EX-3.1 7 v155475_ex3-1.htm
FORM OF
ARTICLES OF
AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT
FOR
EMPIRE AMERICAN REALTY TRUST, INC.
a Maryland Corporation

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE

ARTICLE I NAME | 1
ARTICLE II PURPOSES AND POWERS | 1
ARTICLE III RESIDENT AGENT AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE | 1
ARTICLE IV DEFINITIONS | 2
ARTICLE V STOCK | 10
SECTION 5.1 AUTHORIZED SHARES | 10
SECTION 5.2 COMMON SHARES. | 10
SECTION 5.3 PREFERRED SHARES | 12
SECTION 5.4 CLASSIFIED OR RECLASSIFIED SHARES | 12
SECTION 5.5 STOCKHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING | 12
SECTION 5.6 CHARTER AND BYLAWS | 12
SECTION 5.7 NO ISSUANCE OF SHARE CERTIFICATES. | 12
SECTION 5.8 SUITABILITY OF STOCKHOLDERS. | 12
SECTION 5.9 RESTRICTIONS ON OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER. | 14
SECTION 5.10 SETTLEMENTS. | 22
SECTION 5.11 SEVERABILITY | 22
SECTION 5.12 ENFORCEMENT | 22
SECTION 5.13 NON-WAIVER | 22
SECTION 5.14 REPURCHASE OF SHARES | 22
SECTION 5.15 DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLANS | 22
SECTION 5.16 PREEMPTIVE AND APPRAISAL RIGHTS | 22
ARTICLE VI BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 23
SECTION 6.1 NUMBER OF DIRECTORS | 23
SECTION 6.2 EXPERIENCE | 23
SECTION 6.3 COMMITTEES | 23
SECTION 6.4 TERM | 24
SECTION 6.5 FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS. | 24
SECTION 6.6 RESIGNATION, REMOVAL OR DEATH | 24
ARTICLE VII POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS | 24
SECTION 7.1 GENERAL | 24
SECTION 7.2 AUTHORIZATION BY BOARD OF STOCK ISSUANCE | 24
SECTION 7.3 FINANCINGS | 24
SECTION 7.4 REIT QUALIFICATION | 25
SECTION 7.5 DETERMINATIONS BY BOARD | 25
SECTION 7.6 VOTE OF MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS REQUIRED. | 25
ARTICLE VIII ADVISOR | 26
SECTION 8.1 APPOINTMENT AND INITIAL INVESTMENT OF ADVISOR. | 26
SECTION 8.2 SUPERVISION OF ADVISOR | 27
SECTION 8.3 FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS | 27
SECTION 8.4 AFFILIATION AND FUNCTIONS | 27

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SECTION 8.5 TERMINATION | 28
SECTION 8.6 DISPOSITION FEE ON SALE OF ASSETS | 28
SECTION 8.7 INCENTIVE FEES | 28
SECTION 8.8 SUBORDINATED INCENTIVE LISTING FEE | 28
SECTION 8.9 ORGANIZATION AND OFFERING EXPENSES LIMITATION | 28
SECTION 8.10 ACQUISITION FEES | 28
SECTION 8.11 FINANCING COORDINATION FEE. | 29
SECTION 8.12 ASSET MANAGEMENT FEE | 29
SECTION 8.13 FEES UPON TERMINATION OF ADVISOR | 29
SECTION 8.14 REIMBURSEMENT FOR TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES. | 29
SECTION 8.15 REIMBURSEMENT LIMITATION | 30
ARTICLE IX INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS | 30
SECTION 9.1 REVIEW OF OBJECTIVES | 30
SECTION 9.2 CERTAIN PERMITTED INVESTMENTS | 30
SECTION 9.3 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS | 30
ARTICLE X CONFLICTS OF INTEREST | 33
SECTION 10.1 SALES AND LEASES TO THE COMPANY | 33
SECTION 10.2 SALES AND LEASES TO THE SPONSOR, ADVISOR, DIRECTORS OR AFFILIATES | 34
SECTION 10.3 OTHER TRANSACTIONS. | 34
SECTION 10.4 CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCEDURES. | 34
ARTICLE XI STOCKHOLDERS | 35
SECTION 11.1 MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS | 35
SECTION 11.2 VOTING RIGHTS OF STOCKHOLDERS | 36
SECTION 11.3 EXTRAORDINARY ACTIONS. | 36
SECTION 11.4 VOTING LIMITATIONS ON SHARES HELD BY THE ADVISOR, DIRECTORS AND AFFILIATES | 36
SECTION 11.5 RIGHT OF INSPECTION | 36
SECTION 11.6 ACCESS TO STOCKHOLDER LIST | 37
SECTION 11.7 REPORTS | 37
ARTICLE XII LIABILITY OF STOCKHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, ADVISORS AND AFFILIATES; TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN AFFILIATES AND THE COMPANY | 38
SECTION 12.1 LIMITATION OF STOCKHOLDER LIABILITY | 38
SECTION 12.2 LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR AND OFFICER LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION. | 39
SECTION 12.3 PAYMENT OF EXPENSES | 40
SECTION 12.4 EXPRESS EXCULPATORY CLAUSES IN INSTRUMENTS | 40
ARTICLE XIII AMENDMENTS | 40
ARTICLE XIV ROLL-UP TRANSACTIONS | 41
ARTICLE XV DURATION | 42

ii

EMPIRE AMERICAN REALTY TRUST, INC.
ARTICLES OF AMENDMENT AND RESTATEMENT
FIRST: Empire American Realty Trust, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), desires to amend and restate its charter as currently in effect and as hereinafter amended.
SECOND: The following provisions are all the provisions of the charter currently in effect and as hereinafter amended:
ARTICLE I
NAME
The name of the corporation is Empire American Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”). So far as may be practicable, the business of the Company shall be conducted and transacted under that name. Under circumstances in which the Board determines that the use of the name “Empire American Realty Trust, Inc.” is not practicable, it may use any other designation or name for the Company.
ARTICLE II
PURPOSES AND POWERS
The purposes for which the Company is formed are to engage in any lawful act or activity (including, without limitation or obligation, qualifying and engaging in business as a real estate investment trust under Sections 856 through 860, or any successor sections, of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”)), for which corporations may be organized under the MGCL and the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.
ARTICLE III
RESIDENT AGENT AND PRINCIPAL OFFICE
The name and address of the resident agent for service of process of the Company in the State of Maryland is The Corporation Trust Incorporated, 300 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The address of the Company’s principal office in the State of Maryland is c/o The Corporation Trust Incorporated, 300 East Lombard Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The Company may have such other offices and places of business within or outside the State of Maryland as the Board may from time to time determine.

ARTICLE IV
DEFINITIONS
As used in the Charter, the following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:
“ACQUISITION EXPENSES” means any and all expenses incurred by the Company, the Advisor, or any Affiliate of either in connection with the selection, acquisition or development of any Asset, whether or not acquired, including, without limitation, legal fees and expenses, travel and communications expenses, costs of appraisals, nonrefundable option payments on property not acquired, accounting fees and expenses, and title insurance premiums.
“ACQUISITION FEE” means any and all fees and commissions, exclusive of Acquisition Expenses, paid by any Person to any other Person (including any fees or commissions paid by or to any Affiliate of the Company or the Advisor) in connection with investing in Mortgages or other Assets or the purchase, development or construction of a Property, including real estate commissions, selection fees, Development Fees, Construction Fees, nonrecurring management fees, loan fees, points or any other fees of a similar nature. Excluded shall be Development Fees and Construction Fees paid to any Person not affiliated with the Sponsor in connection with the actual development and construction of a project.
“ADVISOR” or “ADVISORS” means the Person or Persons, if any, appointed, employed or contracted with by the Company pursuant to Section 8.1 hereof and responsible for directing or performing the day-to-day business affairs of the Company, including any Person to whom the Advisor subcontracts all or substantially all of such functions.
“ADVISORY AGREEMENT” means the agreement between the Company and the Advisor pursuant to which the Advisor will direct or perform the day-to-day business affairs of the Company.
“AFFILIATE” or “AFFILIATED” means, with respect to any Person, (i) any Person directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding, with the power to vote, ten percent (10%) or more of the outstanding voting securities of such other Person; (ii) any Person, ten percent (10%) or more of whose outstanding voting securities are directly or indirectly owned, controlled or held, with the power to vote, by such other Person; (iii) any Person directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by or under common control with such other Person; (iv) any executive officer, director, trustee or general partner of such other Person; and (v) any legal entity for which such Person acts as an executive officer, director, trustee or general partner.
“ASSET” means any Property, Mortgage or other investment (other than investments in bank accounts, money market funds or other current assets) owned by the Company, directly or indirectly through one (1) or more of its Affiliates, and any other investment made by the Company, directly or indirectly through one (1) or more of its Affiliates.
“AVERAGE INVESTED ASSETS” means, for a specified period, the average of the aggregate book value of the Assets invested, directly or indirectly in equity interests in and loans secured by real estate, before deducting depreciation, bad debts or other non-cash reserves, computed by taking the average of such values at the end of each month during such period.

“BOARD” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“BYLAWS” means the Bylaws of the Company, as amended from time to time.
“CHARTER” means the charter of the Company, as amended from time to time.
“CODE” shall have the meaning as provided in Article II herein.
“COMMENCEMENT OF THE INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING” shall mean the date that the Securities and Exchange Commission declares effective the registration statement filed under the Securities Act for the Initial Public Offering.
“COMMON SHARES” shall have the meaning as provided in Section 5.1 herein.
“COMPANY” shall have the meaning as provided in Article I herein.
“COMPETITIVE REAL ESTATE COMMISSION” means a real estate or brokerage commission paid for the purchase or sale of an Asset that is reasonable, customary and competitive in light of the size, type and location of the Asset.
“CONSTRUCTION FEE” means a fee or other remuneration for acting as general contractor and/or construction manager to construct improvements, supervise and coordinate projects or to provide major repairs or rehabilitations on a Property.
“CONTRACT PURCHASE PRICE” means the amount actually paid or allocated in respect of the purchase, development, construction or improvement of a Property or the amount actually paid or allocated in respect of the purchase of Mortgages or other Assets, in each case exclusive of Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses, but in each case including any indebtedness assumed or incurred in respect of such Property.
“DEALER MANAGER” means Empire American Realty, LLC, an Affiliate of the Company, or such other Person selected by the Board to act as the dealer manager for an Offering.
“DEVELOPMENT FEE” means a fee for the packaging of a Property or Mortgage, including the negotiation and approval of plans and any assistance in obtaining zoning and necessary variances and financing for a specific Property, either initially or at a later date.
“DIRECTOR” means a director of the Company.
“DISTRIBUTIONS” means any distributions of money or other property, pursuant to Section 5.2(iii) hereof, by the Company to owners of Shares, including distributions that may constitute a return of capital for federal income tax purposes.

“EXCESS AMOUNT” has the meaning provided in Section 8.13 herein.
“EXCHANGE ACT” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto.
“EXTENSION AMENDMENT” has the meaning provided in Article XV herein.
“GROSS PROCEEDS” means the aggregate purchase price of all Shares sold for the account of the Company through an Offering, without deduction for Selling Commissions, volume discounts, any marketing support and due diligence expense reimbursement or Organization and Offering Expenses. For the purpose of computing Gross Proceeds, the purchase price of any Share for which reduced Selling Commissions are paid to the Dealer Manager or a Soliciting Dealer (where net proceeds to the Company are not reduced) shall be deemed to be the full amount of the offering price per Share pursuant to the Prospectus for such Offering without reduction.
“INDEMNITEE” has the meaning provided in Section 12.2 herein.
“INDEPENDENT APPRAISER” means a Person with no material current or prior business or personal relationship with the Advisor or the Directors and who is engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions regarding the value of Real Property or of other Assets of the type held by the Company. Membership in a nationally recognized appraisal society such as the American Institute of Real Estate Appraisers or the Society of Real Estate Appraisers shall be conclusive evidence of being engaged to a substantial extent in the business of rendering opinions as to the value of Real Property.
“INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR” means a Director who is not on the date of determination, and within the last two years from the date of determination has not been, directly or indirectly associated with the Sponsor or the Advisor by virtue of (i) ownership of an interest in the Sponsor, the Advisor or any of their Affiliates, other than the Company, (ii) employment by the Sponsor, the Advisor or any of their Affiliates, (iii) service as an officer or director of the Sponsor, the Advisor or any of their Affiliates, other than as a Director of the Company, (iv) performance of services, other than as a Director, for the Company, (v) service as a director or trustee of more than three REITs organized by the Sponsor or advised by the Advisor or (vi) maintenance of a material business or professional relationship with the Sponsor, the Advisor or any of their Affiliates. A business or professional relationship is considered “material” if the aggregate gross revenue derived by the Director from the Sponsor, the Advisor and their Affiliates exceeds five percent (5%) of either the Director’s annual gross income during either of the last two years or the Director’s net worth on a fair market value basis. An indirect association with the Sponsor or the Advisor shall include circumstances in which a Director’s spouse, parent, child, sibling, mother-or father-in-law, son- or daughter-in-law or brother- or sister-in-law is or has been associated with the Sponsor, the Advisor, any of their Affiliates or the Company.
“INITIAL INVESTMENT” means that portion of the initial capitalization of the Company contributed by the Sponsor or its Affiliates pursuant to Section II.A. of the NASAA REIT Guidelines.

“INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING” means the first Offering.
“INVESTED CAPITAL” means the amount calculated by multiplying the total number of Shares purchased by Stockholders by the issue price at the time of such purchase, reduced by the portion of any Distribution that is attributable to Net Sales Proceeds and by any amounts paid by the Company to repurchase Shares pursuant to the Company’s plan for the repurchase of Shares.
“IRA” means an “individual retirement account” (as defined in Section 408 of the Code).
“JOINT VENTURES” means those joint venture or partnership arrangements in which the Company or the Operating Partnership is a co-venturer, limited liability company member, limited partner or general partner established to acquire or hold Assets.
“LEVERAGE” means the aggregate amount of indebtedness of the Company for money borrowed (including purchase money mortgage loans) outstanding at any time, both secured and unsecured.
“LISTING” means the listing of the Common Shares on a national securities exchange or the trading of the Common Shares in the over-the-counter market. Upon such Listing, the Common Shares shall be deemed Listed.
“MGCL” means the Maryland General Corporation Law, as in effect from time to time.
“MORTGAGES” means, in connection with mortgage financing invested in by the Company, all of the notes, deeds of trust, security interests or other evidences of indebtedness or obligations, which are secured or collateralized, directly or indirectly, by Real Property owned by the borrowers under such notes, deeds of trust, security interests or other evidences of indebtedness or obligations.
“NASAA REIT GUIDELINES” means the Statement of Policy Regarding Real Estate Investment Trusts as revised and adopted by the North American Securities Administrators Association on May 7, 2007.
“NET ASSETS” means the total Assets (other than intangibles) at cost, before deducting depreciation, reserves for bad debts or other non-cash reserves, less total liabilities, calculated at least quarterly by the Company on a basis consistently applied.
“NET INCOME” means, for any period, the Company’s total revenues applicable to such period, less the total expenses applicable to such period other than additions to reserves for depreciation, bad debts or other similar non-cash reserves and excluding any gain from the sale of the Assets.
“NET SALES PROCEEDS” means, in the case of a transaction described in clause (i) (A) of the definition of Sale, the proceeds of any such transaction less the amount of selling expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company, including all real estate commissions, closing costs and legal fees and expenses. In the case of a transaction described in clause (i) (B) of the definition of Sale, Net Sales Proceeds means the proceeds of any such transaction less the amount of selling expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company, including any legal fees and expenses and other selling expenses incurred in connection with such transaction. In the case of a transaction described in clause (i) (C) of the definition of Sale, Net Sales Proceeds means the proceeds of any such transaction actually distributed to the Company or the Operating Partnership from the Joint Venture less the amount of any selling expenses, including legal fees and expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company (other than those paid by the Joint Venture). In the case of a transaction or series of transactions described in clause (i) (D) of the definition of Sale, Net Sales Proceeds means the proceeds of any such transaction (including the aggregate of all payments under a Mortgage on or in satisfaction thereof other than regularly scheduled interest payments) less the amount of selling expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company, including all commissions, closing costs and legal fees and expenses. In the case of a transaction described in clause (i)(E) of the definition of Sale, Net Sales Proceeds means the proceeds of any such transaction less the amount of selling expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company, including any legal fees and expenses and other selling expenses incurred in connection with such transaction. In the case of a transaction described in clause (ii) of the definition of Sale, Net Sales Proceeds means the proceeds of such transaction or series of transactions less all amounts generated thereby which are reinvested in one (1) or more Assets within one hundred eighty (180) days thereafter and less the amount of any real estate commissions, closing costs, and legal fees and expenses and other selling expenses incurred by or allocated to the Company or the Operating Partnership in connection with such transaction or series of transactions. Net Sales Proceeds shall also include any amounts that the Company determines, in its discretion, to be economically equivalent to proceeds of a Sale. Net Sales Proceeds shall not include any reserves established by the Company, which shall be determined by the Board in its sole discretion.

“NON-COMPLIANT TENDER OFFER” has the meaning provided in Section 11.8 herein.
“OFFERING” means any public offering and sale of Shares pursuant to an effective registration statement filed under the Securities Act.
“OPERATING PARTNERSHIP” means Empire American Realty Operating Partnership, LP, an Affiliate of the Company through which the Company may own Assets.
“ORGANIZATION AND OFFERING EXPENSES” means any and all costs and expenses incurred by and to be paid from the assets of the Company in connection with the formation, qualification and registration of the Company, and the marketing and distribution of Shares, including, without limitation, total underwriting and brokerage discounts and commissions (including fees of the underwriters’ attorneys), expenses for printing, engraving and amending registration statements or supplementing prospectuses, mailing and distributing costs, salaries of employees while engaged in sales activity, telephone and other telecommunications costs, all advertising and marketing expenses (including the costs related to investor and broker-dealer sales meetings), charges of transfer agents, registrars, trustees, escrow holders, depositories and experts, and fees, expenses and taxes related to the filing, registration and qualification of the sale of the Shares under federal and state laws, including taxes and fees and accountants’ and attorneys’ fees.

“PERSON” means an individual, corporation, partnership, estate, trust (including a trust qualified under Sections 401(a) or 501(c)(17) of the Code), a portion of a trust permanently set aside for or to be used exclusively for the purposes described in Section 642(c) of the Code, association, private foundation within the meaning of Section 509(a) of the Code, joint stock company or other legal entity and also includes a group as that term is used for purposes of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act and a group to which an Excepted Holder Limit (as defined in Section 5.9(i) hereof) applies.
“PLAN OF LIQUIDATION” has the meaning provided in Article XV herein.
“PREFERRED SHARES” has the meaning provided in Section 5.1 herein.
“PROPERTY” or “PROPERTIES” means, as the context requires, any, or all, respectively, of the Real Property acquired by the Company, directly or indirectly through joint venture arrangements or other partnership or investment interests.
“PROSPECTUS” means the same as that term is defined in Section 2(10) of the Securities Act, including a preliminary prospectus and an offering circular as described in Rule 256 of the General Rules and Regulations under the Securities Act.
“REAL PROPERTY” or “REAL ESTATE” means land, rights in land (including leasehold interests), and any buildings, structures, improvements, furnishings, fixtures and equipment located on or used in connection with land and rights or interests in land.
“REFINANCING PROCEEDS” means the proceeds of the refinancing of any indebtedness of the Company, less the amount of expenses incurred by or on behalf of the Company in connection with such refinancing.
“REINVESTMENT PLAN” has the meaning provided in Section 5.15 herein.
“REIT” means a corporation, trust, association or other legal entity (other than a real estate syndication) that is engaged primarily in investing in equity interests in real estate (including fee ownership and leasehold interests) or in loans secured by real estate or both, as defined pursuant to the REIT Provisions of the Code.
“REIT PROVISIONS OF THE CODE” means Sections 856 through 860 of the Code and any successor or other provisions of the Code relating to real estate investment trusts (including provisions as to the attribution of ownership of beneficial interests therein) and the regulations promulgated thereunder.
“ROLL-UP ENTITY” means a partnership, real estate investment trust, corporation, trust or similar entity that would be created or would survive after the successful completion of a proposed Roll-Up Transaction.
“ROLL-UP TRANSACTION” means a transaction involving the acquisition, merger, conversion or consolidation either directly or indirectly of the Company and the issuance of securities of a Roll-Up Entity to the holders of Common Shares. Such term does not include:

(a) a transaction involving securities of the Company that have been for at least twelve (12) months listed on a national securities exchange; or
(b) a transaction involving the conversion to corporate, trust or association form of only the Company, if, as a consequence of the transaction, there will be no significant adverse change in any of the following:

| (i) | the voting rights of the holders of Common Shares;

| (ii) | the term of existence of the Company;

| (iii) | Sponsor or Advisor compensation; or

| (iv) | the Company’s investment objectives.

“SALE” or “SALES” means (i) any transaction or series of transactions whereby: (A) the Company or the Operating Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of any Property or portion thereof, including the lease of any Property consisting of a building only, and including any event with respect to any Property which gives rise to a significant amount of insurance proceeds or condemnation awards; (B) the Company or the Operating Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of all or substantially all of the interest of the Company or the Operating Partnership in any Joint Venture in which it is a co-venturer or partner; (C) any Joint Venture in which the Company or the Operating Partnership is a co-venturer or partner directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of any Property or portion thereof, including any event with respect to any Property which gives rise to a signifianct amount of insurance proceeds or condemnation awards; (D) the Company or the Operating Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, conveys or relinquishes its interest in any Mortgage or portion thereof, including any payments thereunder or in satisfaction thereof (other than regularly scheduled interest payments) or any amounts owed pursuant to such Mortgage, and including any event with respect to any Mortgage which gives rise to a significant amount of insurance proceeds or similar awards; or (E) the Company or the Operating Partnership directly or indirectly (except as described in other subsections of this definition) sells, grants, transfers, conveys, or relinquishes its ownership of any other Asset not previously described in this definition or any portion thereof, but (ii) not including any transaction or series of transactions specified in clause (i) (A) through (E) above in which the proceeds of such transaction or series of transactions are reinvested by the Company in one (1) or more Assets within one hundred eighty (180) days thereafter.
“SECURITIES” means any of the following issued by the Company, as the text requires: Shares, any other stock, shares or other evidences of equity or beneficial or other interests, voting trust certificates, bonds, debentures, notes or other evidences of indebtedness, secured or unsecured, convertible, subordinated or otherwise, or in general any instruments commonly known as “securities” or any certificates of interest, shares or participations in, temporary or interim certificates for, receipts for, guarantees of, or warrants, options or rights to subscribe to, purchase or acquire, any of the foregoing.

“SECURITIES ACT” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from time to time, or any successor statute thereto. Reference to any provision of the Securities Act shall mean such provision as in effect from time to time, as the same may be amended, and any successor provision thereto, as interpreted by any applicable regulations as in effect from time to time.
“SELLING COMMISSIONS” means any and all commissions payable to underwriters, dealer managers or other broker-dealers in connection with the sale of Shares, including, without limitation, commissions payable to the Dealer Manager.
“SHARES” means shares of stock of the Company of any class or series, including Common Shares or Preferred Shares.
“SOLICITING DEALERS” means those broker-dealers that are members of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, or that are exempt from broker-dealer registration, and that, in either case, enter into participating broker or other agreements with the Dealer Manager to sell Shares.
“SPONSOR” means any Person which (i) is directly or indirectly instrumental in organizing, wholly or in part, the Company, (ii) will control, manage or participate in the management of the Company, and any Affiliate of any such Person, (iii) takes the initiative, directly or indirectly, in founding or organizing the Company, either alone or in conjunction with one (1) or more other Persons, (iv) receives a material participation in the Company in connection with the founding or organizing of the business of the Company, in consideration of services or property, or both services and property, (v) has a substantial number of relationships and contacts with the Company, (vi) possesses significant rights to control Properties, (vii) receives fees for providing services to the Company which are paid on a basis that is not customary in the industry or (viii) provides goods or services to the Company on a basis which was not negotiated at arm’s-length with the Company. The term “Sponsor” shall not include a Person whose only relationship with the Company is that of an independent property manager and whose only compensation is as such or wholly independent third parties such as attorneys, accountants and underwriters whose only compensation is for professional services.
“STOCKHOLDER LIST” has the meaning provided in Section 11.6 herein.
“STOCKHOLDERS” means the holders of record of the Shares as maintained in the books and records of the Company or its transfer agent.
“TENDERED SHARES” has the meaning provided in Section 11.8 herein.
“TERMINATION DATE” means the date of termination of the Advisory Agreement.
“TERMINATION OF THE INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING” shall mean the earlier of (i) the date on which the Initial Public Offering expires or is terminated by the Company or (ii) the date on which all Shares offered in the Initial Public Offering are sold, excluding warrants, if any, offered thereunder and Shares that may be acquired upon exercise of such warrants and shares offered thereunder that may be acquired pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan.

“TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES” means all costs and expenses paid or incurred by the Company, as determined under generally accepted accounting principles, that are in any way related to the operation of the Company or to Company business, including advisory fees, but excluding (i) the expenses of raising capital such as Organization and Offering Expenses, legal, audit, accounting, underwriting, brokerage, listing, registration, and other fees, printing and other such expenses and tax incurred in connection with the issuance, distribution, transfer, registration and Listing of the Shares, (ii) interest payments, (iii) taxes, (iv) non-cash expenditures such as depreciation, amortization and bad debt reserves, (v) incentive fees paid in compliance with the NASAA REIT Guidelines, (vi) Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses, (vii) real estate commissions on the Sale of Property, and (viii) other fees and expenses connected with the acquisition, disposition, management and ownership of real estate interests, mortgage loans or other property (including the costs of foreclosure, insurance premiums, legal services, maintenance, repair and improvement of property).
“UNIMPROVED REAL PROPERTY” means Property in which the Company has an equity interest that was not acquired for the purpose of producing rental or other operating income, that has no development or construction in process and for which no development or construction is planned, in good faith, to commence within one (1) year.
“2%/25% GUIDELINES” has the meaning provided in Section 8.13 herein.
ARTICLE V
STOCK
SECTION 5.1 AUTHORIZED SHARES. The total number of Shares that the Company shall have authority to issue is 350,000,000 Shares, of which (i) 300,000,000 shall be designated as common stock, $0.01 par value per Share (the “Common Shares”); and (ii) 50,000,000 shall be designated as preferred stock, $0.01 par value per Share (the “Preferred Shares”). All shares shall be fully paid and nonassessable when issued. The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $3,500,000. If Shares of one (1) class of stock are classified or reclassified into Shares of another class of stock pursuant to Section 5.2(ii) or Section 5.3 of this Article V, the number of authorized Shares of the former class shall be automatically decreased and the number of Shares of the latter class shall be automatically increased, in each case by the number of Shares so classified or reclassified, as the case may be, so that the aggregate number of Shares of all classes that the Company has authority to issue shall not be more than the total number of Shares set forth in the first sentence of this Section 5.1. The Board, with the approval of a majority of the entire Board and without any action by the Stockholders, may amend the Charter from time to time to increase or decrease the aggregate number of Shares or the number of Shares of any class or series that the Company has authority to issue.
SECTION 5.2 COMMON SHARES.

