Unassociated Document
As
filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 24,
2009
Registration
No. 333-
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
FORM
S-3
REGISTRATION
STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933
CAPLEASE,
INC.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Maryland
(State
or other jurisdiction
of
incorporation or organization)
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52-2414533
(I.R.S.
Employer
Identification
No.)
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1065
Avenue of the Americas
New
York, NY 10018
(212)
217-6300
(Address,
including zip code, telephone number,
including
area
code, of registrant’s principal executive offices)
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Paul
C. Hughes
Vice
President, General Counsel and
Corporate
Secretary
CapLease,
Inc.
1065
Avenue of the Americas
New
York, New York 10018
(212)
217-6300
(Name,
address, including zip code, and telephone number,
including
area code, of agent for
service)
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Approximate
date the registrant proposes to begin selling securities 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. o
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 in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment
plans, 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. o
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. o
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. o
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. o
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 o Accelerated
filer x
Non-accelerated
filer o Smaller
reporting company o
(Do not
check if a smaller reporting company)
CALCULATION
OF REGISTRATION FEE
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Title of Securities
to be Registered
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Amount to be
Registered(1)
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Proposed Maximum
Offering Price
Per Share(2)
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Proposed Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price(2)
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Amount of
Registration Fee(3)
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Common
Stock, par value $.01 per share
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6,857,843 shares
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$ |
4.50 |
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$ |
30,860,293.50 |
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$ |
0.00 |
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(1)
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Plus
such additional number of shares as may be required in the event of a
share dividend, reverse share split, split-up, recapitalization or other
similar event.
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(2)
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Estimated
solely for purposes of calculating the registration fee pursuant to Rule
457(c) on the basis of the average of the high and low reported sales
prices for the registrant’s common stock, as reported on The New York
Stock Exchange on December 21,
2009.
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(3)
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On
January 31, 2007, the registrant paid a filing fee of $5,959.90 in
connection with the registration of 5,000,000 shares of its common stock
on Form S-3, File No. 333-140354. 1,857,843 shares of common
stock covered by the prior registration statement are included in this
registration statement on Form S-3 and $2,214.51, a portion of the filing
fee paid in connection with the shares from the prior registration
statement, is being carried forward pursuant to Rule 415(a)(6) under the
Securities Act of 1933, as amended, to offset the full amount of the
$2,200.34 filing fee currently due.
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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 or until the registration statement shall become
effective on such date as the Commission acting pursuant to said Section 8(a),
may determine.
The
information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We
cannot sell the securities until the registration statement filed with the
Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an
offer to sell securities, nor is it a solicitation of an offer to buy the
securities, in any state where an offer or sale of the securities is
prohibited.
SUBJECT
TO COMPLETION, DATED DECEMBER 24, 2009
PROSPECTUS
CAPLEASE,
INC.
DIVIDEND
REINVESTMENT AND STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
6,857,843
Shares of Common Stock
The
dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan of CapLease, Inc. provides an
economical and convenient way for current stockholders and other interested new
investors to invest in our common stock. Through participation in the
plan, you will have the opportunity to:
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Reinvest
cash dividends paid on your shares of common stock in additional shares of
common stock.
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Make
optional cash payments of $100 to $10,000 per month to purchase common
stock.
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Make
automatic monthly investments of $100 to $10,000 by authorizing automatic
deductions from your banking or checking accounts to purchase shares of
common stock.
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In
some instances, subject to our approval, make optional cash payments in
excess of $10,000 to purchase common stock, at a discount of 0% to 5% as
we determine in our sole
discretion.
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At the
time of this prospectus, we are offering a discount of 2% on the purchase of
shares of common stock directly from us through the plan, other than in
connection with cash investments in excess of $10,000 or initial investments to
begin participation in the plan. The discount is from the average of
the daily high and low sales prices on the New York Stock Exchange on the five
trading days immediately preceding the applicable investment date, but may not
exceed 5% of the average of the high and low sales prices on the applicable
investment date. We reserve the right to reduce or discontinue this
discount at any time.
Our
shares of common stock are quoted on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol “LSE.” On December 21, 2009, the closing sales price of our
common stock as reported on the New York Stock Exchange was $4.61 per
share.
Investing
in our common stock involves risks. You should read carefully the
risk factors described in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings,
including our annual report on Form 10-K, before investing in our common
stock.
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. ANY
REPRESENTATION
TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
The
date of this prospectus is __________ ___, ____.
TABLE
OF CONTENTS
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Page
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About
this Prospectus
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i
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Summary
of the Plan
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1
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Cautionary
Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
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4
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About
CapLease, Inc.
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5
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Use
of Proceeds
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5
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Terms
and Conditions of the Plan
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5
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Purpose
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6
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Options
Available to Participants
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6
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Advantages
and Disadvantages
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7
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Administration
and Plan Administrator
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8
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Participation
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9
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Purchases
and Prices of Shares
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12
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Reports
to Participants
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17
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Dividends
on Fractions of Shares
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17
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Certificates
for Shares
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17
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Sale
of Shares
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18
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Withdrawals
and Termination
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18
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Other
Information
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Plan
of Distribution
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23
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Legal
Matters
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23
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Experts
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23
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Where
You Can Find More Information
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24
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ABOUT
THIS PROSPECTUS
This
prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with
the Securities and Exchange Commission. This prospectus does not
contain all of the information set forth in the registration statement, portions
of which we have omitted as permitted by the rules and regulations of the
Commission. Statements contained in this prospectus as to the
contents of any contract or other document are not necessarily
complete. If the Commission’s rules and regulations require that a
contract or document be filed as an exhibit to the registration statement, we
refer you to the copy of the contract or document filed as an exhibit to the
registration statement for a complete description. You should rely
only on the information in our prospectus and the documents that are
incorporated by reference. We have not authorized anyone else to
provide you with different information. We are not offering these
securities in any state where the offer is prohibited by law. You
should not assume that the information in our prospectus or any incorporated
document is accurate as of any date other than the date of the
document.
References
to “we,” “us” or “our” refer to CapLease, Inc. and its direct or indirect
majority-owned subsidiaries, unless the context otherwise
requires.
SUMMARY
OF THE PLAN
The
following summary of our dividend reinvestment and stock purchase plan may omit
information that may be important to you. You should carefully read
the entire text of the plan contained in this prospectus before you decide to
participate in the plan.
Participation:
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Participation
in the plan allows you to purchase our common stock, in some cases, at a
discount from the market price of the stock.
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Enrollment
if You Own Shares of Stock:
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You
can participate in the plan if you currently own our common stock by
submitting a completed authorization form to the plan’s administrator,
American Stock Transfer & Trust Company. You may obtain an
authorization form from the plan administrator or by completing the
enrollment procedures specified on the website of the plan administrator
at www.amstock.com. You
may participate directly in the plan only if you hold common stock in your
own name. If you hold shares through a brokerage or other
custodial account, you may arrange to have your broker or other custodian
participate on your behalf.
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Initial
Investment if You Do Not Own Shares of Stock:
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If
you do not own any common stock, you can participate in the plan by making
an initial investment in shares of common stock through the plan, with a
minimum initial investment of $100 and without paying
fees. There is no discount on the initial
investment.
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Reinvestment
of Dividends:
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You
can reinvest your cash dividends on some or all of your common
stock. You will be able to purchase additional shares of common
stock by reinvesting your dividends without paying fees and, currently,
receive a discount equal to 2% for the common stock purchased directly
from us with reinvested dividends. (See “Purchase Price”
below.) Stock purchased under the plan will be purchased on the
“investment date” in each month. The investment date for stock
purchased pursuant to dividend reinvestments generally will be the
quarterly dividend payment date declared by our Board of
Directors. To commence dividend reinvestments for any
particular quarterly dividend, the plan administrator must receive a
completed authorization form by the record date for such quarterly
dividend. We may eliminate this discount or offer a discount of
up to 5% of the average of the high and low sales prices of the common
stock on the applicable investment date.
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Optional
Cash Payments:
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After
you enroll in the plan, you can buy common stock without paying fees and,
currently, at a 2% discount on shares purchased directly from
us. You can invest a minimum of $100 to a maximum of $10,000 in
any one month. The investment date for stock acquired pursuant
to optional cash payments will generally be the 15th of each month or, if
such date is not a business day, the first business day
thereafter. The deadline for submitting optional cash payments
is two (2) business days before the relevant investment
date. Payment may be by check or money order. We may
eliminate this discount or offer a discount of up to 5% of the average of
the high and low sales prices of the common stock on the applicable
investment date.
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Waivers
of Maximum Monthly Limit on Optional Cash Payments:
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Under
some circumstances, we may approve a written request to waive the $10,000
per month limit on optional cash payments. These requests must
be submitted to us by facsimile at least three (3) business days prior to
the first day of the applicable five-day pricing period (i.e., eight (8)
business days before the relevant investment date). If we grant
the waiver, you must submit our written waiver along with payment no later
than the close of business on the last business day immediately preceding
the first day of the pricing
period.
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Source
of Shares:
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The
administrator of the plan will purchase common stock in one of the
following ways: (i) directly from us as newly issued
common stock, or (ii) from parties other than us, either in the open
market or in privately negotiated transactions. We are not
required to provide any written notice to you as to the source of the
common stock to be purchased under the plan.
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Purchase
Price:
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The
purchase price of common stock under the plan depends on whether we issue
new shares of common stock to you or the plan administrator obtains your
shares of common stock by purchasing them in the open market, and whether
any discount is being offered by us at the time of the applicable common
stock purchase.
