As Filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on June 20, 2018.

Registration No. 333-                

 

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

 

FORM S-3

REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in its Charter)

 

 

 

Delaware   80-0912734

(State or Other Jurisdiction of

Incorporation or Organization)

 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)

1345 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10105

(212) 479-3140

(Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Registrant’s Principal Executive Offices)

 

 

Cameron D. MacDougall, Esq.

Secretary

1345 Avenue of the Americas

45 th Floor

New York, New York 10105

(212) 479-3140

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code, and Telephone Number, Including Area Code, of Agent for Service)

 

 

Copy to:

Joseph A. Coco, Esq.

Michael J. Zeidel, Esq.

Michael J. Schwartz, Esq.

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Four Times Square

New York, New York 10036-6522

(212) 735-3000

 

 

APPROXIMATE DATE OF COMMENCEMENT OF PROPOSED SALE TO THE PUBLIC: From time to time after the effective date of this Registration Statement as determined by the Registrant.

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

 

Large accelerated filer      Accelerated filer  
Non-accelerated filer   ☐  (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)    Smaller reporting company  
     Emerging growth company  

 

 

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 

 

Title of each class of

securities to be registered

 

Amount

to be

registered(1)(2)

 

Proposed

maximum

offering price

per unit(1)(2)

 

Proposed

maximum

offering price(1)(2)

 

Amount of

registration fee(3)

Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

               

Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share

               

Depositary Shares(4)

               

Debt Securities

               

Warrants

               

Subscription Rights

               

Purchase Contracts

               

Purchase Units

               

Total

               

 

 

(1) Omitted pursuant to Form S-3 General Instruction II.E.
(2) Securities registered hereunder may be sold separately, together or as units with other securities registered hereunder. An indeterminate aggregate offering price and number or amount of each identified class of the identified securities of the registrant is being registered as may from time to time be issued at currently indeterminable prices and as may be issuable upon conversion, redemption, repurchase, exchange, exercise or settlement of any securities registered hereunder, including under any applicable anti-dilution provisions.
(3) In accordance with Rules 456(b) and 457(r) under the Securities Act, the registrant is deferring payment of all of the registration fee. Any subsequent registration fees will be paid on a pay-as-you-go basis.
(4) Each depositary share will be issued under a deposit agreement and will be evidenced by a depositary receipt. In the event New Senior Investment Group Inc. elects to offer to the public fractional interests in shares of the preferred stock registered hereunder, depositary receipts will be distributed to those persons purchasing such fractional interests, and shares of preferred stock will be issued to the depositary under the deposit agreement. No separate consideration will be received for the depositary shares.

 

 

 


PROSPECTUS

LOGO

NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.

COMMON STOCK

PREFERRED STOCK

DEPOSITARY SHARES

DEBT SECURITIES

WARRANTS

SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

PURCHASE CONTRACTS

AND

PURCHASE UNITS

We may offer, issue and sell from time to time, together or separately, shares of our common stock; shares of our preferred stock, which we may issue in one or more series; depositary shares representing shares of our preferred stock; our debt securities, which may be senior, subordinated or junior subordinated debt securities; warrants to purchase debt or equity securities; subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or our debt securities; purchase contracts to purchase shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or our debt securities; or purchase units, each representing ownership of a purchase contract and debt securities, preferred securities or debt obligations of third-parties, including U.S. treasury securities, or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holder’s obligation to purchase our common stock or other securities under the purchase contracts.

We will provide the specific terms of these securities in supplements to this prospectus. We may describe the terms of these securities in a term sheet that will precede the prospectus supplement. You should read this prospectus and the accompanying prospectus supplement carefully before you make your investment decision.

THIS PROSPECTUS MAY NOT BE USED TO SELL SECURITIES UNLESS ACCOMPANIED BY A PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT.

We may offer securities through underwriting syndicates managed or co-managed by one or more underwriters, through agents or directly to purchasers. These securities also may be resold by selling stockholders, whether owned on the date hereof or hereafter. The prospectus supplement for each offering of securities will describe in detail the plan of distribution for that offering and the identities of any selling stockholders. For general information about the distribution of securities offered, please see “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus.

Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”) under the trading symbol “SNR.” Each prospectus supplement will indicate if the securities offered thereby will be listed on any securities exchange.

Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, in the event that we offer common stock to the public, we will simultaneously grant to our manager, FIG LLC (our “Manager”), or to an affiliate of our Manager, an option with respect to a number of shares equal to 10% of the aggregate number of shares being offered in such offering at an exercise price per share equal to the public offering price per share. These options will be settled in an amount of cash equal to the excess of the fair market value of a share of our common stock on the date of exercise over the exercise price, unless advance approval is made to settle the option in shares.

INVESTING IN OUR SECURITIES INVOLVES RISKS. BEFORE BUYING OUR SECURITIES, YOU SHOULD REFER TO THE RISK FACTORS INCLUDED IN OUR PERIODIC REPORTS, IN PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENTS RELATING TO SPECIFIC OFFERINGS OF SECURITIES AND IN OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE FILE WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION. SEE “RISK FACTORS” ON PAGE 2.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR DETERMINED IF THIS PROSPECTUS OR ANY ACCOMPANYING PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT IS TRUTHFUL OR COMPLETE. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

The date of this prospectus is June 20, 2018.


TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

     ii  

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

     ii  

INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

     iii  

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

     iv  

NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.

     1  

RISK FACTORS

     2  

USE OF PROCEEDS

     3  

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

     3  

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

     4  

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

     7  

DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

     14  

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

     16  

DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

     17  

DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND PURCHASE UNITS

     18  

SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

     19  

U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

     20  

ERISA CONSIDERATIONS

     40  

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

     43  

LEGAL MATTERS

     47  

EXPERTS

     47  

Unless otherwise stated or the context otherwise requires, references in this prospectus to “SNR,” “New Senior Investment Group,” “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to New Senior Investment Group Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries.

 

i


ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement on Form S-3 that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) using a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we or the selling stockholders may, from time to time, sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, in one or more offerings at an unspecified aggregate initial offering price.

This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we or the selling stockholders may offer. Each time we offer to sell securities under this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of that offering. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the headings “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Incorporation of Certain Documents by Reference.”

You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. Neither we nor any selling stockholder have authorized anyone to provide you with different information. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. Neither we nor any selling stockholder are making an offer to sell or soliciting an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction where the offer or sale thereof is not permitted.

You should assume that the information in this prospectus is accurate only as of the date of this prospectus. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.

This prospectus contains summary descriptions of the common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights, purchase contracts and purchase units that we or selling stockholders may sell from time to time. These summary descriptions are not meant to be complete descriptions of each security. The particular terms of any security will be described in the related prospectus supplement.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the Commission. Our filings can be read and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. You may obtain information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our Commission filings are also available on the Internet at the Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov. Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the trading symbol “SNR.” Our reports, proxy statements and other information can also be read at the offices of the NYSE, located at 20 Broad Street, New York, New York 10005.

We have filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-3 relating to the securities covered by this prospectus. This prospectus is part of the registration statement and does not contain all the information in the registration statement. You will find additional information about us in the registration statement. Any statement made in this prospectus concerning a contract or other document of ours is not necessarily complete, and you should read the documents that are filed as exhibits to the registration statement or otherwise filed with the Commission for a more complete understanding of the document or matter. Each such statement is qualified in all respects by reference to the document to which it refers. You may inspect without charge a copy of the registration statement at the Commission’s Public Reference Room, as well as through the Commission’s website.

 

ii


INCORPORATION OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE

The Commission allows us to “incorporate by reference” into this prospectus information that we file with the Commission. This permits us to disclose important information to you by referencing these filed documents. Any information referenced this way is considered to be a part of this prospectus and any information filed by us with the Commission subsequent to the date of this prospectus will automatically be deemed to update and supersede this prospectus. We incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement the following documents that we have already filed with the Commission (other than any portion of such filings that are furnished, rather than filed, under the Commission’s applicable rules):

 

    Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 (other than the financial statements of Holiday AL Holdings LP filed as Exhibit 99.1);

 

    Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018;

 

    The portions of our Definitive Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A for our 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, filed on April 30, 2018, which are incorporated by reference in our above-mentioned Annual Report on Form 10-K;

 

    Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on March 14, 2015, May 16, 2018, June 11, 2018 and June 20, 2018; and

 

    the description of our capital stock set forth in our Registration Statement on Form 10, as amended (Commission File No. 001-36499), filed with the Commission on October 16, 2014, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

Whenever after the date of this prospectus we file reports or documents under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), those reports and documents will be deemed to be a part of this prospectus from the time they are filed (other than documents or information deemed to have been furnished and not filed in accordance with Commission rules). Any statement made in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

We will provide without charge, upon written or oral request, a copy of any or all of the documents that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus, excluding any exhibits to those documents unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Requests should be directed to New Senior Investment Group Inc., c/o Fortress Investment Group Inc., 1345 Avenue of the Americas, Floor 45, New York, New York, 10105, Attention: Investor Relations (telephone number (212) 479-3140 and email address ir@newseniorinv.com).

 

iii


CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This prospectus contains certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements include substantial risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, the operating performance of our investments, the stability of our earnings, and our financing needs. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of forward-looking terminology such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “potential,” “intend,” “expect,” “endeavor,” “seek,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “overestimate,” “underestimate,” “believe,” “could,” “project,” “predict,” “continue” or other similar words or expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions, discuss future expectations, describe future plans and strategies, contain projections of results of operations, of cash flows or of financial condition or state other forward-looking information. Our ability to predict results or the actual outcome of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our actual results and performance could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results in future periods to differ materially from forecasted results. As set forth more fully under “Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and under the heading “Part I. Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, which is incorporated by reference herein, factors that could have a material adverse effect on our operations and future prospects include, but are not limited to:

 

    uncertainty regarding the outcome of our ongoing exploration of strategic alternatives, including whether it will result in any transaction being consummated;

 

    our ability to comply with the terms of our financings, which depends in part on the performance of our operators;

 

    any increase in our borrowing costs as a result of rising interest rates or other factors;

 

    our ability to pay down, refinance, restructure or extend our indebtedness as it becomes due or as needed to comply with the terms of our covenants or to facilitate our ability to sell assets;

 

    our ability to manage our liquidity and sustain distributions to our stockholders, particularly in light of the cash shortfall described in our risk factors under Item 1A. “Risk Factors” and under Item 2. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Liquidity and Capital Resources” in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference;

 

    our dependence on our property managers and tenant to operate our properties successfully and in compliance with the terms of our agreements with them, applicable law and the terms of our financings;

 

    factors affecting the performance of our properties, such as increases in costs (including, but not limited to, the costs of labor, supplies, insurance and property taxes);

 

    risks associated with a change of control in the ownership or senior management of Holiday;

 

    our ability and the ability of our property managers and tenant to obtain and maintain adequate property, liability and other insurance from reputable, financially stable providers;

 

    changes of federal, state and local laws and regulations relating to employment, fraud and abuse practices, Medicaid reimbursement and licensure, etc., including those affecting the healthcare industry that affect our costs of compliance or increase the costs, or otherwise affect the operations or our property managers or tenant;

 

    the ability of our property managers and tenant to maintain the financial strength and liquidity necessary to satisfy their respective obligations and liabilities to us and third parties;

 

iv


    the quality and size of our investment pipeline, our ability to execute investments at attractive risk-adjusted prices, our ability to finance our investments on favorable terms, and our ability to deploy investable cash in a timely manner;

 

    our ability to sell properties on favorable terms and to realize the anticipated benefits from any such dispositions;

 

    changes in economic conditions generally and the real estate, senior housing and bond markets specifically;

 

    our stock price performance and any disruption or lack of access to the capital markets or other sources of financing;

 

    the impact of any current or future legal proceedings and regulatory investigations and inquiries on us, our Manager or our operators;

 

    potential conflicts of interest relating to our external management structure, the fact that Holiday is majority-owned by private equity funds managed by our Manager (or its affiliates), or other factors, and our ability to effectively manage and resolve actual, potential or perceived conflicts of interest;

 

    effects of the recently completed merger of Fortress Investment Group LLC with affiliates of SoftBank Group Corp. (“Softbank”);

 

    our ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting and our reliance on our operators for timely delivery of accurate property-level financial results;

 

    our ability to maintain our qualification as a Real Estate Investment Trust (“REIT”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes and the potentially onerous consequences that any failure to maintain such qualification would have on our business;

 

    our ability to maintain our exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) and the fact that maintaining such exemption imposes limits on our business strategy; and

 

    other risks detailed from time to time in our reports filed with the Commission, which are incorporated by reference herein. See “Incorporation of Certain Documents By Reference.”

We caution that you should not place undue reliance on any of our forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time, and it is impossible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. Except as required by law, we are under no obligation (and expressly disclaim any obligation) to update or alter any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that we may make from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

v


NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.

General

We are a publicly traded REIT with a diversified portfolio of primarily private pay senior housing properties located across the United States. We were formed as a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Drive Shack Inc., formerly Newcastle Investment Corp. (“Drive Shack”), on May 17, 2012. On November 6, 2014, we were spun off from Drive Shack with the distribution of all our outstanding shares to the holders of Drive Shack common stock. We are listed on the NYSE under the symbol “SNR” and are headquartered in New York, New York.

We are one of the largest owners of senior housing properties in the United States. As of March 31, 2018, our portfolio was comprised of 133 primarily private pay senior housing properties located across 37 states. We divide our properties into two reportable segments: (1) Managed Properties, which are operated by property managers pursuant to property management agreements and (2) Triple Net Lease Properties, which we lease to tenants through long-term triple net leases. See our consolidated financial statements and the related notes, which are incorporated herein by reference, for additional information.

Pursuant to a management agreement, we are externally managed and advised by our Manager, an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC (“Fortress”), which is a leading global investment management firm with approximately $40.9 billion of assets under management as of March 31, 2018. Fortress, through the private equity funds managed by its affiliates, is a large investor in the senior housing sector. Our Manager (or its affiliates) also manages private equity funds that currently own a majority of Holiday. Blue Harbor is an affiliate of our Manager. On December 27, 2017, Softbank announced that it completed its previously announced acquisition of Fortress (the “Softbank Merger”). In connection with the Softbank Merger, Fortress will operate within SoftBank as an independent business headquartered in New York. Fortress’s senior investment professionals will remain in place, including those individuals who perform services for us.

Our Corporate Information

We were formed as Newcastle Senior Living Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited liability company and wholly owned subsidiary of Newcastle Investment Corp. (“Newcastle”), on May 17, 2012. We converted to a Delaware corporation on May 30, 2014 and changed our name to New Senior Investment Group Inc. on June 16, 2014. On November 6, 2014, we were spun off from Newcastle through the distribution of all of our shares of common stock to the holders of Newcastle’s common stock and became a stand-alone publicly traded company. The address of our principal executive office is 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 45th Floor, New York, New York 10105, care of New Senior Investment Group Inc. Our telephone number is (212) 479-3140. Our Internet address is newseniorinv.com. newseniorinv.com is an interactive textual reference only, meaning that the information contained on the website is not part of this prospectus and is not incorporated into this prospectus or any accompanying prospectus supplement by reference.

 

1


RISK FACTORS

Before you invest in any of our securities, in addition to the other information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement or other offering materials, you should carefully consider the risk factors in any prospectus supplement as well as under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Part II, Item 1A. in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 and under the heading “Risk Factors” contained in Part II, Item 1A. in our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended March 31, 2018, which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, as the same may be amended, supplemented or superseded from time to time by our filings under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These risks could materially and adversely affect our business, operating results, cash flows and financial condition and could result in a partial or complete loss of your investment. See “Incorporation of Certain Documents By Reference” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements.”

 

2


USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement or other offering material, we will use the net proceeds from any sale of securities for general corporate purposes. We may provide additional information on the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the offered securities in an applicable prospectus supplement or other offering materials relating to the offered securities.

Unless set forth in an accompanying prospectus supplement, we will not receive any proceeds in the event that securities are sold by a selling stockholder. We may pay expenses in connection with sales by selling stockholders.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods indicated:

 

     Three Months
Ended
March 31, 2018
    Year Ended December 31,  
       2017      2016     2015     2014     2013  

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

     (1)      1.17        (1)      (1)      (1)      (1) 

 

(1) The ratio of earnings to fixed charges was less than one-to-one for these periods. Earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges by $13.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2018, $71.8 million for 2016, $86.1 million for 2015, $46.2 million for 2014 and $29.4 million for 2013. During all of the periods presented, we had no preferred stock outstanding. Therefore, the ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends does not differ from the ratio of earnings to fixed charges presented herein.

