Form S-3
Table of Contents

As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2011

Registration Nos. 333-            

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

CAMPUS CREST COMMUNITIES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charters)

 

 

 

Maryland   27-2481988

(State or other jurisdiction of

incorporation or organization)

 

(IRS employer

identification number)

2100 Rexford Road

Suite 414

Charlotte, North Carolina 28211

(704) 496-2500

(Address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of the registrant’s principal executive offices)

 

 

 

Ted W. Rollins

Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Campus Crest Communities, Inc.

2100 Rexford Road, Suite 414

Charlotte, North Carolina 28211

(704) 496-2500

  

Copy to:

Jeffrey M. Sullivan, Esq.

DLA Piper LLP (US)

4141 Parklake Avenue, Suite 300

Raleigh, North Carolina 27612

Phone: (919) 786-2000

Facsimile: (919) 786-2200

(Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number,

including area code, of agent for service)

  

 

 

Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement.

If the only securities being registered on this form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.    ¨

If any of the securities being registered on this form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or reinvestment plans, please check the following box.    x

If this form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.    ¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    ¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of securities pursuant to Rule 413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.    ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):

 

Large accelerated filer   ¨    Accelerated filer   ¨
Non-accelerated filer   x  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company   ¨

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

Title of Securities Being Registered  

Amount Being

Registered

 

Proposed

Maximum
Offering Price

per Share(1)

 

Proposed

Maximum
Aggregate

Offering Price (2)

 

Amount of

Registration Fee

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

 

285,593

  $11.84   $3,381,421   $388

 

 

(1) 

Estimated solely for the purpose of determining the registration fee in accordance with Rule 457(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based upon the average of the high and low prices of our common stock reported on the New York Stock Exchange on October 28, 2011.

 

 

The registrant hereby amends this registration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the registrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the registration statement shall become effective on such date as the Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.

 

 

 


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The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities, nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

 

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2011

285,593 Shares

LOGO

Common Stock

 

 

This prospectus relates to up to 285,593 shares of our common stock of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. that the selling stockholders named in this prospectus may offer for sale from time to time. The selling stockholders named in this prospectus may acquire these shares by redeeming units of limited partnership (“OP units”) in Campus Crest Communities Operating Partnership, LP, which is the operating partnership through which we conduct substantially all of our business, for shares of our common stock. The OP units that may be redeemed by the selling stockholders were issued as part of our formation transactions that were effected on October 19, 2010, in connection with our initial public offering.

We have registered the resale of the shares to allow the selling stockholders to sell any or all of their shares of common stock on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) or in private transactions using any of the methods described in this prospectus. See “Plan of Distribution.” The registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus does not necessarily mean that any of the holders of OP units will redeem their units, that upon any such redemption we will elect, in our sole and absolute discretion, to exchange some or all of the OP units for shares of our common stock rather than cash, or that any shares of our common stock received in exchange for OP units will be sold by the selling stockholders.

We will not receive any proceeds from the sale of any shares offered by the selling stockholders, but we have agreed to pay certain registration expenses relating to such shares of our common stock. See “Selling Stockholders.” The selling stockholders from time to time may offer and sell the shares held by them directly or through agents or broker-dealers on terms to be determined at the time of sale, as described in more detail in this prospectus.

To assist us in complying with certain federal income tax requirements applicable to our status as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”), among other purposes, our charter contains certain restrictions relating to the ownership and transfer of our capital stock. See “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer” beginning on page 8 of this prospectus.

Our common stock currently trades on the NYSE under the symbol “CCG.” On October 31, 2011, the last reported sales price of our common stock on the NYSE was $11.43 per share.

 

 

Investing in our securities involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 4.

 

 

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete and any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

The date of this prospectus is             , 2011.


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We have not authorized any dealer, salesman or other person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any related supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus or any related prospectus supplement. This prospectus and any related prospectus supplement do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. The information contained in this prospectus and any related prospectus supplement is accurate as of the dates on their covers. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

     Page  

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     1   

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MORE INFORMATION

     1   

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     1   

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     2   

OUR COMPANY

     4   

RISK FACTORS

     4   

USE OF PROCEEDS

     4   

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     5   

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     6   

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     7   

CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS

     11   

MATERIAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     18   

LEGAL MATTERS

     35   

EXPERTS

     35   

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a “shelf” registration statement that we have filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Under this shelf registration statement, selling stockholders may offer and sell shares of our common stock in one or more offerings. In connection with such offerings, we may file one or more prospectus supplements that would contain specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If the information in this prospectus is inconsistent with a prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement. Before you buy any of the shares offered by the selling stockholders, you should consider the information contained in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Selling stockholders may offer the shares directly, through agents, or to or through underwriters. See “Plan of Distribution.”

When used in this prospectus, unless the context otherwise requires, references to “company,” “we,” “us” and “our” refer to Campus Crest Communities, Inc., a Maryland corporation, and its consolidated subsidiaries, including our operating partnership, Campus Crest Communities Operating Partnership, LP, a Delaware limited partnership, through which we conduct substantially all of our business.

WHERE CAN YOU FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly, and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Our SEC filings are available to the public over the Internet at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov. You may also read and copy any document we file with the SEC at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549.

You may also obtain copies of our SEC filings at prescribed rates by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, DC 20549. Please call l-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operations at the public reference room. Our SEC filings are also available at the offices of the New York Stock Exchange, 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

Statements contained in this prospectus as to the contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily complete, and in each instance reference is made to the copy of that contract or other document filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, each such statement being qualified in all respects by that reference and the exhibits and schedules thereto. For further information about us and the securities offered by this prospectus, you should refer to the registration statement and such exhibits and schedules which may be obtained from the SEC at its principal office in Washington, DC upon payment of any fees prescribed by the SEC.

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The documents listed below have been filed by us under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), with the SEC and are incorporated by reference in this prospectus:

 

   

Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, including amendments;

 

   

Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2011 and June 30, 2011;

 

   

Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on January 26, 2011, April 25, 2011, and August 23, 2011, and the Current Report on Form 8-K/A filed on July 26, 2011; and

 

   

the description of our common stock in our registration statement on Form 8-A filed on September 15, 2010, including any amendments and reports filed for the purpose of updating such description.

 

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We are also incorporating by reference into this prospectus all documents that we have filed or will file with the SEC as prescribed by Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act since the date of this prospectus and prior to the termination of the sale of the securities offered by this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement.

This means that important information about us appears or will appear in these documents and will be regarded as appearing in this prospectus. To the extent that information appearing in a document filed later is inconsistent with prior information, the later statement will control and the prior information, except as modified or superseded, will no longer be a part of this prospectus.

Copies of all documents which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement (not including the exhibits to such information, unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference) will be provided without charge to each person, including any beneficial owner of the securities offered by this prospectus, to whom this prospectus or the applicable prospectus supplement is delivered, upon written or oral request. Requests should be directed to our Secretary, 2100 Rexford Road, Suite 414, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211 (telephone number: (704) 496-2500). You may also obtain copies of these filings, at no cost, by accessing our website at www.campuscrest.com; however, the information found on our website is not considered part of this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement.

CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, including the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement, contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Exchange Act. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include this statement for purposes of complying with these safe harbor provisions. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “approximately,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue,” “plan” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe future plans and strategies, contain financial and operating projections or state other forward-looking information. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future events, actions, plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our actual results and performance could differ materially from those set forth in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements. Factors that could materially and adversely affect us include but are not limited to:

 

   

the performance of the student housing industry in general;

 

   

decreased occupancy or rental rates at our properties resulting from competition or otherwise;

 

   

the operating performance of our properties;

 

   

the success of our development and construction activities;

 

   

changes on the admissions or housing policies of the colleges and universities from which we draw student-tenants;

 

   

the availability of and our ability to attract and retain qualified personnel;

 

   

changes in our business and growth strategies and in our ability to consummate additional joint venture transactions;

 

   

our capitalization and leverage level;

 

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our capital expenditures;

 

   

the degree and nature of our competition, in terms of developing properties, consummating acquisitions and in obtaining student-tenants to fill our properties;

 

   

volatility in the real estate industry, interest rates and spreads, the debt or equity markets, the economy generally or the local markets in which our properties are located, whether the result of market events or otherwise;

 

   

events or circumstances which undermine confidence in the financial markets or otherwise have a broad impact on financial markets, such as the sudden instability or collapse of large financial institutions or other significant corporations, terrorist attacks, natural or man-made disasters or threatened or actual armed conflicts;

 

   

the availability and terms of short-term and long-term financing, including financing for development and construction activities;

 

   

the availability of attractive development and/or acquisition opportunities in properties that satisfy our investment criteria, including our ability to identify and consummate successful property developments and property acquisitions;

 

   

the credit quality of our student-tenants and parental guarantors;

 

   

changes in personnel, including the departure of key members of our senior management, and lack of availability of qualified personnel;

 

   

unanticipated increases in financing and other costs, including a rise in interest rates;

 

   

estimates relating to our ability to make distributions to our stockholders in the future and our expectations as to the form of any such distributions;

 

   

environmental costs, uncertainties and risks, especially those related to natural disasters;

 

   

changes in governmental regulations, accounting treatment, tax rates and similar matters;

 

   

legislative and regulatory changes (including changes to laws governing the taxation of REITs); and

 

   

limitations imposed on our business and our ability to satisfy complex rules in order for us to qualify as a REIT for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the ability of certain of our subsidiaries to qualify as taxable REIT subsidiaries for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and our ability and the ability of our subsidiaries to operate effectively within the limitations imposed by these rules.

This list of risks and uncertainties, however, is only a summary of some of the mort important factors and is not intended to be exhaustive. You should carefully review the risks and information contained, or incorporated by reference, in this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement, including, without limitation, the “Risk Factors” incorporated by reference herein from our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports and information that we file with the SEC. You are cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, we are under no duty to, and we do not intend to, update any of our forward-looking statements after the date of this prospectus, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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OUR COMPANY

We are a self-managed, self-administered and vertically-integrated developer, builder, owner and manager of high-quality, purpose-built student housing properties in the United States. We are one of the largest vertically-integrated developers, builders, owners and managers of high-quality, purpose-built student housing properties in the United States, based on beds owned and under management. As of June 30, 2011, we owned interests in 27 operating student housing properties containing approximately 5,048 apartment units and 13,580 beds. Our properties are located in 11 states and are all recently built, with an average age of approximately 2.5 years as of June 30, 2011. As of June 30, 2011, 21 of our properties, containing approximately 3,920 apartment units and 10,528 beds, are wholly owned, and six of our properties, containing approximately 1,128 apartment units and 3,052 beds, are owned through a joint venture with Harrison Street Real Estate, in which we own a 49.9% interest. Our properties are primarily located in medium-sized college and university markets, which we define as markets located outside of major U.S. cities that have nearby schools generally with overall enrollment of approximately 8,000 to 20,000 students. We believe such markets are underserved and are generally experiencing enrollment growth.

We were incorporated in the State of Maryland on March 1, 2010 and commenced operations upon completion of our initial public offering of our common stock on October 19, 2010. Substantially all of our assets are held by, and we have conducted substantially all of our activities through, our operating partnership, Campus Crest Communities Operating Partnership, LP, and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. We are the sole general partner of our operating partnership, and, as a result, our board of directors effectively directs all of our operating partnership’s affairs. As of June 30, 2011, we owned 98.5% of the outstanding limited OP units of our operating partnership.

We are organized and conduct our operations to qualify as a REIT under Sections 856 through 859 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). As a REIT, we generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax on our income to the extent we currently distribute our income to our stockholders and maintain our qualification as a REIT.

Our principal executive offices are located at 2100 Rexford Road, Suite 414, Charlotte, North Carolina 28211, and our telephone number is (704) 496-2500. Our website is www.campuscrest.com. However, the information located on, or accessible from, our website is not, and should not be deemed to be, part of this prospectus, any accompanying prospectus supplement or any free writing prospectus or incorporated into any other filing that we make with the SEC.

RISK FACTORS

Investment in our common stock offered pursuant to this prospectus involves substantial risks. You should carefully consider the risk factors incorporated into this prospectus by reference to our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and the other information contained in this prospectus, as updated by our subsequent filings under the Exchange Act, and the risk factors and other information contained in any accompanying prospectus supplement before acquiring any of such securities. The occurrence of any of these risks might cause you to lose all or part of your investment in the offered securities. Please also refer to the section entitled “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” beginning on page 2 of this prospectus.

USE OF PROCEEDS

We are filing the registration statement, of which this prospectus forms a part, pursuant to our contractual obligation to the holders of OP units named in the section entitled “Selling Stockholders.” We will not receive any of the proceeds from the resale of shares of our common stock from time to time by such selling stockholders.