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Reinvested
Dividends and Optional Cash Payments of $10,000 or Less:
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Purchased from
Us: With respect to reinvested dividends and optional
cash payments of $10,000 or less, we are currently offering a 2% discount
off of the market price as determined below, but that discount may not
exceed 5% of the average of the high and low sales prices on the
applicable investment date. As such, currently, the purchase
price for common stock that the plan administrator purchases directly from
us generally will be 98% of the market price of the common
stock. For purposes of the plan, the market price of the common
stock equals the average of the daily high and low sales prices of our
common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on the five (5) trading days
immediately preceding the relevant investment date (the “Market
Price”). The discount from the Market Price for common stock
that the plan administrator purchases directly from us may be changed or
eliminated by us from time to time, provided that in no event will the
discount exceed 5% of the average of the high and low sales prices on the
applicable investment date. If you are a participant in the
plan, you will be provided with at least thirty (30) days prior written
notice of any change in this discount.
Purchased from Parties Other
than Us: The purchase price for common stock that the
plan administrator purchases from parties other than us, either in the
open market or in privately negotiated transactions, will be 100% of the
average price per share actually paid by the plan administrator, excluding
any brokerage commissions. We currently do not offer a discount
on common stock purchased in the open market.
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Optional
Cash Payments Greater than $10,000:
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Purchased from
Us: The purchase price for common stock that the plan
administrator purchases directly from us will be the Market Price of the
common stock, less any discount that we may elect to offer in connection
with a waiver of the $10,000 per month limit, provided that in no event
will the discount exceed 5% of the average of the high and low sales
prices on the applicable investment date. The Market Price for
optional cash payments in excess of $10,000 is determined in the same
manner as for optional cash payments of less than $10,000, except that we
may set a minimum amount as the lowest Market Price in connection with any
purchase with optional cash payments exceeding $10,000 in any
month. We will set the minimum price and the applicable
discount, if any, at least four (4) business days before the first day of
the applicable pricing period. Written notice of the minimum
price and the applicable discount at any time will not be provided to
you. You must call our Investor Relations department at
866-515-3272 to obtain the minimum price and applicable discount, if
any.
Purchased from Parties Other
than Us: The purchase price for common stock that the
plan administrator purchases from parties other than us, either in the
open market or in privately negotiated transactions, will be 100% of the
average price per share actually paid by the plan administrator, excluding
any brokerage commissions.
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Tracking
Your Investment:
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You
will receive periodic statements of the transactions made in your plan
account. These statements will provide you with details of the
transactions and will indicate the share balance in your plan
account.
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Administration
and Plan Administrator:
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American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company, which became our transfer agent in
February 2006, initially will serve as the plan administrator of the
plan. You should send all transaction requests to the
administrator at:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
Wall
Street Station
P.O.
Box 922
New
York, New York 10269-0560
You
should send all correspondence to the administrator at:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
59
Maiden Lane
New
York, New York 10038
Please
mention CapLease, Inc. and this plan in all correspondence. In
addition, you may call the plan administrator at 866-706-0513 or contact
the plan administrator via the Internet at www.amstock.com.
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You may
also request that any or all shares held in the plan be sold by the plan
administrator on your behalf for a nominal fee. This fee, any
brokerage costs and any applicable stock transfer taxes on the sale of such
shares all will be deducted by the plan administrator, and the balance will be
sent to you.
CAUTIONARY
STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
We may
from time to time make written or oral forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section
21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including statements
contained in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and in our
press releases and webcasts. Forward-looking statements relate to
expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated
events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not
historical facts. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking
statements by terms such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “could,” “estimate,”
“expect,” “intend,” “may,” “plan,” “potential,” “should,” “strategy,” “will” and
other words of similar meaning. The forward-looking statements are
based on our beliefs, assumptions and expectations of future performance, taking
into account all information currently available to us. These
beliefs, assumptions and expectations can change as a result of many possible
events or factors, not all of which are known to us or are within our
control. If a change occurs, our business, financial condition,
liquidity and results of operations may vary materially from those expressed in
our forward-looking statements. In connection with the “safe harbor”
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are
hereby identifying important factors that could cause actual results and
outcomes to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement made by or on our behalf. Such factors include, but are not
limited to:
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our
ability to make additional investments in a timely manner or on acceptable
terms;
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current
credit market dislocations and our ability to obtain long-term financing
for our asset investments in a timely manner and on terms that are
consistent with those we project when we invest in the
asset;
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access
to capital markets and capital market
conditions;
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adverse
changes in the financial condition of the tenants underlying our
investments;
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increases
in our financing costs (including as a result of LIBOR rate increases),
our general and administrative costs and/or our property
expenses;
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changes
in our industry, the industries of our tenants, interest rates or the
general economy;
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impairments
in the value of the collateral underlying our investments;
and
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the
degree and nature of our
competition.
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These
risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating any forward-looking
statement we may make from time to time. Any forward-looking
statement speaks only as of its date. All subsequent written and oral
forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf
are qualified by the cautionary statements in this section. We
undertake no obligation to update or publicly release any revisions to
forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or changes in
expectations after the date made.
ABOUT
CAPLEASE, INC.
We are a
diversified real estate investment trust, or REIT, that invests primarily in
single tenant commercial real estate assets subject to long-term leases to high
credit quality tenants. We focus on properties that are subject to a
net lease, or a lease that requires the tenant to pay all or substantially all
expenses normally associated with the ownership of the property, such as
utilities, taxes, insurance and routine maintenance.
We have
two complimentary business lines: owning single tenant properties and
making first mortgage loans and other debt investments on single tenant
properties. Tenants underlying our investments are primarily large
public companies or their significant operating subsidiaries and governmental
entities with investment grade credit ratings, defined as a published senior
unsecured credit rating of BBB-/Baa3 or above from one or both of Standard &
Poor’s (“S&P”) and Moody’s Investors Service (“Moody’s”). We also
imply an investment grade credit rating for tenants that are not publicly rated
by S&P or Moody’s but (i) are 100% owned by an investment grade parent, (ii)
for which we have obtained a private investment grade rating from either S&P
or Moody’s, or (iii) are governmental entity branches or units of another
investment grade rated governmental entity.
As of
September 30, 2009, some of the highlights of our investment portfolio were as
follows:
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approximately
$2.0 billion total investment portfolio measured by carry value before
depreciation and amortization;
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81%
owned real properties (approximately $1.6 billion) and 19% primarily loans
and mortgage securities (approximately $376
million);
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approximately
90% invested (approximately $1.8 billion) in owned properties and loans on
properties where the underlying tenant was rated investment grade or
implied investment grade, and in investment grade rated real estate
securities;
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weighted
average underlying tenant credit rating of A-;
and
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weighted
average underlying tenant remaining lease term of approximately nine
years.
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For
further information regarding CapLease and our financial information, you should
refer to our recent filings with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find
More Information.”
Our
address and phone number are CapLease, Inc., 1065 Avenue of the Americas, New
York, New York 10018, (212) 217-6300.
USE
OF PROCEEDS
We will
receive proceeds from the sale of common stock that the plan administrator
purchases directly from us. We will not receive proceeds from the
sale of common stock that the plan administrator purchases in the open market or
in privately negotiated transactions. We intend to use the net
proceeds from our sale of common stock that the plan administrator purchases
directly from us for future asset investments, repayment of debt and general
corporate purposes. We cannot estimate either the number of shares of
common stock or the prices of the shares that we will sell in connection with
the plan.
TERMS
AND CONDITIONS OF THE PLAN
The
following questions and answers explain and constitute our Dividend Reinvestment
and Stock Purchase Plan, which we refer to as the “plan.” If you
decide not to participate in the plan, you will receive cash dividends, as
declared and paid in the usual manner.
PURPOSE
1.
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What
is the purpose of the plan?
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The
primary purpose of the plan is to provide current stockholders and interested
new investors with an economical and convenient way to increase their investment
in CapLease. Current stockholders are permitted to invest cash
dividends in common stock without paying any brokerage commission or service
charge and, at certain times, at a discount from the Market
Price. See Question 15 with respect to the purchase price for shares
purchased under the plan. Current stockholders and new investors also
may invest optional cash payments in common stock without paying any brokerage
commission or service charge and, if permitted by us in our sole discretion, at
a discount.
We may
also use the plan to raise additional capital through the sale each month of a
portion of the shares available for issuance under the plan to purchasers of
shares (including brokers or dealers) who, in connection with any resales of
such shares, may be deemed to be underwriters. These sales will be
made through our ability to waive limitations on the maximum amount of any
optional cash payments.
The plan
is primarily intended for the benefit of long-term investors, and not for the
benefit of individuals or institutions which engage in short-term trading
activities that could cause aberrations in the overall trading volume of our
common stock. From time to time, financial intermediaries may engage
in positioning transactions in order to benefit from the discount from the
Market Price for common stock acquired through the reinvestment of dividends
under the plan. These transactions may cause fluctuations in the
trading volume of our common stock. We reserve the right to modify,
suspend or terminate participation in this plan by otherwise eligible holders of
common stock in order to eliminate practices which are not consistent with the
purposes of the plan.
OPTIONS
AVAILABLE TO PARTICIPANTS
Information
on how to participate in the plan is set forth in Questions 5 through
13.
2.
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What
are my investment options under the
plan?
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Once
enrolled in the plan, you may purchase common stock through the following
investment options:
Dividend
Reinvestment Program. Current holders of common stock and
interested new investors that are not currently stockholders and who agree to
make an initial investment in common stock, may elect to have all, a portion or
none of their cash dividends paid on their common stock automatically reinvested
in common stock through the dividend reinvestment program. Cash
dividends are paid on common stock when and as declared by our Board of
Directors, generally on a quarterly basis. Subject to the
availability of common stock registered for issuance under the plan, there is no
limitation on the amount of dividends you may reinvest under the dividend
reinvestment program.
Stock Purchase
Program. Each month, current holders of common stock, and
interested new investors that are not currently stockholders and who agree to
make an initial investment in common stock, may elect to invest optional cash
payments in common stock, subject to a minimum monthly optional cash purchase
limit of $100 and a maximum monthly optional cash purchase limit of
$10,000. You may elect to make optional cash payments through
automatic deductions from your banking or checking accounts. We may,
at our discretion, waive the maximum limit upon your written
request. See Question 20 to learn how to request a
waiver. You may make optional cash payments each month even if
dividends on your shares are not being reinvested and even if a dividend has not
been declared. You may, but are not required to, enroll any common
stock purchased through the plan into the dividend reinvestment
program. (To designate these shares for participation in the dividend
reinvestment program, make the appropriate election on the authorization form
described in Question 12.)