 

3


DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

We may offer unsecured debt securities in one or more series which may be senior, subordinated or junior subordinated, and which may be convertible into another security. Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, our debt securities will be issued in one or more series under an indenture to be entered into between us and U.S. Bank, National Association. Holders of our indebtedness will be structurally subordinated to holders of any indebtedness (including trade payables) of any of our subsidiaries.

The following description briefly sets forth certain general terms and provisions of the debt securities. The particular terms of the debt securities offered by any prospectus supplement and the extent, if any, to which these general provisions may apply to the debt securities, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. A form of the indenture is attached as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. The terms of the debt securities will include those set forth in the applicable indenture and those made a part of the global indenture by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (“TIA”). You should read the summary below, the applicable prospectus supplement and provisions of the applicable indenture and indenture supplement, if any, in their entirety before investing in our debt securities.

The aggregate principal amount of debt securities that may be issued under the indenture is unlimited. The prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the debt securities. These terms may include the following, with respect to any such series:

 

    the title and aggregate principal amount of the debt securities and any limit on the aggregate principal amount;

 

    whether the debt securities will be senior, subordinated or junior subordinated;

 

    any applicable subordination provisions for any subordinated debt securities;

 

    the maturity date(s) or method for determining same;

 

    the interest rate(s) or the method for determining same;

 

    the dates on which interest will accrue or the method for determining dates on which interest will accrue and dates on which interest will be payable and whether interest shall be payable in cash or additional securities;

 

    whether the debt securities are convertible or exchangeable into other securities and any related terms and conditions;

 

    redemption or early repayment provisions;

 

    authorized denominations;

 

    if other than the principal amount, the principal amount of debt securities payable upon acceleration;

 

    place(s) where payment of principal and interest may be made, where debt securities may be presented and where notices or demands upon the company may be made;

 

    whether such debt securities will be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities and the date as which the securities are dated if other than the date of original issuance;

 

    amount of discount or premium, if any, with which such debt securities will be issued;

 

    any covenants applicable to the particular debt securities being issued;

 

    any additions or changes in the defaults and events of default applicable to the particular debt securities being issued;

 

4


    the guarantors of each series, if any, and the extent of the guarantees (including provisions relating to seniority, subordination and release of the guarantees), if any;

 

    the currency, currencies or currency units in which the purchase price for, the principal of and any premium and any interest on, such debt securities will be payable;

 

    the time period within which, the manner in which and the terms and conditions upon which the holders of the debt securities or the company can select the payment currency;

 

    our obligation or right to redeem, purchase or repay debt securities under a sinking fund, amortization or analogous provision;

 

    any restriction or conditions on the transferability of the debt securities;

 

    provisions granting special rights to holders of the debt securities upon occurrence of specified events;

 

    additions or changes relating to compensation or reimbursement of the trustee of the series of debt securities;

 

    additions or changes to the provisions for the defeasance of the debt securities or to provisions related to satisfaction and discharge of the indenture;

 

    provisions relating to the modification of the indenture both with and without the consent of holders of debt securities issued under the indenture and the execution of supplemental indentures for such series; and

 

    any other terms of the debt securities (which terms shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of the TIA, but may modify, amend, supplement or delete any of the terms of the indenture with respect to such debt securities).

General

We may sell the debt securities, including original issue discount securities, at par or at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount. Unless we inform you otherwise in a prospectus supplement, we may issue additional debt securities of a particular series without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series or any other series outstanding at the time of issuance. Any such additional debt securities, together with all other outstanding debt securities of that series, will constitute a single series of securities under the indenture.

We will describe in the applicable prospectus supplement any other special considerations for any debt securities we sell which are denominated in a currency or currency unit other than U.S. dollars. In addition, debt securities may be issued where the amount of principal and/or interest payable is determined by reference to one or more currency exchange rates, commodity prices, equity indices or other factors. Holders of such securities may receive a principal amount or a payment of interest that is greater than or less than the amount of principal or interest otherwise payable on such dates, depending upon the value of the applicable currencies, commodities, equity indices or other factors. Information as to the methods for determining the amount of principal or interest, if any, payable on any date, and the currencies, commodities, equity indices or other factors to which the amount payable on such date would be linked, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

United States federal income tax consequences and special considerations, if any, applicable to any such series will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not be listed on any securities exchange.

We expect most debt securities to be issued in fully registered form without coupons and in denominations of $2,000 and any integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. Subject to the limitations provided in the indenture and prospectus supplement, debt securities that are issued in registered form may be transferred or exchanged at the designated corporate trust office of the trustee, without the payment of any service charge, other than any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith.

 

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Global Securities

Unless we inform you otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of a series may be issued in whole or in part in the form of one or more global securities that will be deposited with, or on behalf of, a depositary identified in the applicable prospectus supplement. Global securities will be issued in registered form and in either temporary or definitive form. Unless and until it is exchanged in whole or in part for the individual debt securities, a global security may not be transferred except as a whole by the depositary for such global security to a nominee of such depositary or by a nominee of such depositary to such depositary or to another nominee of such depositary or by such depositary or any such nominee to a successor of such depositary or to a nominee of such successor. The specific terms of the depositary arrangement with respect to any debt securities of a series and the rights of and limitations upon owners of beneficial interests in a global security will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Governing Law

The indenture and the debt securities shall be construed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of laws principles thereof.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

The following descriptions are summaries of the material terms of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws. These descriptions may not contain all of the information that is important to you. To understand them fully, you should read our certificate of incorporation and bylaws, copies of which are filed with the Commission as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part.

Please note that, with respect to any of our shares held in book-entry form through The Depository Trust Company or any other share depository, the depository or its nominee will be the sole registered and legal owner of those shares, and references in this prospectus to any “stockholder” or “holder” of those shares means only the depository or its nominee. Persons who hold beneficial interests in our shares through a depository will not be registered or legal owners of those shares and will not be recognized as such for any purpose. For example, only the depository or its nominee will be entitled to vote the shares held through it, and any dividends or other distributions to be paid, and any notices to be given, in respect of those shares will be paid or given only to the depository or its nominee. Owners of beneficial interests in those shares will have to look solely to the depository with respect to any benefits of share ownership, and any rights they may have with respect to those shares will be governed by the rules of the depository, which are subject to change from time to time. We have no responsibility for those rules or their application to any interests held through the depository.

Authorized Capital Stock

Our authorized capital stock consists of:

 

    2,000,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share; and

 

    100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.01 per share.

As of June 15, 2018, 82,148,869 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding. All the outstanding shares of our common stock are fully paid and non-assessable. No shares of our preferred stock are outstanding.

Common Stock

Each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share of common stock held on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Except as provided with respect to any other class or series of stock, the holders of our common stock will possess the exclusive right to vote for the election of directors and for all other purposes. Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of common stock can elect all of the directors standing for election, and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors.

Subject to any preference rights of holders of any preferred stock that we may issue in the future, holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends, if any, declared from time to time by our board of directors out of legally available funds. In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in all assets remaining after the payment of liabilities, subject to any rights of holders of our preferred stock prior to distribution.

Holders of our common stock have no preemptive, subscription, redemption or conversion rights. Any shares of common stock issued pursuant to this prospectus will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

Preferred Stock

Our board of directors has the authority, without action by our stockholders, to issue preferred stock and to fix voting powers for each class or series of preferred stock, and to provide that any class or series may be subject to redemption, entitled to receive dividends, entitled to rights upon dissolution, or convertible or exchangeable

 

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for shares of any other class or classes of capital stock. The rights with respect to a series or class of preferred stock may be greater than the rights attached to our common stock. It is not possible to state the actual effect of the issuance of any shares of our preferred stock on the rights of holders of our common stock until our board of directors determines the specific rights attached to that preferred stock. The effect of issuing preferred stock could include, among other things, one or more of the following:

 

    restricting dividends in respect of our common stock;

 

    diluting the voting power of our common stock or providing that holders of preferred stock have the right to vote on matters as a class;

 

    impairing the liquidation rights of our common stock; or

 

    delaying or preventing a change of control of us.

Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer of Capital Stock

In order to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), for each taxable year beginning after December 31, 2014, our shares of capital stock must be beneficially owned by 100 or more persons during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Also, for our taxable years beginning after December 31, 2014, no more than 50% of the value of our outstanding shares of capital stock may be owned, directly or constructively, by five or fewer individuals (as defined in the Code to include certain entities) during the second half of any calendar year.

Our certificate of incorporation, subject to certain exceptions, contains restrictions on the number of shares of our capital stock that a person may own and may prohibit certain entities from owning our shares. Our certificate of incorporation provides that (subject to certain exceptions described below) no person may beneficially or constructively own, or be deemed to own by virtue of the attribution provisions of the Code, more than 9.8% in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive, of our outstanding shares of common or capital stock. Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, our board of directors has the power to increase or decrease the percentage of common or capital stock that a person may beneficially or constructively own. However, any decreased stock ownership limit will not apply to any person whose percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, is in excess of such decreased stock ownership limit until that person’s percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, equals or falls below the decreased stock ownership limit. Until such a person’s percentage ownership of our common or capital stock, as the case may be, falls below such decreased stock ownership limit, any further acquisition of common stock will be in violation of the decreased stock ownership limit.

Our certificate of incorporation also prohibits any person from beneficially or constructively owning shares of our capital stock that would result in our being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code or otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT (including through ownership that results in our owning (actually or constructively) an interest in a tenant as described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code) and from transferring shares of our capital stock if the transfer would result in our capital stock being beneficially owned by fewer than 100 persons. Any person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire beneficial or constructive ownership of shares of our capital stock that will or may violate any of the foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership, or who is the intended transferee of shares of our capital stock that are transferred to the trust (as described below), is required to give written notice immediately to us and provide us with such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect of such transfer on our qualification as a REIT. The foregoing restrictions on transferability and ownership will not apply if our board of directors determines that it is no longer in our best interests to attempt to qualify, or to continue to qualify, as a REIT.

Our board of directors, in its sole discretion, may exempt a person from the foregoing restrictions. The person seeking an exemption must provide to our board of directors such conditions, representations and undertakings as our board of directors may deem reasonably necessary to conclude that granting the exemption

 

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will not cause us to lose our qualification as a REIT. Our board of directors may also require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) or an opinion of counsel in order to determine or ensure our qualification as a REIT in the context of granting such exemptions.

Any attempted transfer of our capital stock which, if effective, would result in a violation of the foregoing restrictions will cause the number of shares causing the violation (rounded up to the nearest whole share) to be automatically transferred to a trust for the exclusive benefit of one or more charitable beneficiaries, and the proposed transferee will not acquire any rights in such shares. The automatic transfer will be deemed to be effective as of the close of business on the business day (as defined in our certificate of incorporation) prior to the date of the transfer. If, for any reason, the transfer to the trust does not occur or would not prevent a violation of the restrictions on ownership contained in our certificate of incorporation, our certificate of incorporation provides that the purported transfer will be void ab initio. Shares of our capital stock held in the trust will be issued and outstanding shares. The proposed transferee will not benefit economically from ownership of any shares of our capital stock held in the trust, will have no rights to dividends and no rights to vote or other rights attributable to the shares of capital stock held in the trust. The trustee of the trust will have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other distributions with respect to shares held in the trust. These rights will be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the charitable beneficiary. Any dividend or other distribution paid prior to our discovery that shares of capital stock have been transferred to the trust will be paid by the recipient to the trustee upon demand. Any dividend or other distribution authorized but unpaid will be paid when due to the trustee. Any dividend or distribution paid to the trustee will be held in trust for the charitable beneficiary. Subject to Delaware law, the trustee will have the authority to rescind as void any vote cast by the proposed transferee prior to our discovery that the shares have been transferred to the trust and to recast the vote in accordance with the desires of the trustee acting for the benefit of the charitable beneficiary. However, if we have already taken irreversible corporate action, then the trustee will not have the authority to rescind and recast the vote.

Within 20 days of receiving notice from us that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trust, the trustee will sell the shares to a person designated by the trustee, whose ownership of the shares will not violate the above ownership limitations. Upon such sale, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee and to the charitable beneficiary as follows: the proposed transferee will receive the lesser of (1) the price paid by the proposed transferee for the shares or, if the proposed transferee did not give value for the shares in connection with the event causing the shares to be held in the trust (e.g., a gift, devise or other similar transaction), the market price (as defined in our certificate of incorporation) of the shares on the day of the event causing the shares to be held in the trust and (2) the price received by the trustee from the sale or other disposition of the shares. The trust may reduce the amount payable to the proposed transferee by the amount of dividends and distributions paid to the proposed transferee and owed by the proposed transferee to the trust.

Any net sale proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the proposed transferee will be paid immediately to the charitable beneficiary. If, prior to our discovery that shares of our capital stock have been transferred to the trust, the shares are sold by the proposed transferee, then (1) the shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the trust and (2) to the extent that the proposed transferee received an amount for the shares that exceeds the amount the proposed transferee was entitled to receive, the excess shall be paid to the trustee upon demand.

In addition, shares of our capital stock held in the trust will be deemed to have been offered for sale to us, or our designee, at a price per share equal to the lesser of the price per share in the transaction that resulted in the transfer to the trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the market price at the time of the devise or gift) and the market price on the date we, or our designee, accept the offer. We will have the right to accept the offer until the trustee has sold the shares. Upon a sale to us, the interest of the charitable beneficiary in the shares sold will terminate and the trustee will distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the proposed transferee.

Every owner of 5% or more (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the regulations promulgated thereunder) in number or in value of all classes or series of our capital stock, including shares of our

 

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common stock, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, will be required to give written notice to us stating the name and address of such owner, the number of shares of each class and series of shares of our capital stock that the owner beneficially owns and a description of the manner in which the shares are held. Each owner shall provide to us such additional information as we may request to determine the effect, if any, of the beneficial ownership on our qualification as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the ownership limitations. In addition, each such owner shall, upon demand, be required to provide to us such information as we may request, in good faith, to determine our qualification as a REIT and to comply with the requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance and to ensure compliance with the 9.8% ownership limitations in our certificate of incorporation.

These ownership limitations could delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or might otherwise be in the best interests of our stockholders.

Anti-Takeover Effects of Delaware Law, Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

The following is a summary of certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and bylaws that may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, deter or prevent a tender offer or takeover attempt that a stockholder might consider to be in its best interest, including those attempts that might result in a premium over the market price for the shares held by stockholders.

Authorized but Unissued Shares

The authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and our preferred stock will be available for future issuance without obtaining stockholder approval. These additional shares may be utilized for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public offerings to raise additional capital, corporate acquisitions, and employee benefit plans. The existence of authorized but unissued shares of our common stock and preferred stock could render more difficult or discourage an attempt to obtain control over us by means of a proxy contest, tender offer, merger or otherwise.

Delaware Business Combination Statute

We are organized under Delaware law. Some provisions of Delaware law may delay or prevent a transaction that would cause a change in our control. Our certificate of incorporation provides that Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (the “DGCL”), as amended, an anti-takeover law, will not apply to us. In general, this statute prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business combination with an interested stockholder for a period of three years after the date of the transaction by which that person became an interested stockholder, unless the business combination is approved in a prescribed manner. For purposes of Section 203, a business combination includes a merger, asset sale or other transaction resulting in a financial benefit to the interested stockholder, and an interested stockholder is a person who, together with affiliates and associates, owns, or within three years prior, did own, 15% or more of voting stock.

Other Provisions of Our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Our certificate of incorporation provides for a staggered board of directors consisting of three classes of directors. Directors of each class are chosen for three-year terms upon the expiration of their current terms and each year one class of our directors will be elected by our stockholders. The term of the first class expires in 2018 and the terms of the second and third classes will expire in 2019 and 2020, respectively. We believe that classification of our board of directors helps to assure the continuity and stability of our business strategies and policies as determined by our board of directors. Additionally, there is no cumulative voting in the election of directors. This classified board provision could have the effect of making the replacement of incumbent directors more time consuming and difficult. At least two annual meetings of stockholders, instead of one, will generally be required to effect a change in a majority of our board of directors.