The selling stockholders will pay any underwriting discounts and commissions and expenses they incur for brokerage, accounting, tax or legal services or any other expenses they incur in disposing of the shares. We will bear all other costs, fees and expenses incurred in effecting the registration of the shares covered by this prospectus. These may include, without limitation, all registration and filing fees, NYSE listing fees, fees and expenses of our counsel and accountants, and blue sky fees and expenses.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

The shares of common stock included in this offering are 285,593 shares that may be sold by selling stockholders. We refer to these shares as “resale shares.” None of the resale shares are currently outstanding. We may issue those resale shares to the selling stockholders upon the redemption of 285,593 outstanding OP units. See “Plan of Distribution.”

The selling stockholders may offer and sell from time to time under this prospectus any and all of the resale shares. Information about the selling stockholders is set forth herein. Information about additional selling stockholders may be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings that we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus. There are currently no agreements, arrangements or understandings with respect to the sale of any of the resale shares that will be held by the selling stockholders. None of the selling stockholders are broker-dealers or affiliates of broker-dealers.

The following table sets forth, for each selling stockholder, the amount of our common stock owned, the maximum number of shares of our common stock that may be resold by each selling stockholder should we elect to issue shares of our common stock to such selling stockholder in exchange for all of the selling stockholder’s OP units, and the percentage of the common stock owned after completion of the offering assuming all of the offered shares are sold. The selling stockholders are not required to tender their OP units for redemption, nor are we required to issue shares of common stock (in lieu of our operating partnership redeeming the OP units for cash) to any selling stockholder who elects to tender OP units. To the extent we do issue shares of common stock upon redemption, the selling stockholders may offer all, some or none of the shares of common stock shown in the table.

 

Name of Selling Stockholder (1)

  Number of Shares
Beneficially
Owned (2)
    Number of
Shares Offered
    Number of Shares
Beneficially
Owned Following
Resale
    Percentage Ownership
Following Resale (3)(4)
 

MXT Capital, LLC (5)

    232,593        232,593                 

Flynn Development, LLC

    500        500                 

Mansion Ridge Investment Company, LLC

    1,500        1,500                 

Marc Metrinko Rollins

    33,333        33,333                 

Steve Emtman

    500        500                 

Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished American Inc.

    16,667        16,667                 

Matthew S. O’Reilly

    500        500                 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

Total

    285,593        285,593                 
 

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

* Represents less than 1.0%.
(1) Selling stockholders that are entities may distribute shares of common stock prior to sale under this prospectus. The selling stockholders may also include persons who are donees, pledgees or successors-in-interest of the listed selling stockholders.
(2) The shares of common stock include OP Units held by a selling stockholder and assumes that such units will be redeemed for shares of our common stock.
(3) This percentage is calculated assuming that each selling stockholder sells all of the shares offered by this prospectus. It is difficult to estimate with any degree of certainty the amount and percentage of shares of common stock that would be held by each selling stockholder after completion of the offering. First, we have the option to satisfy OP unit redemption requests by paying the cash value of the units rather than issuing shares of our common stock. The number of shares offered hereby assumes we elect to satisfy all redemption requests by issuing shares. Second, assuming a selling stockholder receives shares of common stock upon redemption of such holder’s OP units, such holder may offer all, some or none of such shares.

 

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(4) Based on a total of 30,718,115 shares of our common stock outstanding as of October 31, 2011.
(5) MXT Capital, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, is wholly-owned and controlled by Ted W. Rollins, our co-chairman and chief executive officer, and Michael S. Hartnett, our co-chairman and chief investment officer, and certain members of their families.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

This prospectus relates to the offer and sale by the selling stockholders of 285,593 shares of our common stock, which shares we may issue upon the redemption of a like number of OP Units. Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “CCG.”

We have not and will not receive any proceeds from the offering by the selling stockholders.

As used in this prospectus, “selling stockholders” includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest selling shares received after the date of this prospectus from a selling stockholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other non-sale related transfer. All costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the shares of common stock offered hereby will be borne by us. Brokerage commissions and similar selling expenses, if any, attributable to the sale of shares of common stock offered hereby will be borne by the selling stockholders. Sales of shares of common stock may be effected by selling stockholders from time to time in one or more types of transactions (which may include block transactions) on the NYSE, in the over-the-counter market, in negotiated transactions, through put or call options transactions relating the shares of common stock, through short sales of shares of common stock or through a combination of such methods of sale, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices. Such transactions may or may not involve brokers or dealers. The selling stockholders have advised us that they have not entered into any agreements, understandings or arrangements with any underwriters or broker-dealers regarding the sale of their shares, nor is there an underwriter or coordinating broker acting in connection with the proposed sale of shares of common stock by the selling stockholders.

The selling stockholders may effect such transactions by selling shares of common stock directly to purchasers or to or through broker-dealers, which may act as agents or principals. Such broker-dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the selling stockholders and/or the purchasers of shares of common stock for whom such broker-dealers may act as agents or to whom they sell as principal, or both (which compensation as to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions).

The selling stockholders and any brokers, dealers, agents or underwriters that participate with the selling stockholders in the distribution of our common stock pursuant to this prospectus may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act. In this case, any commissions received by these broker-dealers, agents or underwriters and any profit on the resale of our common stock purchased by them may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts under the Securities Act. In addition, any profits realized by the selling stockholders may be deemed to be underwriting commissions. While neither we nor any selling stockholder can presently estimate the amount of such compensation, in compliance with the guidelines of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), the aggregate maximum discount, commission or agency fees or other items constituting underwriting compensation to be received by any FINRA member or independent broker-dealer will not exceed 8% of any offering pursuant to this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be. However, it is anticipated that the maximum commission or discount to be received in any particular offering of securities will be less than this amount.

We have agreed to indemnify each selling stockholder against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act. The selling stockholders may agree to indemnify any agent, dealer or broker-dealer that participates in transactions involving sales of shares of common stock against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

 

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Because selling stockholders may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) of the Securities Act, the selling stockholders will be subject to the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, which may include delivery through the facilities of the NYSE pursuant to Rule 153 under the Securities Act. We have informed the selling stockholders that the anti-manipulative provisions of Regulation M promulgated under the Exchange Act may apply to their sales in the market.

Selling stockholders also may resell all or a portion of the shares of common stock in open market transactions in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act, provided the requirements of such rule are met.

Upon being notified by a selling stockholder that any material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer or underwriter for the sale of shares of common stock through a block trade, special offering, exchange distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, we will file a supplement to this prospectus, if required, pursuant to Rule 424(b) under the Securities Act, disclosing (i) the name of each such selling stockholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s) or underwriter(s), (ii) the number of shares of common stock involved, (iii) the price at which such shares were or will be sold, (iv) the commissions paid or to be paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s) or underwriter(s), where applicable, (v) that, as applicable, such broker-dealer(s) or underwriter(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus and (iv) other facts material to the transaction.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

We are a Maryland corporation. Your rights as a stockholder are governed by Maryland law, including the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”), and our charter and bylaws. The following is a summary of the material terms of our capital stock. You should read our charter and bylaws, copies of which are exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, for complete information. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

General

Authorized Shares. Our charter provides that we may issue up to 90,000,000 shares of our common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 10,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. As of October 31, 2011, there were 30,718,115 shares of our common stock issued and outstanding and no shares of preferred stock issued and outstanding.

Authority of Our Board of Directors Relating to Authorized Shares. Our charter authorizes our board of directors to amend our charter to increase or decrease the total number of our authorized shares, or the number of shares of any class or series of capital stock that we have authority to issue, without stockholder approval. Our board of directors also has the authority, under our charter and without stockholder approval, to classify any unissued shares of common or preferred stock into one or more classes or series of stock and to reclassify any previously classified but unissued shares of any series of our common or preferred stock. If, however, there are any laws or stock exchange rules that require us to obtain stockholder approval in order for us to take these actions, we will contact our stockholders to solicit that approval.

We believe that the power to issue additional shares of common stock or preferred stock and to classify or reclassify unissued shares of common or preferred stock and then issue the classified or reclassified shares provides us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other needs that may arise in the future. The additional classes or series, as well as the additional shares of stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders, unless stockholder approval is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded.

Terms and Conditions of Authorized Shares. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, our board of directors is required by Maryland law and our charter to set, subject to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on transfer of stock, the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class

 

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or series. As a result, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of common stock or preferred stock with terms and conditions that could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control that would involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be favorable to them.

Stockholder Liability. Applicable Maryland law provides that our stockholders are not personally liable for our acts and obligations and that our funds and property are the only recourse for our acts and obligations.

Common Stock

Subject to the preferential rights of any other class or series of stock and to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on transfer of stock, holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive distributions on such stock if, as and when authorized by our board of directors out of assets legally available for the payment of distributions, and declared by us, and to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after payment of or adequate provision for all of our known debts and liabilities.

Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on ownership and transfer of stock and except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of common stock, each outstanding share of our common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors and, except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess the exclusive voting power. There is no cumulative voting in the election of our directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors. Under Maryland law, the holders of a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting at which directors are to be elected is sufficient to elect a director unless a corporation’s charter or bylaws provide otherwise. Our bylaws provide for such plurality voting in the election of directors.

Holders of shares of our common stock have no preference, conversion, exchange, sinking fund, redemption or appraisal rights and have no preemptive or other rights to subscribe for any of our securities. Subject to the provisions of our charter regarding the restrictions on ownership and transfer of stock, shares of our common stock have equal dividend, liquidation and other rights.

Our charter authorizes our board of directors to reclassify any unissued shares of our common stock into other classes or series of classes of stock and to establish the number of shares in each class or series and to set the preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption for each such class or series.

Preferred Stock

Under our charter, our board of directors may from time to time establish and issue one or more series of preferred stock without stockholder approval. Prior to issuance of shares of each series, our board of directors is required by Maryland law and our charter to set, subject to the provisions of our charter regarding restrictions on transfer of stock, the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each series. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of preferred stock that have priority over our common stock with respect to dividends or rights upon liquidation or with terms and conditions which could have the effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change of control of us that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interests. As of the date hereof, no shares of preferred stock are outstanding.

Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer

In order for us to qualify as a REIT under the Code, our stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable

 

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year. Also, not more than 50% of the value of the outstanding shares of stock may be owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities such as qualified pension plans). during the last half of a taxable year (other than the first year for which an election to be a REIT has been made). To qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy other requirements as well. See “Certain Federal Income Tax Considerations—Requirements for Qualification.”

Our charter contains restrictions on the ownership and transfer of our stock which are intended to assist us in complying with these requirements and continuing to qualify as a REIT. The relevant sections of our charter provide that, subject to the exceptions described below, no person or entity may beneficially own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the applicable constructive ownership provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% by vote or value, whichever is more restrictive, of either our outstanding common stock or our outstanding capital stock in the aggregate. We refer to these restrictions, collectively, as the “ownership limit.” A person or entity that becomes subject to the ownership limit by virtue of a violative transfer that results in a transfer to a trust, as set forth below, is referred to as a “purported beneficial transferee” if, had the violative transfer been effective, the person or entity would have been a record owner and beneficial owner or solely a beneficial owner of our stock, or is referred to as a “purported record transferee” if, had the violative transfer been effective, the person or entity would have been solely a record owner of our stock.

The constructive ownership rules under the Code are complex and may cause stock owned actually or constructively by a group of related individuals and/or entities to be owned constructively by one individual or entity. As a result, the acquisition of less than 9.8% by vote or value, whichever is more restrictive, of either our outstanding common stock or our outstanding capital stock in the aggregate (or the acquisition of an interest in an entity that owns, actually or constructively, our stock) by an individual or entity, could, nevertheless cause that individual or entity, or another individual or entity, to own constructively in excess of 9.8% by vote or value, whichever is more restrictive, of either our outstanding common stock or our outstanding capital stock in the aggregate and thereby violate the applicable ownership limit.

Our board of directors must waive the ownership limit with respect to a particular stockholder if it:

 

   

determines that such ownership will not cause any individual’s beneficial ownership of shares of our stock to violate the ownership limit and that any exemption from the ownership limit will not jeopardize our status as a REIT; and

 

   

determines that such stockholder does not and will not own, actually or constructively, an interest in a tenant of ours (or a tenant of any entity whose operations are attributed in whole or in part to us) that would cause us to own, actually or constructively, more than a 9.8% interest (as set forth in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code) in such tenant or that any such ownership would not cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT under the Code.

As a condition of our waiver, our board of directors may require the applicant to submit such information as the board of directors may reasonably need to make the determinations regarding our REIT status and additionally may require an opinion of counsel or the United States Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) ruling satisfactory to our board of directors, and/or representations or undertakings from the applicant with respect to preserving our REIT status.

In connection with the waiver of the ownership limit or at any other time, our board of directors may increase the ownership limitation for some persons and decrease the ownership limit for all other persons and entities; provided, however, that the decreased ownership limit will not be effective for any person or entity whose percentage ownership in our stock is in excess of such decreased ownership limit until such time as such person or entity’s percentage of our stock equals or falls below the decreased ownership limit, but any further acquisition of our stock in excess of such percentage ownership of our common stock will be in violation of the ownership limit. Additionally, the new ownership limit may not allow five or fewer stockholders to beneficially or constructively own more than 49.9% in value of our outstanding stock.