3.
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How
can I change my investment options?
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You may
change your investment options at any time by requesting a new authorization
form and returning it to the plan administrator at the address set forth in
Question 7. Any authorization form which is returned to the plan
administrator to change your investment options will be effective in accordance
with the schedule described in Question 11.
ADVANTAGES
AND DISADVANTAGES
4.
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What
are the advantages and disadvantages of the
plan?
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Before
deciding whether to participate in the plan, you should consider the following
advantages and disadvantages of the plan.
Advantages.
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The
plan provides you with the opportunity to reinvest cash dividends paid on
all or a portion of your common stock toward the purchase of additional
common stock. Dividend reinvestments made directly through us
are eligible for a discount of up to 5% from the average of the high and
low sales prices on the applicable investment date (currently the discount
is 2% of the Market Price).
|
|
·
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The
plan provides you with the opportunity to make monthly investments of
optional cash payments, subject to a minimum of $100 of optional cash and
a maximum of $10,000 of optional cash (unless the maximum limit is waived
by us), for the purchase of common stock. In addition, you have
the flexibility to make these optional cash investments on a regular or
occasional basis at your option.
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·
|
There
are no costs associated with the plan that you must pay, except for
certain costs if you decide to sell common stock you purchased through the
plan (see Question 26 for a description of these costs). You
will not pay brokerage commissions or service fees to purchase common
stock through the plan or to terminate your
account.
|
|
·
|
As
noted above, you will have the convenience of having all or a portion of
your cash dividends automatically reinvested in additional common
stock. In addition, since the plan administrator will credit
fractional common stock to your plan account, you will receive full
investment of your dividends. (See Questions 16 and
23.)
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·
|
You
will have the option of having your stock certificates held for
safekeeping by the plan administrator for a one-time charge of $7.50,
insuring your protection against loss, theft or destruction of the
certificates representing your common
stock.
|
|
·
|
You
will simplify your record keeping by receiving periodic statements which
will reflect all current activity in your plan account, including
purchases, sales and latest balances. (See Question
22.)
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·
|
At
any time, you may direct the plan administrator to sell or transfer all or
a portion of the common stock held in your plan account. Sales
of common stock credited to your plan account may be sold as often as
daily but at least within five (5) business days of
receipt. (See Question
26.)
|
Disadvantages.
|
·
|
No
interest will be paid by us or the plan administrator on dividends or
optional cash payments held pending reinvestment or
investment. In addition, optional cash payments of less than
$100 and that portion of any optional cash payment which exceeds the
maximum monthly purchase limit of $10,000 (unless this upper limit has
been waived), are subject to return to you without
interest. Moreover, purchases above the $10,000 limit that have
been granted a waiver will also be subject to return to you without
interest in the event that the minimum price, if any (see Question 20), is
not met.
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|
·
|
You
may not know the actual number of shares of common stock that you have
purchased until after the investment
date.
|
|
·
|
Although
the treatment of dividend reinvestment programs is not entirely clear, it
is expected that your participation in the dividend reinvestment program
will result in your being treated, for federal income tax purposes, as
having received a distribution equal to the fair market value (and not the
Market Price, whether or not discounted) of the common stock on the date
actually acquired from us. Because stockholders currently are
provided a discount from the Market Price for our common stock when they
acquire shares directly from us with reinvested cash dividends, the fair
market value of the common stock received likely will exceed the amount of
cash dividends that otherwise would be paid to you. Such
distributions will be taxable as dividends to the extent of our earnings
and profits. These dividends may give rise to a liability for
the payment of income tax without providing you with the immediate cash to
pay the tax when it becomes due.
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|
·
|
Sales
of common stock credited to your plan account will involve a nominal fee
per transaction to be deducted from the proceeds of the sale by the plan
administrator (if you request the plan administrator to make such sale),
plus any brokerage commission and any applicable stock transfer taxes on
the sales. (See Question
26.)
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·
|
Because
the purchase price for stock purchased directly from us under the plan is
based on the sales price over the five (5) trading days prior to the
investment date, it is possible that the actual purchase price you pay for
common stock purchased under the plan may be higher than the amount for
which the common stock could have been purchased in the open market on the
investment date.
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|
·
|
You
cannot pledge common stock deposited in your plan account until the shares
are withdrawn from the plan.
|
ADMINISTRATION
AND PLAN ADMINISTRATOR
5.
|
Who
administers the plan?
|
We have
appointed American Stock Transfer & Trust Company to be the plan
administrator.
6.
|
What
are the responsibilities of the plan
administrator?
|
The plan
administrator’s responsibilities include:
|
·
|
administration
of the plan;
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·
|
keeping
records of all plan accounts;
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|
·
|
sending
statements of activity to each
participant;
|
|
·
|
purchasing
and selling, on your behalf, all common stock under the plan;
and
|
|
·
|
the
performance of other duties relating to the
plan.
|
Holding
Shares. If you purchase shares through optional cash payments
and do not choose to have the dividends that are paid with respect to these
shares reinvested, you must indicate that the shares are not to be reinvested
and request a stock certificate. The plan administrator will hold any
shares you choose to enroll in the dividend reinvestment program and will
register them in the plan administrator’s name (or that of its nominee) as your
agent.
Receipt of
Dividends. As record holder for the plan shares, the plan
administrator will credit the dividends accrued on your plan shares as of the
dividend record date to your plan account on the basis of whole or fractional
plan shares held in such account and will automatically reinvest such dividends
in additional common stock. Any remaining portion of cash dividends
not designated for reinvestment will be sent to you.
Other
Responsibilities. The plan administrator also acts as dividend
disbursing agent, transfer agent and registrar for our common
stock. If the plan administrator resigns or otherwise ceases to act
as plan administrator, we will appoint a new plan administrator to administer
the plan.
7.
|
How
do I contact the plan
administrator?
|
You
should send all transaction requests to the administrator at:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
Wall
Street Station
P.O. Box
922
New York,
New York 10269-0560
You
should send all correspondence to the administrator at:
American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company
59 Maiden
Lane
New York,
New York 10038
Please
mention CapLease, Inc. and this plan in all correspondence. In
addition, you may call the plan administrator at 866-706-0513 or contact the
plan administrator via the Internet at www.amstock.com.
PARTICIPATION
For
purposes of this section, responses are generally directed (a) to existing
stockholders according to the method by which their shares are held, or
(b) to investors who are not currently stockholders but would like to make
an initial purchase of common stock to become a participant.
Existing
stockholders are either “record owners” or “beneficial owners.” You
are a record owner if you own common stock in your own name. You are
a beneficial owner if you own common stock that is registered in a name other
than your own name (for example, the shares are held in the name of a broker,
bank or other nominee). A record owner may participate directly in
the plan. If you are a beneficial owner, however, you will either
have to become a record owner by having one or more shares transferred into your
name or coordinate your participation through the broker, bank or other nominee
in whose name your shares are held.
8.
|
Who
is eligible to participate?
|
The
following persons are eligible to participate in the plan:
Record
Owners. All record owners (stockholders whose shares are held
in their name on the records kept by our transfer agent) of common stock are
eligible to participate directly in this plan.
Beneficial
Owners. Beneficial owners (stockholders whose shares are held
in the name of a broker, bank or other nominee on the records kept by our
transfer agent) of common stock may participate in two ways. A
beneficial owner may participate directly by becoming a record owner by having
one or more shares transferred into his or her name from that of the applicable
broker, bank or other nominee. Alternatively, a beneficial owner may
seek to arrange with the broker, bank or other nominee that is the record owner
of his or her shares to participate on the beneficial owner’s
behalf.
Non-Stockholders. Individuals
who do not presently own any common stock (as either a record owner or
beneficial owner) may participate in the plan by making an initial cash purchase
of common stock through the plan’s stock purchase program.
9.
|
Are
there limitations on participation in the plan other than those described
above?
|
Foreign Law
Restrictions. You may not participate in the plan if it would
be unlawful for you to do so in the jurisdiction where you are a citizen or
reside. If you are a citizen or resident of a country other than the
United States, you should confirm that by participating in the plan you will not
violate local laws governing, among other things, taxes, currency and exchange
controls, stock registration and foreign investments.
REIT
Qualification Restrictions. In
order for us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, not more than 50% in value
of any class or series of our outstanding capital stock may be owned, directly
or indirectly, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Internal Revenue
Code to include certain entities). We may terminate, by written
notice at any time, any participant’s individual participation in the plan if
such participation would be in violation of the restrictions contained in our
Charter or Bylaws, as amended from time to time. These restrictions
prohibit any stockholder, directly or indirectly, from beneficially owning more
than 9.9% in value or in number, whichever is more restrictive, of our
outstanding capital stock. Any attempted transfer or acquisition of
capital stock that would create a direct or indirect ownership of capital stock
in excess of this limit or otherwise result in our disqualification as a REIT
will be null and void. Our Charter provides that capital stock
subject to this limitation is subject to various rights that we have to enforce
this limitation, including conversion of the shares into nonvoting stock and
transfer to a trust. This summary of the ownership limitation is
qualified in its entirety by reference to our Charter. We reserve the
right to invalidate any purchases made under the plan that we determine, in our
sole discretion, may violate the 9.9% ownership limit. Any grant of a
request for waiver of the maximum monthly optional cash purchase will not be
deemed to be a waiver of such ownership limits.
Exclusion from
Plan for Short-Term Trading or Other Practices. You should not
use the plan to engage in short-term trading activities that could change the
normal trading volume of the common stock. If you do engage in
short-term trading activities, we may prevent you from participating in the
plan. We reserve the right to modify, suspend or terminate
participation in the plan, by otherwise eligible holders of common stock, in
order to eliminate practices which we determine, in our sole discretion, are not
consistent with the purposes or operation of the plan or which may adversely
affect the price of the common stock.