 

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Thus, the classified board provision could increase the likelihood that incumbent directors will retain their positions. The staggered terms of directors may delay, defer or prevent a tender offer or an attempt to change control of us, even though a tender offer or change in control might be believed by our stockholders to be in their best interest. In addition, our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that directors may be removed only for cause and only with the affirmative vote of at least 80% of the then issued and outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote in the election of directors.

Pursuant to our certificate of incorporation, shares of our preferred stock may be issued from time to time, and the board of directors is authorized to determine and alter all rights, preferences, privileges, qualifications, limitations and restrictions without limitation. See “Description of Capital Stock—Preferred Stock.” Our bylaws do not provide our stockholders with the ability to call a special meeting of the stockholders.

Ability of Our Stockholders to Act

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws do not permit our stockholders to call special stockholders meetings (provided, however, that Newcastle and certain other affiliates of Fortress and permitted transferees (collectively, the “Fortress Stockholders”) may call special meetings of our stockholders). Written notice of any special meeting so called shall be given to each stockholder of record entitled to vote at such meeting not less than 10 or more than 60 days before the date of such meeting, unless otherwise required by law.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our stockholders may consent in writing to take any action in lieu of taking such action at a duly called annual or special meeting of our stockholders.

Our bylaws provide that nominations of persons for election to our board of directors may be made at any annual meeting of our stockholders, or at any special meeting of our stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, (a) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (b) by any of our stockholders. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for a nomination to be properly brought by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to our secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices (a) in the case of an annual meeting of stockholders, not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 days before or after such anniversary date, notice by a stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs; and (b) in the case of a special meeting of our stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which notice of the date of the special meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the special meeting was made, whichever first occurs.

Our bylaws provide that no business may be transacted at any annual meeting of our stockholders, other than business that is either (a) specified in the notice of meeting given by or at the direction of our board, (b) otherwise properly brought before the annual meeting by or at the direction of our board, or (c) otherwise properly brought by any of our stockholders. In addition to any other applicable requirements, for business to be properly brought before an annual meeting by a stockholder, such stockholder must have given timely notice thereof in proper written form to our secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed and received at our principal executive offices not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days prior to the anniversary date of the immediately preceding annual meeting of stockholders; provided, however, that in the event that the annual meeting is called for a date that is not within 30 days before or after such anniversary date, notice by a stockholder in order to be timely must be so received not later than the close of business on the tenth day following the day on which such notice of the date of the annual meeting was mailed or such public disclosure of the date of the annual meeting was made, whichever first occurs.

 

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Forum Selection Clause

Our bylaws provide that the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors or officers or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim arising pursuant to any provision of the DGCL or our certificate of incorporation or bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine.

Limitations on Liability and Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that our directors will not be personally liable to us or our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of a fiduciary duty as a director, except to the extent such limitation of liability is not permitted under the DGCL, as hereafter amended. The DGCL currently prohibits limitations on liability for:

 

    any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to us or our stockholders,

 

    acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law;

 

    liability under Delaware corporate law for an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption of stock; or

 

    any transaction from which the director derives an improper personal benefit.

Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws provide that we must indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. We are also expressly authorized to advance certain expenses (including attorneys’ fees and disbursements and court costs) to our directors and officers and carry directors’ and officers’ insurance providing indemnification for our directors and officers for some liabilities. We believe that these indemnification provisions and insurance are useful to attract and retain qualified directors and executive officers.

We have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers. Each indemnification agreement provides, among other things, for indemnification to the fullest extent permitted by law and our certificate of incorporation against (i) any and all expenses and liabilities, including judgments, fines, penalties and amounts paid in settlement of any claim and counsel fees and disbursements, (ii) any liability pursuant to a loan guarantee, or otherwise, for any of our indebtedness and (iii) any liabilities incurred as a result of acting on our behalf (as a fiduciary or otherwise) in connection with an employee benefit plan. The indemnification agreements provide for the advancement or payment of all expenses to the indemnitee and for reimbursement to us if it is found that such indemnitee is not entitled to such indemnification under applicable law and our certificate of incorporation. These provisions and agreements may have the practical effect in some cases of eliminating our stockholders’ ability to collect monetary damages from our directors and executive officers.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, we have been informed that, in the opinion of the Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

Corporate Opportunity

Under our certificate of incorporation, to the extent permitted by law:

 

   

the Fortress Stockholders and their affiliates have the right to, and have no duty to abstain from, exercising such right to, engage or invest in the same or similar business as us, do business with any of

 

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our clients, customers or vendors or employ or otherwise engage any of our officers, directors or employees;

 

    if the Fortress Stockholders or their affiliates, or any of their officers, directors or employees, acquire knowledge of a potential transaction that could be a corporate opportunity, they have no duty to offer such corporate opportunity to us, our stockholders or affiliates;

 

    we renounced any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to participate in, such corporate opportunities; and

 

    in the event that any of our directors and officers who is also a director, officer or employee of any of the Fortress Stockholders or their affiliates acquires knowledge of a corporate opportunity or is offered a corporate opportunity, provided that this knowledge was not acquired solely in such person’s capacity as our director or officer and such person acted in good faith, then such person is deemed to have fully satisfied such person’s fiduciary duty and is not liable to us if any of the Fortress Stockholders or their affiliates pursues or acquires such corporate opportunity or if such person did not present the corporate opportunity to us.

Transfer Agent

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

Listing

Our common stock is listed on the NYSE under the symbol “SNR.”

 

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DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES

We may issue depositary receipts representing interests in shares of particular series of preferred stock which are called depositary shares. We will deposit the preferred stock of a series which is the subject of depositary shares with a depositary, which will hold that preferred stock for the benefit of the holders of the depositary shares, in accordance with a deposit agreement between the depositary and us. The holders of depositary shares will be entitled to all the rights and preferences of the preferred stock to which the depositary shares relate, including dividend, voting, conversion, redemption and liquidation rights, to the extent of their interests in that preferred stock.

While the deposit agreement relating to a particular series of preferred stock may have provisions applicable solely to that series of preferred stock, all deposit agreements relating to preferred stock we issue will include the following provisions:

Dividends and Other Distributions

Each time we pay a cash dividend or make any other type of cash distribution with regard to preferred stock of a series, the depositary will distribute to the holder of record of each depositary share relating to that series of preferred stock an amount equal to the dividend or other distribution per depositary share the depositary receives. If there is a distribution of property other than cash, the depositary either will distribute the property to the holders of depositary shares in proportion to the depositary shares held by each of them, or the depositary will, if we approve, sell the property and distribute the net proceeds to the holders of the depositary shares in proportion to the depositary shares held by them.

Withdrawal of Preferred Stock

A holder of depositary shares will be entitled to receive, upon surrender of depositary receipts representing depositary shares, the number of whole or fractional shares of the applicable series of preferred stock, and any money or other property, to which the depositary shares relate.

Redemption of Depositary Shares

Whenever we redeem shares of preferred stock held by a depositary, the depositary will be required to redeem, on the same redemption date, depositary shares constituting, in total, the number of shares of preferred stock held by the depositary which we redeem, subject to the depositary’s receiving the redemption price of those shares of preferred stock. If fewer than all the depositary shares relating to a series are to be redeemed, the depositary shares to be redeemed will be selected by lot or by another method we determine to be equitable.

Voting

Any time we send a notice of meeting or other materials relating to a meeting to the holders of a series of preferred stock to which depositary shares relate, we will provide the depositary with sufficient copies of those materials so they can be sent to all holders of record of the applicable depositary shares, and the depositary will send those materials to the holders of record of the depositary shares on the record date for the meeting. The depositary will solicit voting instructions from holders of depositary shares and will vote or not vote the preferred stock to which the depositary shares relate in accordance with those instructions.

Liquidation Preference

In the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, the holder of each depositary share will be entitled to what the holder of the depositary share would have received if the holder had owned the number of shares (or fraction of a share) of preferred stock which is represented by the depositary share.

 

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Conversion

If shares of a series of preferred stock are convertible into common stock or other of our securities or property, holders of depositary shares relating to that series of preferred stock will, if they surrender depositary receipts representing depositary shares and appropriate instructions to convert them, receive the shares of common stock or other securities or property into which the number of shares (or fractions of shares) of preferred stock to which the depositary shares relate could at the time be converted.

Amendment and Termination of a Deposit Agreement

We and the depositary may amend a deposit agreement, except that an amendment which materially and adversely affects the rights of holders of depositary shares, or would be materially and adversely inconsistent with the rights granted to the holders of the preferred stock to which they relate, must be approved by holders of at least two-thirds of the outstanding depositary shares. No amendment will impair the right of a holder of depositary shares to surrender the depositary receipts evidencing those depositary shares and receive the preferred stock to which they relate, except as required to comply with law. We may terminate a deposit agreement with the consent of holders of a majority of the depositary shares to which it relates. Upon termination of a deposit agreement, the depositary will make the whole or fractional shares of preferred stock to which the depositary shares issued under the deposit agreement relate available to the holders of those depositary shares. A deposit agreement will automatically terminate if:

 

    All outstanding depositary shares to which it relates have been redeemed or converted.

 

    The depositary has made a final distribution to the holders of the depositary shares issued under the deposit agreement upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up.

Miscellaneous

There will be provisions: (1) requiring the depositary to forward to holders of record of depositary shares any reports or communications from us which the depositary receives with respect to the preferred stock to which the depositary shares relate; (2) regarding compensation of the depositary; (3) regarding resignation of the depositary; (4) limiting our liability and the liability of the depositary under the deposit agreement (usually to failure to act in good faith, gross negligence or willful misconduct); and (5) indemnifying the depositary against certain possible liabilities.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants to purchase debt or equity securities. We may issue warrants independently or together with any offered securities. The warrants may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. We will issue the warrants under warrant agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or trust company, as warrant agent, all as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of warrants.

The prospectus supplement relating to any warrants that we may offer will contain the specific terms of the warrants. These terms may include the following:

 

    the title of the warrants;

 

    the designation, amount and terms of the securities for which the warrants are exercisable;

 

    the designation and terms of the other securities, if any, with which the warrants are to be issued and the number of warrants issued with each other security;

 

    the price or prices at which the warrants will be issued;

 

    the aggregate number of warrants;

 

    any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the warrants or the exercise price of the warrants;

 

    the price or prices at which the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

 

    if applicable, the date on and after which the warrants and the securities purchasable upon exercise of the warrants will be separately transferable;

 

    if applicable, a discussion of the material U.S. federal income tax considerations applicable to the exercise of the warrants;

 

    any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants;

 

    the date on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence, and the date on which the right will expire;

 

    the maximum or minimum number of warrants that may be exercised at any time; and

 

    information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any.

Exercise of Warrants

Each warrant will entitle the holder of warrants to purchase for cash the amount of debt or equity securities, at the exercise price stated or determinable in the prospectus supplement for the warrants. Warrants may be exercised at any time up to the close of business on the expiration date shown in the applicable prospectus supplement, unless otherwise specified in such prospectus supplement. After the close of business on the expiration date, unexercised warrants will become void. Warrants may be exercised as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. When the warrant holder makes the payment and properly completes and signs the warrant certificate at the corporate trust office of the warrant agent or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement, we will, as soon as possible, forward the debt or equity securities that the warrant holder has purchased. If the warrant holder exercises the warrant for less than all of the warrants represented by the warrant certificate, we will issue a new warrant certificate for the remaining warrants.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF SUBSCRIPTION RIGHTS

We may issue subscription rights to purchase shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or our debt securities. We may issue subscription rights independently or together with any other offered security, which may or may not be transferable by the stockholder. In connection with any offering of subscription rights, we may enter into a standby arrangement with one or more underwriters or other purchasers pursuant to which the underwriters or other purchasers may be required to purchase any securities remaining unsubscribed for after such offering.

The prospectus supplement relating to any subscription rights we may offer will contain the specific terms of the subscription rights. These terms may include the following:

 

    the price, if any, for the subscription rights;

 

    the number and terms of each share of common stock or preferred stock or debt securities which may be purchased per each subscription right;

 

    the exercise price payable for each share of common stock or preferred stock or debt securities upon the exercise of the subscription rights;

 

    the extent to which the subscription rights are transferable;

 

    any provisions for adjustment of the number or amount of securities receivable upon exercise of the subscription rights or the exercise price of the subscription rights;

 

    any other terms of the subscription rights, including the terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the subscription rights;

 

    the date on which the right to exercise the subscription rights shall commence, and the date on which the subscription rights shall expire;

 

    the extent to which the subscription rights may include an over-subscription privilege with respect to unsubscribed securities; and

 

    if applicable, the material terms of any standby underwriting or purchase arrangement entered into by us in connection with the offering of subscription rights.

The description in an accompanying prospectus supplement of any subscription rights we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable subscription rights certificate or subscription rights agreement, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer subscription rights. For more information on how you can obtain copies of any subscription rights certificate or subscription rights agreement if we offer subscription rights, see “Where You Can Find More Information.” We urge you to read the applicable subscription rights certificate, the applicable subscription rights agreement and any accompanying prospectus supplement in their entirety.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF PURCHASE CONTRACTS AND PURCHASE UNITS

We may issue purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us, and obligating us to sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of our common stock, shares of our preferred stock or our debt securities at a future date or dates, which we refer to in this prospectus as purchase contracts. The price of the securities and the number of securities may be fixed at the time the purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by reference to a specific formula set forth in the purchase contracts, and may be subject to adjustment under anti-dilution formulas. The purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of units consisting of a stock purchase contract and debt securities, preferred securities or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, or any combination of the foregoing, securing the holders’ obligations to purchase the securities under the purchase contracts, which we refer to herein as purchase units. The purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations under the purchase contracts in a specified manner. The purchase contracts also may require us to make periodic payments to the holders of the purchase contracts or the purchase units, as the case may be, or vice versa, and those payments may be unsecured or pre-funded in whole or in part.

The description in an accompanying prospectus supplement of any purchase contract or purchase unit we offer will not necessarily be complete and will be qualified in its entirety by reference to the applicable purchase contract or purchase unit, which will be filed with the SEC if we offer purchase contracts or purchase units. For more information on how you can obtain copies of any purchase contract or purchase unit we may offer, see “Where You Can Find More Information.” We urge you to read the applicable purchase contract or applicable purchase unit and any accompanying prospectus supplement in their entirety.

 

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SELLING STOCKHOLDERS

Information about selling stockholders (which may include the Manager or employees of the Manager), when applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment or in filings we make with the SEC under the Exchange Act which are incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

 

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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The following is a summary of U.S. federal income tax consequences generally applicable to an investment in common stock of New Senior Investment Group. This summary does not discuss the consequences of an investment in shares of our preferred stock, debt securities, warrants, subscription rights, purchase contracts, purchase units or other securities. The tax consequences of such an investment will be discussed in a relevant prospectus supplement. For purposes of this section under the heading “U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations,” references to “New Senior Investment Group,” “we,” “our” and “us” mean only New Senior Investment Group Inc. and not its subsidiaries or other lower-tier entities, except as otherwise indicated, and references to Drive Shack refer to Drive Shack Inc. (formerly Newcastle Investment Corp.). This summary is based upon the Code, the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department, rulings and other administrative pronouncements issued by the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect, and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. We have not sought and do not intend to seek, an advance ruling from the IRS regarding any matter discussed in this prospectus. The summary is also based upon the assumption that we will operate New Senior Investment Group and its subsidiaries and affiliated entities in accordance with their applicable organizational documents or partnership agreements. This summary is for general information only and is not tax advice. The Code provisions governing the U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs and their stockholders are highly technical and complex, and this summary is qualified in its entirety by the express language of applicable Code provisions, Treasury regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof. Moreover, this summary does not purport to discuss all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation that may be important to a particular investor in light of its investment or tax circumstances, or to investors subject to special tax rules, such as:

 

    financial institutions;

 

    insurance companies;

 

    broker-dealers;

 

    regulated investment companies;

 

    partnerships and trusts;

 

    persons who hold our stock on behalf of another person as a nominee;

 

    persons who receive our stock through the exercise of employee stock options or otherwise as compensation;

 

    persons holding our stock as part of a “straddle,” “hedge,” “conversion transaction,” “synthetic security” or other integrated investment;

 

    U.S. expatriates;

 

    persons whose functional currency is not the U.S. dollar;

 

    persons subject to the mark-to-market method of accounting for their securities;

 

    persons who own (actually or constructively) more than 10% of our stock;

and, except to the extent discussed below:

 

    tax-exempt organizations; and

 

    foreign investors.

