties hereto agree that the Indemnitee may enforce this Agreement by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance hereof, without any necessity of showing actual damage or irreparable harm and that, by seeking injunctive relief and/or specific performance, Indemnitee shall not be precluded from seeking or obtaining any other relief to which Indemnitee may be entitled. The Company and Indemnitee further agree that the Indemnitee shall be entitled to such specific performance and injunctive relief, including temporary restraining orders, preliminary injunctions and permanent injunctions, without the necessity of posting bonds or other undertaking in connection therewith. The Company acknowledges that in the absence of a waiver, a bond or undertaking may be required of Indemnitee by the court, and the Company hereby waives any such requirement of a bond or undertaking.

25. Notices .  All notices, requests, demands, consents and other communications hereunder to any party shall be in writing and either delivered in person or sent by U.S. mail, overnight courier or by e-mail or other electronic transmission, addressed to such party at the address set forth below or such other address as may hereafter be designated on the signature pages of this Agreement or in writing by such party to the other parties, and shall be effective only upon receipt by such party:

 

(a)

If to the Company, to:  

17


Independence Realty Trust, Inc.
Two Logan Square, 100 N. 18th Street, 23rd Floor,

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

Attention:  Secretary

Fax:  (215-207-2795)

E-mail:  alaren@rait.com

 

 

(b)

If to the Indemnitee, to the address set forth on Annex B hereto.

26. Counterparts .  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall for all purposes be deemed to be an original but all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. Delivery of an executed counterpart’s signature page of this Agreement, by facsimile, electronic mail in portable document format (.pdf) or by any other electronic means intended to preserve the original graphic and pictorial appearance of a document, has the same effect as delivery of an executed original of this Agreement for all purposes. Only one such counterpart signed by the party against whom enforceability is sought needs to be produced to evidence the existence of this Agreement.

27. Headings .  The headings of the sections and paragraphs of this Agreement are inserted for convenience only and shall not be deemed to constitute part of this Agreement or to affect the construction or interpretation thereof.

28. Conflict With Governing Documents . To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, in the event of a conflict between the terms of this Agreement and the terms of the Articles or the Bylaws, the terms of this Agreement shall govern and prevail.

29. Cooperation and Intent .   The Company shall cooperate in good faith with the Indemnitee and use its best efforts to ensure that, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Indemnitee is indemnified and/or reimbursed for Expenses described herein and receives the Expense Advance.

30. Noninterference . The Company shall not seek or agree to any order of any court or other governmental authority that would prohibit or otherwise interfere, and shall not take or fail to take any other action if such action or failure would reasonably be expected to have the effect of prohibiting or otherwise interfering, with the performance of the Company’s indemnification, advancement of Expenses or other obligations under this Agreement.

31. No Third Party Beneficiaries . No parties other than Indemnitee or the Company (and their respective successors and assigns as provided in Section 21 above) are entitled to rely upon this Agreement and enforce the Company’s or Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder.

32. Validity of Agreement . The Company shall be precluded from asserting in any Proceeding, including, without limitation, an action under Section 2(f) above, that the provisions of this Agreement are not valid, binding and enforceable or that there is

18


insufficient consideration for th is Agreement and shall stipulate in court that the Company is bound by all the provisions of this Agreement.

33. Governing Law .  This Agreement shall be governed by and construed and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Maryland, as applied to contracts between Maryland residents entered into and to be performed entirely within such state without giving effect to the principles of conflicts of choice of laws of such state or any other jurisdiction that would require the application of the laws of another jurisdiction.

34. Consent to Jurisdiction .  The Company and the Indemnitee hereby irrevocably and unconditionally (i) agree that any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be brought only in a Maryland state court, and not in any other state or federal court in the United States of America or any court in any other country, (ii) consent to submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of such Maryland state court for purposes of any action or proceeding arising out of or in connection with this Agreement, (iii) waive any objection to the laying of venue of any such action or proceeding in such Maryland State court, and (iv) waive, and agree not to plead or to make, any claim that any such action or proceeding brought in such Maryland state court has been brought in an improper or inconvenient forum.

[Balance of Page Intentionally Left Blank]

 


19


IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.

INDEPENDENCE REALTY TRUST, INC.

By:  
Name:  
Title:  


[Indemnitee Name]

 

[Signature Page to Indemnification Agreement]


20


Annex A

SCHEDULE OF D&O INSURANCE POLICIES


21


Annex B

Name and Address

[●]

[●]

 

 

22


Schedule required by Instruction 2 of Item 601 of Regulation S-K, listing the parties to substantially identical agreements to this Exhibit:

Scott F. Schaeffer

William C. Dunkelberg, Ph.D.

Robert F. McCadden

Mack D. Pridgen III

Richard H. Ross

DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., D. Min.

James J. Sebra

Farrell M. Ender

 

23

Exhibit 12.1

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

Our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the periods indicated are set forth below. For purposes of calculating the ratios set forth below, earnings represent net income from our consolidated statements of operations, as adjusted for fixed charges; fixed charges represent interest expense.

The following table presents our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2016 and for the five years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, and 2012 (dollars in thousands):

 

For the Years Ended December 31

 

 

2016

 

 

2015

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

 

2012

 

Net income (loss)

$

(9,555

)

 

$

30,156

 

 

$

2,944

 

 

$

1,274

 

 

$

427

 

Add back fixed charges:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

35,535

 

 

 

23,553

 

 

 

8,469

 

 

 

3,659

 

 

 

3,305

 

Earnings before fixed charges and preferred share dividends

$

25,980

 

 

$

53,709

 

 

$

11,413

 

 

 

4,933

 

 

 

3,732

 

Fixed charges and preferred share dividends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest expense

 

35,535

 

 

 

23,553

 

 

 

8,469

 

 

 

3,659

 

 

 

3,305

 

Preferred share dividends

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

10

 

 

 

15

 

Total fixed charges and preferred share dividends

$

35,535

 

 

$

23,553

 

 

$

8,469

 

 

$

3,669

 

 

$

3,320

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges

 

-

 

 

2.3x

 

 

1.3x

 

 

1.3x

 

 

1.1x

 

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges and preferred share dividends

 

-

 

 

2.3x

 

 

1.3x

 

 

1.3x

 

 

1.1x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) The dollar amount of the deficiency for the year ended December 31, 2016 is $9.6 million

Exhibit 21.1

Independence Realty Trust, Inc.

Subsidiaries

 

Entity Name

 

Domestic Jurisdiction

 

DBA Names

Adventure Merger Sub LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Bayview Club Apartments Indiana, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Bayview Club TIC I, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC II, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC III, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC IV, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC V, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC VI, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC VII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC VIII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC IX, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC X, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XI, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XIII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XIV, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XV, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XVI, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XVII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XVIII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XIX, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XX, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXI, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXIII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXIV, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXV, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXVI, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bayview Club TIC XXVII, LLC

 

Maryland

 

 

Bennington Pond LLC

 

Ohio

 

 

Bennington Pond Managing Member, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Berkshire II Cumberland, LLC

 

Indiana

 

 

Berkshire Square, LLC

 

Indiana

 

 

Berkshire Square Managing Member

 

Delaware

 

 

Brookside CRA-B1, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

BSF-Arbors River Oaks

 

Florida

 

 

BSF Lakeshore, LLC

 

Florida

 

 

BSF Trails, LLC

 

Florida

 

 

Independence Realty Operating Partnership, LP

 

Delaware

 

 

Iron Rock Ranch Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Arbors Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Belle Creek Apartments Colorado, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Carrington Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Copper Mill Apartments Texas, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Crestmont Apartments Georgia, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Crossings Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Cumberland Glen Apartments Georgia, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Eagle Ridge Apartments Member, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Eagle Ridge Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Heritage Trace Apartments Virginia, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Lenoxplace Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Limited Partner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT OKC Portfolio Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT OKC Portfolio Member, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Runaway Bay Apartments, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Stonebridge Crossing Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 