Restrictions at
Our Discretion. In addition to the restrictions described
above, we reserve the right to prevent you from participating in the plan for
any other reason. We have the sole discretion to exclude you from or
terminate your participation in the plan.
10.
|
How
do I enroll in the plan?
|
Record
Owners. Record owners may join the plan by completing and
signing an authorization form (see Question 12) and returning it to the plan
administrator, or by following the enrollment procedures specified on the plan
administrator’s website at www.amstock.com. Authorization
forms may be obtained at any time by written request, by telephoning the plan
administrator at the address and telephone number provided in Question 7, or via
the Internet at the plan administrator’s website at www.amstock.com.
Beneficial
Owners. A beneficial owner may request that the number of
shares the beneficial owner wishes to be enrolled in the plan be registered by
the broker, bank or other nominee in the beneficial owner’s own name as record
owner in order to participate directly in the plan. Alternatively,
beneficial owners who wish to join the plan may instruct their broker, bank or
other nominee to arrange participation in the plan on the beneficial owner’s
behalf. The broker, bank or other nominee should then make
arrangements with its securities depository, and the securities depository will
provide the plan administrator with the information necessary to allow the
beneficial owner to participate in the plan.
To
facilitate participation by beneficial owners, we have made arrangements with
the plan administrator to reinvest dividends and accept optional cash payments
under the stock purchase program by record holders such as brokers, banks and
other nominees, on behalf of beneficial owners. If you are an
interested beneficial owner, be sure that your broker, bank or other nominee
passes along the proceeds of any applicable discount to your
account.
Alternatively,
a beneficial owner may simply request that the number of shares the beneficial
owner wishes to be enrolled in the plan be reregistered by the broker, bank or
other nominee in the beneficial owner’s own name as record owner in order to
participate directly in the plan.
Non-Stockholders. A
non-stockholder may join the plan as a record owner by making an initial
investment in an amount of at least $100 and up to a maximum of $10,000 (unless
we specifically waive the maximum limit). The non-stockholder should
complete the portions of the authorization form for a non-stockholder wishing to
become a participant and should designate the amount of the initial purchase of
common stock. At the same time, the new participant may designate all
or none of the purchased shares to be enrolled in the dividend reinvestment
program. The authorization form should be returned to the plan
administrator, with payment, on or before the applicable dates described in
Question 11. The non-stockholder may also follow the enrollment
procedures specified on the plan administrator’s website at www.amstock.com to
join the plan. Online enrollment should be completed on or before the
applicable dates described in Question 11.
Optional Cash
Payments through Automatic Deductions. You may elect to
have optional cash payments made through electronic fund transfers by completing
an automatic cash investment application, which is available from the plan
administrator at the address and telephone number provided in Question 7, or by
logging on to www.amstock.com, and
providing both your bank account number and your bank’s routing
number. The automatic cash investment application must be accompanied
by a voided bank check or deposit slip for the account from which you authorize
the plan administrator to draw the funds. Once the application is
received and processed (which normally takes approximately two (2) business
days), funds will automatically be deducted from the designated account on the
tenth (10th)
business day prior to each investment date and will be invested on such
investment date. In addition, you can also choose to invest monthly
through automatic deductions. Automatic deductions are subject to the
same monthly dollar maximum and minimum as other optional cash
payments.
11.
|
When
will my participation in the plan
begin?
|
If you
are a current stockholder and your authorization form (see Question 12) is
received by the plan administrator by the record date established for a
particular dividend, reinvestment will commence with that
dividend. If your authorization form is received after the record
date established for a particular dividend, reinvestment will begin on the
dividend payment date following the next record date if you are, or your broker,
bank or other nominee is, still a record owner. Additionally, if you
have submitted your authorization form and thus are enrolled in the plan and you
wish to make optional cash payments to purchase shares under the stock purchase
program, the plan administrator must receive full payment by two (2) business
days before the relevant investment date.
In the
case of current non-stockholders making an initial investment, both the
authorization form and full payment of their designated initial investment must
be received by three (3) business days before the relevant investment
date.
Once
you enroll in the plan, you will remain enrolled in the plan until you withdraw
from the plan, we terminate your participation in the plan or we terminate the
plan.
12.
|
What
does the authorization form
provide?
|
The
authorization form appoints the plan administrator as your agent and directs us
to pay to the plan administrator, on the applicable record date, the cash
dividends on your common stock that are enrolled in the dividend reinvestment
program, including all whole and fractional shares of common stock that are
subsequently credited to your plan account, as they are added with each
reinvestment or optional cash purchase designated for
reinvestment. These cash dividends with respect to shares enrolled in
the dividend reinvestment program will be automatically reinvested by the plan
administrator in common stock. Any remaining cash dividends with
respect to shares not enrolled in the dividend reinvestment program will be paid
directly to you.
Additionally,
the authorization form directs the plan administrator to purchase common stock
with your optional cash payments, if any, and whether to enroll all or none of
such purchased shares in the dividend reinvestment program.
The
authorization form provides for the purchase of initial or additional common
stock through the following investment options:
|
·
|
“Full
Dividend Reinvestment” — This option directs the administrator
to reinvest cash dividends on all of the shares of common stock owned by
you then or in the future into additional shares of common
stock. This option also permits you to make optional cash
payments from $100 to $10,000 per month to buy additional shares of common
stock.
|
|
·
|
“Partial
Dividend Reinvestment”— This option directs the administrator to reinvest
cash dividends paid on a specified number of shares of common stock owned
by you into additional shares of common stock. We will continue
to pay you cash dividends in the normal way on shares that you own for
which you do not elect dividend reinvestment, when and if such dividends
are declared by our Board of Directors. This option also
permits you to make optional cash payments from $100 to $10,000 per month
to buy additional shares of common
stock.
|
|
·
|
“Optional
Cash Payments Only” — This option permits you to make optional cash
investments from $100 to $10,000 per month to buy additional shares of
common stock. We will continue to pay cash dividends, when and
if declared by our Board of Directors, on the shares of common stock owned
by you then or in the future, unless you designate the shares for
reinvestment pursuant to the plan.
|
Unless
you designate all or none of your new plan shares for enrollment in the dividend
reinvestment program, you will be enrolled as having selected the full dividend
reinvestment option. In addition, if you return a properly executed
authorization form to the plan administrator without electing an investment
option, you will be enrolled as having selected the full dividend reinvestment
option.
You may
select any one of the options desired, and the designated options will remain in
effect until you specify otherwise by indicating a different option on a new
authorization form, by withdrawing some or all shares from the plan in favor of
receiving cash dividends or in order to sell your common stock, or until the
plan is terminated.
13.
|
What
does the plan administrator’s website
provide?
|
Instead
of submitting an authorization form (see Question 12), you can participate in
the plan by accessing the plan administrator’s website at www.amstock.com. You
may do the following online:
|
·
|
enroll
or terminate your participation in the
plan;
|
|
·
|
make
initial and additional purchases of common
stock;
|
|
·
|
sell
shares of common stock;
|
|
·
|
request
a stock certificate for non-fractional shares of common stock held in your
plan account; and
|
|
·
|
view
your account history and balances.
|
PURCHASES
AND PRICES OF SHARES
14.
|
How
does the stock purchase program
work?
|
All
current record owners and non-stockholders who have timely submitted signed
authorization forms or online requests via www.amstock.com
indicating their intention to participate in this program of the plan, and
beneficial owners whose brokers, banks or other nominees have timely submitted
authorization forms or online requests via www.amstock.com
indicating their intention to participate in this program are eligible to make
optional cash payments during any month, whether or not a dividend is
declared. Each month the plan administrator will apply any optional
cash payment received from a participant by the deadline described below to the
purchase of additional common stock for the account of the participant on the
following investment date and will enroll all such shares in the dividend
reinvestment program unless the participant requests that such shares not be
subject to the dividend reinvestment program.
Deadline for
Submitting Optional Cash Payments. Optional cash payments will
be invested every month on the related investment date, which will generally be
the 15th of each month or, if such date is not a business day, the first (1st)
business day thereafter (See Question 18). The deadline for
submitting optional cash payments is two (2) business days prior to the relevant
investment date.
Each
month the plan administrator will apply an optional cash payment for which funds
are timely received to the purchase of common stock for your account on the next
investment date. In order for funds to be invested on the next
investment date, the plan administrator must have received a check or money
order by the deadline for submitting optional cash payments. Checks
and money orders are accepted subject to timely collection as funds and
verification of compliance with the terms of the plan. Checks or
money orders should be made payable to “American
Stock Transfer & Trust Company — CapLease,
Inc. DRSPP.” Checks returned for any reason will not be
resubmitted for collection. The administrator reserves the right to
sell any shares that have been purchased for your account to recover the amount
of a returned check. In addition, the administrator may have to sell additional
shares from your account if the sale of the shares purchased in your account is
not sufficient to cover the returned check. Additionally, shares will be sold
from a participant’s account to offset a $25 returned check
fee.
No Interest on
Optional Cash Payments. No interest will be paid by us or the
plan administrator on optional cash payments pending
investment. Since no interest is paid on cash held by the plan
administrator, it normally will be in your best interest to defer optional cash
payments until shortly before the deadline described
above. Generally, optional cash payments received after the deadline
will be held by the plan administrator and invested on the next investment
date.
Refunds of
Uninvested Optional Cash Payments. Upon written request to the
plan administrator received at least five (5) business days prior to the
deadline for submitting optional cash payments for the investment date with
respect to which optional cash payments have been delivered to the plan
administrator, your optional cash payments will be returned to you as soon as
practicable. Requests received less than five (5) business days prior
to such date will not be returned but instead will be held by the plan
administrator and invested on the next investment date.
Additionally,
optional cash payments will be returned by check, without interest, as soon as
practicable after the applicable period in which the price of the common stock
is determined if the minimum Market Price, if any, applicable to optional cash
payments made pursuant to requests for waiver of the maximum limit on optional
cash payments shall not have been met. (See Question
20.)