This summary assumes that investors will hold their common stock as a capital asset, which generally means as property held for investment.

 

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For purposes of this discussion, a domestic holder is a stockholder of New Senior Investment Group that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:

 

    a citizen or resident of the U.S.,

 

    a corporation created or organized in the U.S. or under the laws of the U.S., or of any state thereof, or the District of Columbia,

 

    an estate, the income of which is includable in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes regardless of its source, or

 

    a trust if a U.S. court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more U.S. fiduciaries have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.

A “non-U.S. holder” is a stockholder of New Senior Investment Group that is neither a domestic holder nor a partnership (or other entity or arrangement treated as a partnership) for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If a partnership, including for this purpose any entity or arrangement that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, holds our stock, the tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership. An investor that is a partnership and the partners in such partnership should consult their tax advisors about the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the acquisition, ownership and disposition of our stock.

THE U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX TREATMENT OF HOLDERS OF OUR COMMON STOCK DEPENDS IN SOME INSTANCES ON DETERMINATIONS OF FACT AND INTERPRETATIONS OF COMPLEX PROVISIONS OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX LAW FOR WHICH NO CLEAR PRECEDENT OR AUTHORITY MAY BE AVAILABLE. IN ADDITION, THE TAX CONSEQUENCES TO ANY PARTICULAR STOCKHOLDER OF HOLDING OUR COMMON STOCK WILL DEPEND ON THE STOCKHOLDER’S PARTICULAR TAX CIRCUMSTANCES. YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE U.S. FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND FOREIGN INCOME AND OTHER TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU IN LIGHT OF YOUR PARTICULAR INVESTMENT OR TAX CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUIRING, HOLDING, EXCHANGING, OR OTHERWISE DISPOSING OF OUR COMMON STOCK.

Taxation of New Senior Investment Group

We have elected to be taxed as a REIT, and we intend to operate in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.

The law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP (“tax counsel”) has acted as our tax counsel in connection with our formation and the filing of this registration statement. In connection with the filing of this registration statement, we expect to receive an opinion of tax counsel to the effect that we have been organized and operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under the Code, and that our actual method of operation has enabled, and our proposed method of operation will enable, us to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT for our taxable year ending December 31, 2018, and subsequent years. It must be emphasized that the opinion of tax counsel will be based on various assumptions relating to our organization and operation, and will be conditioned upon fact-based representations and covenants made by our management regarding our organization, assets, income, and the past, present and future conduct of our business operations. While we intend to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given by tax counsel or by us that we will qualify as a REIT for any particular year. The opinion will be expressed as of the date issued, and will not cover subsequent periods. Tax counsel will have no obligation to advise us or our stockholders of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed, or of any subsequent change in the applicable law. You should be aware that opinions of counsel are not binding on the IRS, and no assurance can be given that the IRS will not challenge

 

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the conclusions set forth in such opinions. In light of the discussion under the heading “—Failure to Qualify,” tax counsel’s opinion relies on a separate opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP regarding Drive Shack’s former organization and operation as a REIT (the “Drive Shack Opinion”). The Drive Shack Opinion, in turn, relies upon various legal opinions issued by other counsel for Drive Shack and its predecessors, including Sidley Austin LLP and Thacher Proffitt & Wood LLP, with respect to certain issues and transactions.

Qualification and taxation as a REIT depends on the ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual operating results, distribution levels, and diversity of stock and asset ownership, various qualification requirements imposed upon REITs by the Code, the compliance with which will not be reviewed by tax counsel. In addition, our ability to qualify as a REIT depends in part upon the operating results, organizational structure and entity classification for U.S. federal income tax purposes of certain affiliated entities, the status of which may not have been reviewed by tax counsel. Our ability to qualify as a REIT also requires that we satisfy certain asset tests, some of which depend upon the fair market values of assets that we own directly or indirectly. Such values may not be susceptible to a precise determination. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operations for any taxable year will satisfy such requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.

Taxation of REITs in General

As indicated above, our qualification and taxation as a REIT depends upon our ability to meet, on a continuing basis, various qualification requirements imposed upon REITs by the Code. The material qualification requirements are summarized below under “—Requirements for Qualification—General.” While we intend to operate so that we qualify as a REIT, no assurance can be given that the IRS will not challenge our qualification, or that we will be able to operate in accordance with the REIT requirements in the future. See “—Failure to Qualify.”

Provided that we qualify as a REIT, we will generally be entitled to a deduction for dividends that we pay and therefore will not be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax on our taxable income that is currently distributed to our stockholders. This treatment substantially eliminates the “double taxation” at the corporate and stockholder levels that generally results from investment in a corporation. In general, the income that we generate is taxed only at the stockholder level upon a distribution of dividends to our stockholders.

Most domestic holders that are individuals, trusts or estates are taxed on corporate dividends at a reduced maximum rate (the same as long-term capital gains). With limited exceptions, however, dividends from us or from other entities that are taxed as REITs are generally not eligible for this rate, and will continue to be taxed at rates applicable to ordinary income. However, for taxable years that begin after December 31, 2017, and before January 1, 2026, stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates generally are entitled to a deduction equal to 20% of the aggregate amount of ordinary income dividends received from a REIT, subject to certain limitations. See “—Taxation of Stockholders—Taxation of Taxable Domestic Holders.”

Any net operating losses, foreign tax credits and other tax attributes generally do not pass through to our stockholders, subject to special rules for certain items such as the capital gains that we recognize. See “—Taxation of Stockholders.”

Even if we qualify as a REIT, we will nonetheless be subject to U.S. federal tax in the following circumstances:

 

    We will be taxed at regular corporate rates on any undistributed income, including undistributed net capital gains.

 

    If we have net income from prohibited transactions, which are, in general, sales or other dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, other than foreclosure property, such income will be subject to a 100% tax. See “—Prohibited Transactions,” and “—Foreclosure Property,” below.

 

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    If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or certain leasehold terminations as “foreclosure property,” we may thereby avoid the 100% tax on gain from a resale of that property (if the sale would otherwise constitute a prohibited transaction), but the income from the sale or operation of the property may be subject to corporate-level U.S. federal income tax at the highest applicable rate.

 

    If we should fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, as discussed below, but nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because we satisfy other requirements, we will be subject to a 100% tax on an amount based on the magnitude of the failure adjusted to reflect the profit margin associated with our gross income.

 

    If we should violate the asset tests (other than certain de minimis violations) or other requirements applicable to REITs, as described below, and yet maintain our qualification as a REIT because there is reasonable cause for the failure and other applicable requirements are met, we may be subject to a penalty tax. In that case, the amount of the penalty tax will be at least $50,000 per failure, and, in the case of certain asset test failures, will be determined as the amount of net income generated by the assets in question multiplied by the highest corporate tax rate if that amount exceeds $50,000 per failure.

 

    If we should fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (b) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we would be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of (i) the amounts that we actually distributed, plus (ii) the amounts we retained and upon which we paid income tax at the corporate level.

 

    We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet record keeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of a REIT’s stockholders, as described below in “—Requirements for Qualification—General.”

 

    A 100% tax may be imposed on transactions between us and a taxable REIT subsidiary (“TRS”) (as described below) that do not reflect arm’s-length terms.

 

    If we acquire appreciated assets from a corporation that is not a REIT (i.e., a corporation taxable under subchapter C of the Code) in a transaction in which the adjusted tax basis of the assets in our hands is determined by reference to the adjusted tax basis of the assets in the hands of the subchapter C corporation, we may be subject to tax on such appreciation at the highest corporate income tax rate then applicable if we subsequently recognize gain on a disposition of any such assets during the five-year period following their acquisition from the subchapter C corporation.

 

    The earnings of any subsidiary that is a subchapter C corporation, including any TRS, may be subject to U.S. federal corporate income tax.

In addition, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to a variety of taxes, including payroll taxes and state, local, and foreign income, property and other taxes on our assets and operations. We could also be subject to tax in situations and on transactions not presently contemplated.

Requirements for Qualification—General

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

 

  1. that is managed by one or more trustees or directors;

 

  2. the beneficial ownership of which is evidenced by transferable shares, or by transferable certificates of beneficial interest;

 

  3. that would be taxable as a domestic corporation but for the special Code provisions applicable to REITs;

 

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  4. that is neither a financial institution nor an insurance company subject to specific provisions of the Code;

 

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

 

  6. in which, during the last half of each taxable year, not more than 50% in value of the outstanding stock is owned, directly or indirectly, by five or fewer “individuals” (as defined in the Code to include specified tax-exempt entities);

 

  7. which meets other tests described below, including with respect to the nature of its income and assets; and

 

  8. that makes an election to be a REIT for the current taxable year or has made such an election for a previous taxable year that has not been terminated or revoked.

The Code provides that conditions (1) through (4) must be met during the entire taxable year, and that condition (5) must be met during at least 335 days of a taxable year of 12 months, or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year. Conditions (5) and (6) need not be met during a corporation’s initial tax year as a REIT (which, in our case, was 2014). Our certificate of incorporation provides restrictions regarding the ownership and transfers of our shares, which are intended to assist us in satisfying the share ownership requirements described in conditions (5) and (6) above.

To monitor compliance with the share ownership requirements, we generally are required to maintain records regarding the actual ownership of our shares. To do so, we must demand written statements each year from the record holders of significant percentages of our stock pursuant to which the record holders must disclose the actual owners of the shares (i.e., the persons required to include our dividends in their gross income). We must maintain a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with this demand as part of our records. We could be subject to monetary penalties if we fail to comply with these record keeping requirements. If you fail or refuse to comply with the demands, you will be required by Treasury regulations to submit a statement with your tax return disclosing the actual ownership of the shares and other information.

In addition, a corporation generally may not elect to become a REIT unless its taxable year is the calendar year. We have adopted December 31 as our year end, and therefore satisfy this requirement.

The Code provides relief from violations of the REIT gross income requirements, as described below under “—Income Tests,” in cases where a violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and other requirements are met, including the payment of a penalty tax that is based upon the magnitude of the violation. In addition, certain provisions of the Code extend similar relief in the case of certain violations of the REIT asset requirements (see “—Asset Tests” below) and other REIT requirements, again provided that the violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and other conditions are met, including the payment of a penalty tax. If we fail to satisfy any of the various REIT requirements, there can be no assurance that these relief provisions would be available to enable us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, and, if such relief provisions are available, the amount of any resultant penalty tax could be substantial.

Effect of Subsidiary Entities

Ownership of Partnership Interests . If we are a partner in an entity that is treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, Treasury regulations provide that we are deemed to own our proportionate share of the partnership’s assets, and to earn our proportionate share of the partnership’s income, for purposes of the asset and gross income tests applicable to REITs. Our proportionate share of a partnership’s assets and income is based on our capital interest in the partnership (except that for purposes of the value prong of the 10% asset test, described below, our proportionate share of the partnership’s assets is based on our proportionate interest in the equity and certain debt securities issued by the partnership). In addition, the assets and gross income of the partnership are deemed to retain the same character in our hands. Thus, our proportionate share of the assets and

 

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items of income of any of our subsidiary partnerships will be treated as our assets and items of income for purposes of applying the REIT requirements.

If we become a limited partner or non-managing member in any partnership or limited liability company and such entity takes or expects to take actions that could jeopardize our status as a REIT or require us to pay tax, we may be forced to dispose of our interest in such entity. In addition, it is possible that a partnership or limited liability company could take an action which could cause us to fail a gross income or asset test, and that we would not become aware of such action in time to dispose of our interest in the partnership or limited liability company or take other corrective action on a timely basis. In that case, we could fail to qualify as a REIT unless we were entitled to relief, as described below. A summary of rules generally applicable to the governing the U.S. federal income taxation of partnerships and their partners is provided below in “—Tax Aspects of Investments in Affiliated Partnerships.”

Disregarded Subsidiaries . If we own a corporate subsidiary that is a “qualified REIT subsidiary,” that subsidiary is generally disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes, and all of the subsidiary’s assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit are treated as our assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit, including for purposes of the gross income and asset tests applicable to REITs. A qualified REIT subsidiary is any corporation, other than a TRS as described below, that we wholly own, either directly or through one or more other qualified REIT subsidiaries or disregarded entities. Other entities that are wholly owned by us (either directly or through other disregarded entities), including single member limited liability companies that have not elected to be taxed as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes, are also generally disregarded as separate entities for U.S. federal income tax purposes, including for purposes of the REIT income and asset tests. Disregarded subsidiaries, along with any partnerships in which we hold an equity interest, are sometimes referred to herein as “pass-through subsidiaries.”

In the event that a disregarded subsidiary of ours ceases to be wholly owned—for example, if any equity interest in the subsidiary is acquired by a person other than us or a disregarded subsidiary of ours—the subsidiary’s separate existence would no longer be disregarded for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Instead, the subsidiary would have multiple owners and would be treated as either a partnership or a taxable corporation. Such an event could, depending on the circumstances, adversely affect our ability to satisfy the various asset and gross income requirements applicable to REITs, including the requirement that REITs generally may not own, directly or indirectly, more than 10% of the securities of another corporation. See “—Asset Tests” and “—Income Tests.”

Taxable REIT Subsidiaries . In general, we may jointly elect with a subsidiary corporation, whether or not wholly owned, to treat the subsidiary corporation as a TRS. We generally may not own more than 10% of the securities of a taxable corporation, as measured by voting power or value, unless we and such corporation elect to treat such corporation as a TRS. The separate existence of a TRS or other taxable corporation is not ignored for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Accordingly, a TRS or other taxable corporation generally would be subject to corporate income tax on its earnings, which may reduce the cash flow that we and our subsidiaries generate in the aggregate, and may reduce our ability to make distributions to our stockholders.

A TRS generally may engage in any business, including the provision of customary or non-customary services to tenants of its parent REIT, except that a TRS may not directly or indirectly operate or manage a lodging or healthcare facility (which generally includes assisted living properties and certain independent living properties) or directly or indirectly provide to any other person (under a franchise, license or otherwise) rights to any brand name under which any lodging or healthcare facility is operated (but, as described below, may lease a healthcare facility from us if the TRS hires an “eligible independent contractor” to operate that facility). The status of certain independent living facilities as “healthcare facilities” is uncertain under current law. If the IRS were to treat a subsidiary corporation as directly or indirectly operating or managing a healthcare facility, such subsidiary would not qualify as a TRS, which could jeopardize our REIT qualification.

 

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We are not treated as holding the assets of a TRS or other taxable subsidiary corporation or as receiving any income that the subsidiary earns. Rather, the stock issued by a taxable subsidiary to us is an asset in our hands, and we treat the dividends paid to us from such taxable subsidiary, if any, as income. This treatment can affect our income and asset test calculations, as described below. Because we do not include the assets and income of TRSs or other taxable subsidiary corporations in determining our compliance with the REIT requirements, we may use such entities to undertake indirectly activities that the REIT rules might otherwise preclude us from doing directly or through pass-through subsidiaries. For example, we could use TRSs or other taxable subsidiary corporations to conduct activities that give rise to certain categories of income or to conduct activities that, if conducted by us directly, would be treated in our hands as prohibited transactions.

The deductibility of interest paid or accrued by a TRS to its parent REIT could be limited under the Code. Accordingly, if we lend money to a TRS, the TRS may be unable to deduct all or a part of the interest paid on that loan, and the lack of an interest deduction could result in a material increase in the amount of tax paid by the TRS. Further, the rules impose a 100% excise tax on transactions between a TRS and its parent REIT or the REIT’s tenants that are not conducted on an arm’s length basis. We intend that all of our transactions with our TRSs will be conducted on an arm’s-length basis.

We may hold a significant amount of assets in one or more TRSs, subject to the limitation that securities in TRSs may not represent more than 20% of our assets.

Income Tests

In order to qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy two gross income requirements on an annual basis. First, at least 75% of our gross income for each taxable year (excluding gross income from sales of inventory or dealer property in “prohibited transactions,” discharge of indebtedness, and certain hedging transactions) generally must be derived from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property, including “rents from real property,” interest income derived from mortgage loans secured by real property, dividends received from other REITs, and gains from the sale of real property, mortgages on real property, and shares in other REITs, as well as specified income from temporary investments. Second, at least 95% of our gross income in each taxable year (excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, discharge of indebtedness, and certain hedging transactions) must be derived from some combination of income that qualifies under the 75% gross income test described above, as well as other dividends, interest, and gain from the sale or disposition of stock or securities, which need not have any relation to real property.