(i) COMMON SHARES SUBJECT TO TERMS OF PREFERRED SHARES. The Common Shares shall be subject to the express terms of any series of Preferred Shares.
(ii) DESCRIPTION. Subject to Section 5.9 of this Article V and except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of Common Shares, each Common Share shall entitle the holder thereof to one (1) vote per share on all matters upon which Stockholders are entitled to vote pursuant to Section 11.2 hereof. The Board may classify or reclassify any unissued Common Shares from time to time in one (1) or more classes or series of stock; provided, however, that the voting rights per Share (other than any publicly held Share) sold in a private offering shall not exceed the voting rights which bear the same relationship to the voting rights of a publicly held Share as the consideration paid to the Company for each privately offered Share bears to the book value of each outstanding publicly held Share.
(iii) DISTRIBUTION RIGHTS. The Board from time to time may authorize the Company to declare and pay to Stockholders such dividends or other Distributions in cash or other assets of the Company or in securities of the Company or from any other source as the Board in its discretion shall determine. The Board shall endeavor to authorize the Company to declare and pay such dividends and other Distributions as shall be necessary for the Company to qualify as a REIT under the Code unless the Board has determined, in its sole discretion, that qualification as a REIT is not in the best interests of the Company; provided, however, Stockholders shall have no right to any dividend or other Distribution unless and until authorized by the Board and declared by the Company. The exercise of the powers and rights of the Board pursuant to this section shall be subject to the provisions of any class or series of Shares at the time outstanding. The receipt by any Person in whose name any Shares are registered on the records of the Company or by his or her duly authorized agent shall be a sufficient discharge for all dividends or other Distributions payable or deliverable in respect of such Shares and from all liability to see to the application thereof. Distributions in kind shall not be permitted, except for distributions of readily marketable securities or securities of the Company, distributions of beneficial interests in a liquidating trust established for the dissolution of the Company and the liquidation of its assets in accordance with the terms of the Charter or distributions in which (i) the Board advises each Stockholder of the risks associated with direct ownership of the property, (ii) the Board offers each Stockholder the election of receiving such in-kind distributions and (iii) in-kind distributions are made only to those Stockholders that accept such offer.
(iv) RIGHTS UPON LIQUIDATION. In the event of any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up, or any distribution of the assets of the Company, the aggregate assets available for distribution to holders of the Common Shares shall be determined in accordance with applicable law. Each holder of Common Shares of a particular class shall be entitled to receive, ratably with each other holder of Common Shares of such class, that portion of such aggregate assets available for distribution as the number of outstanding Common Shares of such class held by such holder bears to the total number of outstanding Common Shares of such class then outstanding.
(v) VOTING RIGHTS. Except as may be provided otherwise in the Charter, and subject to the express terms of any series of Preferred Shares, the holders of the Common Shares shall have the exclusive right to vote on all matters (as to which a common stockholder shall be entitled to vote pursuant to applicable law) at all meetings of the Stockholders.

SECTION 5.3 PREFERRED SHARES. The Board may classify any unissued Preferred Shares and reclassify any previously classified but unissued Preferred Shares of any series from time to time, in one (1) or more classes or series of Shares; provided, however, that the voting rights per Share (other than a publicly held Share) sold in a private offering shall not exceed the voting rights that bear the same relationship to the voting rights of a publicly held Share as the consideration paid to the Company for each privately offered Share bears to the book value of each outstanding publicly held Share.
SECTION 5.4 CLASSIFIED OR RECLASSIFIED SHARES. Prior to issuance of classified or reclassified Shares of any class or series, the Board by resolution shall: (a) designate that class or series to distinguish it from all other classes and series of Shares; (b) specify the number of Shares to be included in the class or series; (c) set or change, subject to the provisions of Section 5.9 and the express terms of any class or series of Shares outstanding at the time, the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other Distributions, qualifications and terms and conditions of redemption for each class or series of Shares; and (d) cause the Company to file articles supplementary with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland. Any of the terms of any class or series of Shares set or changed pursuant to clause (c) of this Section 5.4 may be made dependent upon facts or events ascertainable outside the Charter (including determinations by the Board or other facts or events within the control of the Company) and may vary among holders thereof, provided that the manner in which such facts, events or variations shall operate upon the terms of such class or series of Shares is clearly and expressly set forth in the articles supplementary or other charter document.
SECTION 5.5 STOCKHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of the Stockholders may be taken without a meeting by consent, in writing or by electronic transmission, in any manner permitted by the MGCL and set forth in the Bylaws.
SECTION 5.6 CHARTER AND BYLAWS. The rights of all Stockholders and the terms of all Shares are subject to the provisions of the Charter and the Bylaws.
SECTION 5.7 NO ISSUANCE OF SHARE CERTIFICATES. Unless otherwise provided by the Board, the Company shall not issue stock certificates. A Stockholder’s investment shall be recorded on the books of the Company. To transfer his or her Shares, a Stockholder shall submit an executed form to the Company, which form shall be provided by the Company upon request. Such transfer will also be recorded on the books of the Company. Upon issuance or transfer of Shares, the Company will provide the Stockholder with information concerning his or her rights with regard to such Shares, as required by the Bylaws and the MGCL or other applicable law.
SECTION 5.8 SUITABILITY OF STOCKHOLDERS.
Until Listing, the following provisions shall apply:

(i) INVESTOR SUITABILITY STANDARDS. Subject to suitability standards established by individual states, to become a Stockholder in the Company, if such prospective Stockholder is an individual (including an individual beneficiary of a purchasing IRA), or if the prospective Stockholder is a fiduciary (such as a trustee of a trust or corporate pension or profit sharing plan, or other tax-exempt organization, or a custodian under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act), such individual or fiduciary, as the case may be, must represent to the Company, among other requirements as the Company may require from time to time:
(a) that such individual (or, in the case of a fiduciary, that the fiduciary account or the donor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the Shares) has a minimum annual gross income of $70,000 and a net worth (excluding home, home furnishings and automobiles) of not less than $70,000; or
(b) that such individual (or, in the case of a fiduciary, that the fiduciary account or the donor who directly or indirectly supplies the funds to purchase the Shares) has a net worth (excluding home, home furnishings, and automobiles) of not less than $250,000.
(ii) DETERMINATION OF SUITABILITY OF SALE. The Sponsor and each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Sponsor or the Company shall make every reasonable effort to determine that the purchase of Common Shares is a suitable and appropriate investment for each Stockholder. In making this determination, each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Company shall ascertain that the prospective Stockholder: (a) meets the minimum income and net worth standards established for the Company; (b) can reasonably benefit from the Company based on the prospective Stockholder’s overall investment objectives and portfolio structure; (c) is able to bear the economic risk of the investment based on the prospective Stockholder’s overall financial situation; and (d) has apparent understanding of (1) the fundamental risks of the investment; (2) the risk that the Stockholder may lose the entire investment; (3) the lack of liquidity of the Common Shares; (4) the restrictions on transferability of the Common Shares; and (5) the tax consequences of the investment.
The Sponsor or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Company shall make this determination on the basis of information it has obtained from a prospective Stockholder. Relevant information for this purpose will include at least the age, investment objectives, investment experiences, income, net worth, financial situation, and other investments of the prospective Stockholder, as well as any other pertinent factors.
The Sponsor or each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Company may not complete a sale of Common Shares until at least five (5) business days after the date the prospective Stockholder receives a final Prospectus. The Sponsor or the Person designated by the Sponsor shall send each Stockholder a confirmation of his or her purchase.
Each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Company shall maintain records of the information used to determine that an investment in Common Shares is suitable and appropriate for a Stockholder. Each Person selling Common Shares on behalf of the Company shall maintain these records for at least six years.
(iii) MINIMUM INVESTMENT AND TRANSFER. Subject to certain individual state requirements and except for Shares issued pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan, the Company will sell its Common Shares only to investors who initially purchase a minimum of 200 Common Shares for an aggregate price of $2,000. In order to satisfy the purchase requirements for retirement plans, a husband and wife may jointly contribute funds from their separate IRAs, provided that each such contribution is made in increments of $100.00 or ten (10) whole shares. An investment in Shares shall not, in itself, create a retirement plan, and in order to create a retirement plan a Stockholder must comply with all applicable provisions of the Code. Following the initial minimum investment, no subsequent sale or transfer of Common Shares other than pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan will be permitted of less than 100 Common Shares, and a Stockholder shall not transfer, fractionalize or subdivide such shares so as to retain less than the minimum number thereof.

SECTION 5.9 RESTRICTIONS ON OWNERSHIP AND TRANSFER.
(i) DEFINITIONS. For purposes of this Section 5.9, the following terms shall have the following meanings:
“AGGREGATE SHARE OWNERSHIP LIMIT” means not more than 9.8% in value of the aggregate of the outstanding Shares and not more than 9.8% (in value or in number of shares, whichever is more restrictive) of any class or series of Shares.
“BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP” means ownership of Shares by a Person, whether the interest in the Shares is held directly or indirectly (including by a nominee), and shall include interests that would be treated as owned through the application of Section 544 of the Code, as modified by Section 856(h)(1)(B) of the Code. The terms “Beneficial Owner,” “Beneficially Owns” and “Beneficially Owned” shall have the correlative meanings.
“BUSINESS DAY” means any day, other than a Saturday or Sunday, that is neither a legal holiday nor a day on which banking institutions in New York City are authorized or required by law, regulation or executive order to close.
“CHARITABLE BENEFICIARY” means one (1) or more beneficiaries of the Trust as determined pursuant to Section 5.9(iii)(f), provided that each such organization must be described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code and contributions to each such organization must be eligible for deduction under each of Sections 170(b)(1)(A), 2055 and 2522 of the Code.
“CONSTRUCTIVE OWNERSHIP” means ownership of Shares by a Person, whether the interest in the Shares is held directly or indirectly (including by a nominee), and shall include interests that would be treated as owned through the application of Section 318(a) of the Code, as modified by Section 856(d)(5) of the Code. The terms “Constructive Owner,” “Constructively Owns” and “Constructively Owned” shall have the correlative meanings.
“EXCEPTED HOLDER” means a Stockholder for whom an Excepted Holder Limit is created by the Charter or by the Board pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(g).
“EXCEPTED HOLDER LIMIT” means, provided that the affected Excepted Holder agrees to comply with the requirements established by the Board pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(g), and subject to adjustment pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(h), the percentage limit established by the Board pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(g).
“MARKET PRICE” on any date means, with respect to any class or series of outstanding Shares, the Closing Price for such Shares on such date. The “Closing Price” on any date shall mean the last sale price for such Shares, regular way, or, in case no such sale takes place on such day, the average of the closing bid and asked prices, regular way, for such Shares, in either case as reported on the principal national securities exchange on which such Shares are Listed or admitted to trading or, if such Shares are not Listed or admitted to trading on any national securities exchange, the last quoted price, or, if not so quoted, the average of the high bid and low asked prices in the over-the-counter market, as reported by the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc. Automated Quotation System or, if such system is no longer in use, the principal other automated quotation system that may then be in use or, if such Shares are not quoted by any such organization, the average of the closing bid and asked prices as furnished by a professional market maker making a market in such Shares selected by the Board or, in the event that no trading price is available for such Shares, the fair market value of the Shares, as determined in good faith by the Board.

“NYSE” means the New York Stock Exchange.
“PROHIBITED OWNER” means, with respect to any purported Transfer, any Person who, but for the provisions of Section 5.9(ii)(a), would Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Shares, and if appropriate in the context, shall also mean any Person who would have been the record owner of the Shares that the Prohibited Owner would have so owned.
“RESTRICTION TERMINATION DATE” means the first day after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering on which the Company determines pursuant to Section 7.4 that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to attempt to, or continue to, qualify as a REIT or that compliance with the restrictions and limitations on Beneficial Ownership, Constructive Ownership and Transfers of Shares set forth herein is no longer required in order for the Company to qualify as a REIT.
“TRANSFER” means any issuance, sale, transfer, gift, assignment, devise or other disposition, as well as any other event that causes any Person to acquire Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership, or any agreement to take any such actions or cause any such events, of Shares or the right to vote or receive dividends on Shares, including (a) the granting or exercise of any option (or any disposition of any option), (b) any disposition of any securities or rights convertible into or exchangeable for Shares or any interest in Shares or any exercise of any such conversion or exchange right and (c) Transfers of interests in other entities that result in changes in Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Shares; in each case, whether voluntary or involuntary, whether owned of record, Constructively Owned or Beneficially Owned and whether by operation of law or otherwise. The terms “Transferring” and “Transferred” shall have the correlative meanings.
“TRUST” means any trust provided for in Section 5.9(iii)(a).
“TRUSTEE” means the Person unaffiliated with the Company and a Prohibited Owner, that is appointed by the Company to serve as trustee of the Trust.
(ii) SHARES.