Also,
each optional cash payment, to the extent that it does not conform to the
limitations described in Question 19 will be subject to return to you, without
interest, as soon as practicable.
15.
|
What
will be the price of shares purchased under the
plan?
|
Purchase Price
and Discounts. The purchase price of common stock under the
plan depends on whether we issue new shares to you or the plan obtains your
shares by purchasing them in the open market, and whether any discount is being
offered by us at the time of the applicable common stock purchase.
With
respect to reinvested dividends and optional cash payments of $10,000 or less,
we are currently offering a 2% discount off of the Market Price (as determined
below), but that discount may not exceed 5% of the average of the high and low
sales prices on the applicable investment date. As such, the purchase
price for common stock that the plan administrator purchases directly from us at
this time generally will be 98% of the Market Price of the common
stock. The discount from the Market Price for common stock that the
plan administrator purchases directly from us may be changed or eliminated by us
from time to time, provided that in no event will the discount exceed 5% of the
average of the high and low sales prices on the applicable investment
date. If you are a participant in the plan, you will be provided with
at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of any change in this
discount.
With
respect to reinvested dividends and optional cash payments of $10,000 or less,
the purchase price for common stock that the plan administrator purchases from
parties other than us, either in the open market or in privately negotiated
transactions, will be 100% of the “average price per share” actually paid by the
plan administrator, excluding any brokerage commissions. We are not
required to provide any written notice to you as to the source of the common
stock to be purchased under the plan.
With
respect to optional cash payments greater than $10,000, the purchase price for
common stock that the plan administrator purchases directly from us will be the
Market Price of the common stock less any discount that we may elect to offer,
provided that in no event will the discount exceed 5% of the average of the high
and low sales prices on the applicable investment date. The Market
Price for optional cash payments in excess of $10,000 is determined in the same
manner as for optional cash payments of less than $10,000, except that we may
set a minimum price that the Market Price must equal or exceed. We
will refund the investment if the Market Price does not equal or exceed the
minimum price. We will set the minimum price and any applicable
discount, if any, at least four (4) business days before the first day of the
applicable five-day pricing period. Written notice of the minimum
price and the applicable discount, if any, at any time will not be provided to
you. You must call us to obtain the minimum price and applicable
discount, if any. (See Question 20.)
With
respect to optional cash payments greater than $10,000, the purchase price for
common stock that the plan administrator purchases from parties other than us,
either in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, will be 100%
of the average price per share actually paid by the plan administrator,
excluding any brokerage commissions.
Optional
cash investments of less than $100 and that portion of any optional cash
investment in excess of the maximum monthly purchase limit of $10,000, unless we
have waived such maximum limit, will be returned to you without
interest.
Each of
the discounts, if any, is subject to change from time to time (but will not
exceed 5% of the average of the high and low sales prices of our common stock on
the applicable investment date) and is also subject to discontinuance at our
discretion at any time based on a number of factors, including current market
conditions, the level of participation in the plan and our current and projected
capital needs. Except with respect to the discount applicable to
optional cash payments in excess of the $10,000 limit, we will provide
participants with at least thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of a change in
the applicable discount.
Determination of
“Market Price” and “Average Price Per Share.” For purposes of
the calculation of the purchase price for shares purchased directly from us,
“Market Price” is equal to the average of the daily high and low sales prices,
computed to three decimal places, of the common stock on the New York Stock
Exchange or other securities exchange where the common stock is traded, as
reported in The Wall Street Journal, during the five (5) days on which the New
York Stock Exchange or such other securities exchange is open and for which
trades in our common stock are reported immediately preceding the relevant
investment date, or, if no trading occurs in our common stock on one or more of
such days, for the five (5) days immediately preceding the investment date for
which trades are reported.
For
purposes of the calculation of the purchase price for shares purchased from
parties other than us, either on the open market or in privately negotiated
transactions, “average price per share” is equal to the weighted average of the
actual prices paid, computed to three decimal places, for all of the common
stock purchased with all participants’ reinvested dividends and optional cash
payments for the related month.
Plan
Administrator’s Control of Purchase Terms. When open market
purchases are made by the plan administrator, these purchases may be made on any
securities exchange where our common stock is traded, in the over-the-counter
market or by negotiated transactions, and may be subject to the terms with
respect to price, delivery and other matters to which the plan administrator
agrees. We do not, and you will not, have any authorization or power
to direct the time or price at which shares will be purchased or the selection
of the broker or dealer through or from whom purchases are to be made by the
plan administrator. However, when open market purchases are made by
the plan administrator, the plan administrator shall use its best efforts to
purchase the shares at the lowest possible price.
16.
|
How
will the number of shares purchased for my account be
determined?
|
Your
account will be credited with the number of shares, including fractions computed
to three decimal places, equal to the total amount to be invested on your
behalf, divided by the applicable discounted price per share, calculated
pursuant to the methods described above, as applicable.
The total
amount to be invested will depend on the amount of any dividends paid on the
number of shares you own and have designated for reinvestment, and the amount of
any optional cash payments you have made and available for investment on the
related investment date. Subject to the availability of common stock
registered for issuance under the plan, there is no total maximum number of
shares available for issuance pursuant to the reinvestment of
dividends.
The
amount of reinvested dividends to be invested will be reduced by any amount we
are required to deduct for federal tax withholding purposes. (See
Question 29.)
17.
|
What
is the source of common stock purchased under the
plan?
|
The plan
administrator will purchase common stock either directly from us or from parties
other than us, either on the open market or through privately negotiated
transactions, or by a combination of the foregoing. We will determine
the source of the common stock to be purchased under the plan after a review of
current market conditions and our current and projected capital
needs. We and the plan administrator are not required to provide any
written notice to you as to the source of the common stock to be purchased under
the plan.
18.
|
What
are investment dates and when will dividends or other money be
invested?
|
Shares
purchased under the plan will be purchased on the “investment date” in each
month. The investment date with respect to the common stock acquired
pursuant to dividend reinvestments will be (i) if acquired directly from us, the
quarterly dividend payment date declared by our Board of Directors or (ii) in
the case of open market purchases, as soon as practicable following the date or
dates of actual investment. The investment date for shares acquired
pursuant to optional cash payments will be (i) if acquired directly from us,
generally the fifteenth (15th) of
each month or, if such date is not a business day, the first business day
thereafter or (ii) in the case of open market purchases, as soon as practicable
following the date or dates of actual investment.
For the
reinvestment of dividends, the record date is the record date declared by our
Board of Directors for that dividend. Likewise, the dividend payment
date declared by the Board of Directors constitutes the investment
date. In the past, record dates for dividends generally have preceded
the dividend payment dates by approximately fifteen (15) days. We
historically have paid dividends on or about the fifteenth (15th) day of
each January, April, July and October. We cannot assure you that we
will pay dividends according to this schedule in the future, and nothing
contained in the plan obligates us to do so. Neither we nor the plan
administrator will be liable when conditions, including compliance with the
rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission, prevent the
plan administrator from buying common stock or interfere with the timing of
purchases. We pay dividends as and when declared by our Board of
Directors. We cannot assure you that we will declare or pay a
dividend in the future, and nothing contained in the plan obligates us to do
so. The plan does not represent a guarantee of future
dividends.
Shares
will be allocated and credited to your plan accounts on the appropriate
investment date.
No
interest will be paid on cash dividends pending investment or reinvestment under
the terms of the plan.
19.
|
What
limitations apply to optional cash
payments?
|
For any
investment date that you choose to make an optional cash payment, you must
invest at least $100 but not more than $10,000. For purposes of these
limitations, all plan accounts under common control, management or
representation by a broker, bank or other nominee will be
aggregated. Optional cash payments of less than $100 and that portion
of any optional cash payment which exceeds the maximum monthly purchase limit of
$10,000, unless we have waived such maximum limit, will be returned to you
without interest after the applicable period in which the price of the common
stock is determined.
20.
|
How
do I make optional cash payments over the $10,000 maximum monthly
amount?
|
Request for
Waiver. Optional cash payments in excess of $10,000 per month
may be made only pursuant to a request for waiver approved by us. If
you wish to submit an optional cash payment in excess of $10,000 for any
investment date, you must obtain our prior written approval, and a copy of such
written approval must accompany any such optional cash payment.
At least
four (4) business days prior to the first day of the applicable five-day pricing
period, we will determine whether to establish a minimum price (as described
below) and/or a discount applicable to optional cash payments in excess of the
$10,000 maximum. We will make this determination in our discretion
after a review of such considerations as transaction costs, current market
conditions, the level of participation in the plan, and current and projected
capital needs. You may ascertain whether a minimum price has been set
or waived, and obtain the applicable discount, for the given month by
telephoning our Investor Relations Department at (866) 515-3272.
A request
for waiver must then be received by us by facsimile at (212) 217-6301 for that
month at least three (3) business days before the first day of the applicable
five-day pricing period (i.e., eight (8) business days before the relevant
investment date). If we grant the waiver, you must submit our written
waiver along with payment no later than the close of business on the last
business day immediately preceding the first day of the pricing
period. Please refer to Question 14 for further procedural details
with respect to submitting timely payments.
Minimum
Price. We may establish, for any period in which the price of
the common stock is determined, a minimum price applicable to optional cash
payments made pursuant to requests for waiver of the $10,000 limit on optional
cash payments. We will state any minimum price as a dollar amount
that the Market Price as described in Question 15 must equal or
exceed. If the minimum price is not satisfied, optional cash payments
made pursuant to a request for waiver of the $10,000 limit on optional cash
payments will be returned to you by check, without interest, as soon as
practicable after the applicable period in which the price of the common stock
is determined.
The
establishment of a minimum price and the possible return of the investment
applies only to optional cash payments made pursuant to a request for waiver of
the $10,000 limit on optional cash payments. Setting a minimum price
for a period will not affect the setting of a minimum price for any subsequent
period. We and the plan administrator are not required to provide any
written notice to you as to the minimum price for any period, although we will
respond to your request for that information as described above.