Rents received by us will qualify as “rents from real property” in satisfying the gross income requirements described above only if several conditions are met. If rent is partly attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property, the portion of the rent that is attributable to the personal property will not qualify as “rents from real property” unless it constitutes 15% or less of the total rent received under the lease. In addition, the amount of rent must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person. Amounts received as rent, however, generally will not be excluded from rents from real property solely by reason of being based on fixed percentages of gross receipts or sales. Moreover, for rents received by us to qualify as “rents from real property,” we generally must not operate or manage the property or furnish or render services to the tenants of such property, other than through an “independent contractor” from which we derive no revenue. We are permitted, however, to perform services that are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space for occupancy only and which are not otherwise considered rendered to the occupant of the property. In addition, we may directly or indirectly provide non-customary services to tenants of our properties without disqualifying all of the rent from the property if the payments for such services does not exceed 1% of the total gross income from the property. For purposes of this test, we are deemed to have received income from such non-customary services in an amount at least 150% of the direct cost of providing the services. Moreover, except in certain instances, such as in connection with the operation or management of a healthcare facility, we are generally permitted to provide services to tenants or others through a TRS without disqualifying the rental revenue received from tenants for purposes of the income tests.

 

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Also, rental revenue will generally not qualify as rents from real property if we directly or constructively hold a 10% or greater interest, as measured by vote or value, in the lessee’s equity. Rents we receive from a tenant that also is our TRS, however, will generally not be excluded from the definition of “rents from real property” as a result of our ownership interest in the TRS if the property to which the rents relate is a “qualified lodging facility” or a “qualified healthcare property” and such property is operated on behalf of the TRS by a person who is an “eligible independent contractor.” An operator will qualify as an eligible independent contractor if it meets certain ownership tests with respect to us, and if, at the time the operator enters into the property management agreement, the operator is actively engaged in the trade or business of operating qualified healthcare properties for any person who is not a related person to us or the TRS. A “qualified healthcare property” means any real property (or any personal property incidental thereto) that is, or that is necessary or incidental to the use of, a healthcare facility and generally includes assisted living properties and certain independent living properties. The status of certain independent living facilities as “healthcare facilities” is uncertain under current law.

In addition, rents we receive from such a tenant that is our TRS will not be excluded from the definition of “rents from real property” as a result of our ownership interest in the TRS if at least 90% of the space at the property to which the rents relate is leased to third parties, and the rents paid by the TRS are substantially comparable to rents paid by our other tenants for comparable space. Whether rents paid by our TRS are substantially comparable to rents paid by our other tenants is determined at the time the lease with the TRS is entered into, extended, and modified, if such modification increases the rents due under such lease. Notwithstanding the foregoing, however, if a lease with a “controlled taxable REIT subsidiary” is modified and such modification results in an increase in the rents payable by such TRS, any such increase will not qualify as “rents from real property.” For purposes of this rule, a “controlled taxable REIT subsidiary” is a TRS in which we own stock possessing more than 50% of the voting power or more than 50% of the total value of the outstanding stock.

Although we generally do not intend to receive rent that fails to qualify as rents from real property in amounts that could jeopardize our REIT status, no assurances can be given in that regard. If, for example, we failed to satisfy any of the above conditions with respect to a lease of property to a TRS, then the rents would not be considered income from a qualifying source for purposes of the REIT rules.

Interest income constitutes qualifying mortgage interest for purposes of the 75% gross income test to the extent that the obligation upon which such interest is paid is secured by a mortgage on real property. If we receive interest income with respect to a mortgage loan that is secured by both real property and other property, and the highest principal amount of the loan outstanding during a taxable year exceeds the fair market value of the real property on the date that we acquired or originated the mortgage loan, the interest income generally will be apportioned between the real property and the other collateral, and our income from the arrangement will qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test only to the extent that the interest is allocable to the real property. In certain cases, personal property collateral securing a loan that we hold may be treated as real property for purposes of the foregoing rules. In addition, in certain cases (unless a safe harbor applies pursuant to IRS guidance), the modification of a debt instrument could result in the conversion of the interest paid on the instrument from qualifying income to wholly or partially non-qualifying income, which may require that we dispose of the debt instrument or contribute it to our TRS in order to satisfy the income tests described above. Moreover, the IRS has taken the position that, for purposes of the REIT income tests, the principal amount of a loan is equal to its face amount, even in situations where the loan was acquired at a significant discount. Under this position, a portion of the income generated by the instrument would not qualify for purposes of the 75% gross income test in cases where the underlying real property has declined in value. Even if a loan is not secured by real property, or is undersecured, the income that it generates may nonetheless qualify for purposes of the 95% gross income test.

We may directly or indirectly receive distributions from TRSs or other corporations that are not REITs or qualified REIT subsidiaries. These distributions generally are treated as dividend income to the extent of the

 

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earnings and profits of the distributing corporation. Such distributions will generally constitute qualifying income for purposes of the 95% gross income test, but not for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Any dividends that we receive from a REIT, however, will be qualifying income for purposes of both the 95% and 75% gross income tests.

Fees will generally be qualifying income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests if they are received in consideration for entering into an agreement to make a loan secured by real property and the fees are not determined by income and profits. Other fees generally will not be qualifying income for purposes of either gross income test and will not be favorably counted for purposes of either gross income test. Any fees earned by a TRS will not be included for purposes of the gross income tests.

Any income or gain that we or our pass-through subsidiaries derive from instruments that hedge certain specified risks, such as the risk of changes in interest rates, will be excluded from gross income for purposes of both the 75% and 95% gross income tests (i.e., will be excluded from both the numerator and the denominator), provided that specified requirements are met, including the requirement that the instrument is entered into during the ordinary course of our business, the instrument hedges certain specified risks, such as risks associated with indebtedness issued by us or a pass-through subsidiary that is incurred to acquire or carry “real estate assets” or risks associated with certain currency fluctuations (as described below under “—Asset Tests”), and the instrument is properly identified as a hedge along with the risk that it hedges within prescribed time periods. Income and gain from all other hedging transactions will generally not be qualifying income for either the 95% or 75% gross income test.

If we fail to satisfy one or both of the 75% or 95% gross income tests for any taxable year, we may still qualify as a REIT for the year if we are entitled to relief under applicable provisions of the Code. Those relief provisions generally will be available if our failure to meet the gross income was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect and we file a schedule with the sources of our gross income in accordance with Treasury regulations. It is not possible to state whether we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions in all circumstances. If these relief provisions are inapplicable to a particular set of circumstances, we will not qualify as a REIT. As discussed above under “—Taxation of REITs in General,” even where these relief provisions apply, the Code imposes a tax based upon the amount by which we fail to satisfy the particular gross income test.

Under the Housing and Economic Recovery Tax Act of 2008, the Secretary of the Treasury has been given broad authority to determine whether particular items of gain or income recognized after July 30, 2008, qualify or not under the 75% and 95% gross income tests, or are to be excluded from the measure of gross income for such purposes.

Asset Tests

At the close of each calendar quarter, we must also satisfy five tests relating to the nature of our assets. First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by some combination of “real estate assets,” cash, cash items, U.S. government securities, and, under some circumstances, stock or debt instruments purchased with new capital. For this purpose, real estate assets include interests in real property, such as land, buildings, and leasehold interests in real property (and certain ancillary personal property), stock of other corporations that qualify as REITs, mortgage loans, and debt instruments (whether or not secured by real property) that are issued by a “publicly offered REIT” (i.e., a REIT that is required to file annual and periodic reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934). Assets that do not qualify for purposes of the 75% asset test are subject to the additional asset tests described below.

Second, the value of any one issuer’s securities that we own may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets.

Third, we may not own more than 10% of any one issuer’s outstanding securities, as measured by either voting power or value. The 5% and 10% asset tests do not apply to real estate assets, securities of TRSs, and

 

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qualified REIT subsidiaries, and the value prong of the 10% asset test does not apply to “straight debt” having specified characteristics and to certain other securities described below. Solely for purposes of the value prong of the 10% asset test, the determination of our interest in the assets of a partnership or limited liability company in which we own an interest will be based on our proportionate interest in any securities issued by the partnership or limited liability company, excluding for this purpose certain securities described in the Code.

Fourth, the aggregate value of all securities of TRSs that we hold may not exceed 20% of the value of our total assets.

Fifth, no more than 25% of the total value of our assets may be represented by “nonqualified publicly offered REIT debt instruments” (i.e., real estate assets that would cease to be real estate assets if debt instruments issued by publicly offered REITs were not included in the definition of real estate assets).

Notwithstanding the general rule, as noted above, that for purposes of the REIT income and asset tests, we are treated as owning our proportionate share of the underlying assets of a subsidiary partnership, if we hold indebtedness issued by a partnership, the indebtedness will be subject to, and may cause a violation of, the asset tests unless the indebtedness is a qualifying mortgage asset, or other conditions are met. Similarly, although stock of another REIT is a qualifying asset for purposes of the REIT asset tests, any non-mortgage debt that is issued by a REIT that is not “publicly offered” may not so qualify (such debt, however, will not be treated as “securities” for purposes of the value prong of the 10% asset test, as explained below).

Certain securities will not cause a violation of the value prong of the 10% asset test described above. Such securities include instruments that constitute “straight debt,” which term generally excludes, among other things, securities having certain contingency features. A security does not qualify as “straight debt” where a REIT (or a controlled TRS of the REIT) owns other securities of the same issuer which do not qualify as straight debt, unless the value of those other securities constitute, in the aggregate, 1% or less of the total value of that issuer’s outstanding securities. In addition to straight debt, the Code provides that certain other securities will not violate the value prong of the 10% asset test. Such securities include (a) any loan made to an individual or an estate, (b) certain rental agreements pursuant to which one or more payments are to be made in subsequent years (other than agreements between a REIT and certain persons related to the REIT under attribution rules), (c) any obligation to pay rents from real property, (d) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of (or payments made by) a non-governmental entity, (e) any security (including debt securities) issued by another REIT, and (f) any debt instrument issued by a partnership if the partnership’s income is of a nature that it would satisfy the 75% gross income test described above under “—Income Tests.” In applying the value prong of the 10% asset test, a debt security issued by a partnership is not taken into account to the extent, if any, of the REIT’s proportionate interest in that partnership.

Independent valuations have not been obtained to support our conclusions as to the value of our total assets or the value of any particular asset. Moreover, values of some assets may not be susceptible to a precise determination, and values are subject to change in the future. Furthermore, the proper classification of an instrument as debt or equity for U.S. federal income tax purposes may be uncertain in some circumstances, which could affect the application of the REIT asset requirements. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the IRS will not contend that our interests in our subsidiaries or in the securities of other issuers will not cause a violation of the REIT asset tests.

The Code contains a number of relief provisions that make it easier for REITs to satisfy the asset requirements, or to maintain REIT qualification notwithstanding certain violations of the asset and other requirements. One such provision allows a REIT which fails one or more of the asset requirements to nevertheless maintain its REIT qualification if (1) the REIT provides the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (2) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (3) the REIT pays a tax equal to the greater of (a) $50,000 per failure, and (b) the product of the net income generated by the assets that caused the failure multiplied by the highest applicable corporate tax rate, and (4) the REIT either disposes of the

 

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assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or otherwise satisfies the relevant asset tests within that time frame. A second relief provision applies to de minimis violations of the 10% and 5% asset tests. A REIT may maintain its qualification despite a violation of such requirements if (a) the value of the assets causing the violation does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the REIT’s total assets, and $10,000,000, and (b) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within six months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or the relevant tests are otherwise satisfied within that time frame.

If we should fail to satisfy the asset tests at the end of a calendar quarter, such a failure would not cause us to lose our REIT qualification if we (1) satisfied the asset tests at the close of the preceding calendar quarter and (2) the discrepancy between the value of our assets and the asset requirements was not wholly or partly caused by an acquisition of non-qualifying assets, but instead arose from changes in the market value of our assets. If the condition described in (2) were not satisfied, we still could avoid disqualification by eliminating any discrepancy within 30 days after the close of the calendar quarter in which it arose or by making use of relief provisions described above. No assurance can be given that we would qualify for relief under those provisions.

Annual Distribution Requirements

In order to qualify as a REIT, we are required to distribute dividends, other than capital gain dividends, to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to:

 

  (a) the sum of

 

  1. 90% of our “REIT taxable income,” computed without regard to our net capital gains and the deduction for dividends paid, and

 

  2. 90% of our net income, if any, (after tax) from foreclosure property (as described below), minus

 

  (b) the excess of the sum of specified items of noncash income over 5% of our “REIT taxable income” computed without regard to our net capital gain and deduction for dividends paid.

We generally must make these distributions in the taxable year to which they relate, or in the following taxable year if declared before we timely file our tax return for the year and if paid with or before the first regular dividend payment after such declaration. In addition, any dividend declared by us in October, November, or December of any year and payable to a stockholder of record on a specified date in any such month will be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of such year, so long as the dividend is actually paid by us before the end of January of the next calendar year. If we cease to be a “publicly offered REIT,” then in order for distributions to be counted as satisfying the annual distribution requirement, and to give rise to a tax deduction, the distributions must not be “preferential dividends.” A dividend is not a preferential dividend if the distribution is (1) pro rata among all outstanding shares of stock within a particular class, and (2) in accordance with the preferences among different classes of stock as set forth in our organizational documents.

To the extent that we distribute at least 90%, but less than 100%, of our “REIT taxable income,” as adjusted, we will be subject to tax at ordinary corporate tax rates on the retained portion. We may elect to retain, rather than distribute, our net long-term capital gains and pay tax on such gains. In this case, we could elect for our stockholders to include their proportionate shares of such undistributed long-term capital gains in income, and to receive a corresponding credit for their share of the tax that we paid. Our stockholders would then increase their adjusted basis of their stock by the difference between (a) the amounts of capital gain dividends that we designated and that they include in their taxable income and (b) the tax that we paid on their behalf with respect to that income.

To the extent we have net operating losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may, subject to limitations, reduce the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution

 

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requirements. Such losses, however, will generally not affect the character of any distributions that are actually made as ordinary dividends or capital gains. See “—Taxation of Stockholders—Taxation of Taxable Domestic Holders—Distributions.” If we should fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of (a) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for such year, (b) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year and (c) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we would be subject to a non-deductible 4% excise tax on the excess of such required distribution over the sum of (x) the amounts actually distributed, plus (y) the amounts of income we retained and on which we have paid corporate income tax.

It is possible that, from time to time, we may not have sufficient cash to meet the distribution requirements due to timing differences between (a) our actual receipt of cash, including receipt of distributions from our subsidiaries, or the actual payment of deductible expenses and (b) our inclusion of items in income or deduction, as applicable, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. For example, the Code contains various limitations on the deductibility of interest and other expenses and various rules that may accelerate income before the receipt of cash.

Differences in timing between the recognition of taxable income or deductions and the actual receipt or payment of cash could require us to (i) sell assets, (ii) borrow funds on a short-term or long-term basis, or (iii) pay dividends in the form of taxable in-kind distributions of property, to meet the 90% distribution requirement. Alternatively, we may declare a taxable distribution payable in cash or stock at the election of each stockholder, where the aggregate amount of cash to be distributed in such distribution may be subject to limitation. In such case, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the amount of the distribution paid in stock will be equal to the amount of cash that could have been received instead of stock.

We may be able to rectify a failure to meet the distribution requirements for a year by paying “deficiency dividends” to stockholders in a later year, which may be included in our deduction for dividends paid for the earlier year. In this case, we may be able to avoid losing REIT status or being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends. We will be required to pay interest and a penalty based on the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends.

Failure to Qualify

If we fail to satisfy one or more requirements for REIT qualification other than the gross income or asset tests, we could avoid disqualification if our failure is due to reasonable cause and not to willful neglect and we pay a penalty of $50,000 for each such failure. Relief provisions are available for failures of the income tests and asset tests, as described above in “—Income Tests” and “—Asset Tests.”