 

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Our charter provisions further prohibit:

 

   

any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our stock that would result in our being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the stockholder’s interest is held during the last half of a taxable year) or otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT; and

 

   

any person from transferring shares of our stock if such transfer would result in shares of our stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons (determined without reference to any rules of attribution).

Any person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of shares of our stock that will or may violate any of the foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will be required to give notice immediately to us and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect of such transfer on our status as a REIT. The foregoing provisions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT.

Pursuant to our charter, any attempted transfer of our stock which, if effective, would result in our stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons will be void ab initio. Any attempted transfer of our stock or any other event which, if effective, would result in any person violating the ownership limits or such other limit as permitted by our board of directors, will be void and of no force or effect as to that number of shares in excess of the ownership limit (rounded up to the nearest whole share). That number of shares in excess of the ownership limit will be automatically transferred to, and held by, a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable organizations selected by us. The automatic transfer will be effective as of the close of business on the business day prior to the date of the purported transfer or other event that results in a transfer to the trust. Any dividend or other distribution paid to the purported record transferee, prior to our discovery that the shares had been automatically transferred to a trust as described above, must be repaid to the trustee upon demand for distribution to the beneficiary of the trust. If the transfer to the trust as described above is not automatically effective, for any reason, to prevent violation of the applicable ownership limit or as otherwise permitted by our board of directors, then our charter provides that the transfer of the excess shares will be void ab initio.

Shares of our stock transferred to the trustee are deemed offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of: (i) the price paid by the purported record transferee for the shares (or, if the event which resulted in the transfer to the trust did not involve a purchase of such shares of our stock at market price, the last reported sales price reported on the NYSE on the trading day immediately preceding the day of the event which resulted in the transfer of such shares of our stock to the trust); and (ii) the market price on the date we, or our designee, accepts such offer. We have the right to accept such offer until the trustee has sold the shares of our stock held in the trust pursuant to the clauses discussed below. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold terminates and the trustee must distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the purported record transferee and any dividends or other distributions held by the trustee with respect to such stock will be paid to the charitable beneficiary.

If we do not buy the shares, the trustee must, within 20 days of receiving notice from us of the transfer of shares to the trust, sell the shares to a person or entity designated by the trustee who could own the shares without violating the ownership limits and the other restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock contained in our charter. After that, the trustee must distribute to the purported record transferee an amount equal to the lesser of: (i) the price paid by the purported record transferee or owner for the shares (or, if the event which resulted in the transfer to the trust did not involve a purchase of such shares at market price, the last reported sales price reported on the NYSE on the trading day immediately preceding the relevant date); and (ii) the sales proceeds (net of commissions and other expenses of sale) received by the trust for the shares. The purported beneficial transferee or purported record transferee has no rights in the shares held by the trustee.

The trustee shall be designated by us and shall be unaffiliated with us and with any purported record transferee or purported beneficial transferee. Prior to the sale of any excess shares by the trust, the trustee will receive, in trust for the beneficiary, all dividends and other distributions paid by us with respect to the excess shares, and may also exercise all voting rights with respect to the excess shares.

 

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Subject to Maryland law, effective as of the date that the shares have been transferred to the trust, the trustee shall have the authority, at the trustee’s sole discretion:

 

   

to rescind as void any vote cast by a purported record transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust; and

 

   

to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the beneficiary of the trust.

However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee may not rescind and recast the vote.

Every owner of 5% or more (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or regulations promulgated thereunder) of our stock, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, must give us written notice, stating the person’s name and address, the number of shares of each class and series of our stock that the person beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each such owner also must provide us with any additional information we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of the person’s beneficial ownership on our status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limit. In addition, any person or entity that is a beneficial owner or constructive owner of shares of our stock and any person or entity (including the stockholder of record) who is holding shares of our stock for a beneficial owner or constructive owner must, on request, disclose to us in writing such information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such stockholder’s actual and constructive ownership of shares of our stock on our status as a REIT and to comply, or determine our compliance with, the requirements of any governmental or taxing authority.

All certificates representing shares of our stock will bear a legend referring to the restrictions described above.

These restrictions on ownership and transfer could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of us that might involve a premium price for our stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, LLC.

CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF MARYLAND LAW AND OF OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS

The following description summarizes the material terms of certain provisions of Maryland law, including the MGCL, and our charter and bylaws. You should review the MGCL, our charter and our bylaws for complete information. We have filed our charter and bylaws as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. See “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Our Board of Directors, Vacancies on Our Board of Directors and Removal of Directors

Number and Election of Directors. Our bylaws provide that the number of our directors will be fixed by a majority of our entire board of directors, but may not be fewer than the minimum number permitted under Maryland law or more than fifteen. In establishing the number of directors, the board of directors may not alter the term of office of any director in office at that time.

Pursuant to our charter, each of our directors is elected to serve until the next annual meeting of our stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Holders of shares of our common stock will have no right to cumulative voting in the election of directors. Our bylaws provide that at each annual meeting of stockholders, a plurality of votes cast will be able to elect the directors standing for election.

 

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Vacancies on Our Board of Directors. In our charter, we have elected to be subject to Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, and subject to the rights of holders of one or more classes or series of preferred stock, any vacancy may be filled only by an affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, and any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve for the full term of the directorship in which such vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualifies.

Removal of Directors. Our charter provides that, except for any directors elected by holders of a class or series of shares other than common stock, a director may be removed by the stockholders only with the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors and only for “cause.” In our charter, “cause” means, with respect to any particular director, conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to us through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty. This provision, when coupled with the exclusive power of our board of directors to fill vacant directorships, may preclude stockholders from removing incumbent directors and filling the vacancies created by such removal with their own nominees.

Amendment of Our Charter

Our charter generally provides that charter amendments requiring stockholder approval must be declared advisable by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, our charter’s provisions regarding removal of directors, restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock and the number of votes required to amend either of these sections may be amended only if such amendment is declared advisable by our board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast not less than two-thirds of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

Bylaw Amendments

Our board of directors has the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws.

Transactions Outside the Ordinary Course of Business

Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not merge with or into another entity, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of its business unless the transaction or transactions are recommended by a majority of the entire board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than two-thirds of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage of the shares entitled to vote on the matter, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter provides for approval of these matters by at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast. However, because operating assets may be held by a corporation’s subsidiaries, as in our situation, this may mean that one of our subsidiaries could transfer all of its assets without any vote of our stockholders.

Dissolution

A proposal that we dissolve must be recommended by a majority of the entire board of directors and approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of at least a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.

Advance Notice of Director Nominations and New Business

Our bylaws provide for advance notice by a stockholder or stockholders wishing to have certain matters considered and voted upon at a meeting of stockholders.

With respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of persons for election to our board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only:

 

   

pursuant to our notice of the meeting;

 

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by or at the direction of our board of directors; or

 

   

by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and has complied with the advance notice procedures set forth in our bylaws.

These procedures generally require the stockholder to deliver notice to our secretary not earlier than the 150th day nor later than the close of business on the 120th day prior to the first anniversary of the date of mailing of the notice for the preceding year’s annual meeting. If the date of the annual meeting is advanced by more than 30 days from the date of the preceding year’s meeting or if we did not hold an annual meeting the preceding year, notice must be delivered not earlier than the 150th day prior to the date of such annual meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 120th day prior to the date of such annual meeting, as originally convened, or the 10th day following the day on which disclosure of the date of the meeting is made.

With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of meeting may be brought before the meeting of stockholders. Nominations of persons for election to our board of directors may be made only:

 

   

pursuant to our notice of the meeting;

 

   

by or at the direction of our board of directors; or

 

   

provided that our board of directors has determined that directors shall be elected at such meeting, by a stockholder who is entitled to vote at the meeting and has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in our bylaws.

Notice must be delivered not earlier than the 120th day prior to the date of the special meeting and not later than the close of business on the later of the 90th day prior to the date of the special meeting or the 10th day following the day on which disclosure of the date of the special meeting is made.

The postponement or adjournment of an annual or special meeting to a later date or time will not commence any new time periods for the giving of the notice described above. Our bylaws contain detailed requirements for the contents of stockholder notices of director nominations and new business proposals.

Business Combinations

The Maryland Business Combination Act establishes special requirements for “business combinations” (including a merger, consolidation, share exchange or, in certain circumstances, an asset transfer or issuance or reclassification of equity securities) between a Maryland corporation and any person who beneficially owns, directly or indirectly, 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s shares or an affiliate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question and after the date on which the corporation had 100 or more beneficial owners of its stock, was the beneficial owner, directly or indirectly, of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting stock of the corporation or an “Interested Stockholder.” A corporation may not engage in any business combinations with an Interested Stockholder, or an affiliate of such an Interested Stockholder for a period of five years after the most recent date on which the Interested Stockholder becomes an Interested Stockholder. Thereafter, any such business combination must be recommended by the board of directors of such corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least (i) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding shares of voting stock of the corporation and (ii) 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, unless, among other conditions, the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price (as defined in Maryland law) for their shares and the consideration is received in cash or in the same form as previously paid by the Interested Stockholder for its shares. Under the MGCL, a person is not considered an Interested Stockholder under the statute if our board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which the person otherwise would have become an Interested Stockholder.

 

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These provisions of Maryland law do not apply, however, to business combinations that are approved or exempted by resolution of our board of directors provided that the exemption would not apply to a business combination with a particular Interested Stockholder unless the resolution is adopted prior to the time that the Interested Stockholder becomes an Interested Stockholder. Pursuant to the MGCL, our board of directors has by resolution exempted business combinations between us and any person, provided that such business combination is first approved by our board of directors (including a majority of our directors who are not affiliates or associates of such person). Consequently, the five year prohibition and the supermajority vote requirements will not apply to business combinations between us and any person described above. As a result, any person described above may 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. Should our board of directors opt back into the statute or otherwise fail to approve a business combination, the business combination statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.

Our charter provides that any business combinations must be approved by the affirmative vote of at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of our voting stock.

Control Share Acquisitions

The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that “control shares” of a Maryland corporation acquired in a “control share acquisition” have no voting rights except to the extent approved at a special meeting by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter, excluding shares of stock in a corporation in respect of which any of the following persons is entitled to exercise or direct the exercise of the voting power of shares of stock of the corporation in the election of directors: (i) a person who makes or proposes to make a control share acquisition; (ii) an officer of the corporation; or (iii) an employee of the corporation who is also a director of the corporation. “Control shares” are voting shares of stock which, if aggregated with all other such shares of stock previously acquired by the acquirer or in respect of which the acquirer is able to exercise or direct the exercise of voting power (except solely by virtue of a revocable proxy), would entitle the acquirer to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting power: (i) one-tenth or more but less than one-third; (ii) one-third or more but less than a majority; or (iii) a majority or more of all voting power. Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. A “control share acquisition” means the acquisition, directly or indirectly, of ownership of, or the power to direct the exercise of voting power with respect to, control shares, subject to certain exceptions.

A person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition, upon satisfaction of certain conditions (including an undertaking to pay expenses), may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders’ meeting.

If voting rights are not approved at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an acquiring person statement as required by the statute, then, subject to certain conditions and limitations, the corporation may redeem any or all of the control shares (except those for which voting rights have previously been approved) for fair value determined, without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, as of the date of the last control share acquisition by the acquirer or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights of such shares are considered and not approved. If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders’ meeting and the acquirer becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of such appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid by the acquirer in the control share acquisition.

The control share acquisition statute does not apply (i) to shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (ii) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation and adopted at any time before the acquisition of the shares.

 

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Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act any and all acquisitions by any person of our common stock. There can be no assurance that our board of directors will not amend or eliminate this provision of our bylaws in the future.

Maryland Unsolicited Takeovers Act

The Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act permits Maryland corporations that have classes of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and have at least three independent directors to elect by resolution of the board of directors or by provision in their charter or bylaws to be subject to certain corporate governance provisions, even if such provisions may be inconsistent with the corporation’s charter and bylaws. Under the Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act, a board of directors may create classes of directors without the vote of stockholders. Further, the board of directors may, by electing into applicable statutory provisions and notwithstanding any contrary provisions in the charter or bylaws:

 

   

provide that a special meeting of the stockholders will be called at the request of stockholders only if requested by stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast at the meeting;

 

   

reserve for itself the right to fix the number of directors;

 

   

provide that a director may be removed only by the vote of the holders of two-thirds of the stock entitled to vote; and

 

   

provide that any vacancies on the board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors in office, even if the remaining directors do not constitute a quorum, for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred and until a successor is elected and qualified.