Waiver
Discount. Each month we may establish a discount from the
Market Price applicable only to optional cash payments made pursuant to a
request for waiver of the $10,000 limit on optional cash
payments. This discount may be between 0% and 5% of the purchase
price and may vary each month, but in no event will the discount exceed 5% of
the average of the high and low sales prices of our common stock on the
applicable investment date. Once established for a particular month,
this discount will apply uniformly to all optional cash payments made pursuant
to an approved request for waiver of the $10,000 limit on optional cash payments
for that month. Setting such a discount for a particular month will
not affect the setting of a discount for any subsequent month. This
discount will apply to the entire optional cash payment and not just to the
portion that exceeds $10,000.
The
establishment of such a discount applies only to optional cash payments made
pursuant to a request for waiver of the $10,000 limit on optional cash
payments. All other optional cash payments will currently be made at
the Market Price subject to any discount offered as described in Question 15 and
shall not be subject to any discount established pursuant to the preceding
paragraph.
Our Rights
Regarding Approval of Waiver Requests. We have sole discretion
whether to grant any approval for optional cash payments in excess of the
allowable maximum amount. In deciding whether to approve your
request for a waiver, we will consider a variety of relevant factors including,
but not limited to:
|
·
|
whether,
at the time of the request, the plan administrator is acquiring newly
issued shares directly from us or acquiring shares in the open
market;
|
|
·
|
our
need for additional funds;
|
|
·
|
the
attractiveness of obtaining these additional funds through the sale of
common stock as compared to other sources of
funds;
|
|
·
|
the
purchase price likely to apply;
|
|
·
|
the
extent and nature of your prior participation in the
plan;
|
|
·
|
the
number of shares of common stock you hold of record or beneficially;
and
|
|
·
|
the
aggregate amount of optional cash payments in excess of $10,000 for which
requests for waiver have been
submitted.
|
If
requests for waiver are submitted for any investment date for an aggregate
amount in excess of the amount we are then willing to accept, we may honor these
requests in order of receipt, pro rata or by any other
method that we determine to be appropriate. There is no
pre-established maximum limit applicable to optional cash payments that may be
made pursuant to approved requests for waiver, except the availability of common
stock registered for issuance pursuant to the plan.
21.
|
Will
I incur expenses in connection with my participation under the
plan?
|
You will
not pay brokerage commissions or service fees to purchase common stock through
the plan. We will pay all other costs of administration of the
plan. However, if you request that the plan administrator sell all or
any portion of your shares, you will incur fees as described under Question 26
below. Additionally, if you elect to send certificates for any other
of our common stock that you own to the plan administrator for safekeeping, you
will incur a one-time fee of $7.50 for this service.
REPORTS
TO PARTICIPANTS
22.
|
How
will I keep track of my
investments?
|
You will
receive a statement of your account following each purchase of additional
shares, whether by reinvestment of dividends or by optional cash
payments. This detailed statement will provide you with the following
information with respect to your plan account:
|
·
|
total
number of shares of common stock purchased, including fractional
shares;
|
|
·
|
price
paid per share of common stock;
|
|
·
|
date
of stock purchases; and
|
|
·
|
total
number of shares of common stock in your plan
account.
|
You
should retain these statements to determine the tax cost basis of the shares
purchased for your account under the plan. In addition, you will
receive copies of other communications sent to our stockholders, including our
annual report to stockholders, the notice of annual meeting and proxy statement
in connection with our annual meeting of stockholders and Internal Revenue
Service information for reporting dividends paid.
You can
also view your account history and balance online by accessing the plan
administrator’s website at www.amstock.com.
DIVIDENDS
ON FRACTIONS OF SHARES
23.
|
Will
I be credited with dividends on fractions of
shares?
|
Yes. Any
fractional share held in your plan account (see Question 16) that has been
designated for participation in the dividend reinvestment program of the plan
will receive a proportionate amount of any dividend declared on our common
stock.
CERTIFICATES
FOR SHARES
24.
|
Will
I receive certificates for shares
purchased?
|
Safekeeping of
Certificates. Normally, common stock purchased for you under
the plan will be held in the name of the plan administrator or its
nominee. The plan administrator will credit the shares to your plan
account in “book-entry” form. This service protects against loss,
theft or destruction of certificates evidencing common stock.
You may
also elect to deposit with the plan administrator certificates for other shares
of common stock that you own and that are registered in your name for
safekeeping under the plan for a one-time fee of $7.50. The plan
administrator will credit the common stock represented by the certificates to
your account in “book-entry” form and will combine the shares with any whole and
fractional shares then held in your plan account. In addition to
protecting against the loss, theft or destruction of your certificates, this
service is convenient if and when you sell common stock through the
plan. Because you bear the risk of loss in sending certificates to
the plan administrator, you should send certificates by registered mail, return
receipt requested, and properly insured to the address specified in Question 7
above.
Issuance of
Certificates. No certificates will be issued to you for shares
in the plan unless you submit a written request to the plan administrator or
until your participation in the plan is terminated. At any time, you
may request the plan administrator to send a certificate for some or all of the
whole shares credited to your account. This request should be mailed
to the plan administrator at the address set forth in the answer to Question 7
or made via the Internet at www.amstock.com. There
is no fee for this service. Any remaining whole shares and any
fraction of a share will remain credited to your plan
account. Certificates for fractional shares will not be issued under
any circumstances.
25.
|
In
whose name will certificates be registered when
issued?
|
Your plan
account will be maintained in the name in which your certificates were
registered at the time of your enrollment in the plan. Stock
certificates for those shares purchased under the plan will be similarly
registered when issued upon your request. If your shares are held
through a broker, bank or other nominee, such request must be placed through
your broker, bank or other nominee.
SALE
OF SHARES
26.
|
How
do I sell shares held in my plan
account?
|
You may
contact the plan administrator to sell all or any part of the shares held in
your plan account. After receipt of your request, the plan
administrator will sell the shares through a designated broker or
dealer. The plan administrator will mail to you a check for the
proceeds of the sale, less applicable brokerage commissions, service charges and
any taxes. The plan administrator will sell shares as often as daily
but at least within five (5) business days of receipt of the sale request, at
then current market prices through one or more brokerage firms. If
you sell or transfer only a portion of the shares in your plan account, you will
remain a participant in the plan and may continue to make optional cash
investments and reinvest dividends. If you have elected to have your
dividends reinvested, the plan administrator will continue to reinvest the
dividends on the shares credited to your account unless you notify the plan
administrator that you wish to withdraw from the plan.
The plan
requires you to pay all costs associated with the sale of your shares under the
plan. You will receive the proceeds of the sale, less a $15 service
fee per transaction and a $0.10 per share brokerage commission paid to the plan
administrator and any other applicable fees.
If the
plan administrator sells all shares held in your plan account, the plan
administrator will automatically terminate your account. In this
case, you will have to complete and file a new authorization form to rejoin the
plan.
WITHDRAWALS
AND TERMINATION
27.
|
When
may I withdraw from the plan?
|
You may
withdraw from the plan with respect to all or a portion of the shares held in
your plan account at any time. If the request to withdraw is received
prior to a dividend record date set by our Board of Directors for determining
stockholders of record entitled to receive a dividend, the request will be
processed on the first business day following receipt of the request by the plan
administrator.
If the
request to withdraw from the plan is received by the plan administrator at least
three (3) business days prior to the dividend payable date, then that dividend
will be paid out in cash to the participant. However, if the request
to withdraw from the plan is received less than three (3) business days prior to
the dividend payable date, then that dividend will be reinvested. However, all
subsequent dividends will be paid out in cash on all balances.
Any
optional cash payments which have been sent to the plan administrator prior to a
request for withdrawal will also be invested on the next investment date unless
you expressly request return of that payment in the request for withdrawal, and
the request for withdrawal is received by the plan administrator at least five
(5) business days prior to the deadline for submitting such optional cash
payments.
28.
|
How
do I withdraw from the plan?
|
If you
wish to withdraw from the plan with respect to all or a portion of the shares in
your plan account, you must notify the plan administrator in writing at its
mailing address or via its Internet address specified in the answer to Question
7. Upon your withdrawal from the plan or our termination of the plan,
certificates for the appropriate number of whole shares credited to your account
under the plan will be issued free of charge. A cash payment will be
made for any fraction of a share.
Upon
withdrawal from the plan, you may also request in writing that the plan
administrator sell all or part of the shares credited to your plan
account. (See Question 26.)
OTHER
INFORMATION
29.
|
What
are some of the tax consequences of my participation in the
plan?
|
The
federal tax treatment of dividend reinvestment and stock purchase programs is
not entirely clear. You are encouraged to consult your personal tax
advisor with specific reference to your own tax situation and potential changes
in the applicable law as to all federal, state, local, foreign and other tax
matters in connection with the reinvestment of dividends and purchase of shares
under the plan, your tax basis and holding period for shares acquired under the
plan and the character, amount and tax treatment of any gain or loss realized on
the disposition of shares. The following is a brief summary of the
material federal income tax considerations applicable to the plan, is for
general information only, and does not constitute tax advice.
Tax Consequences of Dividend
Reinvestment Program. Although the treatment of dividend
reinvestment programs is not entirely clear, if you participate in the dividend
reinvestment program under the plan, it is expected that you will be treated for
federal income tax purposes as having received, on the investment date, a
distribution in an amount equal to the sum of (a) the fair market value of
the shares on the date the shares were acquired with reinvested dividends,
(b) your pro rata
share of any brokerage commissions paid by us in connection with the purchase of
common stock by the plan administrator from parties other than us, either on the
open market or in privately negotiated transactions and (c) any cash
distributions actually received by you with respect to common stock not included
in the plan. The tax basis of shares purchased under the plan will be
equal to the fair market value of the shares on the date the shares were
acquired plus your pro
rata share of any brokerage fees paid by us. The fair market
value on that specific date may vary from the Market Price determined under the
plan for such shares.