If we fail to qualify for taxation as a REIT in any taxable year, and the relief provisions described above do not apply, we would be subject to tax, including any applicable alternative minimum tax, on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We cannot deduct distributions to stockholders in any year in which we are not a REIT, nor would we be required to make distributions in such a year. In this situation, to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits, distributions to domestic holders that are individuals, trusts and estates would generally be taxable at capital gains rates. In addition, subject to the limitations of the Code, corporate distributees may be eligible for the dividends received deduction. Unless we are entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions, we would also be disqualified from re-electing to be taxed as a REIT for the four taxable years following the year during which we lost qualification. It is not possible to state whether, in all circumstances, we would be entitled to this statutory relief. The rule against re-electing REIT status following a loss of such status would also apply to us if Drive Shack failed to qualify as a REIT for a taxable year ending on or before December 31, 2015, and we were treated as a successor to Drive Shack for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Although Drive Shack represented in the Separation and Distribution Agreement entered into by us and Drive Shack in connection with our separation from Drive Shack that it had no knowledge of any fact or circumstance that would cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT, and covenanted in such agreement to use its reasonable best efforts to maintain its REIT status for each of Drive Shack’s taxable years ending on or before

 

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December 31, 2015 (unless Drive Shack obtains an opinion from a nationally recognized tax counsel or a private letter ruling from the IRS to the effect that Drive Shack’s failure to maintain its REIT status will not cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT under the successor REIT rule referred to above), no assurance can be given that such representation and covenant would prevent us from failing to qualify as a REIT. Although, in the event of a breach, we may be able to seek damages from Drive Shack, there can be no assurance that such damages, if any, would appropriately compensate us. In addition, if Drive Shack failed to qualify as a REIT despite its reasonable best efforts, we would have no claim against Drive Shack.

Prohibited Transactions

Net income that we derive from a prohibited transaction is subject to a 100% tax. The term “prohibited transaction” generally includes a sale or other disposition of property (other than foreclosure property, as discussed below) that is held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. We intend to conduct our operations so that no asset that we own (or are treated as owning) will be treated as, or as having been, held for sale to customers, and that a sale of any such asset will not be treated as having been in the ordinary course of our business. Whether property is held “primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business” depends on the particular facts and circumstances. No assurance can be given that any property that we sell will not be treated as property held for sale to customers, or that we can comply with certain safe-harbor provisions of the Code that would prevent such treatment. The 100% tax does not apply to gains from the sale of property that is held through a TRS or other taxable corporation, although such income will be subject to tax in the hands of the corporation at regular corporate rates.

Foreclosure Property

We generally will be subject to tax at the maximum corporate rate on any net income from foreclosure property, including any gain from the disposition of the foreclosure property, other than income that would otherwise be qualifying income for purposes of the 75% gross income test. Any gain from the sale of property for which a foreclosure property election has been made will not be subject to the 100% tax on gains from prohibited transactions described above, even if the property would otherwise constitute inventory or dealer property.

Foreclosure property is real property and any personal property incidental to such real property (1) that we acquire as the result of having bid in the property at foreclosure, or having otherwise reduced the property to ownership or possession by agreement or process of law, after a default (or upon imminent default) on a lease of the property or a mortgage loan held by us and secured by the property, (2) for which we acquired the related loan or lease at a time when default was not imminent or anticipated and (3) with respect to which we made a proper election to treat the property as foreclosure property. Foreclosure property also includes certain “qualified healthcare property” acquired by a REIT as the result of the termination or expiration of a lease of such property (other than by reason of a default, or the imminence of a default, on the lease). Qualified healthcare property generally ceases to be foreclosure property at the end of the second taxable year following the taxable year in which the REIT acquired the property, or longer if an extension is granted by the U.S. Treasury Department. Other foreclosure property generally ceases to be foreclosure property at the end of the third taxable year following the taxable year in which the REIT acquired the property, or longer if an extension is granted by the U.S. Treasury Department.

Derivatives and Hedging Transactions

We and our subsidiaries may in the future enter into hedging transactions with respect to interest rate exposure on one or more assets or liabilities. Any such hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts, interest rate cap or floor contracts, futures or forward contracts and options. Except to the extent provided by Treasury regulations, any income from a hedging transaction we enter into, including gain from the sale, disposition, or termination of such a transaction, will not constitute gross income for purposes of the 75% or 95% gross income test if we properly

 

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identify the transaction as specified in applicable Treasury regulations and we enter into such transaction (i) in the normal course of our business primarily to manage risk of interest rate changes or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowing made or to be made, or ordinary obligations incurred or to be incurred, to acquire or carry real estate assets; (ii) primarily to manage risk of currency fluctuations with respect to any item of income or gain that would be qualifying income under the 75% or 95% gross income tests (or any asset that produces such income); or (iii) in connection with the extinguishment of indebtedness with respect to which we have entered into a qualified hedging position described in clause (i) or the disposition of property with respect to which we have entered into a qualified hedging position described in clause (ii), primarily to manage the risks of such hedging positions. To the extent that we hedge in certain other situations, the resultant income may be treated as income that does not qualify under the 75% or 95% gross income tests. We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our status as a REIT. We may conduct some or all of our hedging activities through a TRS or other corporate entity, the income from which may be subject to U.S. federal income tax, rather than by participating in the arrangements directly or through pass-through subsidiaries. No assurance can be given, however, that our hedging activities will not give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of the REIT gross income tests, or that our hedging activities will not adversely affect our ability to satisfy the REIT qualification requirements.

Tax Aspects of Investments in Affiliated Partnerships

General

We may hold investments through entities that are classified as partnerships for U.S. federal income tax purposes. In general, partnerships are “pass-through” entities that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax. Rather, partners are allocated their proportionate shares of the items of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit of a partnership, and are potentially subject to tax on these items, without regard to whether the partners receive a distribution from the partnership. We will include in our income our proportionate share of these partnership items for purposes of the various REIT income tests and in computation of our REIT taxable income. Moreover, for purposes of the REIT asset tests, we will include in our calculations our proportionate share of any assets held by subsidiary partnerships. Our proportionate share of a partnership’s assets and income is based on our capital interest in the partnership (except that for purposes of the value prong of the 10% asset test, our proportionate share is based on our proportionate interest in the equity and certain debt securities issued by the partnership). See “—Taxation of New Senior Investment Group—Effect of Subsidiary Entities—Ownership of Partnership Interests.”

Entity Classification

Any investment in partnerships involves special tax considerations, including the possibility of a challenge by the IRS of the status of any subsidiary partnership as a partnership, as opposed to an association taxable as a corporation, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If any of these entities were treated as an association for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it would be taxable as a corporation and therefore could be subject to an entity-level tax on its income. In such a situation, the character of our assets and items of gross income would change and could preclude us from satisfying the REIT asset tests or the gross income tests as discussed in “—Taxation of New Senior Investment Group—Asset Tests” and “—Income Tests,” and in turn could prevent us from qualifying as a REIT, unless we are eligible for relief from the violation pursuant to relief provisions described above. See “—Taxation of New Senior Investment Group—Asset Tests,” “—Income Test” and “—Failure to Qualify,” above, for discussion of the effect of failure to satisfy the REIT tests for a taxable year, and of the relief provisions. In addition, any change in the status of any subsidiary partnership for tax purposes might be treated as a taxable event, in which case we could have taxable income that is subject to the REIT distribution requirements without receiving any cash.

Tax Allocations with Respect to Partnership Properties

Under the Code and the Treasury regulations, income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to appreciated or depreciated property that is contributed to a partnership in exchange for an interest in the partnership must be

 

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allocated for tax purposes so that the contributing partner is charged with, or benefits from, the unrealized gain or unrealized loss associated with the property at the time of the contribution. The amount of the unrealized gain or unrealized loss is generally equal to the difference between the fair market value of the contributed property at the time of contribution, and the adjusted tax basis of such property at the time of contribution. Such allocations are solely for U.S. federal income tax purposes and do not affect the book capital accounts or other economic or legal arrangements among the partners.

To the extent that any of our subsidiary partnerships acquires appreciated (or depreciated) properties by way of capital contributions from its partners, allocations would need to be made in a manner consistent with these requirements. Where a partner contributes cash to a partnership at a time that the partnership holds appreciated (or depreciated) property, the Treasury regulations provide for a similar allocation of these items to the other (i.e., non-contributing) partners. These rules may apply to a contribution that we make to any subsidiary partnerships of the cash proceeds received in offerings of our stock. As a result, the partners of our subsidiary partnerships, including us, could be allocated greater or lesser amounts of depreciation and taxable income in respect of a partnership’s properties than would be the case if all of the partnership’s assets (including any contributed assets) had a tax basis equal to their fair market values at the time of any contributions to that partnership. This could cause us to recognize, over a period of time, taxable income in excess of cash flow from the partnership, which might adversely affect our ability to comply with the REIT distribution requirements discussed above.

New Partnership Audit Rules

The recently enacted Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 changes the rules applicable to U.S. federal income tax audits of partnerships. Under the new rules (which are generally effective for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017), among other changes and subject to certain exceptions, any audit adjustment to items of income, gain, loss, deduction or credit of a partnership (and any partner’s distributive share thereof) is determined, and taxes, interest or penalties attributable thereto are assessed and collected, at the partnership level. Although it is uncertain how these new rules will be implemented, it is possible that they could result in partnerships in which we directly or indirectly invest being required to pay additional taxes, interest and penalties as a result of an audit adjustment, and we, as a direct or indirect partner of these partnerships, could be required to bear the economic burden of those taxes, interest and penalties even though we, as a REIT, may not otherwise have been required to pay additional corporate-level taxes as a result of the related audit adjustment. The changes created by these new rules are sweeping and in many respects dependent on the promulgation of future regulations or other guidance by the U.S. Treasury Department. Investors are urged to consult with their tax advisors with respect to these changes and their potential impact on their investment in our common stock.

Taxation of Stockholders

Taxation of Taxable Domestic Holders

Distributions . As a REIT, the distributions that we make to our taxable domestic holders out of current or accumulated earnings and profits that we do not designate as capital gain dividends will generally be taken into account by stockholders as ordinary income and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporations. With limited exceptions, our dividends are not eligible for taxation at the preferential income tax rates for qualified dividends received by domestic holders that are individuals, trusts and estates from taxable C corporations. Such stockholders, however, are taxed at the preferential rates on dividends designated by and received from REITs to the extent that the dividends are attributable to:

 

    income retained by the REIT in the prior taxable year on which the REIT was subject to corporate-level income tax (less the amount of tax),

 

    dividends received by the REIT from TRSs or other taxable C corporations, or

 

    income in the prior taxable year from the sales of “built-in gain” property acquired by the REIT from C corporations in carryover basis transactions (less the amount of corporate tax on such income).

 

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In addition, for taxable years that begin after December 31, 2017 and before January 1, 2026, stockholders that are individuals, trusts or estates are generally entitled to a deduction equal to 20% of the aggregate amount of ordinary income dividends received from a REIT (not including capital gain dividends, as described below, or dividends eligible for the reduced rates applicable to “qualified dividend income,” as described above), subject to certain limitations.

Distributions that we designate as capital gain dividends will generally be taxed to our stockholders as long-term capital gains, to the extent that such distributions do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year, without regard to the period for which the stockholder that receives such distribution has held its stock. We may elect to retain and pay taxes on some or all of our net long term capital gains, in which case provisions of the Code will treat our stockholders as having received, solely for tax purposes, our undistributed capital gains, and the stockholders will receive a corresponding credit for taxes that we paid on such undistributed capital gains. See “—Taxation of New Senior Investment Group—Annual Distribution Requirements.” Corporate stockholders may be required to treat up to 20% of some capital gain dividends as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are generally taxable at reduced maximum federal rates in the case of stockholders that are individuals, trusts and estates, and ordinary income rates in the case of stockholders that are corporations. Capital gains attributable to the sale of depreciable real property held for more than 12 months are subject to a 25% maximum U.S. federal income tax rate for taxpayers who are taxed as individuals, to the extent of previously claimed depreciation deductions.

Distributions in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will generally represent a return of capital and will not be taxable to a stockholder to the extent that the amount of such distributions does not exceed the adjusted basis of the stockholder’s shares in respect of which the distributions were made. Rather, the distribution will reduce the adjusted basis of the stockholder’s shares. To the extent that such distributions exceed the adjusted basis of a stockholder’s shares, the stockholder generally must include such distributions in income as long-term capital gain, or short-term capital gain if the shares have been held for one year or less. In addition, any dividend that we declare in October, November or December of any year and that is payable to a stockholder of record on a specified date in any such month will be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of such year, provided that we actually pay the dividend before the end of January of the following calendar year.

To the extent that we have available net operating losses and capital losses carried forward from prior tax years, such losses may, subject to limitations, reduce the amount of distributions that we must make in order to comply with the REIT distribution requirements. See “—Taxation of New Senior Investment Group—Annual Distribution Requirements.” Such losses, however, are not passed through to stockholders and do not offset income of stockholders from other sources, nor would such losses generally affect the taxable character of any distributions that we make, which are generally subject to tax in the hands of stockholders to the extent that we have current or accumulated earnings and profits.

Dispositions of New Senior Investment Group Common Stock . Upon the sale or disposition of our stock, a domestic holder will generally recognize capital gain or loss for U.S. federal income tax purposes in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount of cash and fair market value of any property received in the sale or disposition and (ii) the holder’s adjusted basis in the stock. In general, capital gains recognized by individuals, trusts and estates upon the sale or disposition of our stock will be subject to reduced maximum U.S. federal income tax rates if the stock is held for more than one year, and will be taxed at ordinary income rates if the stock is held for one year or less. Gains recognized by stockholders that are corporations are subject to U.S. federal income tax at ordinary income rates, whether or not such gains are classified as long-term capital gains. Capital losses recognized by a stockholder upon the disposition of our stock that was held for more than one year at the time of disposition will be considered long-term capital losses. Capital losses are generally available only to offset capital gain income of the stockholder but not ordinary income (except in the case of individuals, who may offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year). In addition, any loss upon a sale or exchange of shares of our stock by a stockholder who has held the shares for six months or less, after applying holding period rules, will be

 

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treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of distributions that we make that are required to be treated by the stockholder as long-term capital gain.

If an investor recognizes a loss upon a subsequent disposition of our stock or other securities in an amount that exceeds a prescribed threshold, it is possible that the provisions of Treasury regulations involving “reportable transactions” could apply, with a resulting requirement to separately disclose the loss-generating transaction to the IRS. These regulations, though directed towards “tax shelters,” are broadly written, and apply to transactions that would not typically be considered tax shelters. The Code imposes significant penalties for failure to comply with these requirements. You should consult your tax advisors concerning any possible disclosure obligation with respect to the receipt or disposition of our stock or securities, or transactions that we might undertake directly or indirectly. Moreover, you should be aware that we and other participants in the transactions in which we are involved (including their advisors) might be subject to disclosure or other requirements pursuant to these regulations.

Passive Activity Losses and Investment Interest Limitations. Distributions that we make and gain arising from the sale or exchange by a domestic stockholder of our stock will not be treated as passive activity income. As a result, stockholders will not be able to apply any “passive losses” against income or gain relating to our stock. To the extent that distributions we make do not constitute a return of capital or capital gain dividends, they will be treated as investment income for purposes of computing the investment interest limitation.

Medicare Tax. Certain U.S. stockholders who are individuals, estates or trusts and whose income exceeds certain thresholds will be required to pay a 3.8% Medicare tax on all or a portion of their “net investment income,” which includes dividends received from us and capital gains from the sale or other disposition of our stock.

Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders

The following is a summary of U.S. federal income and estate tax consequences generally applicable to the ownership and disposition of our stock applicable to non-U.S. holders. This discussion is based on current law, and is for general information only. It addresses only selected, and not all, aspects of U.S. federal income and estate taxation.

Ordinary Dividends . The portion of dividends received by non-U.S. holders that is (1) payable out of our earnings and profits, (2) not attributable to our capital gains and (3) not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. holder, will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless reduced or eliminated by treaty.

In general, non-U.S. holders will not be considered to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business solely as a result of their ownership of our stock. In cases where the dividend income from a non-U.S. holder’s investment in our stock is, or is treated as, effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business, the non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the same rates and in the same manner as domestic holders are taxed with respect to such dividends. Such income must generally be reported on a U.S. income tax return filed by or on behalf of the non-U.S. holder. The income may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax (unless reduced or eliminated by treaty) in the case of a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation.