A board of directors may implement all or any of these provisions without amending the charter or bylaws and without stockholder approval. Our charter provides that pursuant to an election under Section 3-804(c) of the Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act, vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining directors then in office for the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred. Through provisions in our charter and bylaws unrelated to the Maryland Unsolicited Takeover Act, we already (i) allow the removal of any director from our board of directors but only for cause and then only with the affirmative vote of the holders of at least two-thirds of our outstanding common stock, (ii) vest in our board the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships and (iii) require, unless called by one of our co-chairmen, our president, our chief executive officer or our board of directors, the request of holders of a majority of outstanding shares to call a special meeting.

Anti-Takeover Effect of Certain Provisions of Maryland Law and of Our Charter and Bylaws

The provisions of our charter on removal of directors, provisions that vacancies on our board of directors may be filled only by the remaining directors for the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred, and the advance notice provisions of our bylaws could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change of control of us that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interest. Likewise, if our board of directors were to repeal the applicable resolution opting out of the business combination provisions of Maryland law or if the provision in our bylaws opting out of the control share acquisition provisions of Maryland law were rescinded, these provisions of Maryland law could have similar anti-takeover effects.

Indemnification and Limitation of Directors’ and Officers’ Liability

Our charter and bylaws provide for indemnification of our officers and directors against liabilities to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law.

 

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Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision that limits such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

The MGCL requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that: (1) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (A) was committed in bad faith or (B) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (2) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (3) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.

However, under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by or in the right of the corporation in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received. A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct, was adjudged liable to the corporation or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by us or in our right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses.

In addition, the MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of: (1) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and (2) a written undertaking by the director or officer or on the director’s or officer’s behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer did not meet the standard of conduct.

Our charter authorizes us to obligate ourselves and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to: (1) any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or (2) any individual who, while a director or officer of us and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager or trustee of another corporation, REIT, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.

Our charter and bylaws also permit us to, with approval of our board of directors, indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of ours in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of us or a predecessor of us.

In addition, we entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that indemnify them to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. The indemnification agreements provide that:

If a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, other than a derivative proceeding by or in the right of us, by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director, officer or employee of us (or, if applicable, such other enterprise at which such director or executive officer is or was serving at our request), we must indemnify the director or executive officer against all judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement and all expenses incurred by the director or executive officer or on behalf of the director or executive officer, in connection with such proceeding, unless it is established that:

 

   

the act or omission of the director or executive officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;

 

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the director or executive officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or

 

   

with respect to any criminal proceeding, the director or executive officer had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

If a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed derivative proceeding by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director or executive officer of us (or, if applicable, such other enterprise at which such director or executive officer is or was serving at our request), we must indemnify the director or executive officer for all amounts paid in settlement and all expenses incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with such proceeding, unless it is established that:

 

   

the act or omission of the director or executive officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; or

 

   

the director or executive officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services.

Notwithstanding, and without limiting, any other provisions of the agreements, if a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director, officer or employee of us, and the director or executive officer is successful, on the merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such proceeding, we must indemnify the director or executive officer for all expenses incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter, allocated on a reasonable and proportionate basis, including any claim, issue or matter in such a proceeding that is terminated by dismissal, with or without prejudice.

We must pay or reimburse all indemnifiable expenses in advance of the final disposition of any proceeding if the director or executive officer furnishes us with a written affirmation of the director’s or executive officer’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by us has been met and a written undertaking to reimburse us if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that the director or executive officer is not entitled to indemnification. We must pay all indemnifiable expenses to the director or executive officer within 20 days following the date the director or executive officer submits such affirmations and evidence of the expenses to us.

Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

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MATERIAL FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following discussion summarizes our taxation and the material federal income tax consequences to stockholders of their ownership of common stock. The tax treatment of stockholders will vary depending upon the stockholder’s particular situation, and this discussion addresses only stockholders that hold our stock as a capital asset and does not deal with all aspects of taxation that may be relevant to particular stockholders in light of their personal investment or tax circumstances. This section also does not deal with all aspects of taxation that may be relevant to certain types of stockholders to which special provisions of the federal income tax laws apply, including:

 

   

dealers in securities or currencies;

 

   

traders in securities that elect to use a mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities holdings;

 

   

banks and other financial institutions;

 

   

regulated investment companies or REITs;

 

   

tax-exempt organizations (except to the limited extent discussed in “—Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders”);

 

   

certain insurance companies;

 

   

persons liable for the alternative minimum tax;

 

   

holders who received stock through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation;

 

   

persons that hold stock as a hedge against interest rate or currency risks or as part of a straddle or conversion transaction;

 

   

persons that hold stock as nominees on behalf of other persons;

 

   

persons that hold stock indirectly through other vehicles, such as partnerships, trusts or other entities;

 

   

non-U.S. individuals and foreign corporations (except to the limited extent discussed in “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders”); and

 

   

stockholders whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar.

This summary assumes that you will hold our stock as a capital asset. The statements in this section are based on the Code, its legislative history, current and proposed regulations under the Code, published rulings and court decisions. This summary describes the provisions of these sources of law only as they are currently in effect. All of these sources of law may change at any time, and any change in the law may apply retroactively. We cannot assure you that new laws, interpretations of law or court decisions, any of which may take effect retroactively, will not cause any statement in this section to be inaccurate.

This section is not a substitute for careful tax planning. We urge you to consult your tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences to you of ownership of our stock and of our election to be taxed as a REIT. Specifically, you should consult your tax advisor regarding the federal, state, local, foreign, and other tax consequences to you regarding the purchase, ownership and sale of our stock. You should also consult with your tax advisor regarding the impact of potential changes in the applicable tax laws.

 

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Taxation of Our Company

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT under Sections 856 through 860 of the Code, commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2010.

DLA Piper LLP (US) has provided us an opinion that commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2010, we have been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and our current and proposed method of operation will enable us to continue to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT. You should be aware, however, that opinions of counsel are not binding upon the IRS or any court. In providing its opinion, DLA Piper LLP (US) is relying, as to certain factual matters, upon the statements and representations contained in certificates provided to DLA Piper LLP (US) by us.

Our qualification as a REIT will depend upon our continuing satisfaction of the requirements of the Code relating to qualification for REIT status. Some of these requirements depend upon actual operating results, distribution levels, diversity of stock ownership, asset composition, source of income and record keeping. Accordingly, while we intend to continue to qualify to be taxed as a REIT, the actual results of our operations for any particular year might not satisfy these requirements. DLA Piper LLP (US) will not monitor our compliance with the requirements for REIT qualification on an ongoing basis. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operation for any particular taxable year will satisfy such requirements. For a discussion of the tax consequences of our failure to qualify as a REIT, see “—Failure to Qualify as a REIT” below.

The sections of the Code relating to qualification and operation as a REIT, and the federal income taxation of a REIT and its stockholders, are highly technical and complex. The following discussion sets forth only the material aspects of those sections. This summary is qualified in its entirety by the applicable Code provisions and the related rules and regulations.

As a REIT, we generally will be entitled to a federal income tax deduction for dividends that we pay and therefore will not be subject to federal income tax on the taxable income that we distribute to our stockholders. The benefit of this tax treatment is that it avoids the “double taxation,” or taxation at both the corporate and stockholder levels, that generally results from owning shares in a corporation. Our distributions, however, will generally not be eligible for (i) the lower rates of tax applicable under current law to dividends received by individuals or (ii) the corporate dividends received deduction. Further, we will be subject to federal tax in the following circumstances:

 

   

First, we will have to pay tax at regular corporate rates on any undistributed REIT taxable income, including undistributed net capital gains.

 

   

Second, under certain circumstances, we may have to pay the alternative minimum tax on items of tax preference.

 

   

Third, if we have (a) net income from the sale or other disposition of “foreclosure property,” as defined in the Code, which is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business or (b) other non-qualifying income from foreclosure property, we will have to pay tax at the highest corporate rate on that income.

 

   

Fourth, if we have net income from “prohibited transactions,” as defined in the Code, we will have to pay a 100% tax on that income. Prohibited transactions are, in general, certain sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business that do not qualify for a “safe harbor” from such treatment. We do not currently intend to dispose of any of our properties and do not intend to engage in prohibited transactions. We cannot assure you, however, that we will only make sales that satisfy the requirements of the prohibited transaction safe harbor or that the IRS will not successfully assert that one or more of such sales are prohibited transactions.

 

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Fifth, if we should fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, as discussed below under “—Requirements for Qualification,” but we have nonetheless maintained our qualification as a REIT because we have satisfied other requirements necessary to maintain REIT qualification, we will have to pay a 100% tax on an amount equal to the greater of the amount of gross income by which we fail either the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, multiplied by a fraction that is intended to reflect our profitability.

 

   

Sixth, if we should fail to satisfy any of the asset tests other than a de minimis failure of the 5% and 10% asset tests, as discussed below under “—Requirements for Qualification,” but we have nonetheless maintained our qualification as a REIT because we have satisfied other requirements necessary to maintain REIT qualification and our failure to satisfy a test or tests is due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect, we will be subject to an excise tax equal to the greater of (i) $50,000 for each taxable year in which we fail to satisfy any of the asset tests or (ii) the amount of net income generated by the assets that caused the failure (for the period from the start of such failure until the failure is resolved or the assets that caused the failure are disposed of), multiplied by the highest corporate tax rate.

 

   

Seventh, if we should fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (1) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for that year, (2) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for that year and (3) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we would have to pay a 4% excise tax on the excess of that required dividend over the amounts actually distributed.

 

   

Eighth, if we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification, other than the gross income tests and asset tests, we will be required to pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure.

 

   

Ninth, if we acquire any appreciated asset from a C corporation in certain transactions in which we must adopt the basis of the asset or any other property in the hands of the C corporation as our basis of the asset in our hands, and we recognize gain on the disposition of that asset during the 10-year period beginning on the date on which we acquired that asset, then we will have to pay tax on the built-in gain at the highest regular corporate rate. In general, a C corporation means a corporation that has to pay full corporate-level tax.

 

   

Tenth, if we receive non-arm’s length income from one of our taxable REIT subsidiaries (as defined under “—Requirements for Qualification”), we will be subject to a 100% tax on the amount of our non-arm’s length income.

Requirements for Qualification

To qualify as a REIT, we must elect to be treated as a REIT, and we must meet various (a) organizational requirements, (b) gross income tests, (c) asset tests, and (d) annual dividend requirements.

Organizational Requirements

The Code defines a REIT as a corporation, trust or association:

 

   

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 the special Code provisions applicable to REITs;

 

   

that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company to which certain provisions of the Code apply;

 

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the beneficial ownership of which is held by 100 or more persons;

 

   

during the last half of each taxable year, not more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock of which is owned, directly or constructively, by five or fewer “individuals” (as defined in the Code to also include certain entities); and

 

   

that meets certain other tests, described below, regarding the nature of its income and assets.

The Code provides that the conditions described in the first through fourth bullet points above must be met during the entire taxable year and that the condition described in the fifth bullet point above must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months. The conditions described in the fifth and sixth bullet points do not apply until after the first taxable year for which a REIT election is made.

We expect that we have satisfied and will continue to satisfy the conditions described in the first through sixth bullet points of the preceding paragraph. In addition, our charter provides for restrictions regarding the ownership and transfer of our stock. These restrictions are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership requirements described in the fifth and sixth bullet points of the preceding paragraph. The ownership and transfer restrictions pertaining to our stock are described earlier in this prospectus under the heading “Description of Capital Stock—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”

For purposes of determining share ownership under the sixth bullet point, an “individual” generally includes a supplemental unemployment compensation benefits plan, a private foundation, or a portion of a trust permanently set aside or used exclusively for charitable purposes. An “individual,” however, generally does not include a trust that is a qualified employee pension or profit sharing trust under the federal income tax laws, and beneficiaries of such a trust will be treated as holding our shares in proportion to their actuarial interests in the trust for purposes of the sixth bullet point.

A corporation that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary” is not treated as a corporation separate from its parent REIT. All assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of a “qualified REIT subsidiary” are treated as assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of the REIT. A “qualified REIT subsidiary” is a corporation, all of the capital stock of which is owned by the REIT. Thus, in applying the requirements described herein, any “qualified REIT subsidiary” that we own will be ignored, and all assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit of such subsidiary will be treated as our assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction, and credit.

An unincorporated domestic entity, such as a limited liability company, that has a single owner, generally is not treated as an entity separate from its owner for federal income tax purposes. An unincorporated domestic entity with two or more owners is generally treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. In the case of a REIT that is a partner in a partnership, the REIT is treated as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the partnership and as earning its allocable share of the gross income of the partnership for purposes of the applicable REIT qualification tests.