Entity Name

 

Domestic Jurisdiction

 

DBA Names

IRT Tresa At Arrowhead Arizona, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT UPREIT Lender, LP

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT UPREIT Lender Limited Partner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

IRT Walnut Hill Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Jamestown CRA-B1, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

JLC/BUSF Associates, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Kings Landing LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Meadows CRA-B1, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Merce Partners, LLC

 

Texas

 

 

Millenia 700, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

MTC-East, LLC

 

Georgia

 

 

Oxmoor CRA-B1, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Pointe at Canyon Ridge, LLC

 

Georgia

 

 

Prospect Park CRA-B1, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Stonebridge at the Ranch Apartments Owner, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Trade Street Property Management, LLC

 

Florida

 

 

TS Aventine, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Big Creek, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Brier Creek, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Craig Ranch, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Creekstone, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS GooseCreek, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Manager, LLC

 

Florida

 

 

TS Miller Creek, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS New Bern, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Talison Row, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Vintage, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

TS Westmont, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

Wake Forest Apartments, LLC

 

Delaware

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exhibit 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
Independence Realty Trust, Inc.:

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the registration statements (No. 333‑196033) on Form S-3 and (No. 333-211566, No. 333-191612) on Form S-8 of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. of our reports dated March 3, 2017, with respect to the consolidated balance sheets of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2016 and 2015, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income (loss), equity, and cash flows, for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2016, and the related financial statement schedule, and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2016, which reports appear in the December 31, 2016 annual report on Form 10‑K of Independence Realty Trust, Inc.

/s/ KPMG LLP

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
March 3, 2017

 

 

Exhibit 31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Scott F. Schaeffer, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 of Independence Realty Trust, Inc.;

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

a.

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b.

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c.

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d.

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a.

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b.

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date:  March 3, 2017

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

 

Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

(Principal Executive Officer)

 

 

 

Exhibit 31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, James J. Sebra, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 of Independence Realty Trust, Inc.;

2.

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

3.

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

 

a.

Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

 

b.

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

 

c.

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

 

d.

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and

5 .

The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a.

All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

 

b.

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 3, 2017

 

 

 

By:

/ S / J AMES J. S EBRA

 

James J. Sebra

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

 

 

(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

 

 

 

Exhibit 32.1

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, Scott F. Schaeffer, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

(2)

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 3, 2017

 

 

/s/ Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

   Scott F. Schaeffer

 

 

 

   Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

   (Principal Executive Officer)

 

Exhibit 32.2

CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,

AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF THE

SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

In connection with the Annual Report of Independence Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, James J. Sebra., Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Company, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

 

(1)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; and

 

(2)

The information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

Date: March 3, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

/ S / J AMES J. S EBRA

 

 

James J. Sebra

 

 

 

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 

 

 

(Principal Financial Officer)

 

Exhibit 99.1

MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax considerations associated with the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares of common stock, as well as the applicable requirements under U.S. federal income tax laws to maintain REIT status, and the material U.S. federal income tax consequences of maintaining REIT status. This discussion is based upon the laws, regulations, and reported judicial and administrative rulings and decisions in effect as of the date of the filing of this exhibit with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are subject to change, retroactively or prospectively, and to possibly differing interpretations. This discussion does not purport to deal with the U.S. federal income and other tax consequences applicable to all investors in light of their particular investment or other circumstances, or to all categories of investors, some of whom may be subject to special rules (for example, insurance companies, tax-exempt organizations, partnerships, trusts, financial institutions and broker-dealers). No ruling on the U.S. federal, state, or local tax considerations relevant to our operation or to the purchase, ownership or disposition of our shares, has been requested from the IRS, or other tax authority. Prospective investors are urged to consult their tax advisors in order to determine the U.S. federal, state, local, foreign and other tax consequences to them of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares of common stock, the tax treatment of a REIT and the effect of potential changes in the applicable tax laws.

Beginning with our taxable year ended December 31, 2011, we elected to be taxed as a REIT under the applicable provisions of the Code and the regulations promulgated thereunder and receive the beneficial U.S. federal income tax treatment described below, and we intend to continue operating as a REIT so long as REIT status remains advantageous. However, under applicable Treasury Regulations, if RAIT failed to qualify as a REIT in its 2007 through 2011 taxable years, unless RAIT’s failure to qualify as a REIT was subject to relief under U.S. federal tax laws, we would be prevented from electing to qualify as a REIT prior to the fifth calendar year following the year in which RAIT failed to qualify. We cannot assure you that we will continue to meet the applicable requirements under U.S. federal income tax laws, which are highly technical and complex.

In brief, a corporation that invests primarily in real estate can, if it complies with the provisions in Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, qualify as a REIT and claim U.S. federal income tax deductions for the dividends it pays to its stockholders. Such a corporation generally is not taxed on its REIT taxable income to the extent such income is currently distributed to stockholders, thereby completely or substantially eliminating the “double taxation” that a corporation and its stockholders generally bear together. However, as discussed in greater detail below, a corporation could be subject to U.S. federal income tax in some circumstances even if it qualifies as a REIT and would likely suffer adverse consequences, including reduced cash available for distribution to its stockholders, if it failed to qualify as a REIT.

 

General

In any year in which we qualify as a REIT and have a valid REIT election in place, we will claim deductions for the dividends we pay to the stockholders, and therefore will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on that portion of our REIT taxable income or capital gain which is currently distributed to our stockholders. We will, however, be subject to U.S. federal income tax at normal corporate rates on any REIT taxable income or capital gain not distributed.

Even though we qualify as a REIT, we nonetheless are subject to U.S. federal tax in the following circumstances:

 

1  = 1


 

We are taxed at regular corporate rates on any REIT taxable income, including undistributed net capital gains that we do not distribute to stockholders during, or within a specified period after, the calendar year in which we recognized such income. We may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, a stockholder would include its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain (to the extent we make a timely designation of such gain to the stockholder) in its income, would be deemed to have paid the tax that we paid on such gain, and would be allowed a credit for its proportionate share of the tax

deemed to have been paid, and an adjustment would be made to increase the stockholder’s basis in our commo n stock.

 

We may be subject to the alternative minimum tax.

 

If we have net income from prohibited transactions, such income will be subject to a 100% tax. “Prohibited transactions” are, in general, sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, rather than for investment, other than foreclosure property.

 

If we have net income from the sale or disposition of “foreclosure property,” as described below, that is held primarily for sale in the ordinary course of business or other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, we will be subject to corporate tax on such income at the highest applicable rate (currently 35%).

  

If we fail to satisfy the 75% Gross Income Test or the 95% Gross Income Test, as discussed below, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because other requirements are met, we will be subject to a 100% tax on an amount equal to (1) the greater of (a) the amount by which we fail the 75% Gross Income Test or (b) the amount by which we fail the 95% Gross Income Test, as the case may be, multiplied by (2) a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.  

 

If we fail to satisfy any of the REIT Asset Tests, as described below, other than certain de minimis failures, but our failure is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we nonetheless maintain our REIT qualification because of specified cure provisions, we will be required to pay a tax equal to the greater of $50,000 or 35% of the net income generated by the nonqualifying assets during the period in which we failed to satisfy the Asset Tests.

 

If we fail to satisfy any other REIT qualification requirements (other than a Gross Income or Asset Tests) and that violation is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, we may retain our REIT qualification, but we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure.

   

If we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (1) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (2) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year and (3) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (a) the amounts actually distributed (taking into account excess distributions from prior years), plus (b) retained amounts on which federal income tax is paid at the corporate level.