Non-Dividend Distributions . Unless our stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”), distributions that we make which are not dividends out of our earnings and profits will not be subject to U.S. income tax. If we cannot determine at the time a distribution is made whether or not the distribution will exceed current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will be subject to withholding at the rate applicable to dividends. The non-U.S. holder may seek a refund from the IRS of any amounts withheld if it is subsequently determined that the distribution was, in fact, in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. If our

 

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stock constitutes a USRPI, as described below, distributions that we make in excess of the sum of (a) the stockholder’s proportionate share of our earnings and profits, plus (b) the stockholder’s basis in its stock, will be taxed under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) at the rate of tax, including any applicable capital gains rates, that would apply to a domestic holder of the same type (e.g., an individual or a corporation, as the case may be), and the collection of the tax may be enforced by a refundable withholding tax at a rate of 15% of the amount by which the distribution exceeds the stockholder’s share of our earnings and profits. As described below, although it is not currently anticipated that our stock will constitute a USRPI, we cannot assure you that our stock will not become a USRPI.

Capital Gain Dividends . Under FIRPTA, a distribution that we make to a non-U.S. holder, to the extent attributable to gains from dispositions of USRPIs that we held directly or through pass-through subsidiaries (such gains, “USRPI capital gains”), will, except as described below, be considered effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. holder and will be subject to U.S. income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. individuals or corporations, without regard to whether we designate the distribution as a capital gain dividend. See above under “—Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders—Ordinary Dividends,” for a discussion of the consequences of income that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. In addition, we will be required to withhold tax equal to 21% of the maximum amount that could have been designated as a USRPI capital gain dividend. Distributions subject to FIRPTA may also be subject to a 30% branch profits tax (unless reduced or eliminated by treaty) in the hands of a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation. A distribution is not a USRPI capital gain dividend if we held an interest in the underlying asset solely as a creditor. Capital gain dividends received by a non-U.S. holder that are attributable to dispositions of our assets other than USRPIs are not subject to U.S. federal income or withholding tax, unless (1) the gain is effectively connected with the non-U.S. holder’s U.S. trade or business, in which case the non-U.S. holder would be subject to the same treatment as U.S. holders with respect to such gain, or (2) the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, in which case the non-U.S. holder will incur a 30% tax on his capital gains.

A dividend that would otherwise have been treated as a USRPI capital gain dividend will not be so treated or be subject to FIRPTA, and generally will not be treated as income that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and instead will be treated in the same manner as ordinary income dividends (discussed above), provided that (1) the dividend is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the U.S., and (2) the recipient non-U.S. holder does not own more than 10% of that class of stock at any time during the year ending on the date on which the dividend is received. We anticipate that our common stock will continue to be “regularly traded” on an established securities market.

Dispositions of New Senior Investment Group Common Stock . Unless our stock constitutes a USRPI, a sale of our stock by a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA. Subject to certain exceptions discussed below, our stock will be treated as a USRPI if, at any time during a prescribed testing period, 50% or more of our assets consist of interests in real property located within the United States, excluding, for this purpose, interests in real property solely in a capacity as a creditor. We expect that 50% or more of our assets will consist of USRPIs.

Even if the foregoing 50% test is met, however, our stock nonetheless will not constitute a USRPI if we are a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT, less than 50% of value of which is treated as held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. holders at all times during a specified testing period (after applying certain presumptions regarding the ownership of our stock, as described in Section 897(h)(4)(E) of the Code). We believe that we currently are a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, and that a sale of our stock should not be subject to taxation under FIRPTA. However, no assurance can be given that we are or will remain a domestically controlled qualified investment entity.

In the event that we are not a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, but our stock is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury regulations, on an established securities market, a non-U.S. holder’s

 

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sale of our common stock nonetheless would not be subject to tax under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI, provided that the selling non-U.S. holder held 10% or less of our outstanding common stock at all times during the five-year period ending on the date of the sale. We expect that our common stock will continue to be “regularly traded” on an established securities market.

If gain on the sale of our stock were subject to taxation under FIRPTA, the non-U.S. holder would be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and would be subject to the same treatment as a domestic holder with respect to such gain, and the purchaser of the stock could be required to withhold 15% of the purchase price and remit such amount to the IRS.

Gain from the sale of our stock that would not otherwise be subject to FIRPTA will nonetheless be taxable in the United States to a non-U.S. holder in two cases: (1) if the non-U.S. holder’s investment in our stock is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by such non-U.S. holder, the non-U.S. holder will be subject to the same treatment as a domestic holder with respect to such gain, and a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation may also be subject to a branch profits tax at a rate of 30% (unless reduced or eliminated by treaty), or (2) if the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s capital gain. In addition, even if we are a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, upon disposition of our stock, a non-U.S. holder may be treated as having gain from the sale or exchange of a USRPI if the non-U.S. holder (1) disposes of our common stock within a 30-day period preceding the ex-dividend date of a distribution, any portion of which, but for the disposition, would have been treated as gain from the sale or exchange of a USRPI and (2) acquires, or enters into a contract or option to acquire, other shares of our common stock within 30 days after such ex-dividend date.

Special FIRPTA Rules. Recently enacted amendments to FIRPTA create certain exemptions from FIRPTA and otherwise modify the application of the foregoing FIRPTA rules for particular types of non-U.S. investors, including “qualified foreign pension funds” and their wholly-owned foreign subsidiaries and certain widely held, publicly traded “qualified collective investment vehicles.” Non-U.S. holders are urged to consult their own tax advisors regarding the applicability of these or any other special FIRPTA rules to their particular investment in our common stock.

Other Withholding Rules . Legislation enacted in 2010 and existing guidance issued thereunder will require withholding at a rate of 30% on dividends in respect of, and, after December 31, 2018, gross proceeds from the sale of, our common stock held by or through certain foreign financial institutions (including investment funds), unless such institution enters into an agreement with the Treasury to report, on an annual basis, information with respect to shares in, and accounts maintained by, the institution to the extent such shares or accounts are held by certain U.S. persons and by certain non-U.S. entities that are wholly or partially owned by U.S. persons and to withhold on certain payments. Accordingly, the entity through which our common stock is held will affect the determination of whether such withholding is required. Similarly, dividends in respect of, and after December 31, 2018, gross proceeds from the sale of, our common stock held by an investor that is a non-financial non-U.S. entity that does not qualify under certain exemptions will be subject to withholding at a rate of 30%, unless such entity either (i) certifies that such entity does not have any “substantial United States owners” or (ii) provides certain information regarding the entity’s “substantial United States owners,” which the applicable withholding agent will in turn provide to the Secretary of the Treasury. An intergovernmental agreement between the United States and an applicable foreign country, or future Treasury regulations or other guidance, may modify these requirements. We will not pay any additional amounts to stockholders in respect of any amounts withheld. Non-U.S. holders are encouraged to consult their tax advisors regarding the possible implications of the legislation on their investment in our common stock.

Estate Tax . If our stock is owned or treated as owned by an individual who is not a citizen or resident (as specially defined for U.S. federal estate tax purposes) of the United States at the time of such individual’s death, the stock will be includable in the individual’s gross estate for U.S. federal estate tax purposes, unless an applicable estate tax treaty provides otherwise, and may therefore be subject to U.S. federal estate tax.

 

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Non-U.S. stockholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and non-U.S. income and other tax consequences of owning our stock.

Taxation of Tax-Exempt Stockholders

Tax-exempt entities, including qualified employee pension and profit sharing trusts and individual retirement accounts, generally are exempt from U.S. federal income taxation. Such entities, however, may be subject to taxation on their unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”). While some investments in real estate may generate UBTI, the IRS has ruled that dividend distributions from a REIT to a tax-exempt entity do not constitute UBTI. Based on that ruling, and provided that (1) a tax-exempt stockholder has not held our stock as “debt financed property” within the meaning of the Code (i.e., where the acquisition or holding of the property is financed through a borrowing by the tax-exempt stockholder), and (2) our stock is not otherwise used in an unrelated trade or business, distributions that we make and income from the sale of our stock generally should not give rise to UBTI to a tax-exempt stockholder.

Tax-exempt stockholders that are social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts, and qualified group legal services plans exempt from U.S. federal income taxation under sections 501(c)(7), (c)(9), (c)(17) and (c)(20) of the Code are subject to different UBTI rules, which generally require such stockholders to characterize distributions that we make as UBTI.

In certain circumstances, a pension trust that owns more than 10% of our stock could be required to treat a percentage of the dividends as UBTI, if we are a “pension-held REIT.” We will not be a pension-held REIT unless (1) we are required to “look through” one or more of our pension trust stockholders in order to satisfy the REIT closely held test, and (2) either (i) one pension trust owns more than 25% of the value of our stock, or (ii) one or more pension trusts, each individually holding more than 10% of the value of our stock, collectively owns more than 50% of the value of our stock. Certain restrictions on ownership and transfer of our stock should generally prevent a tax-exempt entity from owning more than 10% of the value of our stock, and should generally prevent us from becoming a pension-held REIT.

Tax-exempt stockholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the federal, state, local and foreign income and other tax consequences of owning our stock.

Other Tax Considerations

Legislative or Other Actions Affecting REITs

The present U.S. federal income tax treatment of REITs may be modified, possibly with retroactive effect, by legislative, judicial or administrative action at any time. The REIT rules are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department, which may result in statutory changes as well as revisions to regulations and interpretations. For example, the recently enacted “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” (the “Act”) significantly changed the U.S. federal income tax laws applicable to businesses and their owners, including REITs and their shareholders. Technical corrections or other amendments to the Act or administrative guidance interpreting the Act may be forthcoming at any time. We cannot predict the long-term effect of the Act or any future law changes on REITs or their shareholders. Changes to the U.S. federal tax laws and interpretations thereof, whether under the Act or otherwise, could adversely affect an investment in our common stock.

State, Local and Foreign Taxes

We and our subsidiaries and stockholders may be subject to state, local or foreign taxation in various jurisdictions including those in which we or they transact business, own property or reside. Our state, local or foreign tax treatment and that of our stockholders may not conform to the U.S. federal income tax treatment discussed above. Prospective investors should consult their tax advisors regarding the application and effect of state, local and foreign income and other tax laws on an investment in our stock.

 

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ERISA CONSIDERATIONS

A plan fiduciary considering an investment in the securities should consider, among other things, whether such an investment might constitute or give rise to a prohibited transaction under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”), the Code or any substantially similar federal, state, local or non-U.S. law or regulation. ERISA and the Code impose restrictions on:

 

    employee benefit plans as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA that are subject to Title I of ERISA,

 

    plans described in Section 4975(e)(1) of the Code that are subject to Section 4975 of the Code, including individual retirement accounts and Keogh Plans,

 

    entities whose underlying assets include plan assets by reason of a plan’s investment in such entities including, without limitation, insurance company general accounts (each of the foregoing, a “Plan”), and

 

    persons who have certain specified relationships to a Plan described as “parties in interest” under ERISA and “disqualified persons” under the Code.

Prohibited Transactions

ERISA imposes certain duties on persons who are fiduciaries of a Plan subject to Title I of ERISA. Under ERISA, any person who exercises any authority or control over the management or disposition of a Plan’s assets is considered to be a fiduciary of that Plan. Both ERISA and the Code prohibit certain transactions involving “plan assets” between a Plan and parties in interest or disqualified persons. Violations of these rules may result in the imposition of an excise tax or penalty.

The direct or indirect purchase of the securities from New Senior Investment Group, and the acquisition and holding of securities that constitute debt of New Senior Investment Group, by a Plan with respect to which we are party in interest or a disqualified person could be treated as or give rise to a prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Code. There are, however, a number of statutory and administrative exemptions that could depending upon the facts of any specific transaction be applicable to a Plan’s investment in the securities, including: (i) the statutory exemption under Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA and Section 4975(d)(20) of the Code for certain transactions with non-fiduciary service providers; (ii) Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption (“PTCE”) 84-14 for certain transactions determined by independent “qualified professional asset managers”; (iii) PTCE 90-1 for certain transactions involving insurance company pooled separate accounts; (iv) PTCE 91-38 for certain transactions involving bank collective investment funds; (v) PTCE 96-23 for certain transactions determined by “in-house asset managers”; and (vi) PTCE 95-60 for certain transactions involving insurance company general accounts.

The Plan Assets Regulation

Under 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-101, as modified by Section 3(42) of ERISA (the “Plan Assets Regulation”), a Plan’s assets may be deemed to include an interest in the underlying assets of an entity if the plan acquires an “equity interest” in such an entity and no exception under the Plan Asset Regulation is applicable. In that event, the operations of such an entity would be subject to ERISA and could result in prohibited transactions under ERISA and the Code.

Under the Plan Assets Regulation, if a Plan acquires a “publicly-offered security,” the issuer of the security is not deemed to hold plan assets of the investing Plan as a result of such acquisition. A publicly-offered security is a security that:

 

    is freely transferable,

 

    is part of a class of securities that is owned by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and of one another, and

 

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    is either:

 

  (i) part of a class of securities registered under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act, or

 

  (ii) sold to the Plan as part of an offering of securities to the public pursuant to an effective registration statement under the Securities Act and the class of securities of which such security is a part is registered under the Exchange Act within the requisite time.

Treatment of our Common Stock as “Publicly-Offered Securities”

Our common stock currently meets the above criteria and it is anticipated that shares of our common stock will continue to meet the criteria of publicly-offered securities.

The applicability of the “publicly-offered securities” exception or another exception under the Plan Assets Regulation to other securities registered on the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement, as appropriate.

Governmental, Foreign and Church Plans

Governmental plans (as defined in Section 3(32) of ERISA), foreign plans (as described in Section 4(b)(4) of ERISA) and certain church plans (as defined in Section 3(33) of ERISA) are not subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA or the provisions of Section 4975 of the Code. Such plans may, however, be subject to other federal, state, local or non-U.S. laws or regulations that are substantially similar to the foregoing provisions of ERISA and the Code. In addition, any such plan that is qualified and exempt from taxation under the Code is subject to the prohibited transaction rules set forth in Section 503 of the Code. Fiduciaries of such plans should consult with their counsel before purchasing any of the securities.

General Investment Considerations

Fiduciaries of a Plan (including, without limitation, an entity whose assets include plan assets, including, as applicable, an insurance company general account, insurance company separate account or collective investment fund) considering the purchase of the securities should consult with their legal advisors concerning the impact of ERISA and the Code and the potential consequences of making an investment in the securities with respect to their specific circumstances. Each Plan fiduciary should take into account, among other considerations:

 

    whether the Plan’s investment could give rise to a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code,

 

    whether the fiduciary has the authority to make the investment,

 

    the composition of the Plan’s portfolio with respect to diversification by type of asset,

 

    the Plan’s funding objectives,

 

    the tax effects of the investment,

 

    whether our assets would be considered plan assets,

 

    whether, under the general fiduciary standards of investment prudence and diversification an investment in these shares is appropriate for the Plan taking into account the overall investment policy of the Plan and the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio, and

 

    that, a prospectus supplement may require certain representations (deemed or otherwise) from a purchaser of any securities offered hereunder that is a Plan, which may include that the Plan is represented by an “independent fiduciary” described in U.S. Department of Labor Regulation Section 29 C.F.R. 2510.3-21(c)(1), and that the investment must otherwise meet the requirements of such regulation.

 

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The discussion of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code contained herein is, of necessity, general and does not purport to be complete. Moreover, the provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code are subject to extensive and continuing administrative and judicial interpretation and review. Therefore, the matters discussed above may be affected by future regulations, rulings, and court decisions, some of which may have retroactive application and effect. The sale to a Plan of any security registered on the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part, including pursuant to any applicable prospectus supplement, is in is in no respect a representation by the us or any of our agents or affiliates that such an investment meets all relevant legal requirements with respect to investments by Plans generally or any particular Plan, or that such an investment is appropriate or recommended for Plans generally or any particular Plan.

ANY POTENTIAL INVESTOR CONSIDERING AN INVESTMENT IN THE SECURITIES THAT IS, OR IS ACTING ON BEHALF OF, A PLAN (OR A GOVERNMENTAL, FOREIGN OR CHURCH PLAN SUBJECT TO LAWS OR REGULATIONS SUBSTANTIALLY SIMILAR TO THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY PROVISIONS OF ERISA AND/OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE) SHOULD CONSULT WITH ITS OWN LEGAL, TAX AND ERISA ADVISERS REGARDING THE CONSEQUENCES OF SUCH AN INVESTMENT. EACH SUCH INVESTOR, BY ACQUIRING ANY OF THE SECURITIES REGISTERED ON THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT OF WHICH THIS PROSPECTUS FORMS A PART SHALL BE DEEMED TO REPRESENT THAT ITS ACQUISITION OF SUCH SECURITIES DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AND WILL NOT RESULT IN A NON-EXEMPT PROHIBITED TRANSACTION UNDER THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY PROVISIONS OF ERISA OR SECTION 4975 OF THE CODE OR A SIMILAR VIOLATION OF ANY SUBSTANTIAL SIMILAR FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL OR NON-U.S. LAW OR REGULATION.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We or the selling stockholders may offer and sell the securities offered by this prospectus from time to time in one or more transactions, including without limitation:

 

    directly to one or more purchasers;

 

    through agents;

 

    to or through underwriters, brokers or dealers; or

 

    through a combination of any of these methods.