If, as in our case, a REIT is a partner in a partnership, Treasury Regulations provide that the REIT will be deemed to own its proportionate capital share of the assets of the partnership and will be deemed to be entitled to the income of the partnership attributable to that capital share. In addition, the character of the assets and gross income of the partnership will retain the same character in the hands of the REIT for purposes of Section 856 of the Code, including satisfying the gross income tests and the asset tests. Thus, our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities and items of income of our operating partnership, which will be our principal asset, will be treated as our assets, liabilities and items of income for purposes of applying the requirements described in this section. In addition, actions taken by our operating partnership or any other entity that is either a disregarded entity (including a qualified REIT subsidiary) or partnership in which we own an interest, either directly or through one or more tiers of disregarded entities (including qualified REIT subsidiaries) or partnerships such as our operating partnership, can affect our ability to satisfy the REIT income and assets tests and the determination of whether we have net income from prohibited transactions. Accordingly, for purposes of this discussion, when we discuss our actions, income or

 

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assets we intend that to include the actions, income or assets of our operating partnership or any entity that is either a disregarded entity (including a qualified REIT subsidiary) or partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes in which we maintain an interest through multiple tiers of disregarded entities (including qualified REIT subsidiaries) or partnerships. It is our intention to exercise our authority as the sole general partner of our operating partnership, and to cause our operating partnership to exercise its authority as general partner of those partnerships in which it owns an interest, so that all such partnerships operate in a manner that will allow us to maintain our status as a REIT.

Gross Income Tests

We must satisfy two gross income tests annually to maintain our qualification as a REIT.

First, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year must consist of defined types of income that we derive, directly or indirectly, from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property or qualified temporary investment income. Qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test generally includes:

 

   

rents from real property;

 

   

interest on debt secured by mortgages on real property, or on interests in real property;

 

   

dividends or other distributions on, and gain from the sale of, shares in other REITs;

 

   

gain from the sale of real estate assets; and

 

   

income derived from the temporary investment of new capital that is attributable to the issuance of our shares of beneficial interest or a public offering of our debt with a maturity date of at least five years and that we receive during the one year period beginning on the date on which we received such new capital.

Second, in general, at least 95% of our gross income for each taxable year must consist of income that is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test, other types of interest and dividends, gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, or any combination of these.

We may directly or indirectly receive distributions from TRSs or other corporations that are not REITs or qualified REIT subsidiaries. These distributions will be classified as dividend income to the extent of the earnings and profits of the distributing corporation. Such distributions will generally constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, but not under the 75% gross income test. Any dividends received by us from a REIT, however, will be qualifying income for purposes of both the 95% and 75% income tests.

Gross income from our sale of property that we hold primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business is excluded from both the numerator and the denominator in both income tests. The following paragraphs discuss in greater detail the manner in which the gross income tests will apply to us.

Rents from Real Property. Rent that we receive from our real property will qualify as “rents from real property,” which is qualifying income for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests, only if the following conditions are met:

 

   

First, the rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. Participating rent, however, will qualify as “rents from real property” if it is based on percentages of receipts or sales and the percentages: (a) are fixed at the time the leases are entered into, (b) are not renegotiated during the term of the leases in a manner that has the effect of basing rent on income or profits, and (c) conform with normal business practice.

 

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More generally, rent will not qualify as “rents from real property” if, considering the relevant lease and all of the surrounding circumstances, the arrangement does not conform with normal business practice, but in reality is used as a means of basing the rent on income or profits. We intend to set and accept rents which are fixed dollar amounts, and not to any extent by reference to any person’s income or profits, in compliance with the rules described above.

 

   

Second, we must not own, actually or constructively, 10% or more of the stock or the assets or net profits of any lessee, referred to as a related party tenant, other than a TRS. The constructive ownership rules generally provide that, if 10% or more in value of our shares is owned, directly or indirectly, by or for any person, we are considered as owning the stock owned, directly or indirectly, by or for such person.

We do not own any stock or any assets or net profits of any lessee directly, except that we may lease office or other space to our Services Companies (as defined below) or another TRS. We believe that each of the leases will conform with normal business practice, contain arm’s-length terms and that the rent payable under those leases will be treated as rents from real property for purposes of the 75% and 95% gross income tests. However, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not successfully assert a contrary position or that a change in circumstances will not cause a portion of the rent payable under the leases to fail to qualify as “rents from real property.” If such failures were in sufficient amounts, we might not be able to satisfy either of the 75% or 95% gross income tests and could lose our REIT status. In addition, if the IRS successfully reapportions or reallocates items of income, deduction, and credit among and between us and a TRS in which we directly or indirectly own an interest with respect to a lease or any intercompany transaction because it determines that doing so is necessary to prevent the evasion of taxes or to clearly reflect income, we could be subject to a 100% excise tax on those amounts. As described above, we may own one or more TRSs. Under an exception to the related-party tenant rule described in the preceding paragraph, rent that we receive from a TRS will qualify as “rents from real property” as long as (1) at least 90% of the leased space in the property is leased to persons other than TRSs and related party tenants, and (2) the amount paid by the TRS to rent space at the property is substantially comparable to rents paid by other tenants of the property for comparable space. If we receive rent from a TRS, we will seek to comply with this exception.

 

   

Third, rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property must not be greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease.

The rent attributable to personal property under a lease is the amount that bears the same ratio to total rent under the lease for the taxable year as the average of the fair market values of the leased personal property at the beginning and at the end of the taxable year bears to the average of the aggregate fair market values of both the real and personal property covered by the lease at the beginning and at the end of such taxable year (the “personal property ratio”). With respect to each of our leases, we believe that the personal property ratio generally is less than 15%. Where that is not, or may in the future not be, the case, we believe that any income attributable to personal property will not jeopardize our ability to qualify as a REIT.

 

   

Fourth, we cannot furnish or render noncustomary services to the tenants of our properties, or manage or operate our properties, other than through an independent contractor who is adequately compensated and from whom we do not derive or receive any income. However, we need not provide services through an “independent contractor,” but instead may provide services directly to our tenants, if the services are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and are not considered to be provided for the tenants’ convenience. In addition, we may provide a minimal amount of “noncustomary” services to the tenants of a property, other than through an independent contractor, as long as our income from the services does not exceed 1% of our income from the related property. Finally, we may own up to 100% of the stock of one or more TRSs, which may provide noncustomary services to our tenants without tainting our rents from the related properties.

We do not intend to perform any services other than customary ones for our lessees, other than services provided through independent contractors or TRSs. If a portion of the rent we receive from a property does not qualify as “rents from real property” because the rent attributable to personal property exceeds 15% of the total rent

 

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for a taxable year, the portion of the rent attributable to personal property will not be qualifying income for purposes of either the 75% or 95% gross income test. If rent attributable to personal property, plus any other income that is nonqualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, during a taxable year exceeds 5% of our gross income during the year, we would lose our REIT status.

By contrast, in the following circumstances, none of the rent from a lease of property would qualify as “rents from real property”: (1) the rent is considered based on the income or profits of the lessee; (2) the lessee is a related party tenant or fails to qualify for the exception to the related-party tenant rule for qualifying TRSs; or (3) we furnish noncustomary services to the tenants of the property, or manage or operate the property, other than through a qualifying independent contractor or a TRS, and our income from the services exceeds 1% of our gross income from the related property (for purposes of this test, the income received from such noncustomary services is deemed to be at least 150% of the direct cost of providing the services).

Tenants may be required to pay, in addition to base rent, reimbursements for certain amounts we are obligated to pay to third parties (such as utility and telephone companies), penalties for nonpayment or late payment of rent, lease application or administrative fees. These and other similar payments should qualify as “rents from real property.”

Interest. The term “interest” generally does not include any amount received or accrued, directly or indirectly, if the determination of the amount depends in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. However, an amount received or accrued generally will not be excluded from the term “interest” solely because it is based on a fixed percentage or percentages of receipts or sales. Furthermore, in the case of a shared appreciation mortgage, any additional interest received on a sale of the secured property will be treated as gain from the sale of the secured property.

Prohibited Transactions. A REIT will incur a 100% tax on the net income derived from any sale or other disposition of property, other than foreclosure property, that the REIT holds primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. We do not have any current intention to sell any of our properties. Even if we do sell any of our properties, we believe that none of our assets will be held primarily for sale to customers and that a sale of any of our assets will not be in the ordinary course of our business. Whether a REIT holds an asset “primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business” depends, however, on the facts and circumstances in effect from time to time, including those related to a particular asset. Nevertheless, we will attempt to comply with the terms of a safe harbor provision in the federal income tax laws prescribing when an asset sale will not be characterized as a prohibited transaction.

Foreclosure Property. We will be subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate on certain income from foreclosure property. We do not own any foreclosure properties and do not expect to own any foreclosure properties in the future. This situation could only change in the future if we were to make loans to third parties secured by real property.

Hedging Transactions. From time to time, we may enter into hedging transactions with respect to one or more of our assets or liabilities. Our hedging activities may include entering into interest rate swaps, caps, and floors, options to enter into any such arrangements, and futures and forward contracts. Any periodic income or gain from the disposition of any financial instrument for these or similar transactions to hedge indebtedness we incur to acquire or carry “real estate assets” should not count as gross income for purposes of the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, provided that certain requirements are met, including that the instrument is properly identified within specified time periods as a hedge along with the risk that it hedges. Otherwise, the income and gain from hedging transactions will generally constitute non-qualifying income both for purposes of the 75% gross income test and the 95% gross income test. We intend to structure any hedging or similar transactions so as to avoid jeopardizing our status as a REIT.

Failure to Satisfy Gross Income Tests

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the gross income tests for any taxable year, we nevertheless may qualify as a REIT for that year if we qualify for relief under certain provisions of the federal income tax laws. Those relief provisions generally will be available if:

 

   

our failure to meet the income tests was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect;

 

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we attach a schedule of the sources of our income to our tax return; and

 

   

any incorrect information on the schedule is not due to fraud with intent to evade tax.

We cannot with certainty predict whether any failure to meet these tests will qualify for relief. As discussed above in “—Taxation of Our Company,” even if the relief provisions apply, we would incur a 100% tax on the gross income attributable to the greater of the amounts by which we fail the 75% and 95% gross income tests, multiplied by a fraction intended to reflect our profitability.

Asset Tests

To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we also must satisfy the following asset tests at the end of each quarter of each taxable year:

 

   

First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must consist of: (a) cash or cash items, including certain receivables, (b) government securities, (c) interests in real property, including leaseholds and options to acquire real property and leaseholds, (d) interests in mortgages on real property, (e) stock in other REITs, and (f) investments in stock or debt instruments during the one year period following our receipt of new capital;

 

   

Second, of our investments not included in the 75% asset class other than TRSs, the value of our interest in any one issuer’s securities may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets;

 

   

Third, of our investments not included in the 75% asset class other than TRSs, we may not own more than 10% of the voting power of any one issuer’s outstanding securities;

 

   

Fourth, of our investments not included in the 75% asset class other than TRSs, we may not own more than 10% of the value of any one issuer’s outstanding securities; and

 

   

Fifth, no more than 25% of the value of our total assets may consist of the securities of one or more TRSs.

For purposes of the fourth asset test above, the term “securities” does not include any of the following: (a) equity interests in a partnership; (b) any loan made to an individual or an estate; (c) 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); (d) any obligation to pay rents from real property; (e) 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; (f) any security issued by another REIT; (g) any debt instrument issued by a partnership if the partnership’s income is of a nature that it would satisfy the 75% gross income test described above; and (h) “straight debt securities.” Straight debt generally is defined as a promise to pay a sum certain with interest that is not contingent on profits and which is not convertible. A security will not qualify as “straight debt” where a REIT (or a controlled TRS of the REIT) owns other securities of the issuer of that security that 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 applying the 10% value test described above, a debt security issued by a partnership to a REIT is not taken into account to the extent, if any, of the REIT’s proportionate equity interest in the partnership.

Certain relief provisions are available to a REIT that does not satisfy the asset requirements. One such provision allows a REIT which fails one or more of the asset requirements for a particular quarter (other than de minimis violations of the 5% and 10% asset tests as described below) to nevertheless maintain its REIT qualifications if (a) it provides the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure for such quarter, (b) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (c) the REIT pays a tax equal to the greater of (i) $50,000 per failure, and (ii) the product of the net income generated by the assets that caused the failure multiplied by the highest applicable corporate tax rate (currently 35%), and (d) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or otherwise satisfies the relevant asset tests within that time frame.

 

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In the case of the de minimis violations of the 10% and 5% asset tests, a REIT may maintain its qualifications if (a) the value of the assets causing the violation does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the REIT’s total assets or $10 million and (b) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or the relevant tests are otherwise satisfied within that time frame.

We will monitor the status of our assets for purposes of the various asset tests and will manage our portfolio in order to comply at all times with such tests. If we fail to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, we will not lose our REIT status if:

 

   

we satisfied the asset tests at the end of the preceding calendar quarter; and

 

   

the discrepancy between the value of our assets and the asset test requirements arose from changes in the market values of our assets and was not wholly or partly caused by the acquisition of one or more non-qualifying assets.

If we did not satisfy the condition described in the second item, above, we still could avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which it arose.