(a) OWNERSHIP LIMITATIONS. During the period commencing on the date of the Company’s qualification as a REIT and prior to the Restriction Termination Date, but subject to Section 5.10:
(I) BASIC RESTRICTIONS.
(A) (1) No Person, other than an Excepted Holder, shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Shares in excess of the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit and (2) no Excepted Holder shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Shares in excess of the Excepted Holder Limit for such Excepted Holder.
(B) No Person shall Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Shares to the extent that such Beneficial or Constructive Ownership of Shares would result in the Company being “closely held” within the meaning of Section 856(h) of the Code (without regard to whether the ownership interest is held during the last half of a taxable year), or otherwise failing to qualify as a REIT (including, but not limited to, Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership that would result in the Company actually owning or Constructively Owning an interest in a tenant that is described in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code if the income derived by the Company from such tenant would cause the Company to fail to satisfy any of the gross income requirements of Section 856(c) of the Code).
(C) Any Transfer of Shares that, if effective, would result in Shares being Beneficially Owned by less than 100 Persons (determined under the principles of Section 856(a)(5) of the Code) shall be void ab initio, and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such Shares.
(II) TRANSFER IN TRUST. If any Transfer of Shares occurs which, if effective, would result in any Person Beneficially Owning or Constructively Owning Shares in violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a)(l)(A) or (B),
(A) then that number of Shares the Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of which otherwise would cause such Person to violate Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(A) or (B) (rounded to the nearest whole share) shall be automatically Transferred to a Trust for the benefit of a Charitable Beneficiary, as described in Section 5.9(iii), effective as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the date of such Transfer, and such Person shall acquire no rights in such Shares; or
(B) if the Transfer to the Trust described in clause (A) of this Section 5.9(ii)(a)(II) would not be effective for any reason to prevent the violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(A) or (B) then the Transfer of that number of Shares that otherwise would cause any Person to violate Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(A) or (B) shall be void ab initio, and the intended transferee shall acquire no rights in such Shares.
(b) REMEDIES FOR BREACH. If the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof shall at any time determine in good faith that a Transfer or other event has taken place that results in a violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a) or that a Person intends to acquire or has attempted to acquire Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of any Shares in violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a) (whether or not such violation is intended), the Board or a committee thereof shall take such action as it deems advisable to refuse to give effect to or to prevent such Transfer or other event, including, without limitation, causing the Company to redeem Shares, refusing to give effect to such Transfer on the books of the Company or instituting proceedings to enjoin such Transfer or other event; provided, however, that any Transfer or attempted Transfer or other event in violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a) shall automatically result in the Transfer to the Trust described above, and, where applicable, such Transfer (or other event) shall be void ab initio as provided above irrespective of any action (or non-action) by the Board or a committee thereof.

(c) NOTICE OF RESTRICTED TRANSFER. Any Person who acquires or attempts or intends to acquire Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Shares that will or may violate Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(A) or (B) or any Person who would have owned Shares that resulted in a Transfer to the Trust pursuant to the provisions of Section 5.9(ii)(a)(II) shall immediately give written notice to the Company of such event, or in the case of such a proposed or attempted transaction, give at least 15 days prior written notice, and shall provide to the Company such other information as the Company may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such Transfer on the Company’s status as a REIT.
(d) OWNERS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE INFORMATION. From the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering and prior to the Restriction Termination Date:
(I) every owner of more than five percent (5%) (or such lower percentage as required by the Code or the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder) of the outstanding Shares, within 30 days after the end of each taxable year, shall give written notice to the Company stating the name and address of such owner, the number of Shares Beneficially Owned and a description of the manner in which such Shares are held. Each such owner shall provide to the Company such additional information as the Company may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such Beneficial Ownership on the Company’s status as a REIT and to ensure compliance with the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit; and
(II) each Person who is a Beneficial Owner or a Constructive Owner of Shares and each Person (including the stockholder of record) who is holding Shares for a Beneficial Owner or a Constructive Owner shall provide to the Company such information as the Company may request, in good faith, in order to determine the Company’s status as a REIT and to comply with requirements of any taxing authority or governmental authority or to determine such compliance.
(e) REMEDIES NOT LIMITED. Subject to Section 7.4 of the Charter, nothing contained in this Section 5.9(ii)(e) shall limit the authority of the Board to take such other action as it deems necessary or advisable to protect the Company and the interests of its stockholders in preserving the Company’s status as a REIT.
(f) AMBIGUITY. In the case of an ambiguity in the application of any of the provisions of this Section 5.9(ii), Section 5.9(iii), or any definition contained in Section 5.9(i), the Board shall have the power to determine the application of the provisions of this Section 5.9(ii) or Section 5.9(iii) or any such definition with respect to any situation based on the facts known to it. In the event Section 5.9(ii) or (iii) requires an action by the Board and the Charter fails to provide specific guidance with respect to such action, the Board shall have the power to determine the action to be taken so long as such action is not contrary to the provisions of Section 5.9. Absent a decision to the contrary by the Board (which the Board may make in its sole and absolute discretion), if a Person would have (but for the remedies set forth in Section 5.9(ii)(b)) acquired Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of Shares in violation of Section 5.9(ii)(a), such remedies (as applicable) shall apply first to the Shares which, but for such remedies, would have been Beneficially Owned or Constructively Owned (but not actually owned) by such Person, pro rata among the Persons who actually own such Shares based upon the relative number of the Shares held by each such Person.

(g) EXCEPTIONS.
(I) Subject to Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(B), the Board, in its sole discretion, may (prospectively or retroactively) exempt a Person from the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit and may establish or increase an Excepted Holder Limit for such Person if:
(A) the Board obtains such representations and undertakings from such Person as are reasonably necessary to ascertain that no individual’s Beneficial Ownership or Constructive Ownership of such Shares will violate Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(B);
(B) such Person represents that it does not, and undertakes that it will not, actually own or Constructively Own an interest in a tenant of the Company (or a tenant of any entity owned or controlled by the Company) that would cause the Company to actually own or Constructively Own more than a 9.8% interest (as set forth in Section 856(d)(2)(B) of the Code) in such tenant and the Board obtains such representations and undertakings from such Person as are reasonably necessary to ascertain this fact (for this purpose, a tenant from whom the Company (or an entity owned or controlled by the Company) derives (and is expected to continue to derive) a sufficiently small amount of revenue such that, in the opinion of the Board, rent from such tenant would not adversely affect the Company’s ability to qualify as a REIT, shall not be treated as a tenant of the Company); and
(C) such Person agrees that any violation or attempted violation of such representations or undertakings (or other action which is contrary to the restrictions contained in Section 5.9(ii)(a) through Section 5.9(ii)(f)) will result in such Shares being automatically Transferred to a Trust in accordance with Section 5.9(ii)(A)(II) and Section 5.9(iii).
(II) Prior to granting any exception pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(g)(I), the Board may require a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service, or an opinion of counsel, in either case in form and substance satisfactory to the Board in its sole discretion, as it may deem necessary or advisable in order to determine or ensure the Company’s status as a REIT. Notwithstanding the receipt of any ruling or opinion, the Board may impose such conditions or restrictions as it deems appropriate in connection with granting such exception.
(III) Subject to Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(B), an underwriter which participates in an Offering or a private placement of Shares (or Securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) may Beneficially Own or Constructively Own Shares (or Securities convertible into or exchangeable for Shares) in excess of the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit but only to the extent necessary to facilitate such Offering or private placement.

(IV) The Board may only reduce the Excepted Holder Limit for an Excepted Holder: (1) with the written consent of such Excepted Holder at any time, or (2) pursuant to the terms and conditions of the agreements and undertakings entered into with such Excepted Holder in connection with the establishment of the Excepted Holder Limit for that Excepted Holder. No Excepted Holder Limit shall be reduced to a percentage that is less than the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit.
(h) INCREASE IN AGGREGATE SHARE OWNERSHIP LIMIT. Subject to Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I)(B), the Board may from time to time increase the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit for one (1) or more Persons and decrease the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit for all other Persons; provided, however, that the decreased Aggregate Share Ownership Limit will not be effective for any Person whose percentage ownership of Shares is in excess of such decreased Aggregate Share Ownership Limit until such time as such Person’s percentage of Shares equals or falls below the decreased Aggregate Share Ownership Limit, but any further acquisition of Shares in excess of such percentage ownership of Shares will be in violation of the Aggregate Share Ownership Limit and, provided further, that the new Aggregate Share Ownership Limit would not allow five or fewer Persons to Beneficially Own or Constructively Own more than 49.9% in value of the outstanding Shares.
(i) NOTICE TO STOCKHOLDERS UPON ISSUANCE OR TRANSFER. Upon issuance or Transfer of Shares prior to the Restriction Termination Date, the Company shall provide the recipient with a notice containing information about the Shares purchased or otherwise Transferred, in lieu of issuance of a share certificate, in a form substantially similar to the following:
The securities of Empire American Realty Trust, Inc. (the “Company”) are subject to restrictions on Beneficial and Constructive Ownership and Transfer for the purpose, among others, of the Company’s maintenance of its status as a real estate investment trust under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). Subject to certain further restrictions and except as expressly provided in the Company’s charter, (i) no Person may Beneficially or Constructively Own Shares in excess of 9.8% of the value of the total outstanding Shares unless such Person is an Excepted Holder (in which case the Excepted Holder Limit shall be applicable); (ii) no Person may Beneficially or Constructively Own Shares that would result in the Company being “closely held” under Section 856(h) of the Code or otherwise cause the Company to fail to qualify as a REIT; and (iii) no Person may Transfer Shares if such Transfer would result in the Shares of the Company being owned by fewer than 100 Persons. Any Person who Beneficially or Constructively Owns or attempts to Beneficially or Constructively Own Shares which causes or will cause a Person to Beneficially or Constructively Own Shares in excess or in violation of the above limitations must immediately notify the Company. If any of the restrictions on transfer or ownership are violated, the Shares represented hereby will be automatically transferred to a Trustee of a Trust for the benefit of one (1) or more Charitable Beneficiaries. In addition, the Company may redeem shares upon the terms and conditions specified by the Board in its sole discretion if the Board determines that ownership or a Transfer or other event may violate the restrictions described above. Furthermore, upon the occurrence of certain events, attempted Transfers in violation of the restrictions described above may be void ab initio. All capitalized terms in this notice have the meanings defined in the Company’s charter, as the same may be amended from time to time, a copy of which, including the restrictions on transfer and ownership, will be furnished to each holder of Shares on request and without charge. Requests for such a copy may be directed to the Secretary of the Company at its principal office.

(iii) TRANSFER OF SHARES IN TRUST.
(a) OWNERSHIP IN TRUST. Upon any purported Transfer or other event described in Section 5.9(ii)(a)(II) that would result in a Transfer of Shares to a Trust, such Shares shall be Transferred to the Trustee as trustee of a Trust for the exclusive benefit of one (1) or more Charitable Beneficiaries. Such Transfer to the Trustee shall be effective as of the close of business on the Business Day prior to the purported Transfer or other event that results in the Transfer to the Trust pursuant to Section 5.9(ii)(a)(II). The Trustee shall be appointed by the Company and shall be a Person unaffiliated with the Company and any Prohibited Owner. Each Charitable Beneficiary shall be designated by the Company as provided in Section 5.9(iii)(f).
(b) STATUS OF SHARES HELD BY THE TRUSTEE. Shares held by the Trustee shall be issued and outstanding Shares. The Prohibited Owner shall have no rights in the Shares held in trust by the Trustee. The Prohibited Owner shall not benefit economically from ownership of any Shares held in trust by the Trustee, shall have no rights to dividends or other Distributions and shall not possess any rights to vote or other rights attributable to the Shares held in the Trust.
(c) DIVIDEND AND VOTING RIGHTS. The Trustee shall have all voting rights and rights to dividends or other Distributions with respect to Shares held in the Trust, which rights shall be exercised for the exclusive benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. Any dividend or other Distribution paid prior to the discovery by the Company that the Shares have been Transferred to the Trustee shall be paid by the recipient of such dividend or other Distribution to the Trustee upon demand and any dividend or other Distribution authorized but unpaid shall be paid when due to the Trustee. Any dividend or other Distribution so paid to the Trustee shall be held in trust for the Charitable Beneficiary. The Prohibited Owner shall have no voting rights with respect to shares held in the Trust and, subject to Maryland law, effective as of the date that the Shares have been Transferred to the Trustee, the Trustee shall have the authority (at the Trustee’s sole discretion) (i) to rescind as void any vote cast by a Prohibited Owner prior to the discovery by the Company that the Shares have been Transferred to the Trustee and (ii) to recast such vote in accordance with the desires of the Trustee acting for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary; provided, however, that if the Company has already taken irreversible corporate action, then the Trustee shall not have the authority to rescind and recast such vote. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 5.9, until the Company has received notification that Shares have been Transferred into a Trust, the Company shall be entitled to rely on its stock Transfer and other stockholder records for purposes of preparing lists of Stockholders entitled to vote at meetings, determining the validity and authority of proxies and otherwise conducting votes of Stockholders.