Tax Consequences of the Stock
Purchase Program. Although the treatment of stock purchase
programs is not entirely clear, if you participate in the stock purchase program
under the plan, it is expected that you will be treated for federal income tax
purposes as having received, on the investment date, a distribution equal to the
excess, if any, of the fair market value of the common stock on this date over
the amount of your optional cash payment. In addition, you will be
treated as having received a distribution equal to your pro rata share of any
brokerage commissions paid by us in connection with the purchase of common stock
by the plan administrator from parties other than us. Shares acquired
through the stock purchase program under the plan should have a tax basis equal
to the amount of the payment plus the total amount of distributions you are
treated as receiving as described above. The fair market value on an
investment date may differ from the Market Price determined under the plan for
such shares.
Distributions
that you receive as a result of dividend reinvestment and/or optional stock
purchase will be taxable as dividends to the extent of our current or
accumulated earnings and profits. To the extent the distributions are
in excess of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, the distributions
will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital, reducing the tax basis in
your shares, and the distributions in excess of your tax basis, if any, will be
taxable as gain realized from the sale of your shares. In addition,
if we designate part or all of our distributions as capital gain distributions,
those designated amounts will be treated by you as long-term capital
gains.
Your
holding period for shares acquired pursuant to either program under the plan
will begin on the day following the investment date. Dividends
received by corporate stockholders will not be eligible for the dividends
received deduction.
You will
not realize any taxable income upon receipt of certificates for whole shares
credited to your account, either upon your request for certain of those shares
or upon termination of participation in the plan. You will realize
gain or loss upon the sale or exchange of shares acquired under the
plan. You will also realize gain or loss upon receipt, following
termination of participation in the plan, of a cash payment for any fractional
share equivalent credited to your account. The amount of any such
gain or loss will be the difference between the amount that you received for the
shares or fractional share equivalent and the tax basis thereof.
Income Tax Withholding and
Administrative Expense. We or the plan administrator may be
required to deduct as “backup withholding” twenty-eight percent (28%) of all
dividends paid to you, regardless of whether such dividends are reinvested
pursuant to the plan. Similarly, the plan administrator may be required to
deduct backup withholding from all proceeds from sales of common stock held in
your account. You are subject to backup withholding if: (a) you have
failed properly to furnish us and the plan administrator with your correct tax
identification number (“TIN”); (b) the Internal Revenue Service or a broker
notifies us or the plan administrator that the TIN furnished by you is
incorrect; (c) the Internal Revenue Service or a broker notifies us or the plan
administrator that backup withholding should be commenced because you failed to
properly report dividends paid to you; or (d) when required to do so, you fail
to certify, under penalties of perjury, that you are not subject to backup
withholding. Backup withholding amounts will be withheld from dividends before
such dividends are reinvested under the plan. Therefore, if you are subject to
backup withholding, dividends to be reinvested under the plan will be reduced by
the backup withholding amount. If you are a foreign stockholder you
need to provide the required federal income certifications to establish your
status as a foreign stockholder so that the foregoing backup withholding does
not apply to you. You also need to provide the required
certifications if you wish to claim the benefit of exemptions from federal
income tax withholding or reduced withholding rates under a treaty or convention
entered into between the United States and your country of
residence. If you are a foreign stockholder whose dividends are
subject to federal income tax withholding, the appropriate amount will be
withheld and the balance in shares of common stock will be credited to your
account.
Foreign
stockholders who elect to make optional cash payments only will continue to
receive regular cash dividends on shares registered in their names in the same
manner as if they were not participating in this plan. Funds for
optional cash payments must be in United States dollars and will be invested in
the same way as payments from other participants.
All costs
of administering the plan, except for costs related to your voluntary selling of
common stock, will be paid by us. Consistent with the conclusion
reached by the Internal Revenue Service in a private letter ruling issued to
another REIT, we intend to take the position that these costs do not constitute
a distribution which is either taxable to you or which would reduce your basis
in your shares. However, since the private letter ruling was not
issued to us, we have no legal right to rely on its
conclusions. Thus, it is possible that the Internal Revenue Service
might view your share of the costs as constituting a taxable distribution to you
and/or a distribution which reduces the basis in your common
stock. For this or other reasons, we may in the future take a
different position with respect to the costs of administering the
plan.
30.
|
May
shares in my account be pledged?
|
You may
not pledge any of the common stock in your plan account. Any
attempted pledge of these shares will be void. If you wish to pledge
shares, you must first withdraw them from the plan.
31.
|
If
we issue rights to purchase securities to the holders of common stock, how
will the rights on plan shares be
handled?
|
In the
event that we make available to the holders of our common stock rights to
purchase additional shares of common stock or any other securities, the plan
administrator will sell these rights (if the rights are saleable and detachable
from the common stock) accruing to common stock held by the plan administrator
for you and invest the proceeds in additional shares of common stock on the next
dividend payment date for the common stock. In the event these rights
are not saleable or detachable, the plan will hold the rights for your
benefit. If you wish to receive directly any of these rights, you may
do so by sending to the plan administrator, at least five (5) business days
before the rights offering record date, a written request that certificates for
shares in your account be sent to you.
Transaction
processing may be curtailed or suspended until the completion of any stock
dividend, stock split or similar corporate action.
32.
|
What
happens if we declare a dividend payable in shares or declare a share
split?
|
Any
dividend payable in shares and any additional shares distributed by us in
connection with a share split in respect of shares credited to your plan account
will be added to that account. Share dividends or split shares which
are attributable to shares registered in your own name and not in your plan
account will be mailed directly to you as in the case of stockholders not
participating in the plan.
Transaction
processing may be curtailed or suspended until the completion of any stock
dividend, stock split or similar corporate action.
33.
|
How
will shares held by the plan administrator be voted at meetings of
stockholders?
|
If you
are a record owner, you will receive a proxy card covering both directly held
shares and shares held in the plan. If you hold your shares through a
broker, bank or other nominee, you should receive a proxy covering shares held
in the plan from your broker, bank or other nominee.
If a
proxy is returned properly signed and marked for voting, all of the shares
covered by the proxy will be voted as marked. If a proxy is returned
properly signed but no voting instructions are given, all of your shares will be
voted in accordance with recommendations of our Board of Directors, unless
applicable laws or stock exchange rules require otherwise. If the
proxy is not returned, or if it is returned unexecuted or improperly executed,
shares registered in your name may be voted only by you and only in
person.
34.
|
What
are our responsibilities and those of the plan administrator under the
plan?
|
Neither
we, any of our agents nor the plan administrator, will be liable in
administering the plan for any act done in good faith or required by applicable
law or for any good faith omission to act, including, without limitation, any
claim of liability (i) arising out of failure to terminate your account upon
your death or judgment of incompetence prior to the plan administrator’s receipt
of notice in writing of such death or judgment of incompetence, (ii) with
respect to the price at which shares are purchased or sold and/or the times when
such purchases or sales are made, or (iii) relating to any fluctuation in the
market value of the common stock.
Neither
we, any of our agents nor the plan administrator, will have any duties,
responsibilities or liabilities other than those expressly set forth in the plan
or as imposed by applicable laws, including federal securities
laws. Since the plan administrator has assumed all responsibility for
administering the plan, we specifically disclaim any responsibility for any of
the plan administrator’s actions or inactions in connection with the
administration of the plan. None of our directors, officers,
employees or stockholders will have any personal liability under the
plan.
We, any
of our agents and the plan administrator will be entitled to rely on completed
forms and the proof of due authority to participate in the plan, without further
responsibility of investigation or inquiry.
35.
|
What
will be my responsibilities under the
plan?
|
Your plan
shares may revert to the state in which you live in the event that the shares
are deemed, under your state’s laws, to have been abandoned by
you. For this reason, you should notify the plan administrator
promptly in writing of any change of address. The plan administrator
will address account statements and other communications to you at the last
address of record you provide to the plan administrator.
You will
have no right to draw checks or drafts against your plan account or to instruct
the plan administrator with respect to any common stock or cash held by the plan
administrator except as expressly provided herein.
36.
|
May
the plan be changed or
discontinued?
|
Yes. We
may suspend, terminate, or amend the plan at any time. Notice will be
sent to you of any suspension or termination, or of any amendment that alters
the plan terms and conditions, as soon as practicable after we take such an
action. We may also substitute another agent in place of the current
plan administrator at any time; you will be promptly informed of any such
substitution. We will determine any questions of interpretation
arising under the plan and any such determination will be
final.
37.
|
Are
there any risks associated with the
plan?
|
Your
investment in shares held in your plan account is no different from your
investment in shares held directly. Neither we nor the plan
administrator can assure you a profit or protect you against a loss on the
shares that you purchase. You bear the risk of any loss and enjoy the
benefits of any gain from market price changes with respect to such
shares. You should read carefully the risk factors described in our
Securities and Exchange Commission filings before investing in our common
stock.
38.
|
How
will you interpret and regulate the
plan?
|
We will
interpret, regulate and take any other action in connection with the plan that
we deem reasonably necessary to carry out the plan. We may adopt
rules and regulations to facilitate the administration of the
plan. As a participant in the plan, you will be bound by any actions
taken by us or the plan administrator.
39.
|
What
law governs the plan?
|
The terms
and conditions of the plan and its operation will be governed by the laws of the
State of Maryland.
PLAN
OF DISTRIBUTION
Except to
the extent the plan administrator purchases common stock in the open market or
in privately negotiated transactions with third parties, the common stock
acquired under the plan will be sold directly by us through the
plan. We may sell our common stock to owners of shares (including
brokers or dealers) who, in connection with any resales of such shares, may be
deemed to be underwriters. These shares, including shares acquired
through waivers granted with respect to the stock purchase program of the plan,
may be resold in market transactions (including coverage of short positions) on
any national security exchange or automated quotation system on which our common
stock is traded or quoted, or in privately negotiated
transactions. Our common stock is currently listed on the New York
Stock Exchange. Under certain circumstances, it is expected that a
portion of the common stock available for issuance under the plan will be issued
pursuant to waivers granted with respect to the stock purchase program of the
plan. The difference between the price owners who may be deemed to be
underwriters pay us for shares of our common stock acquired under the plan,
after deduction of the applicable discount from the Market Price, and the price
at which such shares are resold, may be deemed to constitute underwriting
commissions received by these owners in connection with such
transactions.