 

We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet record-keeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of our stockholders.

 

A 100% tax may be imposed on some items of income and expense that are directly or constructively paid between us, our lessor or a TRS (as described below) if and to the extent that the IRS successfully adjusts the reported amounts of these items.

 

If we acquire appreciated assets from a C corporation (i.e., a corporation generally subject to corporate income tax) in a transaction in which the adjusted tax basis of the assets in our hands is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of the assets in the hands of the C corporation, we may be subject to tax on such appreciation at the highest corporate income tax rate then applicable if we subsequently recognize gain on a disposition of such assets during the five-year period following their acquisition from the C corporation. The results described in this paragraph would not apply if the non-REIT corporation elects, in lieu of this treatment, to be subject to an immediate tax when the asset is acquired by us.

 

We may have subsidiaries or own interests in other lower-tier entities that are C corporations, such as TRSs, the earnings of which would be subject to federal corporate income tax.

In addition, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to a variety of taxes other than U.S. federal income tax, including payroll taxes and state, local, and non-U.S. income, franchise property and other taxes on assets and operation. We could also be subject to tax in situations and on transactions not presently contemplated.

REIT Qualification Tests

The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:

 

that elects to be taxed as a REIT;

 

that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

 

the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest;

 

that would be taxable as a domestic corporation but for its status as a REIT;

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that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company;

 

that meets the gross income, asset and annual distribution requirements;

 

the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons on at least 335 days in each full taxable year, proportionately adjusted for a partial taxable year; and

 

generally in which, at any time during the last half of each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals or entities treated as individuals for this purpose.

The first six conditions must be met during each taxable year for which REIT status is sought, while the last two conditions do not have to be met until after the first taxable year for which a REIT election is made.

 

Share Ownership Tests. Our common stock and any other stock we issue must be held by a minimum of 100 persons (determined without attribution to the owners of any entity owning our stock) for at least 335 days in each full taxable year, proportionately adjusted for partial taxable years. In addition, at all times during the second half of each taxable year, no more than 50% in value of our stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (determined with attribution to the owners of any entity owning our stock). However, these two requirements do not apply until after the first taxable year for which we elect REIT status.

Our charter contains certain provisions intended to enable us to meet these requirements. First, it contains provisions restricting the transfer of our stock which would result in any person beneficially owning or constructively owning more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of any class or series of our outstanding capital stock, including our common stock, subject to certain exceptions. Our board of directors has granted such an exception for IRT and its subsidiaries to own, in the aggregate, up to 100% of our outstanding common stock. See “Description of Stock-Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.” Additionally, the terms of the options that may be granted to the independent directors will contain provisions that prevent them from causing a violation of these tests. Our charter also contains provisions requiring each holder of our shares to disclose, upon demand, constructive or beneficial ownership of shares as deemed necessary to comply with the requirements of the Code. Furthermore, stockholders failing or refusing to comply with our disclosure request will be required, under regulations of the Code, to submit a statement of such information to the IRS at the time of filing their annual income tax return for the year in which the request was made.

Subsidiary Entities. A qualified REIT subsidiary is a corporation that is wholly owned by a REIT and is not a TRS. For purposes of the Asset and Gross Income Tests described below, all assets, liabilities and tax attributes of a qualified REIT subsidiary are treated as belonging to the REIT. A qualified REIT subsidiary is not subject to U.S. federal income tax, but may be subject to state or local tax. Although we expect to hold all of our investments through our operating partnership, we may hold investments through qualified REIT subsidiaries. A TRS is described under “Asset Tests” below. A partnership is not subject to U.S. federal income tax and instead allocates its tax attributes to its partners. The partners are subject to U.S. federal income tax on their allocable share of the income and gain, without regard to whether they receive distributions from the partnership. Each partner’s share of a partnership’s tax attributes is determined in accordance with the partnership agreement. For purposes of the Asset and Gross Income Tests, we will be deemed to own a proportionate share of the assets of our operating partnership, and we will be allocated a proportionate share of each item of gross income of our operating partnership.

Asset Tests. At the close of each calendar quarter of each taxable year, we must satisfy a series of tests based on the composition of our assets. After initially meeting the Asset Tests at the close of any quarter, we will not lose our status as a REIT for failure to satisfy the Asset Tests at the end of a later quarter solely due to changes in value of our assets. In addition, if the failure to satisfy the Asset Tests results from an acquisition during a quarter, the failure can be cured by disposing of non-qualifying assets within 30 days after the close of that quarter. We intend to maintain adequate records of the value of our assets to ensure compliance with these tests and will act within 30 days after the close of any quarter as may be required to cure any noncompliance.

At least 75% of the value of our assets must be represented by “real estate assets,” cash, cash items (including receivables) and government securities. Real estate assets include (i) real property (including interests in real property and interests in mortgages on real property (including mortgages secured by both real and personal property if the value of such property does not exceed 15% of the total property securing the loan)), (ii) shares in other qualifying REITs and debt instruments issued by publicly-traded REITS (not to exceed 25% of our assets

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unless secured by interests in real property) and (iii) personal property leased in connection with real property to the extent that rents attributable to such personal property are treated as “rents from real property”; and (iv) any stock or de bt instrument (not otherwise a real estate asset) attributable to the temporary investment of “new capital,” but only for the one-year period beginning on the date we received the new capital. Property will qualify as being attributable to the temporary in vestment of new capital if the money used to purchase the stock or debt instrument is received by us in exchange for our stock or in a public offering of debt obligations that have a maturity of at least five years.

If we invest in any securities that do not qualify under the 75% test, such securities may not exceed either: (i) 5% of the value of our assets as to any one issuer; or (ii) 10% of the outstanding securities by vote or value of any one issuer. A partnership interest held by a REIT is not considered a “security” for purposes of these tests; instead, the REIT is treated as owning directly its proportionate share of the partnership’s assets. For purposes of the 10% value test, a REIT’s proportionate share is based on its proportionate interest in the equity interests and certain debt securities issued by a partnership. For all of the other Asset Tests, a REIT’s proportionate share is based on its proportionate interest in the capital of the partnership. In addition, as discussed above, the stock of a qualified REIT subsidiary is not counted for purposes of the Asset Tests.

 

Certain securities will not cause a violation of the 10% value test described above. Such securities include instruments that constitute “straight debt.” A security does not qualify as “straight debt” where a REIT (or a controlled TRS of the REIT) owns other securities of the issuer of that security which do not qualify as straight debt, unless the value of those other securities constitute, in the aggregate, 1% or less of the total value of that issuer’s outstanding securities. In addition to straight debt, the following securities will not violate the 10% value test:

(1) any loan made to an individual or an estate,

 

(2) certain rental agreements in which one or more payments are to be made in subsequent years (other than agreements between a REIT and certain persons related to the REIT),

(3) any obligation to pay rents from real property,

(4) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of (or payments made by) a non-governmental entity,

(5) any security issued by another REIT, and

(6) any debt instrument issued by a partnership if the partnership’s income is such that the partnership would satisfy the 75% Gross Income Test described below. In applying the 10% value test, a debt security issued by a partnership is not taken into account to the extent, if any, of the REIT’s proportionate interest in that partnership. Any debt instrument issued by a partnership (other than straight debt or another excluded security) will not be considered a security issued by the partnership if at least 75% of the partnership’s gross income is derived from sources that would qualify for the 75% Gross Income Test, and any debt instrument issued by a partnership (other than straight debt or another excluded security) will not be considered a security issued by the partnership to the extent of the REIT’s interest as a partner in the partnership.