Distribution Requirements

Each taxable year, we must distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends and deemed distributions of retained capital gains, to our stockholders in an aggregate amount not less than: the sum of (a) 90% of our “REIT taxable income,” computed without regard to the dividends-paid deduction or our net capital gain or loss, and (b) 90% of our after-tax net income, if any, from foreclosure property, minus the sum of certain items of non-cash income.

We must pay such dividends in the taxable year to which they relate, or can pay such dividends in the year subsequent to the year to which they relate in the following two situations: (1) we declare the dividend before we timely file our federal income tax return for the year and pay the dividend on or before the first regular dividend payment date after such declaration; or (2) we declare the dividend during, and set the record date in, the last three months of a calendar year while paying the dividend in January of the following year.

To the extent that we do not distribute all of our net capital gains or distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our REIT taxable income, as adjusted, we will have to pay tax on those amounts at regular ordinary and capital gains corporate tax rates. Furthermore, if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our ordinary income for that year, (b) 95% of our capital gain net income for that year, and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we would have to pay a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the required dividend over the amounts actually distributed.

We may elect to retain and pay income tax on the net long-term capital gains we receive in a taxable year. See “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders.” If we so elect, we will be treated as having distributed any such retained amount for purposes of the 4% excise tax described above. We intend to make timely dividends sufficient to satisfy the annual dividend requirements and to avoid corporate income tax and the 4% excise tax.

It is possible that, from time to time, we may experience timing differences between the actual receipt of income and actual payment of deductible expenses and the inclusion of that income and deduction of such expenses in arriving at our REIT taxable income. As a result of the foregoing, we may have less cash than is necessary to distribute all of our taxable income and thereby avoid corporate income tax and the excise tax imposed on certain undistributed income. In such a situation, we may need to borrow funds or issue additional shares of common stock or pay dividends in the form of taxable stock dividends.

 

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Under certain circumstances, we may be able to correct a failure to meet the distribution requirements for a year by paying “deficiency dividends” to our stockholders in a later year. We may include such deficiency dividends in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. Although we may be able to avoid income tax on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends, we will be required to pay interest and a penalty based upon the amount of any deduction we take for deficiency dividends.

Recordkeeping Requirements

We must maintain certain stockholders records in order to avoid paying a penalty, and we must request on an annual basis information from our stockholders designed to disclose the actual ownership of our outstanding stock. We have complied and intend to continue to comply with these requirements.

Accounting Period

In order to elect to be taxed as a REIT, we must use a calendar year accounting period. We use the calendar year as our accounting period for federal income tax purposes.

Failure to Qualify as a REIT

If we failed to qualify as a REIT in any taxable year and no relief provision applied, we would have the following consequences. We would be subject to federal income tax and any applicable alternative minimum tax at rates applicable to regular C corporations on our taxable income, determined without reduction for amounts distributed to stockholders. We would not be required to make any distributions to stockholders, and any dividends to stockholders would be taxable as ordinary income to the extent of our current and accumulated earnings and profits (which may be subject to tax at preferential rates to individual stockholders). Corporate stockholders could be eligible for a dividends-received deduction if certain conditions are satisfied. Unless we qualified for relief under specific statutory provisions, we would not be permitted to elect taxation as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we ceased to qualify as a REIT.

Taxable REIT Subsidiaries

A TRS is any corporation in which a REIT directly or indirectly owns stock, provided that the REIT and that corporation make a joint election to treat that corporation as a TRS. The election can be revoked at any time as long as the REIT and the TRS revoke such election jointly. In addition, if a TRS holds directly or indirectly, more than 35% of the securities of any other corporation (by vote or by value), then that other corporation is also treated as a TRS. A corporation can be a TRS with respect to more than one REIT. We have made TRS elections for Campus Crest TRS Holdings Inc., The Grove Student Properties, Inc., Campus Crest Construction, Inc. and Campus Crest Development, Inc., which we refer to collectively as the “Services Companies” and each individually as a “Services Company.” We will conduct our development, construction and management services for third parties through our Services Companies. We also will conduct certain management services for own properties through our Services Companies as necessary to satisfy the gross income tests described above. The income earned by each Services Company will be subject to regular federal corporate income or franchise tax as well as state and local income tax where applicable and will therefore be subject to an additional level of tax as compared to the rental income earned from our properties.

A TRS is subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates, and may also be subject to state and local taxation. Any dividends paid by any one of our TRSs or deemed received by us from any one of our TRSs will also be subject to tax, either (i) to us if we do not pay the dividends received to our stockholders as dividends, or (ii) to our stockholders if we do pay out the dividends received to our stockholders. Further, the rules impose a 100% excise tax on transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT or the REIT’s tenants that are not conducted on an arm’s-length basis. We may hold more than 10% of the stock of a TRS without jeopardizing our qualification as a REIT notwithstanding the rule described above under “—Requirements for Qualification—Asset Tests” that generally precludes ownership of more than 10% (by vote or value) of any issuer’s securities. However, as noted above, in order for us to qualify as a REIT, the securities of all of the TRSs in which we have invested either directly or indirectly may not represent more than 25% of the total value of our assets. We expect that the aggregate value of all of our interests in TRSs will represent less than 25% of the total value of our assets, and will, to the extent

 

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necessary, limit the activities of the Services Companies or take other actions necessary to satisfy the 25% value limit. We cannot, however, assure that we will always satisfy the 25% value limit or that the IRS will agree with the value we assign to the Services Companies and any other TRS in which we own an interest.

A TRS is not permitted to directly or indirectly operate or manage a “lodging facility.” A “lodging facility” is defined as a “hotel, motel or other establishment more than one-half of the dwelling units in which are used on a transient basis.” We have been advised by counsel that our Services Companies will not be considered to operate or manage a lodging facility. Although the Services Companies are expected to lease certain of our student housing properties on a short term basis during the summer months and occasionally during other times of the year, we have been advised that such limited short term leasing will not cause the Services Companies to be considered to directly or indirectly operate or manage a lodging facility. This position is based in part on Treasury Regulations interpreting similar language applicable to other provisions of the Code. Treasury Regulations or other guidance specifically adopted for purposes of the TRS provisions might take a different approach, and, even absent such guidance, the IRS might take a contrary view. In such an event, we might be forced to change our method of operating the Services Companies, which could adversely affect us, or could cause the Services Companies to fail to qualify as TRSs, in which event we could fail to qualify as a REIT.

We may engage in activities indirectly though a TRS as necessary or convenient to avoid receiving the benefit of income or services that would jeopardize our REIT status if we engaged in the activities directly. In particular, we would likely engage in activities through a TRS for providing services that are non-customary and services to unrelated parties (such as our third-party construction, development and management services) that might produce income that does not qualify under the gross income tests described below. We might also hold certain properties in the Services Companies, such as our interest in certain of the leasehold properties if we determine that the ownership structure of such properties may produce income that would not qualify for purposes of the REIT income tests described below.

Taxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders

As used in this section, the term “U.S. stockholder” means a holder of our stock who, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, is:

 

   

a citizen or resident of the U.S.;

 

   

a domestic corporation;

 

   

an estate whose income is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or

 

   

a trust if a U.S. court can exercise primary supervision over the trust’s administration and one or more U.S. persons have authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.

As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions made by us out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, and not designated as capital gain dividends, will constitute dividends taxable to our taxable U.S. stockholders as ordinary income. Under current law, individuals receiving “qualified dividends,” dividends from domestic and certain qualifying foreign subchapter C corporations, may be entitled to the new lower rates on dividends (at rates applicable to long-term capital gains, currently at a maximum rate of 15% through 2012) provided certain holding period requirements are met. However, individuals receiving dividend distributions from us, a REIT, will generally not be eligible for the lower rates on dividends except with respect to the portion of any distribution which (a) represents dividends being passed through to us from a corporation in which we own shares (but only if such dividends would be eligible for the lower rates on dividends if paid by the corporation to its individual stockholders), including dividends from our TRS, (b) which is equal to our REIT taxable income (taking into account the dividends paid deduction available to us) less any taxes paid by us on these items during our previous taxable year, or (c) are attributable to built-in gains realized and recognized by us from disposition of properties acquired by us in non-recognition transaction, less any taxes paid by us on these items during our previous taxable year. Dividends of this kind will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction in the case of taxable U.S. stockholders that are corporations.

 

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Dividends made by us that we properly designate as capital gain dividends will be taxable to taxable U.S. stockholders as gain from the sale of a capital asset held for more than one year, to the extent that they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year, without regard to the period for which a taxable U.S. stockholder has held his stock. Designations made by us will only be effective to the extent that they comply with Revenue Ruling 89-81, which requires that distributions made to different classes of shares be composed proportionately of dividends of a particular type. Thus, with certain limitations, capital gain dividends received by an individual taxable U.S. stockholder may be eligible for preferential rates of taxation. Taxable U.S. stockholders that are corporations may, however, be required to treat up to 20% of certain capital gain dividends as ordinary income.

To the extent that we make distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, these distributions will be treated first as a non-taxable return of capital to each taxable U.S. stockholder. Thus, these distributions will reduce the basis which the taxable U.S. stockholder has in his stock for tax purposes by the amount of the distribution, but not below zero. Such distributions in excess of a taxable U.S. stockholder’s basis in his or her stock will be taxable as capital gains, provided that the stock has been held as a capital asset.

Dividends authorized by us in October, November, or December of any year and payable to a stockholder of record on a specified date in any of these months will be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of that year, provided that we actually pay the dividend in January of the following calendar year. Stockholders may not include in their own income tax returns any of our net operating losses or capital losses.

We may elect to retain, rather than distribute, all or a portion of our net long-term capital gains and pay the tax on such gains. If we make such an election, we will designate amounts as undistributed capital gains in respect of your shares or beneficial interests by written notice to you which we will mail out to you with our annual report or at any time within 60 days after December 31 of any year. When we make such an election, taxable U.S. stockholders holding our stock at the close of our taxable year will be required to include, in computing their long-term capital gains for the taxable year in which the last day of our taxable year falls, the amount that we designate in a written notice mailed to our stockholders. We may not designate amounts in excess of our undistributed net capital gain for the taxable year. Each taxable U.S. stockholder required to include the designated amount in determining the stockholder’s long-term capital gains will be deemed to have paid, in the taxable year of the inclusion, the tax paid by us in respect of the undistributed net capital gains. Taxable U.S. stockholders to whom these rules apply will be allowed a credit or a refund, as the case may be, for the tax they are deemed to have paid. Taxable U.S. stockholders will increase their basis in their stock by the difference between the amount of the includible gains and the tax deemed paid by the stockholder in respect of these gains.

Dividends made by us and gain arising from a taxable U.S. stockholder’s sale or exchange of his stock will not be treated as passive activity income. As a result, taxable U.S. stockholders generally will not be able to apply any passive losses against that income or gain.

When a taxable U.S. stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of his stock, the stockholder will recognize gain or loss for federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference between (a) the amount of cash and the fair market value of any property received on the sale or other disposition, and (b) the holder’s adjusted basis in his stock for tax purposes. This gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder has held our stock as a capital asset. The gain or loss will be long-term gain or loss if the U.S. stockholder has held the stock for more than one year. Long-term capital gains of an individual taxable U.S. stockholder is generally taxed at preferential rates. The highest marginal individual income tax rate is currently 35% (through 2012). The current maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains applicable to individuals is 15% (through 2012) for sales and exchanges of assets held for more than one year. The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains from the sale or exchange of “section 1250 property” (i.e., generally, depreciable real property) is 25% to the extent the gain would have been treated as ordinary income if the property were “section 1245 property” (i.e., generally, depreciable personal property). We generally may designate whether a distribution we designate as capital gain dividends (and any retained capital gain that we are deemed to distribute) is taxable to non-corporate stockholders at a 15% or 25% rate. The characterization of income as capital gain or ordinary income may affect the deductibility of a stockholders capital losses. A non-corporate taxpayer may deduct capital losses not offset by capital gains against its ordinary income only up to a maximum of $3,000 annually and may carry unused capital losses forward indefinitely. A corporate taxpayer must

 

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pay tax on its net capital gains at corporate ordinary-income rates. A corporate taxpayer may deduct capital losses only to the extent of capital gains, with unused losses carried back three years and forward five years. In general, any loss recognized by a taxable U.S. stockholder when the stockholder sells or otherwise disposes of his stock that the stockholder has held for six months or less, after applying certain holding period rules, will be treated as a long-term capital loss, to the extent of dividends received by the stockholder from us which were required to be treated as long-term capital gains.