(d) SALE OF SHARES BY TRUSTEE. Within 20 days of receiving notice from the Company that Shares have been Transferred to the Trust, the Trustee shall sell the Shares held in the Trust to a Person, designated by the Trustee, whose ownership of the Shares will not violate the ownership limitations set forth in Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I) or (II). Upon such sale, the interest of the Charitable Beneficiary in the Shares sold shall terminate and the Trustee shall distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the Prohibited Owner and to the Charitable Beneficiary as provided in this Section 5.9(iii)(d). The Prohibited Owner shall receive the lesser of (1) the price paid by the Prohibited Owner for the Shares or, if the Prohibited Owner did not give value for the Shares in connection with the event causing the Shares to be held in the Trust (e.g., in the case of a gift, devise or other such transaction), the Market Price of the Shares on the day of the event causing the Shares to be held in the Trust and (2) the price per Share received by the Trustee from the sale or other disposition of the Shares held in the Trust. The Trustee may reduce the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner by the amount of dividends and other Distributions which have been paid to the Prohibited Owner and are owed by the Prohibited Owner to the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.9(iii)(c). Any net sales proceeds in excess of the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner shall be immediately paid to the Charitable Beneficiary. If, prior to the discovery by the Company that Shares have been Transferred to the Trustee, such Shares are sold by a Prohibited Owner, then (i) such Shares shall be deemed to have been sold on behalf of the Trust and (ii) to the extent that the Prohibited Owner received an amount for such Shares that exceeds the amount that such Prohibited Owner was entitled to receive pursuant to this Section 5.9, such excess shall be paid to the Trustee upon demand.
(e) PURCHASE RIGHT IN STOCK TRANSFERRED TO THE TRUSTEE. Shares Transferred to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been offered for sale to the Company, or its designee, at a price per Share equal to the lesser of (i) the price per Share in the transaction that resulted in such Transfer to the Trust (or, in the case of a devise or gift, the Market Price at the time of such devise or gift) and (ii) the Market Price on the date the Company, or its designee, accepts such offer. The Company may reduce the amount payable to the Prohibited Owner by the amount of dividends and other Distributions which has been paid to the Prohibited Owner and is owed by the Prohibited Owner to the Trustee pursuant to Section 5.9(iii)(c). The Company may pay the amount of such reduction to the Trustee for the benefit of the Charitable Beneficiary. The Company shall have the right to accept such offer until the Trustee has sold the Shares held in the Trust pursuant to Section 5.9(iii)(d). Upon such a sale to the Company, the interest of the Charitable Beneficiary in the Shares sold shall terminate and the Trustee shall distribute the net proceeds of the sale to the Prohibited Owner.
(f) DESIGNATION OF CHARITABLE BENEFICIARIES. By written notice to the Trustee, the Company shall designate one (1) or more nonprofit organizations to be the Charitable Beneficiary of the interest in the Trust such that (i) the Shares held in the Trust would not violate the restrictions set forth in Section 5.9(ii)(a)(I) or (II) in the hands of such Charitable Beneficiary and (ii) each such organization must be described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Code and contributions to each such organization must be eligible for deduction under each of Sections 170(b)(1)(A), 2055 and 2522 of the Code.

SECTION 5.10 SETTLEMENTS. Nothing in Section 5.9 shall preclude the settlement of any transaction entered into through the facilities of the NYSE or any other national securities exchange or automated inter-dealer quotation system. The fact that the settlement of any transaction occurs shall not negate the effect of any provision of Sections 5.9, and any transfer in such a transaction shall be subject to all of the provisions and limitations set forth in Section 5.9.
SECTION 5.11 SEVERABILITY. If any provision of Section 5.9 or any application of any such provision is determined to be void, invalid or unenforceable by any court having jurisdiction over the issue, the validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of Section 5.9 shall not be affected and other applications of such provision shall be affected only to the extent necessary to comply with the determination of such court.
SECTION 5.12 ENFORCEMENT. The Company is authorized specifically to seek equitable relief, including injunctive relief, to enforce the provisions of Section 5.9.
SECTION 5.13 NON-WAIVER. No delay or failure on the part of the Company or the Board in exercising any right hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any right of the Company or the Board, as the case may be, except to the extent specifically waived in writing.
SECTION 5.14 REPURCHASE OF SHARES. The Board may establish, from time to time, a program or programs by which the Company voluntarily repurchases Shares from its Stockholders; provided, however, that such repurchase does not impair the capital or operations of the Company. The Sponsor, the Advisor, the Directors or any Affiliates thereof may not receive any fees arising out of the repurchase of Shares by the Company.
SECTION 5.15 DISTRIBUTION REINVESTMENT PLANS. The Board may establish, from time to time, a Distribution reinvestment plan or plans (each, a “Reinvestment Plan”). Under any such Reinvestment Plan, (i) all material information regarding Distributions to the Stockholders and the effect of reinvesting such Distributions, including the tax consequences thereof, shall be provided to the Stockholders not less often than annually and (ii) each Stockholder participating in such Reinvestment Plan shall have a reasonable opportunity to withdraw from the Reinvestment Plan not less often than annually after receipt of the information required in clause (i) above.
SECTION 5.16 PREEMPTIVE AND APPRAISAL RIGHTS. Except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of classified or reclassified Shares pursuant to Section 5.4 or as may otherwise be provided by contract approved by the Board, no holder of Shares shall, as such holder, have any preemptive right to purchase or subscribe for any additional Shares or any other security of the Company which it may issue or sell. Holders of Shares shall not be entitled to exercise any rights of an objecting stockholder provided for under Title 3, Subtitle 2 of the MGCL or any successor statute unless the Board, upon the affirmative vote of a majority of the Board, shall determine that such rights apply, with respect to all or any classes or series of Shares, to one (1) or more transactions occurring after the date of such determination in connection with which holders of such Shares would otherwise be entitled to exercise such rights.

ARTICLE VI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 6.1 NUMBER OF DIRECTORS. The number of Directors of the Company shall be five, which number may be increased or decreased from time to time pursuant to the Bylaws; provided, however, that the number of Directors shall not be fewer than three nor greater than ten. From and after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering, a majority of the Board will be Independent Directors except for a period of up to 60 days after the death, removal or resignation of an Independent Director. The Company elects, at such time as it becomes eligible to make the election provided for under Section 3-804(c) of the MGCL, that, except as may be provided by the Board in setting the terms of any class or series of Preferred Shares, any and all vacancies on the Board may be filled only by the affirmative vote of a majority of the remaining Directors in office, even if the remaining Directors do not constitute a quorum, and any Director elected to fill a vacancy shall serve for the remainder of the full term of the directorship in which such vacancy occurred. Notwithstanding the foregoing sentence, Independent Directors shall nominate replacements for vacancies among the Independent Directors’ positions. No reduction in the number of Directors shall cause the removal of any Director from office prior to the expiration of his term, except as may otherwise be provided in the terms of any Preferred Shares. For the purposes of voting for Directors, each Share may be voted for as many individuals as there are Directors to be elected and for whose election the Share is entitled to be voted. Cumulative voting for Directors is prohibited.
The names of the Directors who shall serve on the Board until the first annual meeting of the Stockholders and until their successors are duly elected and qualify, subject to an increase in the number of Directors prior to the first annual meeting of the Stockholders, are:
Ezra Beyman
David Newman
Gary Torgow
Victor Weiss
David T. Provost
Martel Day
SECTION 6.2 EXPERIENCE. Each Director shall have at least three years of relevant experience demonstrating the knowledge and experience required to successfully acquire and manage the type of assets being acquired by the Company. At least one (1) of the Independent Directors shall have three years of relevant real estate experience, and at least one (1) of the Independent Directors shall be a financial expert with at least three years of relevant finance experience.
SECTION 6.3 COMMITTEES. Subject to the MGCL, the Board may establish such committees as it deems appropriate, in its discretion, provided that the majority of the members of each committee are Independent Directors. Any Audit Committee established by the Board shall be composed solely of Independent Directors.

SECTION 6.4 TERM. Except as may otherwise be provided in the terms of any Preferred Shares issued by the Company, each Director shall hold office for one (1) year, until the next annual meeting of Stockholders and until his successor is duly elected and qualifies. Directors may be elected to an unlimited number of successive terms.
SECTION 6.5 FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS. The Directors serve in a fiduciary capacity to the Company and have a fiduciary duty to the Stockholders of the Company, including a specific fiduciary duty to supervise the relationship of the Company with the Advisor.
SECTION 6.6 RESIGNATION, REMOVAL OR DEATH. Any Director may resign by written notice to the Board, effective upon execution and delivery to the Company of such written notice or upon any future date specified in the notice. Any Director or the entire Board may be removed from office with or without cause, by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the Shares then outstanding and entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, subject to the rights of any Preferred Shares to vote for such Directors.
ARTICLE VII
POWERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
SECTION 7.1 GENERAL. The business and affairs of the Company shall be managed under the direction of the Board. In accordance with the policies on investments and borrowing set forth in this Article VII and Article IX hereof, the Board shall monitor the administrative procedures, investment operations and performance of the Company and the Advisor to assure that such policies are carried out. The Board may take any action that, in its sole judgment and discretion, is necessary or desirable to conduct the business of the Company. The Charter shall be construed with a presumption in favor of the grant of power and authority to the Board. Any construction of the Charter or determination made in good faith by the Board concerning its powers and authority hereunder shall be conclusive. The enumeration and definition of particular powers of the Board included in this Article VII shall in no way be limited or restricted by reference to or inference from the terms of this or any other provision of the Charter or construed or deemed by inference or otherwise in any manner to exclude or limit the powers conferred upon the Board under the general laws of the State of Maryland as now or hereafter in force.
SECTION 7.2 AUTHORIZATION BY BOARD OF STOCK ISSUANCE. The Board may authorize the issuance from time to time of Shares of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, or securities or rights convertible into Shares of any class or series, whether now or hereafter authorized, for such consideration as the Board may deem advisable (or without consideration in the case of a stock split or stock dividend), subject to such restrictions or limitations, if any, as may be set forth in the Charter or the Bylaws.
SECTION 7.3 FINANCINGS. The Board shall have the power and authority to borrow or, in any other manner, raise money for the purposes and on the terms it determines, which terms may (i) include evidencing the same by issuance of Securities of the Company and (ii) have such provisions as the Board may determine (a) to reacquire such Securities; (b) to enter into other contracts or obligations on behalf of the Company; (c) to guarantee, indemnify or act as surety with respect to payment or performance of obligations of any Person; and (d) to mortgage, pledge, assign, grant security interests in or otherwise encumber the Company’s assets to secure any such Securities of the Company, contracts or obligations (including guarantees, indemnifications and suretyships); and to renew, modify, release, compromise, extend, consolidate or cancel, in whole or in part, any obligation to or of the Company or participate in any reorganization of obligors to the Company.

SECTION 7.4 REIT QUALIFICATION. If the Company elects to qualify for federal income tax treatment as a REIT, the Board shall use its reasonable best efforts to take such actions as are necessary or appropriate to preserve the status of the Company as a REIT; however, if the Board determines that it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to continue to be qualified as a REIT, the Board may revoke or otherwise terminate the Company’s REIT election pursuant to Section 856(g) of the Code. The Board also may determine that compliance with any restriction or limitation on stock ownership and transfers set forth in Section 5.9 of Article V is no longer required for REIT qualification.
SECTION 7.5 DETERMINATIONS BY BOARD. The determination as to any of the following matters, made in good faith by or pursuant to the direction of the Board consistent with the Charter, shall be final and conclusive and shall be binding upon the Company and every holder of Shares: the amount of the net income of the Company for any period and the amount of assets at any time legally available for the payment of dividends, redemption of Shares or the payment of other Distributions on Shares; the amount of paid-in surplus, net assets, other surplus, annual or other cash flow, funds from operations, net profit, net assets in excess of capital, undivided profits or excess of profits over losses on sales of assets; the amount, purpose, time of creation, increase or decrease, alteration or cancellation of any reserves or charges and the propriety thereof (whether or not any obligation or liability for which such reserves or charges shall have been created shall have been paid or discharged); any interpretation of the terms, preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers or rights, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other Distributions, qualifications or terms or conditions of redemption of any class or series of Shares; the fair value, or any sale, bid or asked price to be applied in determining the fair value, of any asset owned or held by the Company or any Shares; the number of Shares of any class of the Company; any matter relating to the acquisition, holding and disposition of any assets by the Company; any conflict between the MGCL and the provisions set forth in the NASAA REIT Guidelines; or any other matter relating to the business and affairs of the Company or required or permitted by applicable law, the Charter or Bylaws or otherwise to be determined by the Board; provided, however, that any determination by the Board as to any of the preceding matters shall not render invalid or improper any action taken or omitted prior to such determination and no Director shall be liable for making or failing to make such a determination; and provided, further, that to the extent the Board determines that the MGCL conflicts with the provisions set forth in the NASAA REIT Guidelines, the NASAA REIT Guidelines control to the extent any provisions of the MGCL are not mandatory.