A REIT may own the stock of a TRS. A TRS is a corporation (other than another REIT) that is owned in whole or in part by a REIT, and joins in an election with the REIT to be classified as a TRS. A corporation that is 35% owned by a TRS will also be treated as a TRS. Securities of a TRS are excepted from the 5% and 10% vote and value limitations on a REIT’s ownership of securities of a single issuer. However, no more than 25% (20% for years beginning after December 31, 2017) of the value of a REIT’s assets may be represented by securities of one or more TRSs. We have one TRS, which was inactive during 2016. If we do have an active TRS or form other TRSs in the future, we will be subject to a 100% excise tax on income from certain transactions with a TRS that are not on an arm’s-length basis.

A REIT is able to cure certain asset test violations. As noted above, a REIT cannot own securities of any one issuer representing more than 5% of the total value of the REIT’s assets or more than 10% of the outstanding securities, by vote or value, of any one issuer. However, a REIT would not lose its REIT status for failing to satisfy these 5% or 10% Asset Tests in a quarter if the failure is due to the ownership of assets the total value of which does not exceed the lesser of (i) 1% of the total value of the REIT’s assets at the end of the quarter for which the measurement is done, or (ii) $10 million; provided in either case that the REIT either disposes of the assets within six months after

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the last day of the quarter in which the REIT identifies the failure (or such othe r time period prescribed by the Treasury), or otherwise meets the requirements of those rules by the end of that period.

 

If a REIT fails to meet any of the Asset Tests for a quarter and the failure exceeds the de minimis threshold described above, then the REIT still would be deemed to have satisfied the requirements if (i) following the REIT’s identification of the failure, the REIT files a schedule with a description of each asset that caused the failure, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Treasury; (ii) the failure was due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect; (iii) the REIT disposes of the assets within six months after the last day of the quarter in which the identification occurred or such other time period as is prescribed by the Treasury (or the requirements of the rules are otherwise met within that period); and (iv) the REIT pays a tax on the failure equal to the greater of (1) $50,000, or (2) an amount determined (under regulations) by multiplying (x) the highest rate of tax for corporations under Section 11 of the Code, by (y) the net income generated by the assets for the period beginning on the first date of the failure and ending on the date the REIT has disposed of the assets (or otherwise satisfies the requirements).

We believe that our holdings of securities and other assets comply with the foregoing Asset Tests, and we intend to monitor compliance with such tests on an ongoing basis. The values of some of our assets, however, may not be precisely valued, and values are subject to change in the future. Furthermore, the proper classification of an instrument as debt or equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be uncertain in some circumstances, which could affect the application of the REIT Asset Tests. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not contend that our assets do not meet the requirements of the Asset Tests.

Gross Income Tests. For each calendar year, we must satisfy two separate tests based on the composition of our gross income, as defined under our method of accounting.

The 75% Gross Income Test. At least 75% of our gross income for the taxable year (excluding gross income from prohibited transactions and certain hedging transactions as discussed below under “-Hedging Transactions” and cancellation of indebtedness income) must result from (i) rents from real property,

(ii) interest on obligations secured by mortgages on real property or on interests in real property, (iii) gains from the sale or other disposition of real property (including interests in real property and interests in mortgages on real property) other than property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our trade or business, (iv) dividends from other qualifying REITs and gain (other than gain from prohibited transactions) from the sale of shares of other qualifying REITs, (v) other specified investments relating to real property or mortgages thereon, and (vi) income attributable to stock or a debt investment that is attributable to a temporary inv estment of new capital (as described under the 75% Asset Test above) received or earned during the one-year period beginning on the date we receive such new capital. In the case of real estate mortgage loans secured by both real and personal property, if the fair market value of such personal property does not exceed 15% of the total fair market value of all property securing the loan, then the personal property securing the loan will be treated as real property for purposes of determining whether the mortgage is qualifying under the 75% asset test and interest income that qualifies for purposes of the 75% gross income test. We intend to invest funds not otherwise invested in real properties in cash sources or other liquid investments which will allow us to qualify under the 75% Gross Income Test.

Income attributable to a lease of real property will generally qualify as “rents from real property” under the 75% Gross Income Test (and the 95% Gross Income Test described below), subject to the rules discussed below:

Rent from a particular tenant will not qualify if we, or an owner of 10% or more of our stock, directly or indirectly, owns 10% or more of the voting stock or the total number of shares of all classes of stock in, or 10% or more of the assets or net profits of, the tenant (subject to certain exceptions). The portion of rent attributable to personal property rented in connection with real property will not qualify, unless the portion attributable to personal property is 15% or less of the total rent received under, or in connection with, the lease.

 

Generally, rent will not qualify if it is based in whole, or in part, on the income or profits of any person from the underlying property. However, rent will not fail to qualify if it is based on a fixed percentage (or designated varying percentages) of receipts or sales, including amounts above a base amount so long as the base amount is fixed at the time the lease is entered into, the provisions are in accordance with normal business practice and the arrangement is not an indirect method for basing rent on income or profits.

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Rental income will not qualify if we furnish or render services to tenants or manage or operate the underlying property, other than through a permissible “independent contractor” from whom we derive no revenue, or through a TRS. This requirement, however, does not apply to the extent that the services, management or operations we provide are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space, and are not otherwise considered “rendered to the occupant.” With respect to this rule, tenants will receive some services in connection with their leases of the real properties. Our intention is that the services to be provided are those usually or customarily rendered in conn ection with the rental of space, and therefore, providing these services will not cause the rents received with respect to the properties to fail to qualify as rents from real property for purposes of the 75% Gross Income Test (and the 95% Gross Income Tes t described below). The board of directors intends to hire qualifying independent contractors or to utilize TRSs to render services which it believes, after consultation with our tax advisors, are not usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of space.

In addition, we have represented that, with respect to our leasing activities, we will not (i) charge rent for any property that is based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person (except by reason of being based on a percentage of receipts or sales, as described above) (ii) charge rent that will be attributable to personal property in an amount greater than 15% of the total rent received under the applicable lease, or (iii) enter into any lease with a related party tenant.

Amounts received as rent from a TRS are not excluded from rents from real property by reason of the related party rules described above, if the activities of the TRS and the nature of the properties it leases meet certain requirements. In addition, the TRS rules limit the deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT to assure that the TRS is subject to an appropriate level of corporate taxation. Further, a 100% excise tax is imposed on transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT or the REIT’s tenants whose terms are not on an arms’ length basis.

It is possible that we will be paid interest on loans secured by real property. All interest income qualifies under the 95% Gross Income Test, and interest on loans secured by real property qualifies under the 75% Gross Income Test, provided in both cases, that the interest does not depend, in whole or in part, on the income or profits of any person (other than amounts based on a fixed percentage of receipts or sales). If a loan is secured by both real property and other property, all the interest on it will nevertheless qualify under the 75% Gross Income Test if the amount of the loan does not exceed the fair market value of the real property at the time we commit to make or acquire the loan. We expect that all of our loans secured by real property will be structured this way. Therefore, income generated through any investments in loans secured by real property should be treated as qualifying income under the 75% Gross Income Test.

The 95% Gross Income Test. In addition to deriving 75% of our gross income from the sources listed above, at least 95% of our gross income (excluding gross income from prohibited transactions and certain hedging transactions as discussed below under “-Hedging Transactions” and cancellation of indebtedness income) for the taxable year must be derived from (i) sources which satisfy the 75% Gross Income Test, (ii) dividends, (iii) interest, or (iv) gain from the sale or disposition of stock or other securities that are not assets held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our trade or business. We intend to invest funds not otherwise invested in properties in cash sources or other liquid investments which will allow us to satisfy the 95% Gross Income Test.

Our share of income from the properties will primarily give rise to rental income and gains on sales of the properties, substantially all of which will generally qualify under the 75% Gross Income and 95% Gross Income Tests. Our anticipated operations indicate that it is likely that we will have little or no non-qualifying income.