Subject
to the availability of common stock registered for issuance under the plan,
there is no total maximum number of shares that can be issued pursuant to the
reinvestment of dividends. From time to time, financial
intermediaries may engage in positioning transactions in order to benefit from
the discount from the Market Price acquired through the reinvestment of
dividends and optional cash payments under the plan.
Except
with respect to sales of common stock relating to reinvested dividends, we will
pay any and all brokerage commissions and related expenses incurred in
connection with purchases of common stock under the plan. Upon your
withdrawal from the plan by the sale of common stock held under the plan, you
will receive the proceeds of such sale less a $15 service fee per transaction
and a $0.10 per share brokerage commission to the plan administrator and any
other applicable fees.
Common
stock may not be available under the plan in all states. This
prospectus does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer
to buy, any common stock or other securities in any state or any other
jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer in such
jurisdiction.
LEGAL
MATTERS
The
validity of the common stock offered by this prospectus and certain U.S. federal
income tax matters have been passed upon for us by Hunton & Williams
LLP.
EXPERTS
The
consolidated financial statements, the related financial statement schedules,
and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated
by reference in this Prospectus and Registration Statement and have been audited
by McGladrey & Pullen, LLP, an independent registered public accounting
firm, as stated in their reports which are incorporated by reference herein, and
have been so incorporated in reliance upon such reports and upon the authority
of such firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
WHERE
YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file
annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information
with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the
“Exchange Act”). You may read and copy any reports, statements or
other information on file at the SEC’s public reference room located at 100 F
Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC
at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference
room. The SEC filings are also available at the Internet website
maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. These
filings are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval
services.
We
incorporate information into this prospectus by reference, which means that we
disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed
separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is
deemed to be part of this prospectus, except to the extent superseded by
information contained herein or by information contained in documents filed with
the SEC after the date of this prospectus. This prospectus
incorporates by reference the documents set forth below, the file number for
each of which is 1-32039, that have been previously filed with the
SEC:
|
·
|
our
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2008 filed with
the SEC on March 6, 2009;
|
|
·
|
our
Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended (i) March 31,
2009 filed with the SEC on May 11, 2009, (ii) June 30, 2009
filed with the SEC on August 6, 2009 and
(iii) September 30, 2009 filed with the SEC on November 6,
2009; and
|
|
·
|
our
Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 16, 2009 and
October 9, 2009.
|
We also
incorporate by reference into this prospectus supplement and accompanying
prospectus additional documents that we may file with the SEC under Section
13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act until completion of this offering
(other than any portion of these documents that is furnished or otherwise deemed
not to be filed). These documents may include annual reports on Form
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, as well as
proxy statements.
You may
obtain copies of any of these filings through CapLease, Inc. as described below,
through the SEC or through the SEC’s Internet website as described
above. Documents incorporated by reference are available on our
website at http://www.caplease.com
and without charge by requesting them from us in writing or by telephone
at:
CapLease,
Inc.
1065
Avenue of the Americas
New York,
New York 10018
(212)
217-6300
Attn: Investor
Relations
CAPLEASE,
INC.
6,857,843
Shares
Common
Stock
offered
to stockholders
and
other interested investors
solely
in connection with the
DIVIDEND
REINVESTMENT
AND
STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
PROSPECTUS
_______
___, ____
PART
II
INFORMATION
NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS
Item
14.
|
Other
Expenses of Issuance and
Distribution
|
The
following table itemizes the expenses incurred, or to be incurred, by the
Registrant in connection with the registration and issuance of the common stock
being registered hereunder. All amounts shown are estimates except
for the SEC registration fee.
Registration
Fee — Securities and Exchange Commission
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
Printing
and Duplicating Expenses
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
Legal
Fees and Expenses
|
|
|
10,000 |
|
Accounting
Fees and Expenses
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
NYSE
Listing Fees
|
|
|
29,000 |
|
Miscellaneous
|
|
|
6,000 |
|
Total
|
|
$ |
75,000 |
|
Item
15.
|
Indemnification
of Directors and Officers
|
The
Maryland General Corporation 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 (a) actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money,
property or services or (b) active and deliberate dishonesty established by a
final judgment as being material to the cause of action. Our charter
contains a provision which limits the liability of our directors and officers to
the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Our
charter permits us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate
ourselves to indemnify and to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of
the final disposition of a proceeding to (a) any present or former director or
officer or (b) any individual who, while a director and at our request, serves
or has served another real estate investment trust, corporation, partnership,
joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or any other enterprise as a
trustee, director, officer or partner of such real estate investment trust,
corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other
enterprise from and against any claim or liability to which such person may
become subject or which such person may incur by reason of his status as a
present or former director or officer of our company. Our bylaws
obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify and
to pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of the final disposition of a
proceeding to (a) any present or former director or officer who is made a party
to the proceeding by reason of his service in that capacity or (b) any
individual who, while a director of our company and at our request, serves or
has served another real estate investment trust, corporation, partnership, joint
venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a trustee,
director, officer or partner of such real estate investment trust, corporation,
partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and
who is made a party to the proceeding by reason of his service in that
capacity. Our charter and bylaws also permit us to indemnify and
advance expenses to any person who served a predecessor of our company in any of
the capacities described above and to any employee or agent of our company or a
predecessor of our company.
The
Maryland General Corporation Law requires a corporation (unless its charter
provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or
officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of
any proceeding to which he is made a party by reason of his service in that
capacity. The Maryland General Corporation Law 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
a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is
established that (a) the act or omission of the director or officer was material
to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith
or (ii) was a result of active and deliberate dishonesty, (b) the director or
officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or
services or (c) in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer
had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was
unlawful. However, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an
adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a
judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received
unless, in either case, a court orders indemnification, and then only for
expenses. The Maryland General Corporation Law permits a corporation
to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s
receipt of (a) a written affirmation by the director or officer of his good
faith belief that be has met the standard of conduct necessary for
indemnification by the corporation and (b) a written undertaking by him or on
his behalf to repay the amount paid or advanced by the corporation if it shall
ultimately be determined that the standard of conduct was not
met.
It is the
position of the Securities and Exchange Commission that indemnification of
directors and officers for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended, is against public policy and is unenforceable pursuant to Section 14
of such act.
We also
maintain insurance on behalf of all of our directors and executive officers
against liability asserted against or incurred by them in their official
capacities with us, whether or not we are required or have the power to
indemnify them against the same liability.
The
Exhibits to this Registration Statement are listed on the exhibit index, which
appears elsewhere herein and is incorporated herein by reference.
(a) The
undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:
(1) 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 this 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 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 to
such information in this registration statement;
provided, however, that
subparagraphs (i) and (ii) above shall not apply if the information required to
be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in
the periodic 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.
(2) 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 herein, and the offering of such
securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.
(3) 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.
(4) That,
for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act of 1933 to any
purchaser:
(i) Each
prospectus filed by the 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
(ii) 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.
(b) The
undersigned Registrant hereby further undertakes that, for the 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 that is incorporated by reference in this
registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement
relating to the securities offered herein, and the offering of such securities
at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering
thereof.
(c)
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 existing provisions or arrangements whereby the
Registrant may indemnify a director, officer or controlling person of the
registrant against liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, 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 Securities Act of 1933 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 Securities Act of 1933 and will be governed by the
final adjudication of such issue.
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 New
York, State of New York, on December 24, 2009.
CAPLEASE,
INC.
|
(Registrant)
|
|
By:
|
/s/ Paul H.
McDowell
|
|
Paul
H. McDowell
|
|
Chief
Executive Officer
|
Pursuant
to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement
has been signed by the following persons in the capacities indicated on December
24, 2009.
Signature
|
|
Title
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer
|
Paul H. McDowell
|
|
(Principal Executive Officer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director and President
|
William R. Pollert
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and
|
Shawn P. Seale
|
|
Treasurer (Principal Financial Officer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer
|
John E. Warch
|
|
(Principal Accounting Officer)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
|
Michael E. Gagliardi
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
|
Stanley Kreitman
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
|
Jeffrey F. Rogatz
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Director
|
Howard A. Silver
|
|
|
INDEX
TO EXHIBITS
|
|
|
4.1
|
|
Amended
and Restated Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 3.1 to the registrant’s Amendment No. 4 to Registration Statement
on Form S-11 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 8,
2004).
|
|
|
|
4.2
|
|
Articles
of Amendment to Articles of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on July 31, 2007).
|
|
|
|
4.3
|
|
Amended
and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the
registrant’s Amendment No. 4 to Registration Statement on Form S-11 filed
with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 8,
2004).
|
|
|
|
4.4
|
|
First
Amendment to Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to
Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant’s Form 8-K filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on July 31, 2007).
|
|
|
|
4.5
|
|
First
Amended and Restated Limited Partnership Agreement of Caplease, LP, dated
June 13, 2006 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.6 to the
Registrant’s Form S-3 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on
January 14, 2008 (Registration No. 333-148649)).
|
|
|
|
5.1*
|
|
Opinion
of Hunton & Williams LLP regarding the validity of the securities
being registered.
|
|
|
|
8.1*
|
|
Opinion
of Hunton & Williams LLP regarding certain federal income tax
matters.
|
|
|
|
23.1*
|
|
Consent
of Hunton & Williams LLP (included as part of Exhibits 5.1 and
8.1).
|
|
|
|
23.2*
|
|
Consent
of McGladrey & Pullen LLP.
|
|
|
|
24*
|
|
Powers
of Attorney.
|
* Included
with this filing.