SECTION 7.6 VOTE OF MAJORITY OF INDEPENDENT DIRECTORS REQUIRED. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Directors and Independent Directors are bound by, and a majority of the Independent Directors must approve matters relating to, the following restrictions on and obligations of the Directors and the Independent Directors: (i) the requirement that a majority of Directors and of Independent Directors review and ratify the Charter at or before the first meeting of the Board; (ii) the duty of the Board to establish written policies on investments and borrowing and to monitor the administrative procedures, investment operations and performance of the Company and the Advisor to assure that such policies are carried out; (iii) the Company’s minimum capitalization; (iv) the Advisory Agreement; (v) liability and indemnification; (vi) reasonableness of the Company’s fees and expenses; (vii) limitations on Organization and Offering Expenses; (viii) limitations on Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses; (viii) limitations on Total Operating Expenses; (ix) limitations on Real Estate commissions on resale of property; (x) limitations on incentive fees; (xi) Advisor compensation; (xii) the Independent Directors’ periodic duty to review the Company’s investment policies; (xiii) the authority of a majority of the Independent Directors to select an Independent Appraiser to determine the fair market value that the Company pays for Real Estate that it acquires both (a) when a majority of the Independent Directors determine to appoint an Independent Appraiser to determine fair market value in connection with any acquisition by the Company and (b) whenever the Company acquires property from the Advisor, the Directors, the Sponsor or their Affiliates; (xiv) the restrictions and procedures contained herein relating to meetings of Stockholders; (xv) the authority of a majority of Stockholders present in person or by proxy at an annual meeting at which a quorum is present, without the necessity for concurrence by the Board, to vote to elect the Directors; (xvi) those requirements of any Reinvestment Plan that the Board establishes, relating to periodic distribution of certain material information to Stockholders and opportunity for participating Stockholders to withdraw; and (xvii) the requirement that a majority of Independent Directors must approve matters relating to the duties and restrictions enumerated in this Section 7.7.
ARTICLE VIII
ADVISOR
SECTION 8.1 APPOINTMENT AND INITIAL INVESTMENT OF ADVISOR. The Board is responsible for setting the general policies of the Company and for the general supervision of its business conducted by officers, agents, employees, advisors or independent contractors of the Company. However, the Board is not required personally to conduct the business of the Company, and it may (but need not) appoint, employ or contract with any Person (including a Person Affiliated with any Director) as an Advisor and may grant or delegate such authority to the Advisor as the Board may, in its sole discretion, deem necessary or desirable. The term of retention of any Advisor shall not exceed one (1) year, although there is no limit to the number of times that a particular Advisor may be retained. The Advisor or its Affiliates have made an initial investment of $200,000 in the Company. The Advisor or any such Affiliate may not sell the Initial Investment while the Advisor remains a Sponsor but may transfer the Initial Investment to its other Affiliates.

SECTION 8.2 SUPERVISION OF ADVISOR. The Board shall evaluate the performance of the Advisor before entering into or renewing an Advisory Agreement, and the criteria used in such evaluation shall be reflected in the minutes of the meetings of the Board. The Board may exercise broad discretion in allowing the Advisor to administer and regulate the operations of the Company, to act as agent for the Company, to execute documents on behalf of the Company and to make executive decisions that conform to general policies and principles established by the Board. The Board shall monitor the Advisor to assure that the administrative procedures, operations and programs of the Company are in the best interests of the Stockholders and are fulfilled. The Independent Directors are responsible for reviewing the total fees and expenses of the Company at least annually or with sufficient frequency to determine that the expenses incurred are reasonable in light of the investment performance of the Company, its Net Assets, its Net Income and the fees and expenses of other comparable unaffiliated REITs. Each such determination shall be reflected in the minutes of the meetings of the Board. The Independent Directors also will be responsible for reviewing, from time to time and at least annually, the performance of the Advisor and determining that compensation to be paid to the Advisor is reasonable in relation to the nature and quality of services performed and the investment performance of the Company and that the provisions of the Advisory Agreement are being carried out. Specifically, the Independent Directors will consider factors such as (i) the amount of the fee paid to the Advisor in relation to the size, composition and performance of the Assets, (ii) the success of the Advisor in generating opportunities that meet the investment objectives of the Company, (iii) rates charged to other REITs and to investors other than REITs by advisors performing the same or similar services, (iv) additional revenues realized by the Advisor and its Affiliates through their relationship with the Company, including loan administration, underwriting or broker commissions, servicing, engineering, inspection and other fees, whether paid by the Company or by others with whom the Company does business, (v) the quality and extent of service and advice furnished by the Advisor, (vi) the performance of the Assets, including income, conservation or appreciation of capital, frequency of problem investments and competence in dealing with distress situations, and (vii) the quality of the Assets relative to the investments generated by the Advisor for its own account. The Independent Directors may also consider all other factors that they deem relevant, and the findings of the Independent Directors on each of the factors considered shall be recorded in the minutes of the Board. The Board shall determine whether any successor Advisor possesses sufficient qualifications to perform the advisory function for the Company and whether the compensation provided for in its contract with the Company is justified.
SECTION 8.3 FIDUCIARY OBLIGATIONS. The Advisor shall have a fiduciary responsibility and duty to the Company and to the Stockholders.
SECTION 8.4 AFFILIATION AND FUNCTIONS. The Board, by resolution or in the Bylaws, may provide guidelines, provisions or requirements concerning the affiliation and functions of the Advisor.

SECTION 8.5 TERMINATION. Either a majority of the Independent Directors or the Advisor may terminate the Advisory Agreement on sixty (60) days’ written notice without cause or penalty, and, in such event, the Advisor will cooperate with the Company and the Board in making an orderly transition of the advisory function.
SECTION 8.6 DISPOSITION FEE ON SALE OF ASSETS. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may pay the Advisor a commission upon Sale of one (1) or more Assets, in an amount equal to the lesser of (i) one-half (1/2) of the Competitive Real Estate Commission, or (ii) one percent (1%) of the sales price of such Assets. Payment of such fee may be made only if the Advisor provides a substantial amount of services in connection with the Sale of the Assets, as determined by a majority of the Independent Directors. In addition, the amount paid when added to all other real estate commissions paid to unaffiliated parties in connection with such Sale shall not exceed the lesser of the Competitive Real Estate Commission or an amount equal to six percent (6%) of the sales price of such Assets.
SECTION 8.7 INCENTIVE FEES. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may pay the Advisor an interest in the gain from the Sale of Assets, for which full consideration is not paid in cash or property of equivalent value, provided the amount or percentage of such interest is reasonable. Such an interest in gain from the Sale of Assets shall be considered presumptively reasonable if it does not exceed ten percent (10%) of the balance of such net proceeds remaining after payment to Stockholders, in the aggregate, of an amount equal to one hundred percent (100%) of the Invested Capital, plus an amount equal to eight percent (8%) of the Invested Capital per annum cumulative. In the case of multiple Advisors, such Advisor and any of their Affiliates shall be allowed such fees provided such fees are distributed by a proportional method reasonably designed to reflect the value added to the Company assets by each respective Advisor or any Affiliate.
SECTION 8.8 SUBORDINATED INCENTIVE LISTING FEE. Upon Listing of the Common Shares, the Company shall pay the Advisor a fee equal to ten percent (10%) of the amount, if any, by which (1) the market value of the outstanding Shares plus Distributions paid by the Company prior to Listing, exceeds (2) the sum of the total amount of capital raised from investors and the amount of cash flow necessary to generate an eight percent (8%) annual cumulative, non-compounded return to investors.
SECTION 8.9 ORGANIZATION AND OFFERING EXPENSES LIMITATION. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company shall reimburse the Advisor and its Affiliates for Organization and Offering Expenses incurred by the Advisor or its Affiliates; provided, however, that the total amount of all Organization and Offering Expenses shall be reasonable and shall in no event exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the Gross Proceeds of each Offering.
SECTION 8.10 ACQUISITION FEES. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may pay the Advisor and its Affiliates fees for the review and evaluation of potential investments in Assets; provided, however, that the total of all Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses shall be reasonable, and shall not exceed an amount equal to six percent (6%) of the Contract Purchase Price; provided, however, that a majority of the Directors (including a majority of the Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction may approve fees and expenses in excess of this limit if they determine the transaction to be commercially competitive, fair and reasonable to the Company.

SECTION 8.11 FINANCING COORDINATION FEE. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may pay the Advisor and its Affiliates fees for services provided in connection with the refinancing of Mortgages the Company obtains; provided however that such financing coordination fee shall equal one percent (1%) of the amount available and/or outstanding under the Mortgages.
SECTION 8.12 ASSET MANAGEMENT FEE. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may pay the Advisor and its Affiliates fees for the Advisor’s management of the Company’s Assets; provided, however, that such asset management fees shall equal 0.75% of the purchase price of each property plus costs and expenses incurred by the Advisor in providing asset management services. This fee is payable in advance for the year.
SECTION 8.13 FEES UPON TERMINATION OF ADVISOR. Upon the termination of the Advisor upon a change of control of the Company, by the Company without cause, or by the Advisor for good reason (as such terms may be defined in the definitive agreement memorializing the engagement of the Advisor by the Company), the Company may pay the Advisor either (x) a deferred acquisition fee not to exceed the amount by which six percent (6%) of the aggregate purchase price of all Properties purchased by the Company through the date of such termination exceeds the aggregate of all Acquisition Fees and Acquisition Expenses paid by the Company to such date, together with interest at a rate of six percent (6%) per annum from the date of acquisition of each Property, or (y) a termination fee not to exceed fifteen percent (15%) of the amount, if any, by which the appraised value of the Properties owned by the Company on the date of such termination, less amounts of all indebtedness secured by such Properties exceeds the dollar amount equal to the sum of a six percent (6%) cumulative non-compound return on the Stockholders’ net investment plus the amount of such investment.
SECTION 8.14 REIMBURSEMENT FOR TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSES. Unless otherwise provided in any resolution adopted by the Board, the Company may reimburse the Advisor, at the end of each fiscal quarter, for Total Operating Expenses incurred by the Advisor; provided, however, that the Company shall not reimburse the Advisor at the end of any fiscal quarter for Total Operating Expenses that, in the four consecutive fiscal quarters then ended, exceed the greater of two percent (2%) of Average Invested Assets or twenty five percent (25%) of Net Income (the “2%/25% Guidelines”) for such year. The Independent Directors shall have the responsibility of limiting Total Operating Expenses to amounts that do not exceed the 2%/25% Guidelines unless they have made a finding that, based on such unusual and non-recurring factors that they deem sufficient, a higher level of expenses (an “Excess Amount”) is justified. Within 60 days after the end of any fiscal quarter of the Company for which there is an Excess Amount which the Independent Directors conclude was justifiable and reimbursable to the Advisor, there shall be sent to the Stockholders a written disclosure of such fact, together with an explanation of the factors the Independent Directors considered in determining that such Excess Amount was justified. Any such finding and the reasons in support thereof shall be reflected in the minutes of the meetings of the Board. In the event that the Independent Directors do not determine that excess expenses are justified, the Advisor shall reimburse the Company the amount by which the expenses exceeded the 2%/25% Guidelines.

SECTION 8.15 REIMBURSEMENT LIMITATION. The Company shall not reimburse the Advisor or its Affiliates for services for which the Advisor or its Affiliates are entitled to compensation in the form of a separate fee.
ARTICLE IX
INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES AND LIMITATIONS
SECTION 9.1 REVIEW OF OBJECTIVES. The Independent Directors shall review the investment policies of the Company with sufficient frequency (not less often than annually) to determine that the policies being followed by the Company are in the best interests of its Stockholders. Each such determination and the basis therefor shall be set forth in the minutes of the meetings of the Board.
SECTION 9.2 CERTAIN PERMITTED INVESTMENTS. Until such time as the Common Shares are Listed, the following shall apply:
(i) The Company may invest in Assets.
(ii) The Company may invest in Joint Ventures with the Sponsor, the Advisor, one (1) or more Directors or any of their Affiliates only if a majority of Directors (including a majority of Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction, approve such investment as being fair and reasonable to the Company and on substantially the same terms and conditions as those received by the other joint venturers.
(iii) Subject to any limitations in Section 9.3, the Company may invest in equity securities, provided that such investment shall be permitted only if a majority of Directors (including a majority of Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction approve such investment as being fair, competitive and commercially reasonable.
SECTION 9.3 INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS. Until such time as the Common Shares are Listed, the following investment limitations shall apply. In addition to other investment restrictions imposed by the Board from time to time, consistent with the Company’s objective of qualifying as a REIT, the following shall apply to the Company’s investments:
(i) Not more than ten percent (10%) of the Company’s total assets shall be invested in Unimproved Real Property or mortgage loans on Unimproved Real Property.
(ii) The Company shall not invest in commodities or commodity future contracts. This limitation is not intended to apply to futures contracts, when used solely for hedging purposes in connection with the Company’s ordinary business of investing in Real Estate assets and Mortgages.

(iii) The Company shall not invest in or make any Mortgage unless an appraisal is obtained concerning the underlying property except for those loans insured or guaranteed by a government or government agency. In cases in which a majority of Independent Directors so determine, and in all cases in which the transaction is with the Advisor, the Sponsor, any Director or any Affiliates thereof, such appraisal of the underlying property must be obtained from an Independent Appraiser. Such appraisal shall be maintained in the Company’s records for at least five (5) years and shall be available for inspection and duplication by any Stockholder for a reasonable charge. In addition to the appraisal, a mortgagee’s or owner’s title insurance policy or commitment as to the priority of the mortgage or condition of the title must be obtained.
(iv) The Company shall not make or invest in any Mortgage, including a construction loan, on any one (1) property if the aggregate amount of all mortgage loans outstanding on the property, including the loans of the Company, would exceed an amount equal to eighty-five percent (85%) of the appraised value of the property as determined by appraisal unless substantial justification exists because of the presence of other underwriting criteria. For purposes of this subsection, the “aggregate amount of all mortgage loans outstanding on the property, including the loans of the Company” shall include all interest (excluding contingent participation in income and/or appreciation in value of the mortgaged property), the current payment of which may be deferred pursuant to the terms of such loans, to the extent that deferred interest on each loan exceeds five percent (5%) per annum of the principal balance of the loan.
(v) The Company shall not invest in indebtedness secured by a mortgage on real property which is subordinate to liens or other indebtedness of the Advisor, the Sponsor, any Director or any Affiliate of the Company.
(vi) The Company shall not issue (A) equity Securities redeemable solely at the option of the holder (except that Stockholders may offer their Common Shares to the Company pursuant to any repurchase plan adopted by the Board on terms outlined in the Prospectus relating to any Offering, as such plan is thereafter amended in accordance with its terms); (B) debt Securities unless the historical debt service coverage (in the most recently completed fiscal year) as adjusted for known changes is sufficient to properly service that higher level of debt; (C) equity Securities on a deferred payment basis or under similar arrangements; or (D) options or warrants to purchase Shares to the Advisor, the Directors, the Sponsor or any Affiliate thereof except on the same terms as such options or warrants, if any, are sold to the general public. Options or warrants may be issued to persons other than the Advisor, the Directors, the Sponsor or any Affiliate thereof, but not at exercise prices less than the fair market value of the underlying Securities on the date of grant and not for consideration (which may include services) that in the judgment of the Independent Directors has a market value less than the value of such option or warrant on the date of grant. Options or warrants issuable to the Advisor, the Directors, the Sponsor or any Affiliate thereof shall not exceed ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Shares on the date of grant. The voting rights per Share (other than any publicly held Share) sold in a private offering shall not exceed the voting rights which bear the same relationship to the voting rights of a publicly held Share as the consideration paid to the Company for each privately offered Share bears to the book value of each outstanding publicly held Share.