 

As described above, we may establish one or more TRSs. The gross income generated by these TRSs would not be included in our gross income. Any dividends from TRSs to us would be included in our gross income and qualify for the 95% Gross Income Test.

If we fail to satisfy either the 75% Gross Income or 95% Gross Income Tests for any taxable year, we may retain our status as a REIT for such year if: (i) the failure was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, (ii) we attach to our return a schedule describing the nature and amount of each item of our gross income, and (iii) any incorrect information on such schedule was not due to fraud with intent to evade U.S. federal income tax. If this relief provision is available, we would remain subject to tax equal to the greater of the amount by which we failed the 75% Gross Income Test or the 95% Gross Income Test, as applicable, multiplied by a fraction meant to reflect

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our profitability.

Annual Distribution Requirements. We are required to distribute dividends (other than capital gain dividends) to our stockholders each year in an amount at least equal to the excess of: (i) the sum of: (a) 90% of our REIT taxable income (determined without regard to the deduction for dividends paid and by excluding any net capital gain); and (b) 90% of the net income (after tax) from foreclosure property; less (ii) the sum of some types of items of non-cash income. Whether sufficient amounts have been distributed is based on amounts paid in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if we: (1) declared a dividend before the due date of our tax return (including extensions); (2) distribute the dividend within the 12-month period following the close of the taxable year (and not later than the date of the first regular dividend payment made after such declaration); and (3) file an election with our tax return. Additionally, dividends that we declare in October, November or December in a given year payable to stockholders of record in any such month will be treated as having been paid on December 31 of that year so long as the dividends are actually paid during January of the following year. For years prior to 2015, in order for distributions to have been counted as satisfying the annual distribution requirements for REITs, and to have provided us with a REIT-level tax deduction, the distributions must not have been “preferential dividends.” A dividend is not a preferential dividend if the distribution is (1) pro rata among all outstanding shares of stock within a particular class, and (2) in accordance with the preferences among different classes of stock as set forth in our organizational documents. If we fail to meet the annual distribution requirements as a result of an adjustment to our U.S. federal income tax return by the IRS, or under certain other circumstances, we may cure the failure by paying a “deficiency dividend” (plus penalties and interest to the IRS) within a specified period.

We intend to pay sufficient dividends each year to satisfy the annual distribution requirements and avoid U.S. federal income and excise taxes on our earnings; however, it may not always be possible to do so. It is possible that we may not have sufficient cash or other liquid assets to meet the annual distribution requirements due to tax accounting rules and other timing differences. We will closely monitor the relationship between our REIT taxable income and cash flow and, if necessary to comply with the annual distribution requirements, will borrow funds to fully provide the necessary cash flow.

Failure to Qualify. If we fail to qualify, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, as a REIT in any taxable year, we may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. If the applicable relief provisions are not available or cannot be met, we will not be able to deduct our dividends and will be subject to U.S. federal income tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates, thereby reducing cash available for distributions. In such event, all distributions to stockholders (to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits) will be taxable as dividends. This “double taxation” results from our failure to qualify as a REIT. Unless entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we will not be eligible to elect REIT status for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost.

Prohibited Transactions. As discussed above, we will be subject to a 100% U.S. federal income tax on any net income derived from “prohibited transactions.” Net income derived from prohibited transactions arises from the sale or exchange of property held for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our business which is not foreclosure property. There is an exception to this rule for the sale of real property that:

 

has been held for at least two years;

 

has aggregate expenditures which are includable in the basis of the property not in excess of 30% of the net selling price;

 

in some cases, was held for production of rental income for at least two years;

 

 

in some cases, substantially all of the marketing and development expenditures were made through an independent contractor; and

 

when combined with other sales in the year, either does not cause the REIT to have made more than seven sales of property during the taxable year, or occurs in a year when the REIT disposes of less than 10% of its assets (measured by U.S. federal income tax basis or fair market value, and ignoring involuntary dispositions and sales of foreclosure property).

Two supplemental alternative requirements are available to REITs seeking to satisfy the safe harbor. First (i) the

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aggregate adjusted tax bases of all such property sold by the REIT during the year did not excee d 20% of the aggregate tax bases of all property of the REIT at the beginning of the year and (ii) the average annual percentage of properties sold by the REIT compared to all the REIT’s properties (measured by adjusted tax bases) in the current and two pr ior years did not exceed 10%, and second (i) the aggregate fair market value of all such property sold by the REIT during the year did not exceed 20% of the aggregate fair market value of all property of the REIT at the beginning of the year and (ii) the a verage annual percentage of properties sold by the REIT compared to all the REIT’s properties (measured by fair market value) in the current and two prior years did not exceed 10%.   Our intention in acquiring and operating the properties is the production of rental income and we do not expect to hold any property for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our business.

 

Foreclosure Property. Foreclosure property is real property (including interests in real property) and any personal property incident to such real property (1) that is acquired by a REIT as a result of the REIT having bid in the property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced the property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after there was a default (or default was imminent) on a lease of the property or a mortgage loan held by the REIT and secured by the property; (2) for which the related loan or lease was made, entered into or acquired by the REIT at a time when default was not imminent or anticipated; and (3) for which such REIT makes an election to treat the property as foreclosure property. REITs generally are subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate (currently 35%) on any net income from foreclosure property, including any gain from the disposition of the foreclosure property, other than income that would otherwise be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% Gross Income Test. Any gain from the sale of property for which a foreclosure property election has been made will not be subject to the 100% tax on gains from prohibited transactions, even if the property is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business.

Hedging Transactions. We may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including interest rate swaps or cap agreements, options, futures, contracts, forward rate agreements or similar financial instruments. Any income from a hedging transaction, including gain from a disposition of such a transaction, to manage risk of interest rate or price changes or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made, or ordinary obligations incurred or to be incurred, by us to acquire or own real estate assets which is clearly identified as such before the close of the day on which it was acquired, originated or entered into and with respect to which we satisfy other identification requirements, will be disregarded for purposes of the 75% and 95% Gross Income Tests. There are also rules for disregarding income for purposes of the 75% and 95% Gross Income Tests with respect to hedges of certain foreign currency risks. In addition, if we entered into a hedging transaction (i) to manage the risk of interest rate, price changes, or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings made or to be made or (ii to manage the risk of currency fluctuations, and a portion of the hedged indebtedness or property is disposed of and in connection with such extinguishment or disposition we enter into a new clearly identified hedging transaction (a “Counteracting Hedge”), income from the applicable hedge and income from the Counteracting Hedge (including gain from the disposition of such Counteracting Hedge) will not be treated as gross income for purposes of the 95% and 75% gross income tests.  To the extent we enter into other types of hedging transactions, the income from those transactions is likely to be treated as non-qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% Gross Income Tests. We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our ability to qualify as a REIT.

 

Characterization of Property Leases. We may purchase either new or existing properties and lease them to tenants. Our ability to claim certain tax benefits associated with ownership of these properties, such as depreciation, would depend on a determination that the lease transactions are true leases, under which we would be the owner of the leased property for U.S. federal income tax purposes, rather than a conditional sale of the property or a financing transaction. A determination by the IRS that we are not the owner of any properties for U.S. federal income tax purposes may have adverse consequences to us, such as the denial of depreciation deductions (which could affect the determination of our REIT taxable income subject to the distribution requirements) or our satisfaction of the Asset Tests or the Gross Income Tests.

Tax Aspects of Investments in Partnerships

General. We operate as an UPREIT, which is a structure whereby we own a direct interest in our operating partnership, and our operating partnership, in turn, owns interests in other non-corporate entities that own properties.

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Such non-corporate entities generally ar e organized as limited liability companies, partnerships or trusts and are either disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes (if our operating partnership was the sole owner) or treated as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The follow ing is a summary of the U.S. federal income tax consequences of our investment in our operating partnership. This discussion should also generally apply to any investment by us in a property partnership or other non-corporate entity.