A distribution of the securities offered by this prospectus may also be effected through the issuance of derivative securities, including without limitation, warrants, subscriptions, exchangeable securities, forward delivery contracts and the writing of options.

In addition, the manner in which we may sell some or all of the securities covered by this prospectus includes any method permitted by law, including, without limitation, through:

 

    a block trade in which a broker-dealer will attempt to sell as agent, but may position or resell a portion of the block, as principal, in order to facilitate the transaction;

 

    purchases by a broker-dealer, as principal, and resale by the broker-dealer for its account;

 

    ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which a broker solicits purchasers;

 

    sales “at the market” to or through one or more market makers or into an existing trading market, on an exchange or otherwise; or

 

    privately negotiated transactions.

We may also enter into hedging transactions. For example, we may:

 

    enter into transactions with a broker-dealer or affiliate thereof in connection with which such broker-dealer or affiliate will engage in short sales of the common stock pursuant to this prospectus, in which case such broker-dealer or affiliate may use shares of common stock received from us to close out its short positions;

 

    sell securities short and redeliver such shares to close out our short positions;

 

    enter into option or other types of transactions that require us to deliver common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who will then resell or transfer the common stock under this prospectus; or

 

    loan or pledge the common stock to a broker-dealer or an affiliate thereof, who may sell the loaned shares or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus.

The securities covered by this prospectus may be sold:

 

    on a national securities exchange;

 

    in the over-the-counter market; or

 

    in transactions otherwise than on an exchange or in the over-the-counter market, or in combination.

In addition, we may enter into derivative or hedging transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. In connection with such a transaction, the third parties may sell securities covered by and pursuant to this prospectus and an applicable

 

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prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be. If so, the third party may use securities borrowed from us or others to settle such sales and may use securities received from us to close out any related short positions. We may also loan or pledge securities covered by this prospectus and an applicable prospectus supplement to third parties, who may sell the loaned securities or, in an event of default in the case of a pledge, sell the pledged securities pursuant to this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement or pricing supplement, as the case may be.

A prospectus supplement with respect to each offering of securities will state the terms of the offering of the securities, including:

 

    the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents and the amounts of securities underwritten or purchased by each of them, if any;

 

    the public offering price or purchase price of the securities and the net proceeds to be received by us from the sale;

 

    any delayed delivery arrangements;

 

    any underwriting discounts or agency fees and other items constituting underwriters’ or agents’ compensation;

 

    any discounts or concessions allowed or reallowed or paid to dealers;

 

    any securities exchange or markets on which the securities may be listed; and

 

    other material terms of the offering.

The offer and sale of the securities described in this prospectus by us, the underwriters or the third parties described above may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions, including privately negotiated transactions, either:

 

    at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed from time to time;

 

    at market prices prevailing at the time of sale;

 

    at prices related to the prevailing market prices; or

 

    at negotiated prices.

In addition to selling its common stock under this prospectus, a selling stockholder may:

 

    transfer its common stock in other ways not involving market maker or established trading markets, including directly by gift, distribution, or other transfer;

 

    sell its common stock under Rule 144 or Rule 145 of the Securities Act rather than under this prospectus, if the transaction meets the requirements of Rule 144 or Rule 145; or

 

    sell its common stock by any other legally available means.

General

Any public offering price and any discounts, commissions, concessions or other items constituting compensation allowed or reallowed or paid to underwriters, dealers, agents or remarketing firms may be changed from time to time. Underwriters, dealers, agents and remarketing firms that participate in the distribution of the offered securities may be “underwriters” as defined in the Securities Act. Any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profits they receive on the resale of the offered securities may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act. We will identify any underwriters, agents or dealers and describe their commissions, fees or discounts in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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Underwriters and Agents

If underwriters are used in a sale, they will acquire the offered securities for their own account. The underwriters may resell the offered securities in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions. These sales may be made at a fixed public offering price or prices, which may be changed from time to time, at market prices prevailing at the time of the sale, at prices related to such prevailing market price or at negotiated prices. We may offer the securities to the public through an underwriting syndicate or through a single underwriter. The underwriters in any particular offering will be mentioned in the applicable prospectus supplement.

Unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase the offered securities will be subject to certain conditions contained in an underwriting agreement that we will enter into with the underwriters at the time of the sale to them. The underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities of the series offered if any of the securities are purchased, unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities. Any initial offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed, reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

We may designate agents to sell the offered securities. Unless otherwise specified in connection with any particular offering of securities, the agents will agree to use their best efforts to solicit purchases for the period of their appointment. We may also sell the offered securities to one or more remarketing firms, acting as principals for their own accounts or as agents for us. These firms will remarket the offered securities upon purchasing them in accordance with a redemption or repayment pursuant to the terms of the offered securities. A prospectus supplement will identify any remarketing firm and will describe the terms of its agreement, if any, with us and its compensation.

In connection with offerings made through underwriters or agents, we may enter into agreements with such underwriters or agents pursuant to which we receive our outstanding securities in consideration for the securities being offered to the public for cash. In connection with these arrangements, the underwriters or agents may also sell securities covered by this prospectus to hedge their positions in these outstanding securities, including in short sale transactions. If so, the underwriters or agents may use the securities received from us under these arrangements to close out any related open borrowings of securities.

Dealers

We may sell the offered securities to dealers as principals. We may negotiate and pay dealers’ commissions, discounts or concessions for their services. The dealer may then resell such securities to the public either at varying prices to be determined by the dealer or at a fixed offering price agreed to with us at the time of resale. Dealers engaged by us may allow other dealers to participate in resales.

Direct Sales

We may choose to sell the offered securities directly. In this case, no underwriters or agents would be involved.

Institutional Purchasers

We may authorize agents, dealers or underwriters to solicit certain institutional investors to purchase offered securities on a delayed delivery basis pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specified future date. The applicable prospectus supplement will provide the details of any such arrangement, including the offering price and commissions payable on the solicitations.

We will enter into such delayed contracts only with institutional purchasers that we approve. These institutions may include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies and educational and charitable institutions.

 

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Indemnification; Other Relationships

We may have agreements with agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms to indemnify them against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. Agents, underwriters, dealers and remarketing firms, and their affiliates, may engage in transactions with, or perform services for, us in the ordinary course of business. This includes commercial banking and investment banking transactions.

Market-Making, Stabilization and Other Transactions

There is currently no market for any of the offered securities, other than our common stock, which is listed on the NYSE. If the offered securities are traded after their initial issuance, they may trade at a discount from their initial offering price, depending upon prevailing interest rates, the market for similar securities and other factors. While it is possible that an underwriter could inform us that it intends to make a market in the offered securities, such underwriter would not be obligated to do so, and any such market-making could be discontinued at any time without notice. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to whether an active trading market will develop for the offered securities. We have no current plans for listing of the debt securities, preferred stock or warrants on any securities exchange; any such listing with respect to any particular debt securities, preferred stock or warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

In connection with any offering of common stock, the underwriters may purchase and sell shares of common stock in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, syndicate covering transactions and stabilizing transactions. Short sales involve syndicate sales of common stock in excess of the number of shares to be purchased by the underwriters in the offering, which creates a syndicate short position. “Covered” short sales are sales of shares made in an amount up to the number of shares represented by the underwriters’ over-allotment option. In determining the source of shares to close out the covered syndicate short position, the underwriters will consider, among other things, the price of shares available for purchase in the open market as compared to the price at which they may purchase shares through the over-allotment option. Transactions to close out the covered syndicate short involve either purchases of the common stock in the open market after the distribution has been completed or the exercise of the over-allotment option. The underwriters may also make “naked” short sales of shares in excess of the over-allotment option. The underwriters must close out any naked short position by purchasing shares of common stock in the open market. A naked short position is more likely to be created if the underwriters are concerned that there may be downward pressure on the price of the shares in the open market after pricing that could adversely affect investors who purchase in the offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of bids for or purchases of shares in the open market while the offering is in progress for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities.

In connection with any offering, the underwriters may also engage in penalty bids. Penalty bids permit the underwriters to reclaim a selling concession from a syndicate member when the securities originally sold by the syndicate member are purchased in a syndicate covering transaction to cover syndicate short positions. Stabilizing transactions, syndicate covering transactions and penalty bids may cause the price of the securities to be higher than it would be in the absence of the transactions. The underwriters may, if they commence these transactions, discontinue them at any time.

The specific terms of any lock-up provisions in respect of any given offering will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, certain legal matters will be passed upon for us by Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, New York, New York. If legal matters in connection with offerings made pursuant to this prospectus are passed upon by counsel for the underwriters, dealers or agents, if any, such counsel will be named in the prospectus supplement relating to such offering.

EXPERTS

Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, has audited our consolidated financial statements and schedule included in our Current Report on Form 8-K dated June 20, 2018 for the year ended December 31, 2017, and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, as set forth in their reports, which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus and elsewhere in the registration statement. Our consolidated financial statements and schedule are incorporated by reference in reliance on Ernst & Young LLP’s reports, given on their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

 

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PART II

INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

 

ITEM 14. OTHER EXPENSES OF ISSUANCE AND DISTRIBUTION.

The expenses relating to the registration of the securities will be borne by the Registrant. The following expenses, with the exception of the Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee, are estimates.

 

Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee

   $         *      

Trustee Fees and Expenses

   $  

Printing and Engraving Fees and Expenses

   $  

Accounting Fees and Expenses

   $  

Legal Fees

   $  
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ **      
  

 

 

 

 

* To be deferred pursuant to Rule 456(b) of the Securities Act, and calculated in connection with an offering of securities under this registration statement pursuant to Rule 457(r) of the Securities Act.

 

** These fees cannot be estimated at this time, as they are calculated based on the securities offered and the number of issuances. An estimate of the aggregate expenses in connection with the sale and distribution of the securities being offered will be included in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

ITEM 15. INDEMNIFICATION OF DIRECTORS AND OFFICERS.

Section 102 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, as amended, allows a corporation to eliminate the personal liability of a director of a corporation to the corporation or its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, except where the director breached his duty of loyalty to the corporation or its stockholders, failed to act in good faith, engaged in intentional misconduct or knowingly violated a law, authorized the payment of a dividend or approved a stock purchase or redemption in violation of Delaware corporate law or obtained an improper personal benefit.

Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, among other things, that a corporation may indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (other than an action by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that the person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation, or is or was serving at the corporation’s request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, trust or other enterprise, against expenses, including attorneys’ fees, judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by the person in connection with the action, suit or proceeding. The power to indemnify applies (i) if such person is successful on the merits or otherwise in defense of any action, suit or proceeding or (ii) if such person acted in good faith and in a manner he reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his conduct was unlawful. The power to indemnify applies to actions brought by or in the right of the corporation as well, but only to the extent of defense expenses, (including attorneys’ fees but excluding amounts paid in settlement) actually and reasonably incurred by the indemnified person and not to any satisfaction of judgment or settlement of the claim itself, and with the further limitation that in such actions no indemnification shall be made in the event such person is adjudged liable to the corporation unless a court believes that in light of all the circumstances indemnification should apply.

Section 174 of the Delaware General Corporation Law provides, among other things, that a director who willfully and negligently approves of an unlawful payment of dividends or an unlawful stock purchase or redemption may be held liable for such actions. A director who was either absent when the unlawful actions were approved or dissented at the time, may avoid liability by causing his dissent to such actions to be entered in the

 

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books containing the minutes of the meetings of the board of directors at the time the action occurred or immediately after the absent director receives notice of the unlawful acts.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that our directors shall not be personally liable to us and our stockholders for monetary damages for breach of certain fiduciary duties as a director, except to the extent such limitation of liability is not permitted under the DGCL.

Our bylaws and certificate of incorporation provide that we may indemnify any person who is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of us to the fullest extent permitted by Delaware law. The indemnification provisions contained in our bylaws and certificate of incorporation are not exclusive of any other rights to which a person may be entitled by law, agreement, vote of stockholders or disinterested directors or otherwise. In addition, we have entered into separate indemnification agreements with each of our directors and executive officers, which are broader than the specific indemnification provisions contained in the Delaware General Corporation Law. These indemnification agreements require us, among other things, to indemnify our directors and officers against liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors or officers, other than liabilities arising from willful misconduct.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers or persons controlling the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

 

ITEM 16. LIST OF EXHIBITS.

The Exhibits to this registration statement are listed in the Index to Exhibits and are incorporated herein by reference.

 

ITEM 17. UNDERTAKINGS.

 

  (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 the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in 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 the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (a)(1)(ii) and (a)(1)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the registrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

 

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

 

  (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.

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

  (b)

The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the registrant’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of

 

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  1934) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

 

  (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 the foregoing provisions described under Item 15 above, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the 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.

 

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EXHIBIT INDEX

 

EXHIBIT
NO.
  

EXHIBIT

1.1*    Form of Underwriting Agreement for common stock, preferred stock, warrants or debt securities.
4.1    Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation (incorporated by reference to New Senior’s Report on Form 10-Q, Exhibit 3.1, filed on November 25,2014)
4.2    Amended and Restated Bylaws (incorporated by reference to New Senior’s Report on Form  10-Q, Exhibit 3.2, filed on November 25, 2014)
4.3    Form of Debt Securities Indenture (including form of Debt Security) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit  4.3 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed with the Commission on June 22, 2015).
4.4*    Form of any Preferred Stock certificate.
4.5*    Form of Debt Warrant Agreement.
4.6*    Form of Debt Warrant Certificate.
4.7*    Form of Stock Warrant Agreement.
4.8*    Form of Stock Warrant Certificate.
4.9*    Form of Deposit Agreement.
4.10*    Form of Depositary Receipt.
4.11*    Form of Purchase Contract.
4.12*    Form of Purchase Unit.
5.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as to legality.
8.1    Opinion of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as to certain tax matters.
12.1    Statement of Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
23.1    Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, independent registered public accounting firm.
23.2    Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as to legality (included in Exhibit 5.1).
23.3    Consent of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP as to certain tax matters (included in Exhibit 8.1).
24.1    Powers of Attorney (included on the signature pages hereto).
25.1    Statement of Eligibility on Form T-1 of the Trustee under the Indenture pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended.

 

* To be filed by amendment hereto or pursuant to a Current Report on Form 8-K to be incorporated herein by reference.

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all 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 June 20, 2018.

 

NEW SENIOR INVESTMENT GROUP INC.
By:   /s/ Susan Givens
 

Name:  Susan Givens

Title:   Chief Executive Officer

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS that the individuals whose signatures appear below constitute and appoint each of Bhairav Patel and Susan Givens to be their lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full and several powers of substitution, in their names, places and steads and on their behalves, and in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this Registration Statement and to sign any and all additional registration statements relating to the Registration Statement and filed pursuant to Rule 462 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and all documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto each said attorney-in-fact and agent full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing which said attorney-in-fact and agent may deem necessary or advisable to be done or performed in connection with any or all of the above described matters, as fully as each of the undersigned could do if personally present and acting, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorney-in-fact and agent, or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

NAME

  

TITLE

  

DATE

/s/ Wesley R. Edens      
Wesley R. Edens    Chairman of the Board    June 20, 2018
/s/ Virgis W. Colbert      
Virgis W. Colbert    Director    June 20, 2018
/s/ Michael D. Malone      
Michael D. Malone    Director    June 20, 2018
/s/ Stuart A. McFarland      
Stuart A. McFarland    Director    June 20, 2018
/s/ David H. Milner      
David H. Milner    Director    June 20, 2018
/s/ Robert Savage      
Robert Savage    Director    June 20, 2018

 

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NAME

  

TITLE

  

DATE

/s/ Cassia van der Hoof Holstein      
Cassia van der Hoof Holstein    Director    June 20, 2018
/s/ Susan Givens      
Susan Givens    Director and Chief Executive Officer (principal executive officer)    June 20, 2018
/s/ Bhairav Patel      
Bhairav Patel    Interim Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer and Chief Accounting Officer (principal financial officer)    June 20, 2018

 

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