(vii) A majority of the Directors or a majority of a duly authorized committee of the Board shall authorize the consideration to be paid for each Asset, ordinarily based on the fair market value of the Asset. If a majority of the Independent Directors on the Board or such duly authorized committee determine, or if the Asset is acquired from the Advisor, a Director, the Sponsor or their Affiliates, such fair market value shall be determined by a qualified Independent Appraiser selected by such Independent Directors. The Advisor may purchase an Asset on behalf of the Company without seeking the prior written consent of the Board if and to the extent that:
(a) The aggregate purchase price of such Asset (other than an Asset acquired from the Advisor, a Director, the Sponsor or their Affiliates, in which case the approval of the Independent Directors will be required) is less than $15,000,000;
(b) The acquisition of such Asset would not, if consummated, violate or conflict with the investment guidelines of the Company as set forth in the Company’s Prospectus as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission;
(c) The acquisition of such Asset would not, if consummated, violate the limitations on Leverage contained in Section 9.3(viii) below; and
(d) The consideration to be paid for such Asset does not exceed the fair market value of such Asset, as determined by an Independent Appraiser selected in good faith by the Advisor and acceptable to the Independent Directors.
(viii) The aggregate Leverage of the Company shall be reasonable in relation to the Net Assets of the Company and shall be reviewed by the Board at least quarterly. Subject to the immediately following sentence, the maximum amount of such Leverage shall not exceed seventy-five percent (75%) of the greater of the aggregate cost (before deducting depreciation or other non-cash reserves) or the aggregate fair market value of the Company’s assets as of the date of any borrowing, provided, that Leverage on any individual Asset may exceed such limit. Any excess in borrowing over such seventy-five percent (75%) level shall be approved by a majority of the Independent Directors and disclosed to Stockholders in the next quarterly report of the Company, along with justification for such excess.
(ix) The Company will continually review its investment activity to attempt to ensure that it is not classified as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(x) The Company will not make any investment that the Company believes will be inconsistent with its objectives of qualifying and remaining qualified as a REIT unless and until the Board determines, in its sole discretion, that REIT qualification is not in the best interests of the Company.
(xi) The Company shall not invest in real estate contracts of sale unless such contracts are in recordable form and appropriately recorded in the chain of title.

(xii) The Company will not, directly or indirectly, including through any subsidiary, extend or maintain credit, arrange for the extension of credit, or renew an extension of credit, in the form of a personal loan to or for any of the Directors or any of the Company’s executive officers.
(xiii) The Company will not invest in any equity securities unless a majority of disinterested Directors, including a majority of disinterested Independent Directors, approves the transaction as being fair, competitive and commercially reasonable. Investments in entities affiliated with the Advisor, the Sponsor, any Director, or any of their Affiliates shall be subject to the restrictions on joint venture investments set forth in Section 9.2(ii).
(xiv) The Company shall not engage in any short sale.
(xv) The value of all investments in debt secured by a mortgage on real property that is subordinate to the lien of other debt shall not exceed twenty five percent (25%) of the Company’s tangible assets.
(xvi) The Company shall not engage in trading, as opposed to investment activities.
(xvii) The Company shall not engage in underwriting activities or distribute, as agent, securities issued by others.
(xviii) The Company shall not invest in foreign currency or bullion.
(xix) The aggregate amount of borrowing shall not exceed three hundred percent (300%) of the Company’s Net Assets as of the date of the borrowing unless the excess is approved by a majority of the Independent Directors and disclosed to the Stockholders in the Company’s next quarterly report to Stockholders following such borrowing along with justification for such excess.
(xx) The Company shall not acquire securities in any entity holding investments or engaging in activities prohibited by the restrictions on investments set forth in the foregoing clauses (i) through (xix) of this Section 9.3.
ARTICLE X
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
SECTION 10.1 SALES AND LEASES TO THE COMPANY. The Company may purchase or lease an Asset or Assets from the Sponsor, the Advisor, a Director or any Affiliate thereof upon a finding by a majority of Directors (including a majority of Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction (i) that such transaction is fair and reasonable to the Company and (ii) that such transaction is at a price to the Company no greater than the cost of the Asset to such Sponsor, Advisor, Director or Affiliate or, if the price to the Company is in excess of such cost, substantial justification exists for the excess and the excess is reasonable. In no event shall the purchase price paid by the Company for any such Asset exceed the Asset’s current appraised value.

SECTION 10.2 SALES AND LEASES TO THE SPONSOR, ADVISOR, DIRECTORS OR AFFILIATES. An Advisor, the Sponsor, a Director or any Affiliate thereof may only purchase or lease Assets from the Company if a majority of Directors (including a majority of Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction determine that the transaction is fair and reasonable to the Company.
SECTION 10.3 OTHER TRANSACTIONS.
(i) The Company shall not engage in any other transaction with the Sponsor, a Director, the Advisor or any Affiliates thereof unless a majority of the Directors (including a majority of the Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in such transaction approve such transaction as fair and reasonable to the Company and on terms and conditions not less favorable to the Company than those available from unaffiliated third parties.
(ii) The Company shall not make loans to the Sponsor, the Advisor, a Director or any Affiliates thereof except Mortgages pursuant to Section 9.3(iii) hereof or loans to wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company. The Sponsor, the Advisor, the Directors and any Affiliates thereof shall not make loans to the Company, or to joint ventures in which the Company is a co-venturer, unless approved by a majority of the Directors (including a majority of the Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in such transaction as fair, competitive, and commercially reasonable, and no less favorable to the Company than comparable loans between unaffiliated parties.
(iii) The Company may enter into joint ventures with the Sponsor or its Affiliates provided that (a) a majority of Directors (including a majority of Independent Directors) not otherwise interested in the transaction approves the transaction as being fair and reasonable to the Company and (b) the investment by the Company is on substantially the same terms as those received by other joint venturers.
SECTION 10.4 CONFLICT RESOLUTION PROCEDURES.
(i) Before the Advisor may take advantage of an investment opportunity for its own account or recommend it to others, the Advisor is obligated to present such opportunity to the Company if (a) such opportunity is compatible with the Company’s investment objectives and policies, (b) such opportunity is of a character which could be taken by the Company, and (c) the Company has the financial resources to take advantage of such opportunity.
(ii) In the event that an investment opportunity becomes available that is suitable for both the Company and a public or private entity with which the Advisor or its Affiliates are affiliated for which both entities have sufficient uninvested funds, and the requirements of Section 10.4(i) above have been satisfied, then the entity that has had the longest period of time elapse since it was offered an investment opportunity will first be offered the investment opportunity. An investment opportunity will not be considered suitable for an entity if the 2%/25% Guidelines could not be satisfied if the entity were to make the investment. In determining whether or not an investment opportunity is suitable for more than one (1) entity, the Board and the Advisor will examine such factors, among others, as the cash requirements of each entity, the effect of the acquisition both on diversification of each entity’s investments by type of property and geographic area and on diversification of the tenants of its properties, the policy of each entity relating to leverage of properties, the anticipated cash flow of each entity, the income tax effects of the purchase to each entity, the size of the investment and the amount of funds available to each program and the length of time such funds have been available for investment. If a subsequent development, such as a delay in the closing of the acquisition of such investment or a delay in the construction of a property, causes any such investment, in the opinion of the Board and the Advisor, to be more appropriate for an entity other than the entity that committed to make the investment, the Advisor may determine that the other entity affiliated with the Advisors or its Affiliates will make the investment. It shall be the duty of the Board, including the Independent Directors, to ensure that the method used by the Advisor for the allocation of the acquisition of investments by two or more affiliated programs seeking to acquire similar types of Assets is applied fairly to the Company.

ARTICLE XI
STOCKHOLDERS
SECTION 11.1 MEETINGS OF STOCKHOLDERS. There shall be an annual meeting of the Stockholders, to be held on such date and at such time and place as shall be determined by or in the manner prescribed in the Bylaws, at which the Directors shall be elected and any other proper business may be conducted. The annual meeting will be held upon reasonable notice on a date that is within a reasonable period of time following the distribution of the Company’s annual report to Stockholders, but not less than thirty (30) days after delivery of such report. The holders of a majority of Shares entitled to vote, present in person or by proxy, at an annual meeting at which a quorum is present may, without the necessity for concurrence by the Board, vote to elect the Directors. A quorum shall be the presence in person or by proxy of Stockholders entitled to cast at least 50% of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter. Special meetings of Stockholders may be called in the manner provided in the Bylaws, including by the Chairman of the Board, the President, the Chief Executive Officer, a majority of the Directors or a majority of the Independent Directors, and shall be called by the Secretary of the Company upon written request of Stockholders holding in the aggregate not less than ten percent (10%) of the outstanding Shares entitled to be voted on any issue proposed to be considered at any such special meeting. Notice of any special meeting of Stockholders shall be given as provided in the Bylaws, and the special meeting shall be held not less than 15 days nor more than 60 days after the delivery of such notice. If the meeting is called by written request of Stockholders as described in this Section 11.1, the special meeting shall be held at the time and place specified in the Stockholder request; provided, however, that if none is so specified, at such time and place convenient to the Stockholders. If there are no Directors, the Secretary of the Company shall promptly call a special meeting of the Stockholders entitled to vote for the election of successor Directors. Any meeting may be adjourned and reconvened as the Board may determine or as otherwise provided in the Bylaws. Without the approval of a majority of the Shares entitled to vote on the matter, the Board may not (i) amend the Charter to materially and adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the Stockholders; (ii) amend provisions of the Charter relating to director qualifications, fiduciary duties, liability and indemnification, conflicts of interest, investment policies or investment restrictions; (iii) liquidate or dissolve the Company other than before the initial investment in Property; (iv) sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets other than in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise permitted by law; or (v) cause the merger or similar reorganization of the Company except as permitted by law.

SECTION 11.2 VOTING RIGHTS OF STOCKHOLDERS. Subject to the provisions of any class or series of Shares then outstanding and the mandatory provisions of any applicable laws or regulations, the Stockholders shall be entitled to vote only on the following matters: (a) election or removal of Directors, without the necessity for concurrence by the Board, as provided in Sections 11.1, 6.4 and 6.6 hereof; (b) amendment of the Charter, as provided in Article XIII hereof; (c) dissolution of the Company; (d) to the extent required under Maryland law, merger or consolidation of the Company or the sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the Company’s assets; and (e) such other matters with respect to which the Board has adopted a resolution declaring that a proposed action is advisable and directing that the matter be submitted to the Stockholders for approval or ratification. Except with respect to the foregoing matters, no action taken by the Stockholders at any meeting shall in any way bind the Board. Without the approval of a majority of the Shares entitled to vote on the matter, the Board may not (i) amend the Charter to materially and adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the Stockholders; (ii) amend provisions of the Charter relating to director qualifications, fiduciary duties, liability and indemnification, conflicts of interest, investment policies or investment restrictions; (iii) liquidate or dissolve the Company other than before the initial investment in property; (iv) sell all or substantially all of the Company’s assets other than in the ordinary course of business or as otherwise permitted by law; or (v) cause the merger or similar reorganization of the Company except as permitted by law.
SECTION 11.3 EXTRAORDINARY ACTIONS. Notwithstanding any provision of law permitting or requiring any action to be taken or approved by the affirmative vote of the holders of Shares entitled to cast a greater number of votes, any such action shall be effective and valid if declared advisable by the Board and taken or approved by the affirmative vote of holders of Shares entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
SECTION 11.4 VOTING LIMITATIONS ON SHARES HELD BY THE ADVISOR, DIRECTORS AND AFFILIATES. With respect to Shares owned by the Advisor, any Director, or any of their Affiliates, neither the Advisor, nor such Director(s), nor any of their Affiliates may vote or consent on matters submitted to the Stockholders regarding the removal of the Advisor, such Director(s) or any of their Affiliates or any transaction between the Company and any of them. In determining the requisite percentage in interest of Shares necessary to approve a matter on which the Advisor, such Director(s) and any of their Affiliates may not vote or consent, any Shares owned by any of them shall not be included.
SECTION 11.5 RIGHT OF INSPECTION. Any Stockholder and any designated representative thereof shall be permitted access to the records of the Company to which it is entitled under applicable law at all reasonable times, and may inspect and copy any of them for a reasonable charge. Inspection of the Company books and records by the office or agency administering the securities laws of a jurisdiction shall be provided upon reasonable notice and during normal business hours.