A partnership (that is not a publicly traded partnership taxed as a corporation) is not subject to tax as an entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Rather, partners are allocated their proportionate share of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of the partnership, and are potentially subject to tax thereon, without regard to whether the partners receive any distributions from the partnership. We will be required to take into account our allocable share of the foregoing items for purposes of the various Gross Income and Asset Tests, and in the computation of our REIT taxable income and U.S. federal income tax liability. Further, there can be no assurance that distributions from our operating partnership will be sufficient to pay the tax liabilities resulting from an investment in our operating partnership.

We intend that interests in our operating partnership (and any partnership invested in by our operating partnership with one or more partners) will fall within one of the “safe harbors” for the partnership to avoid being classified as a publicly traded partnership. However, our ability to satisfy the requirements of some of these safe harbors depends on the results of our actual operations and accordingly no assurance can be given that any such partnership would not be treated as a publicly traded partnership. Even if a partnership qualifies as a publicly traded partnership, it generally will not be treated as a corporation if at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year is from certain passive sources.

If for any reason our operating partnership (or any partnership invested in by our operating partnership) is taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the character of our assets and items of gross income would change, and as a resul t, we would most likely be unable to satisfy the Asset Tests and Gross Income Tests described above. In addition, any change in the status of any partnership may be treated as a taxable event, in which case we could incur a tax liability without a related cash distribution. Further, if any partnership was treated as a corporation, items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of such partnership would be subject to corporate income tax, and the partners of any such partnership would be treated as stockholders, with distributions to such partners being treated as dividends.

Anti-abuse Treasury regulations have been issued under the partnership provisions of the Code that authorize the IRS, in some abusive transactions involving partnerships, to disregard the form of a transaction and recast it as it deems appropriate. The anti-abuse regulations apply where a partnership is utilized in connection with a transaction (or series of related transactions) with a principal purpose of substantially reducing the present value of the partners’ aggregate U.S. federal tax liability in a manner inconsistent with the intent of the partnership provisions. The anti-abuse regulations contain an example in which a REIT contributes the proceeds of a public offering to a partnership in exchange for a general partnership interest. The limited partners contribute real property assets to the partnership, subject to liabilities that exceed their respective aggregate bases in such property. The example concludes that the use of the partnership is not inconsistent with the intent of the partnership provisions, and thus, cannot be recast by the IRS. However, the anti-abuse regulations are extraordinarily broad in scope and are applied based on an analysis of all the facts and circumstances. As a result, we cannot assure you that the IRS will not attempt to apply the anti-abuse regulations to us. Any such action could potentially jeopardize our status as a REIT and materially affect the tax consequences and economic return resulting from an investment in us.

Income Taxation of the Partnerships and their Partners. Although a partnership agreement will generally determine the allocation of a partnership’s income and losses among the partners, such allocations may be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes under Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations. If any allocation is not recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes as having “substantial economic effect,” the item subject to the allocation will be reallocated in accordance with the partners’ economic interests in the partnership. We believe that the allocations of taxable income and loss in our operating partnership agreement comply with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code and the Treasury regulations.

Pursuant to Section 704(c) of the Code, income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to property contributed to our operating partnership in exchange for units must be allocated in a manner so that the contributing partner is charged with, or benefits from, the unrealized gain or loss attributable to the property at the time of contribution. The amount

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of such unrealized gain or loss is generally equal to the difference between the fair market value and the adjusted basis of the property at the time of contribution. These allocations are designed to eliminate book-tax differences by allocating to contributing partners lower amounts of depreciation deductions and increased taxable income and gain attributable to the contributed property than would ordina rily be the case for economic or book purposes. With respect to any property purchased by our operating partnership, such property will generally have an initial tax basis equal to its fair market value, and accordingly, Section 704(c) will not apply, exce pt as described further below in this paragraph. The application of the principles of Section 704(c) in tiered partnership arrangements is not entirely clear. Accordingly, the IRS may assert a different allocation method than the one selected by our operat ing partnership to cure any book-tax differences. In certain circumstances, we create book-tax differences by adjusting the values of properties for economic or book purposes and generally the rules of Section 704(c) of the Code would apply to such differe nces as well.

Some expenses incurred in the conduct of our operating partnership’s activities may not be deducted in the year they were paid. To the extent this occurs, the taxable income of our operating partnership may exceed its cash receipts for the year in which the expense is paid. As discussed above, the costs of acquiring properties must generally be recovered through depreciation deductions over a number of years. Prepaid interest and loan fees, and prepaid management fees are other examples of expenses that may not be deducted in the year they were paid.

U.S. Federal Income Taxation of Stockholders

Taxation of Taxable Domestic Stockholders. This section summarizes the taxation of domestic stockholders that are not tax-exempt organizations. For these purposes, a domestic stockholder is a beneficial owner of our common stock that for U.S. federal income tax purposes is:

 

 

a citizen or resident of the United States;

 

a corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of a political subdivision thereof (including the District of Columbia);

 

an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

any trust if (1) a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a U.S. person.

 

If an entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes holds our shares, the U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner generally will depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. A partner of a partnership holding our common stock should consult its tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal income tax consequences to the partner of the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares by the partnership.

Certain high-income U.S. individuals, estates, and trusts are subject to an additional 3.8% tax on net investment income. For these purposes, net investment income includes dividends and gains from sales of stock. In the case of an individual, the tax is 3.8% of the lesser of the individual’s net investment income, or the excess of the individual’s modified adjusted gross income over an amount equal to (1) $250,000 in the case of a married individual filing a joint return or a surviving spouse, (2) $125,000 in the case of a married individual filing a separate return, or (3) $200,000 in the case of a single individual.

 

As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions paid to our domestic stockholders out of current or accumulated earnings and profits (and not designated as capital gain dividends) will generally be ordinary income and generally will not be “qualified dividends” in the case of non-corporate domestic stockholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of corporate domestic stockholders. For non-corporate domestic stockholders, qualified dividends are taxed at a maximum rate of 20%, whereas ordinary income may be taxed at rates as high as 39.6%. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits are treated first as a tax-deferred return of capital to the stockholder, reducing the stockholder’s tax basis in his or her common stock by the amount of such distribution, and then as capital gain. Because our earnings and profits are reduced for depreciation and other non-cash items, it is possible that a portion of each distribution will constitute a tax-deferred return of capital. Additionally, because distributions in excess of earnings and profits reduce the stockholder’s basis in our stock, this will increase the stockholder’s gain on any subsequent sale of the stock.

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Distributions that are designated as capital gain dividends will be taxed as long-term capital gains (generally taxable at a maximum rate of 20% in the case of non-corporate domestic stockholders, subject to a maximum rate of 25% for certain recapture of real estate depreciation) to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year, without regard to the period for which the stockholder that receiv es such distribution has held its stock. However, corporate stockholders may be required to treat up to 20% of some types of capital gain dividends as ordinary income. We may also decide to retain, rather than distribute, our net long-term capital gains an d pay any tax thereon. In such instances, stockholders would include their proportionate shares of such gains in income, receive a credit on their returns for their proportionate share of our tax payments, and increase the tax basis of their shares of stoc k by the after-tax amount of such gain.

The aggregate amount of dividends that we may designate as “capital gain dividends” or “qualified dividend income” with respect to any taxable year may not exceed the dividends paid by us with respect to such year, including dividends that are paid in the following year (if they are declared before we timely file our tax return for the year and if made with or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration) are treated as paid with respect to such year. Dividend income is characterized as “portfolio” income under the passive loss rules and cannot be offset by a stockholder’s current or suspended passive losses. Although stockholders generally recognize taxable income in the year that a distribution is received, any distribution we declare in October, November or December of any year that is payable to a stockholder of record on a specific date in any such month will be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of the year it was declared if paid by us during January of the following calendar year. Because we are not a pass-through entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes, stockholders may not use any of our operating or capital losses to reduce their tax liabilities.