Tax Rates

The maximum tax rate for non-corporate taxpayers for (1) capital gains, including certain “capital gain dividends,” is generally 15% through 2012 (although depending on the characteristics of the assets which produced these gains and on designations which we may make, certain capital gain dividends may be taxed at a 25% rate) and (2) “qualified dividend income” is generally 15% through 2012. In general, dividends payable by REITs are not eligible for the reduced tax rate on qualified dividend income, except to the extent that certain holding requirements have been met and the REIT’s dividends are attributable to dividends received from taxable corporations (such as its TRSs) or to income that was subject to tax at the corporate/REIT level (for example, if it distributed taxable income that it retained and paid tax on in the prior taxable year) or are properly designated by the REIT as “capital gain dividends.” The currently applicable provisions of the United States federal income tax laws relating to the 15% tax rate are currently scheduled to “sunset” or revert to the provisions of prior law effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, at which time the 15% capital gains tax rate will be increased to 20% and the rate applicable to dividends will be increased to the tax rate then applicable to ordinary income. United States stockholders that are corporations may, however, be required to treat up to 20% of some capital gain dividends as ordinary income.

On March 30, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which requires certain domestic stockholders who are individuals, estates or trusts to pay an additional 3.8% tax on, among other things, dividends on and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of stock for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. Domestic stockholders should consult their tax advisors regarding the effect, if any, of this legislation on their ownership and disposition of our stock.

New Legislation Relating to Foreign Accounts

Withholding taxes may be imposed on certain types of payments made to “foreign financial institutions” and certain other non-United States entities. Specifically, a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on dividends and interest on, and gross proceeds from the sale or other disposition of, capital stock or debt securities paid to a foreign financial institution or to a foreign non-financial entity, unless (i) the foreign financial institution undertakes certain diligence and reporting obligations or (ii) the foreign non-financial entity either certifies it does not have any substantial United States owners or furnishes identifying information regarding each substantial United States owner. If the payee is a foreign financial institution, it must enter into an agreement with the United States Treasury requiring, among other things, that it undertake to identify accounts held by certain United States persons or United States-owned foreign entities, annually report certain information about such accounts, and withhold 30% on payments to certain other account holders.

Although these rules currently apply to applicable payments made after December 31, 2012 (other than payments made on debt securities outstanding on March 18, 2012), in recent guidance, the IRS has indicated that Treasury Regulations will be issued pursuant to which the withholding provisions described above would apply to payments of dividends on our stock or interest on our debt securities (excluding those debt securities outstanding on March 18, 2012) made on or after January 1, 2014 and to payments of gross proceeds from a sale or other disposition of such stock or debt securities on or after January 1, 2015. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding these withholding provisions, including this recent IRS guidance.

Information Reporting Requirements and Backup Withholding

We will report to our stockholders and to the IRS the amount of dividends we pay during each calendar year and the amount of tax we withhold, if any. A stockholder may be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% with respect to dividends unless the holder:

 

   

is a corporation or comes within certain other exempt categories and, when required, demonstrates this fact; or

 

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provides a taxpayer identification number, certifies as to no loss of exemption from backup withholding, and otherwise complies with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules.

A stockholder who does not provide us with its correct taxpayer identification number also may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. Any amount paid as backup withholding will be creditable against the stockholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability. In addition, we may be required to withhold a portion of capital gain dividends to any stockholders who fail to certify their non-foreign status to us. For a discussion of the backup withholding rules as applied to non-U.S. stockholders, see “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders.”

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders

Amounts distributed as dividends by a REIT generally should not constitute unrelated business taxable income when received by a tax-exempt entity. Provided that a tax-exempt stockholder is not one of the types of entity described in the next paragraph and has not held our stock as “debt financed property” within the meaning of the Code, and our stock is not otherwise used in a trade or business, the dividend income from our stock should not be unrelated business taxable income to a tax-exempt stockholder. Similarly, income from the sale of our stock should not constitute unrelated business taxable income unless the tax-exempt stockholder has held the stock as “debt financed property” within the meaning of the Code or has used the stock in a trade or business.

Income from an investment in our stock will constitute unrelated business taxable income for tax-exempt stockholders that are social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts, and qualified group legal services plans exempt from federal income taxation under the applicable subsections of Section 501(c) of the Code, unless the organization is able to properly deduct amounts set aside or placed in reserve for certain purposes so as to offset the income generated by its stock. Prospective investors of the types described in the preceding sentence should consult their own tax advisors concerning these “set aside” and reserve requirements.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, a portion of the dividends paid by a “pension-held REIT” will be treated as unrelated business taxable income to any trust which:

 

   

is described in Section 401(a) of the Code;

 

   

is tax-exempt under Section 501(a) of the Code; and

 

   

holds more than 10% (by value) of the equity interests in the REIT.

Tax-exempt pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus funds that are described in Section 401(a) of the Code are referred to below as “qualified trusts.” A REIT is a “pension-held REIT” if:

 

   

it would not have qualified as a REIT but for the fact that Section 856(h)(3) of the Code provides that stock owned by qualified trusts will be treated, for purposes of the “not closely held” requirement, as owned by the beneficiaries of the trust (rather than by the trust itself); and

 

   

either (a) at least one qualified trust holds more than 25% by value of the interests in the REIT or (b) one or more qualified trusts, each of which owns more than 10% by value of the interests in the REIT, hold in the aggregate more than 50% by value of the interests in the REIT.

The percentage of any REIT dividend treated as unrelated business taxable income to a qualifying trust is equal to the ratio of (a) the gross income of the REIT from unrelated trades or businesses, determined as though the REIT were a qualified trust, less direct expenses related to this gross income, to (b) the total gross income of the REIT, less direct expenses related to the total gross income. An exception applies for years in which the percentage is less than 5%. We do not expect to be classified as a pension-held REIT, but this cannot be guaranteed.

 

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The rules described above in “—Taxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders” concerning the inclusion of our designated undistributed net capital gains in the income of our stockholders will apply to tax-exempt entities. Thus, tax-exempt entities will be allowed a credit or refund of the tax deemed paid by these entities in respect of the includible gains.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Stockholders

The rules governing U.S. federal income taxation of nonresident alien individuals, foreign corporations, foreign partnerships, and other foreign stockholders are complex. This section is only a summary of such rules. We urge non-U.S. stockholders to consult their own tax advisors to determine the impact of federal, state, and local income tax laws on ownership of our stock, including any reporting requirements.

Ordinary Dividends. Dividends paid to non-U.S. stockholders, other than dividends that are distributions treated as attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of U.S. real property interests (“USRPI”) as discussed below, generally will be, to the extent that they are made out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, subject to a withholding tax equal to 30% of the gross amount of the dividend, unless an applicable tax treaty reduces that tax. However, if income from the investment in our stock is treated as effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business or is attributable to a permanent establishment that the non-U.S. stockholder maintains in the United States, if that is required by an applicable income tax treaty as a condition for subjecting the non-U.S. stockholder to U.S. taxation on a net income basis, tax at graduated rates will generally apply to the non-U.S. stockholder in the same manner as U.S. stockholders are taxed with respect to dividends, and the 30% (or lower treaty rate) branch profits tax may also apply if the stockholder is a foreign corporation. We expect to withhold U.S. tax at the rate of 30% on the gross amount of any dividends, other than dividends treated as attributable to gain from sales or exchanges of USRPIs, paid to a non-U.S. stockholder, unless (a) a lower treaty rate applies and the required form evidencing eligibility for that reduced rate (ordinarily, IRS Form W-8 BEN) is filed with us or the appropriate withholding agent (b) the recipient is a foreign sovereign, or an agency or instrumentality of a foreign sovereign and the requested form (IRS Form W-8BEN) is filed with us to claim exemption from withholding, or (c) the non-U.S. stockholder files an IRS Form W-8 ECI or a successor form with us or the appropriate withholding agent claiming that the dividends are effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business. Dividends to a non-U.S. stockholder that are designated by us at the time of dividend as capital gain dividends which are not attributable to or treated as attributable to the disposition by us of a USRPI interest generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income taxation, except as described below.

Non-Dividend Distributions. If our stock does not constitute a USRPI (as described under “—Sale of Our Stock”), distributions by us which are not dividends out of our earnings and profits will not be subject to U.S. income tax. If it cannot be determined at the time at which a distribution is made whether or not the distribution will exceed current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will be subject to withholding at the rate applicable to dividends. A non-U.S. stockholder may apply to the IRS for a refund of the amounts withheld if it is subsequently determined that the distribution was in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits.

If our stock constitutes a USRPI, as described below under “—Sale of Our Stock” distributions in excess of our earnings and profits, to the extent they exceed a non-U.S. stockholder’s basis in his stock, will be treated as gain from the sale or exchange of such stock and be taxed under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980, as amended (“FIRPTA”), as a gain from the sale of his stock. We do not believe our stock will be a USRPI.

Distributions Attributable to USRPIs. For any year in which we qualify as a REIT, dividends that are attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of USRPIs will be taxed to a non-U.S. stockholder under FIRPTA. These dividends are generally taxed to a non-U.S. stockholder as if the gain were effectively connected with a U.S. business, thereby taxing non-U.S. stockholders on these dividends at the normal capital gain rates applicable to U.S. stockholders. We are required to withhold at the maximum tax rate applicable to corporations (currently 35%) of any such distribution attributable to gains from sales or exchanges of USRPIs. The non-U.S. stockholder may credit the amount withheld against its U.S. tax liability and apply for a refund to the extent the amount withheld exceeds the non-U.S. stockholder’s U.S. tax liability.

 

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A distribution that otherwise would have been subject to withholding under the rules described in the preceding paragraph, is not treated as gain from the sale of a U.S. real property interest taxed at normal capital gain rates applicable to U.S. stockholders, and will instead by treated the same as an ordinary dividend, provided that (1) the capital gain dividend is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the United States, and (2) the recipient non-U.S. stockholder does not own more than 5% of that class of stock at any time during the one-year period ending on the date on which the capital gain dividend is received.

Sale of Our Stock. Gain recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder on the sale of stock in a U.S. corporation may be subject to tax under FIRPTA if the stock constitutes a USRPI. Stock in a U.S. corporation generally constitutes a USRPI if 50% or more of the corporation’s assets consists of interests in real property. Gain recognized by a non-U.S. stockholder upon a sale or exchange of our stock generally will not be taxed under the FIRPTA if we are a “domestically controlled REIT,” defined generally as a REIT, less than 50% in value of whose stock is and was held directly or indirectly by foreign persons at all times during a specified testing period. We believe that we are a domestically controlled REIT, and, therefore, the sale of stock by a non-U.S. stockholder will not be subject to U.S. tax. Because our stock is publicly traded, however, no assurance can be given that we will qualify as a domestically controlled REIT at any time in the future. Gain resulting from the sale of our stock by a non-U.S. person that is not subject to FIRPTA is not taxable to a non-U.S. stockholder unless its investment in our stock is treated as effectively connected with the non-U.S. stockholder’s U.S. trade or business or is attributable to a permanent establishment that the non-U.S. stockholder maintains in the United States, if that is required by an applicable income tax treaty as a condition for subjecting the non-U.S. stockholder to U.S. taxation on a net income basis, in which cases, the same treatment will apply to the non-U.S. stockholder as to U.S. stockholders with respect to the gain. In addition, gain to which the FIRPTA does not apply will be taxable to a non-U.S. stockholder if the non-U.S. stockholder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year to which the gain is attributable.

Even if we were not a domestically controlled REIT, FIRPTA would not apply to a non-U.S. stockholder’s sale of his stock if the selling non-U.S. stockholder owned 5% or less of the class of stock sold at any time during a specified period. This period is generally the shorter of the period that the non-U.S. stockholder owned the stock sold or the five-year period ending on the date when the non-U.S. stockholder disposed of the stock. If FIRPTA applies to a non-U.S. stockholders sale of our stock, the non-U.S. stockholder would be subject to the same treatment as applicable to U.S. stockholders with respect to the gain, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals.

Backup Withholding and Information Reporting. The sale of our stock by a non-U.S. stockholder through a non-U.S. office of a broker generally will not be subject to information reporting or backup withholding. The sale generally is subject to the same information reporting applicable to sales through a U.S. office of a U.S. or foreign broker if the sale of his stock is effected at a foreign office of a broker that is:

 

   

a U.S. person;

 

   

a controlled foreign corporation for U.S. tax purposes;

 

   

a foreign person 50% or more of whose gross income is effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business for a specified three-year period; or

 

   

a foreign partnership, if at any time during its tax year: (a) one or more of its partners are “U.S. persons,” as defined in U.S. Treasury Regulations, who in the aggregate hold more than 50% of the income or capital interest in the partnership, or (b) such foreign partnership is engaged in the conduct of a U.S. trade or business,

 

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Backup withholding generally does not apply if the broker does not have actual knowledge or reason to know that you are a United States person and the applicable documentation requirements are satisfied. Generally, a non-U.S. stockholder satisfies the information reporting requirements by providing IRS form W-8BEN or an acceptable substitute. The application of information reporting and backup withholding varies depending on the stockholders particular circumstances, and therefore a non-U.S. stockholder is advised to consult its tax advisor regarding the applicable information reporting and backup withholding.