In certain circumstances, we may have the ability to declare a large portion of a dividend in shares of our stock. In such a case, you would be taxed on 100% of the dividend in the same manner as a cash dividend, even though most of the dividend was paid in shares of our stock.

In general, the sale of our common stock held for more than 12 months will produce long-term capital gain or loss. All other sales will produce short-term gain or loss. In each case, the gain or loss is equal to the difference between the amount of cash and fair market value of any property received from the sale and the stockholder’s basis in the common stock sold. However, any loss from a sale or exchange of common stock by a stockholder who has held such stock for six months or less generally will be treated as a long-term capital loss, to the extent that the stockholder treated our distributions as long-term capital gains.

We will report to our domestic stockholders and to the IRS the amount of dividends paid during each calendar year, and the amount (if any) of U.S. federal income tax we withhold. A stockholder may be subject to backup withholding with respect to dividends paid unless such stockholder: (i) is a corporation or comes within other exempt categories; or (ii) provides us with a taxpayer identification number, certifies as to no loss of exemption, and otherwise complies with applicable requirements. A stockholder that does not provide us with its correct taxpayer identification number may also be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. Any amount paid as backup withholding can be credited against the stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of distributions made to any stockholders who fail to certify their non-foreign status to us. See the “Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders” portion of this section.

Domestic stockholders that hold our common stock through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds) may be subject to withholding on dividends in respect of, and the gain from the sale of, such common stock, as discussed in “Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders-Recent Changes in U.S. Federal Income Tax Withholding” below.

 

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders. Our distributions to a stockholder that is a domestic tax-exempt entity should not constitute UBTI unless the stockholder borrows funds (or otherwise incurs acquisition indebtedness within the meaning of the Code) to acquire its common stock, or the common stock is otherwise used in an unrelated trade or business of the tax-exempt entity. Furthermore, part or all of the income or gain recognized with respect to our stock held by certain domestic tax-exempt entities including social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts and qualified group legal service plans (all of which are exempt from U.S. federal income taxation under Sections 501(c)(7), (9), (17) or (20) of the Code), may be treated as UBTI. Special rules apply to the ownership of REIT shares by Section 401(a) tax-exempt pension trusts. If we would fail to

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satisfy the “five or fewer” share ownership test (discussed above with respect to the share ownership tests), and if Section 401(a) tax-exempt pension trusts were treated as individuals, tax-exempt pension trusts owning more than 10% by value of our stock may be required to treat a percentage of our dividends as UBTI. This rule applies if: (i) at least one tax-exempt pension trust owns more than 25% by value of our shares, or (ii) one or m ore tax-exempt pension trusts (each owning more than 10% by value of our shares) hold in the aggregate more than 50% by value of our shares. The percentage treated as UBTI is our gross income (less direct expenses) derived from an unrelated trade or busine ss (determined as if we were a tax-exempt pension trust) divided by our gross income from all sources (less direct expenses). If this percentage is less than 5%, however, none of the dividends will be treated as UBTI.

 

Prospective tax-exempt purchasers should consult their own tax advisors as to the applicability of these rules and consequences to their particular circumstances.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders.

General. The rules governing the U.S. federal income taxation of beneficial owners of our common stock that are nonresident alien individuals, foreign corporations and other foreign investors (collectively, “Non-U.S. Stockholders”) are complex, and as such, only a summary of such rules is provided in this exhibit. Non-U.S. investors should consult with their own tax advisors to determine the impact that U.S. federal, state and local income tax or similar laws will have on such investors as a result of an investment in our common stock.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Withholding. Withholding at a rate of 30% required on dividends in respect of, and after December 31, 2018, withholding at a rate of 30% will be required on gross proceeds from the sale of, shares of our common stock held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the Secretary of the Treasury (unless alternative procedures apply pursuant to an applicable intergovernmental agreement between the United States and the relevant foreign government) to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to shares in, and accounts maintained by, the institution to the extent such shares or accounts are held by certain U.S. persons or by certain Non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons. Accordingly, the entity through which our shares are held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of, and after December 31, 2018, gross proceeds from the sale of, our shares held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies to us that such entity does not have any “substantial U.S. owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial U.S. owners,” which we will in turn provide to the Secretary of the Treasury. Non-U.S. stockholders are encouraged to consult with their tax advisers regarding the possible implications of these rules on their investment in our common stock.

Distributions-In General. Distributions paid by us that are not attributable to gain from our sales or exchanges of U.S. real property interests and not designated by us as capital gain dividends will be treated as dividends of ordinary income to the extent that they are made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits. Such dividends to Non-U.S. Stockholders ordinarily will be subject to a withholding tax equal to 30% of the gross amount of the dividend unless an applicable tax treaty reduces or eliminates that tax. However, if income from the investment in our shares of common stock is treated as effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Stockholder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business, the Non-U.S. Stockholder generally will be subject to a tax at the graduated rates applicable to ordinary income, in the same manner as domestic stockholders are taxed with respect to such dividends (and may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a non-U.S. stockholder that is a foreign corporation that is not entitled to any treaty exemption). Dividends in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a stockholder to the extent they do not exceed the adjusted basis of the stockholder’s shares. Instead, they will reduce the adjusted basis of such shares. To the extent that such dividends exceed the adjusted basis of a Non-U.S. Stockholder’s shares, they will give rise to tax liability if the Non-U.S. Stockholder would otherwise be subject to tax on any gain from the sale or disposition of his shares, as described in the “Sale of Shares” portion of this Section below.

 

Distributions Attributable to Sale or Exchange of Real Property. Distributions that are attributable to gain from our sales or exchanges of U.S. real property interests will be taxed to a Non-U.S. Stockholder as if such gain were effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. Non-U.S. Stockholders would thus be required to file U.S.

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federal income tax returns and would be taxed at the normal capital gain rates applicable to domestic stockholders, and would be subject to applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals. Also, such dividends may be subject to a 30% bran ch profits tax in the hands of a corporate Non-U.S. Stockholder not entitled to any treaty exemption. However, generally a capital gain dividend from a REIT is not treated as effectively connected income for a foreign investor if (i) the distribution is re ceived with regard to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the United States; and (ii) the foreign investor does not own more than 10% of the class of stock at any time during the tax year within which th e distribution is received. We expect that our common stock will continue to be regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States.

U.S. Federal Income Tax Withholding on Distributions. For U.S. federal income tax withholding purposes and subject to the discussion above under “Recent Changes in U.S. Federal Income Tax Withholding”, we will generally withhold tax at the rate of 30% on the amount of any distribution (other than distributions designated as capital gain dividends) made to a Non-U.S. Stockholder, unless the Non-U.S. Stockholder provides us with a properly completed IRS (i) Form W-8BEN evidencing that such Non-U.S. Stockholder is eligible for an exemption or reduced rate under an applicable income tax treaty (in which case we will withhold at the lower treaty rate) or (ii) Form W-8ECI claiming that the dividend is effectively connected with the Non-U.S. Stockholder’s conduct of a trade or business within the U.S. (in which case we will not withhold tax). We are also generally required to withhold tax at the rate of 35% on the portion of any dividend to a Non-U.S. Stockholder that is or could be designated by us as a capital gain dividend, to the extent attributable to gain on a sale or exchange of an interest in U.S. real property. Such withheld amounts of tax do not represent actual tax liabilities, but rather, represent payments in respect of those tax liabilities described in the preceding two paragraphs. Therefore, such withheld amounts are creditable by the Non-U.S. Stockholder against its actual U.S. federal income tax liabilities, including those described in the preceding two paragraphs. The Non-U.S. Stockholder would be entitled to a refund of any amounts withheld in excess of such Non-U.S. Stockholder’s actual U.S. federal income tax liabilities, provided that the Non-U.S. Stockholder files applicable returns or refund claims with the IRS.

 

Sales of Shares. Gain recognized by a Non-U.S. Stockholder upon a sale of shares of our common stock generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation, provided that: (i) such gain is not effectively connected with the conduct by such Non-U.S. Stockholder of a trade or business within the United States; (ii) the Non-U.S. Stockholder is not present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and certain other conditions apply; and (iii) our REIT is “domestically controlled,” which generally means that less than 50% in value of our shares was held directly or indirectly by foreign persons during the five year period ending on the date of disposition or, if shorter, during the entire period of our existence.

We cannot assure you that we will qualify as “domestically controlled.” If we were not domestically controlled, a Non-U.S. Stockholder’s sale of common shares would be subject to tax, unless our common shares were regularly traded on an established securities market and the selling Non-U.S. Stockholder has not directly, or indirectly, owned during a specified testing period more than 10% in value of our shares of common stock. We believe that our common stock will continue to be regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States. If the gain on the sale of shares were subject to taxation, the Non-U.S. Stockholder would be subject to the same treatment as domestic stockholders with respect to such gain, and the purchaser of such common stock may be required to withhold 15% of the gross purchase price.

If the proceeds of a disposition of common stock are paid by or through a U.S. office of a broker-dealer, the payment is generally subject to information reporting and to backup withholding unless the disposing Non-U.S. Stockholder certifies as to its name, address and non-U.S. status or otherwise establishes an exemption. Generally, U.S. information reporting and backup withholding will not apply to a payment of disposition proceeds if the payment is made outside the United States through a foreign office of a foreign broker-dealer. Under Treasury regulations, if the proceeds from a disposition of common stock paid to or through a foreign office of a U.S. broker-dealer or a non-U.S. office of a foreign broker-dealer that is (i) a “controlled foreign corporation” for U.S. federal income tax purposes, (ii) a person 50% or more of whose gross income from all sources for a three-year period was effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, (iii) a foreign partnership with one or more partners who are U.S. persons and who, in the aggregate, hold more than 50% of the income or capital interest in the partnership, or (iv) a foreign partnership engaged in the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, then (A) backup

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withholding will not apply unless the broker-dealer has actual knowledge that the owner is not a Non-U.S. Stockh older, and (B) information reporting will not apply if the Non-U.S. Stockholder certifies its non-U.S. status and further certifies that it has not been, and at the time the certificate is furnished reasonably expects not to be, present in the U.S. for a p eriod aggregating 183 days or more during each calendar year to which the certification pertains. Prospective foreign purchasers should consult their tax advisors concerning these rules.

Recent legislation provides for additional exemptions from provisions relating to ownership of interests in U.S. real estate by non-U.S. persons applicable to “qualified shareholders” and “qualified foreign pension plans,” as further described below.

Subject to the exception discussed below, any distribution to a “qualified shareholder” who holds REIT stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. tax as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business and thus will not be subject to special withholding rules under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”).  While a “qualified shareholder” will not be subject to FIRPTA withholding on REIT distributions, certain investors of a “qualified shareholder” (i.e., non-U.S. persons who hold interests in the “qualified shareholder” (other than interests solely as a creditor), and hold more than 10% of the stock of such REIT (whether or not by reason of the investor’s ownership in the “qualified Shareholder”)) may be subject to FIRPTA withholding.

In addition, a sale of our stock by a “qualified shareholder” who holds such stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation under FIRPTA. As with distributions, certain investors of a “qualified shareholder” (i.e., non-U.S. persons who hold interests in the “qualified shareholder” (other than interests solely as a creditor), and hold more than 10% of the stock of such REIT (whether or not by reason of the investor’s ownership in the “qualified shareholder)) may be subject to FIRPTA withholding on a sale of our stock.

A “qualified shareholder” is a foreign person that (i) either is eligible for the benefits of a comprehensive income tax treaty which includes an exchange of information program and whose principal class of interests is listed and regularly traded on one or more recognized stock exchanges (as defined in such comprehensive income tax treaty), or is a foreign partnership that is created or organized under foreign law as a limited partnership in a jurisdiction that has an agreement for the exchange of information with respect to taxes with the United States and has a class of limited partnership units representing greater than 50% of the value of all the partnership units that is regularly traded on the NYSE or NASDAQ markets, (ii) is a qualified collective investment vehicle (defined below), and (iii) maintains records on the identity of each person who, at any time during the foreign person’s taxable year, is the direct owner of 5% or more of the class of interests or units (as applicable) described in (1), above.

A qualified collective investment vehicle is a foreign person that (i) would be eligible for a reduced rate of withholding under the comprehensive income tax treaty described above, even if such entity holds more than 10% of the stock of such REIT, (ii) is publicly traded, is treated as a partnership under the Code, is a withholding foreign partnership, and would be treated as a “United States real property holding corporation” if it were a domestic corporation, or (iii) is designated as such by the Secretary of the Treasury and is either (a) fiscally transparent within the meaning of section 894, or (b) required to include dividends in its gross income, but is entitled to a deduction for distributions to its investors.

Qualified Foreign Pension Funds. Any distribution to a “qualified foreign pension fund” (or an entity all of the interests of which are held by a “qualified foreign pension fund”) who holds REIT stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. tax as income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business and thus will not be subject to special withholding rules under FIRPTA.  In addition, a sale of our stock by a “qualified foreign pension fund” that holds such stock directly or indirectly (through one or more partnerships) will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation under FIRPTA.

A qualified foreign pension fund is any trust, corporation or other organization or arrangement (i) which is created or organized under the law of a country other than the United States, (ii) which is established to provide retirement or pension benefits to participants or beneficiaries that are current or former employees (or persons designated by such employees) of one or more employers in consideration for services rendered (iii) which does not have a single participant or beneficiary with a right to more than 5% of its assets or income, (iv) which is subject to government

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regulation and provide s annual information reporting about its beneficiaries to the relevant tax authorities in the country in which it is established or operates, and (v) with respect to which, under the laws of the country in which it is established or operates, (a) contribut ions to such organization or arrangement that would otherwise be subject to tax under such laws are deductible or excluded from the gross income of such entity or taxed at a reduced rate, or (b) taxation of any investment income of such organization or arr angement is deferred or such income is taxed at a reduced rate.

The tax provisions relating to qualified shareholders and qualified foreign pension funds are complex.  Stockholders should consult their tax advisors with respect to the impact of those provisions on them.

Other Tax Considerations

State and Local Taxes. We and you may be subject to state or local taxation in various jurisdictions, including those in which we transact business or reside. Our and your state and local tax treatment may not conform to the U.S. federal income tax consequences discussed above. Consequently, you should consult your own tax advisors regarding the effect of state and local tax laws on an investment in our shares of common stock.

 

 Legislative Proposals. You should recognize that our and your present U.S. federal income tax treatment may be modified by legislative, judicial or administrative actions at any time, which may be retroactive in effect.

The rules dealing with U.S. federal income taxation are constantly under review by Congress, the IRS and the Treasury Department, and statutory changes as well as promulgation of new regulations, revisions to existing statutes, and revised interpretations of established concepts occur frequently.  This is particularly possible because the new Trump administration is considering significant changes in U.S. federal income taxation. You should consult your advisors concerning the status of legislative proposals that may pertain to the purchase, ownership and disposition of our shares of common stock.

 

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