Tax Aspects of Our Investments in Our Operating Partnership

The following discussion summarizes material federal income tax considerations applicable to our direct or indirect investment in our operating partnership and any subsidiary partnerships or limited liability companies we form or acquire, each individually referred to as a partnership and, collectively, as partnerships. The following discussion does not address state or local tax laws or any federal tax laws other than income tax laws.

Classification as Partnerships

We are entitled to include in our income our distributive share of each partnership’s income and to deduct our distributive share of each partnership’s losses only if such partnership is classified for federal income tax purposes as a partnership, rather than as a corporation or an association taxable as a corporation. An organization with at least two owners or partners will be classified as a partnership, rather than as a corporation, for federal income tax purposes if it: is treated as a partnership under the Treasury Regulations relating to entity classification (the “check-the-box regulations”); and is not a “publicly traded” partnership.

Under the check-the-box regulations, an unincorporated entity with at least two owners or partners may elect to be classified either as an association taxable as a corporation or as a partnership. If such an entity does not make an election, it generally will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

We intend that each partnership in which we own an interest will be classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (or as a disregarded entity where there are not at least two separate beneficial owners).

A publicly traded partnership is a partnership whose interests are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market (or a substantial equivalent). A publicly traded partnership is generally treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, but will not be so treated for any taxable year for which at least 90% of the partnership’s gross income consists of specified passive income, including real property rents, gains from the sale or other disposition of real property, interest, and dividends (the “90% passive income exception”). Treasury regulations provide limited safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership. Pursuant to one of those safe harbors, or private placement exclusion, interests in a partnership will not be treated as readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof if (1) all interests in the partnership were issued in a transaction or transactions that were not required to be registered under the Securities Act, and (2) the partnership does not have more than 100 partners at any time during the partnership’s taxable year. We expect that each partnership we own an interest in will qualify for the private placement exclusion, one of the other safe harbors from treatment as a publicly traded partnership, and/or will satisfy the 90% passive income exception.

Income Taxation of the Partnerships and their Partners

We own interests in our operating partnership and certain subsidiary partnerships. Entities in which we own 100% of the interests (directly or through other disregarded entities) that do not properly elect to be TRSs will be disregarded for federal income tax purposes and will be treated as a division of our business. In addition we may hold interests in partnerships or limited liability companies that are not disregarded entities, or “partnership” or “partnerships.”

Partners, Not the Partnerships, Subject to Tax. A partnership is not a taxable entity for federal income tax purposes. We will therefore take into account our allocable share of each partnership’s income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits for each taxable year of the partnership ending with or within our taxable year, even if we receive no distribution from the partnership for that year or a distribution less than our share of taxable income. Similarly, even if we receive a distribution, it may not be taxable if the distribution does not exceed our adjusted tax basis in our interest in the partnership.

 

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Partnership Allocations. Although a partnership agreement generally will determine the allocation of income and losses among partners, allocations will be disregarded for tax purposes if they do not comply with the provisions of the federal income tax laws governing partnership allocations. If an allocation is not recognized for federal income tax purposes, the item subject to the allocation will be reallocated in accordance with the partners’ interests in the partnership, which will be determined by taking into account all of the facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangement of the partners with respect to such item. Each partnership’s allocations of taxable income, gain, and loss are intended to comply with the requirements of the federal income tax laws governing partnership allocations.

Sale of a Partnership’s Property. Generally, any gain realized by a partnership on the sale of property held for more than one year will be long-term capital gain, except for any portion of the gain treated as depreciation or cost recovery recapture. Conversely, our share of any partnership gain from the sale of inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of the partnership’s trade or business will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction subject to a 100% tax. Income from a prohibited transaction may have an adverse effect on our ability to satisfy the gross income tests for REIT status. See “—Requirements for Qualification.” We do not presently intend to acquire or hold, or to allow any partnership to acquire or hold, any property that is likely to be treated as inventory or property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our, or the Partnership’s, trade or business.

State and Local Taxes

We and/or our stockholders may be subject to taxation by various states and localities, including those in which we or a stockholder transacts business, owns property or resides. The state and local tax treatment may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above. Consequently, stockholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of state and local tax laws upon an investment in our stock.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the securities offered by this prospectus and certain matters of Maryland law will be passed upon for us by Saul Ewing LLP. The summary of legal matters contained in the section of this prospectus under “Certain Federal Income Tax Considerations” is based on the legal opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US).

EXPERTS

The consolidated balance sheet of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2010, the combined balance sheet of Campus Crest Communities Predecessor as of December 31, 2009, and the related consolidated statements of operations and changes in equity (deficit) and comprehensive loss of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. and subsidiaries for the period from October 19, 2010 (commencement of operations) through December 31, 2010, the related combined statements of operations and changes in equity (deficit) of Campus Crest Communities Predecessor for the period from January 1, 2010 through October 18, 2010 and the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, the related combined statement of cash flows of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. and subsidiaries and Campus Crest Communities Predecessor for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the related combined statements of cash flows of Campus Crest Communities Predecessor for the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008, and the related financial statement Schedule III of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. as of December 31, 2010 have been incorporated by reference in this prospectus in reliance upon the report of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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PART II. INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

The following table sets forth the costs and expenses of the sale and distribution of the securities being registered, all of which will be paid by the registrant.

 

SEC registration fee

   $ 388   

FINRA filing fee

     1,016   

Printing and engraving fees

     2,500   

Legal fees and expenses

     30,000   

Accounting fees and expenses

     8,000   

Miscellaneous

     15,000   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 56,904   

All amounts in the table above, except the SEC registration fee and FINRA filing fee, are estimated. These amounts do not include expenses of preparing and printing any accompanying prospectus supplements, listing fees, trustee fees and expenses, warrant agent fees and expenses, transfer agent fees and other expenses related to offerings of particular securities from time to time. Estimated fees and expenses associated with future offerings will be provided in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Our charter and bylaws provide for indemnification of our officers and directors against liabilities to the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law.

Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages except for liability resulting from (i) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services or (ii) active and deliberate dishonesty that is established by a final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter contains such a provision that limits such liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.

The MGCL requires a Maryland corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made or threatened to be made a party by reason of his or her service in that capacity. The MGCL permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made or threatened to be made a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that: (1) the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (A) was committed in bad faith or (B) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; (2) the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or (3) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful.

However, under the MGCL, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify a director or officer in a suit by or in the right of the corporation in which the director or officer was adjudged liable to the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that a personal benefit was improperly received. A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct, was adjudged liable to the corporation or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received. However, indemnification for an adverse judgment in a suit by us or in our right, or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received, is limited to expenses.

In addition, the MGCL permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of: (1) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he

 

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or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and (2) a written undertaking by the director or officer or on the director’s or officer’s behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the director or officer did not meet the standard of conduct.

Our charter authorizes us to obligate ourselves and our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law in effect from time to time, to indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to: (1) any present or former director or officer who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity; or (2) any individual who, while a director or officer of us and at our request, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner, member, manager or trustee of another corporation, REIT, partnership, limited liability company, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity.

Our charter and bylaws also permit us to, with approval of our board of directors, indemnify and advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of ours in any of the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of us or a predecessor of us.

In addition, we entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that indemnify them to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law. The indemnification agreements provide that:

If a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed proceeding, other than a derivative proceeding by or in the right of us, by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director, officer or employee of us (or, if applicable, such other enterprise at which such director or executive officer is or was serving at our request), we must indemnify the director or executive officer against all judgments, penalties, fines and amounts paid in settlement and all expenses incurred by the director or executive officer or on behalf of the director or executive officer, in connection with such proceeding, unless it is established that:

 

   

the act or omission of the director or executive officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty;

 

   

the director or executive officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or

 

   

with respect to any criminal proceeding, the director or executive officer had reasonable cause to believe that his or her conduct was unlawful.

If a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed derivative proceeding by or in the right of us to procure a judgment in our favor by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director or executive officer of us (or, if applicable, such other enterprise at which such director or executive officer is or was serving at our request), we must indemnify the director or executive officer for all amounts paid in settlement and all expenses incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with such proceeding, unless it is established that:

 

   

the act or omission of the director or executive officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and was committed in bad faith or was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; or

 

   

the director or executive officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services.

Notwithstanding, and without limiting, any other provisions of the agreements, if a director or executive officer is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any proceeding by reason of the director’s or executive officer’s status as a director, officer or employee of us, and the director or executive officer is successful, on the

 

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merits or otherwise, as to one or more but less than all claims, issues or matters in such proceeding, we must indemnify the director or executive officer for all expenses incurred by him or her, or on his or her behalf, in connection with each successfully resolved claim, issue or matter, allocated on a reasonable and proportionate basis, including any claim, issue or matter in such a proceeding that is terminated by dismissal, with or without prejudice.

We must pay or reimburse all indemnifiable expenses in advance of the final disposition of any proceeding if the director or executive officer furnishes us with a written affirmation of the director’s or executive officer’s good faith belief that the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by us has been met and a written undertaking to reimburse us if a court of competent jurisdiction determines that the director or executive officer is not entitled to indemnification. We must pay all indemnifiable expenses to the director or executive officer within 20 days following the date the director or executive officer submits such affirmations and evidence of the expenses to us.

Insofar as the foregoing provisions permit indemnification of directors, officers or persons controlling us for liability arising under the Securities Act, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the SEC, this indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

Item 16. Exhibits. 

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description

  3.1    Articles of Incorporation of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  3.2    Bylaws of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  4.1    Form of Certificate for Common Stock of Campus Crest Communities, Inc (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  5.1    Opinion of Saul Ewing LLP re legality
  8.1    Opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US) re tax matters
23.1    Consent of KPMG LLP
23.2    Consent of Saul Ewing LLC (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3    Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US) (included in Exhibit 8.1)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on signature page)

 

Item 17. Undertakings.

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes:

To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement;

(i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

(ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in

 

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the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement; and

(iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change in such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (i), (ii) and (iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser:

(A) Each prospectus filed by a registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(B) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5) or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii) or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by Section 10(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which the prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act of 1933 to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities, the undersigned registrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

 

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(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

That, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this registration statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Charlotte, State of North Carolina, on November 1, 2011.

 

CAMPUS CREST COMMUNITIES, INC.
By:  

/s/ Ted W. Rollins

  Ted W. Rollins
  Co-Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

POWER OF ATTORNEY

We, the undersigned directors and officers of Campus Crest Communities, Inc., do hereby constitute and appoint Ted W. Rollins, Michael S. Hartnett and Donald L. Bobbitt, Jr., and each of them, our true and lawful attorney-in-fact and agent, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, to do any and all acts and things in our names and on our behalf in our capacities as directors and officers and to execute any and all instruments for us in the capacities indicated below, which said attorney and agent may deem necessary or advisable to enable said corporation to comply with the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and any rules, regulations and agreements of the Securities and Exchange Commission, in connection with this registration statement, or any registration statement for this offering that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, including specifically, but without limitation, any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) hereto; and we hereby ratify and confirm all that said attorney and agent shall do or cause to be done by virtue thereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

Signature

  

Title

 

Date

/s/    Ted W. Rollins        

  

Co-Chairman of the Board and Chief

Executive Officer (principal executive officer)

  November 1, 2011
Ted W. Rollins     

/s/    Michael S. Hartnett        

  

Co-Chairman of the Board and Chief

Investment Officer

  November 1, 2011
Michael S. Hartnett     

/s/    Donald L. Bobbitt, Jr.        

  

Executive Vice President and Chief Financial

Officer (principal financial officer and principal accounting officer)

  November 1, 2011
Donald L. Bobbitt, Jr.     

/s/    N. Anthony Coles        

   Director   November 1, 2011
N. Anthony Coles     

/s/    Richard S. Kahlbaugh        

   Director   November 1, 2011
Richard S. Kahlbaugh     

/s/    Denis McGlynn        

   Director   November 1, 2011
Denis McGlynn     

/s/    William G. Popeo        

   Director   November 1, 2011
William G. Popeo     

/s/    Daniel L. Simmons        

   Director   November 1, 2011
Daniel L. Simmons     


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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

Exhibit
No.

  

Description

  3.1    Articles of Incorporation of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  3.2    Bylaws of Campus Crest Communities, Inc. (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  4.1    Form of Certificate for Common Stock of Campus Crest Communities, Inc (previously filed as an exhibit to the registrant’s registration statement on Form S-11 (No. 333-166834) initially filed with the SEC on May 14, 2010 and incorporated herein by reference)
  5.1    Opinion of Saul Ewing LLP re legality
  8.1    Opinion of DLA Piper LLP (US) re tax matters
23.1    Consent of KPMG LLP
23.2    Consent of Saul Ewing LLC (included in Exhibit 5.1)
23.3    Consent of DLA Piper LLP (US) (included in Exhibit 8.1)
24.1    Power of Attorney (included on signature page)