SECTION 11.6 ACCESS TO STOCKHOLDER LIST. An alphabetical list of the names, addresses and telephone numbers of the Stockholders of the Company, along with the number of Shares held by each of them (the “Stockholder List”), shall be maintained as part of the books and records of the Company and shall be available for inspection by any Stockholder or the Stockholder’s designated agent at the home office of the Company upon the request of the Stockholder. The Stockholder List shall be updated at least quarterly to reflect changes in the information contained therein. A copy of the Stockholder List shall be mailed to any Stockholder so requesting within ten days of receipt by the Company of the request. The copy of the Stockholder List shall be printed in alphabetical order, on white paper, and in a readily readable type size (in no event smaller than 10-point type). The Company may impose a reasonable charge for expenses incurred in reproduction pursuant to the Stockholder request. A Stockholder may request a copy of the Stockholder List in connection with matters relating to Stockholders’ voting rights, and the exercise of Stockholder rights under federal proxy laws.
If the Advisor or the Board neglects or refuses to exhibit, produce or mail a copy of the Stockholder List as requested, the Advisor and/or the Board, as the case may be, shall be liable to any Stockholder requesting the Stockholder List for the costs, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, incurred by that Stockholder for compelling the production of the Stockholder List, and for actual damages suffered by any Stockholder by reason of such refusal or neglect. It shall be a defense that the actual purpose and reason for the requests for inspection or for a copy of the Stockholder List is to secure the Stockholder List or other information for the purpose of selling the Stockholder List or copies thereof, or of using the same for a commercial purpose, including a tender offer or “mini-tender” offer for Shares, other than in the interest of the applicant as a Stockholder relative to the affairs of the Company. The Company may require the Stockholder requesting the Stockholder List to represent that the Stockholder List is not requested for a commercial purpose unrelated to the Stockholder’s interest in the Company. The remedies provided hereunder to Stockholders requesting copies of the Stockholder List are in addition to, and shall not in any way limit, other remedies available to Stockholders under federal law, or the laws of any state.
SECTION 11.7 REPORTS. The Directors, including the Independent Directors, shall take reasonable steps to insure that the Company shall cause to be prepared and mailed or delivered to each Stockholder as of a record date after the end of the fiscal year and each holder of other publicly held Securities within one hundred twenty (120) days after the end of the fiscal year to which it relates an annual report for each fiscal year ending after the Commencement of the Initial Public Offering that shall include: (i) financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles which are audited and reported on by independent certified public accountants; (ii) the ratio of the costs of raising capital during the period to the capital raised; (iii) the aggregate amount of advisory fees and the aggregate amount of other fees paid to the Advisor and any Affiliate of the Advisor by the Company and including fees or charges paid to the Advisor and any Affiliate of the Advisor by third parties doing business with the Company; (iv) the Total Operating Expenses of the Company, stated as a percentage of Average Invested Assets and as a percentage of Net Income; (v) a report from the Independent Directors that the policies being followed by the Company are in the best interests of its Stockholders and the basis for such determination; and (vi) separately stated, full disclosure of all material terms, factors and circumstances surrounding any and all transactions involving the Company, the Directors, the Advisors, the Sponsors and any Affiliate thereof occurring in the year for which the annual report is made, and the Independent Directors shall be specifically charged with a duty to examine and comment in the report on the fairness of such transactions.

SECTION 11.8 TENDER OFFERS. If any Person makes a tender offer, including, without limitation, a “mini-tender” offer, such Person must comply with all of the provisions set forth in Regulation 14D of the Exchange Act, including, without limitation, disclosure and notice requirements, that would be applicable if the tender offer was for more than five percent of the outstanding Shares; provided, however, that, unless otherwise required by the Exchange Act, such documents are not required to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In addition, any such Person must provide notice to the Company at least ten business days prior to initiating any such tender offer. If any Person initiates a tender offer without complying with the provisions set forth above (a “Non-Compliant Tender Offer”), the Company, in its sole discretion, shall have the right to redeem such non-compliant Person’s Shares and any Shares acquired in such tender offer (collectively, the “Tendered Shares”) at the lesser of (i) the price then being paid per Share of Common Stock purchased in the Company’s latest Offering at full purchase price (not discounted for commission reductions or for reductions in sale price permitted pursuant to the Reinvestment Plan), (ii) the fair market value of the Shares as determined by an independent valuation obtained by the Company or (iii) the lowest tender offer price offered in such Non-Compliant Tender Offer. The Company may purchase such Tendered Shares upon delivery of the purchase price to the Person initiating such Non-Compliant Tender Offer and, upon such delivery, the Company may instruct any transfer agent to transfer such purchased Shares to the Company. In addition, any Person who makes a Non-Compliant Tender Offer shall be responsible for all expenses incurred by the Company in connection with the enforcement of the provisions of this Section 11.8, including, without limitation, expenses incurred in connection with the review of all documents related to such tender offer and expenses incurred in connection with any purchase of Tendered Shares by the Company. The Company maintains the right to offset any such expenses against the dollar amount to be paid by the Company for the purchase of Tendered Shares pursuant to this Section 11.8. In addition to the remedies provided herein, the Company may seek injunctive relief, including, without limitation, a temporary or permanent restraining order, in connection with any Non-Compliant Tender Offer. This Section 11.8 shall be of no force or effect with respect to any Shares that are then Listed.
ARTICLE XII
LIABILITY OF STOCKHOLDERS, DIRECTORS, ADVISORS AND AFFILIATES;
TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN AFFILIATES AND THE COMPANY
SECTION 12.1 LIMITATION OF STOCKHOLDER LIABILITY. No Stockholder shall be liable for any debt, claim, demand, judgment or obligation of any kind of, against or with respect to the Company by reason of being a Stockholder, nor shall any Stockholder be subject to any personal liability whatsoever, in tort, contract or otherwise, to any Person in connection with the Company’s assets or the affairs of the Company by reason of being a Stockholder.

SECTION 12.2 LIMITATION OF DIRECTOR AND OFFICER LIABILITY; INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) Subject to the limitations set forth under Maryland law or in paragraph (c) or (d) below, no Director or officer of the Company shall be liable to the Company or its Stockholders for money damages. Neither the amendment nor repeal of this Section 12.2(a), nor the adoption or amendment of any other provision of the Charter or Bylaws inconsistent with this Section 12.2(a), shall apply to or affect in any respect the applicability of the preceding sentence with respect to any act or failure to act which occurred prior to such amendment, repeal or adoption.
(b) Subject to the limitations set forth under Maryland law or in paragraph (c) or (d) below, the Company shall indemnify and, without requiring a preliminary determination of the ultimate entitlement to indemnification, pay or reimburse reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding to (i) any individual who is a present or former Director or officer of the Company and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity, (ii) any individual who, while a Director or officer of the Company and at the request of the Company, serves or has served as a director, officer, partner or trustee of another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise and who is made or threatened to be made a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity or (iii) the Advisor of any of its Affiliates acting as an agent of the Company. The rights to indemnification and advance of expenses provided hereby shall vest immediately upon election of a Director or officer. The Company may, with the approval of the Board or any duly authorized committee thereof, provide such indemnification and advance for expenses to a person who served a predecessor of the Company in any of the capacities described in (i) or (ii) above and to any employee or agent of the Company or a predecessor of the Company. The Board may take such action as is necessary to carry out this Section 12.2(b). No amendment of the Charter or repeal of any of its provisions shall limit or eliminate the right of indemnification provided hereunder with respect to acts or omissions occurring prior to such amendment or repeal.
(c) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in paragraph (a) or (b) above, the Company shall not provide for indemnification of a Director, the Advisor or any Affiliate of the Advisor (the “Indemnitee”) for any liability or loss suffered by any of them and the Company shall not provide that an Indemnitee be held harmless for any loss or liability suffered by the Company, unless all of the following conditions are met:
(i) The Indemnitee has determined, in good faith, that the course of conduct that caused the loss or liability was in the best interests of the Company.
(ii) The Indemnitee was acting on behalf of or performing services for the Company.
(iii) Such liability or loss was not the result of (A) negligence or misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is a Director (other than an Independent Director), the Advisor or an Affiliate of the Advisor or (B) gross negligence or willful misconduct, in the case that the Indemnitee is an Independent Director.

(iv) Such indemnification or agreement to hold harmless is recoverable only out of Net Assets and not from the Stockholders.
(d) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in paragraph (a) or (b) above, the Company shall not provide indemnification for any loss, liability or expense arising from or out of an alleged violation of federal or state securities laws by an Indemnitee unless one (1) or more of the following conditions are met: (i) there has been a successful adjudication on the merits of each count involving alleged material securities law violations as to the Indemnitee; (ii) such claims have been dismissed with prejudice on the merits by a court of competent jurisdiction as to the Indemnitee; or (iii) a court of competent jurisdiction approves a settlement of the claims against the Indemnitee and finds that indemnification of the settlement and the related costs should be made, and the court considering the request for indemnification has been advised of the position of the Securities and Exchange Commission and of the published position of any state securities regulatory authority in which Securities were offered or sold as to indemnification for violations of securities laws.
SECTION 12.3 PAYMENT OF EXPENSES. The Company may pay or reimburse reasonable legal expenses and other costs incurred by an Indemnitee in advance of final disposition of a proceeding only if: (i) the proceeding relates to acts or omissions with respect to the performance of duties or services on behalf of the Company, (ii) the Indemnitee provides Company with a written affirmation of the Indenmitee’s good faith belief that the Indemnitee has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the Company as authorized by Section 12.2, (iii) the proceeding was initiated by a third party who is not a Stockholder or, if by a Stockholder acting in his or her capacity as such, a court of competent jurisdiction approves such advancement and (iv) the Indemnitee provides the Company with a written undertaking to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the Company, together with the applicable legal rate of interest if it is ultimately determined that the Indemnitee did not comply with the requisite standard of conduct.
SECTION 12.4 EXPRESS EXCULPATORY CLAUSES IN INSTRUMENTS. Neither the Stockholders nor the Directors, officers, employees or agents of the Company shall be liable under any written instrument creating an obligation of the Company by reason of their being Stockholders, Directors, officers, employees or agents of the Company, and all Persons shall look solely to the Company’s assets for the payment of any claim under or for the performance of that instrument. The omission of the foregoing exculpatory language from any instrument shall not affect the validity or enforceability of such instrument and shall not render any Stockholder, Director, officer, employee or agent liable thereunder to any third party, nor shall the Directors or any officer, employee or agent of the Company be liable to anyone as a result of such omission.
ARTICLE XIII
AMENDMENTS
The Company reserves the right from time to time to make any amendment to its Charter, now or hereafter authorized by law, including any amendment altering the terms or contract rights, as expressly set forth in the Charter, of any outstanding Shares. All rights and powers conferred by the Charter on Stockholders, Directors and officers are granted subject to this reservation. Except for amendments permitted to be made without Stockholder approval under Maryland law or by specific provision in this Charter, any amendment to the Charter shall be valid only if approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of all votes entitled to be cast on the matter, including, without limitation, (i) any amendment which would adversely affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the Stockholders and (ii) any amendment to Sections 6.2, 6.5 and 6.6 of Article VI, Article IX, Article X, Article XII, Article XIV, Article XV and this Article XIII (or any other amendment of the Charter that would have the effect of amending such sections).

ARTICLE XIV
ROLL-UP TRANSACTIONS
(i) In connection with any proposed Roll-Up Transaction, an appraisal of all of the Company’s assets shall be obtained from a competent Independent Appraiser. The Company’s assets shall be appraised on a consistent basis, and the appraisal shall be based on the evaluation of all relevant information and shall indicate the value of the assets as of a date immediately prior to the announcement of the proposed Roll-Up Transaction. The appraisal shall assume an orderly liquidation of the assets over a 12-month period. If the appraisal will be included in a prospectus used to offer the securities of a roll-up entity, the appraisal shall be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and the states as an exhibit to the registration statement for the offering. Accordingly, an issuer using the appraisal shall be subject to liability for violation of Section 11 of the Securities Act, and comparable provisions under state laws for any material misrepresentations or omissions in the appraisal. The terms of the engagement of the Independent Appraiser shall clearly state that the engagement is for the benefit of the Company and the Stockholders. A summary of the appraisal, indicating all material assumptions underlying the appraisal, shall be included in a report to Stockholders in connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction. In connection with a proposed Roll-Up Transaction, the person sponsoring the Roll-Up Transaction shall offer to holders of Common Shares who vote against the proposed Roll-Up Transaction the choice of:
(a) accepting the securities of a Roll-Up Entity offered in the proposed Roll-Up Transaction; or
(b) one (1) of the following:
(I) remaining as Stockholders of the Company and preserving their interests therein on the same terms and conditions as existed previously; or
(II) receiving cash in an amount equal to the Stockholder’s pro rata share of the appraised value of the net assets of the Company.
(ii) The Company is prohibited from participating in any proposed Roll-Up Transaction:
(a) that would result in the holders of Common Shares having voting rights in a Roll-Up Entity that are less than the rights provided for in Article XI hereof;

(b) that includes provisions that would operate as a material impediment to, or frustration of, the accumulation of Shares by any purchaser of the securities of the Roll-Up Entity (except to the minimum extent necessary to preserve the tax status of the Roll-Up Entity), or which would limit the ability of an investor to exercise the voting rights of its securities of the Roll-Up Entity on the basis of the number of Shares held by that investor;
(c) in which investor’s rights to access of records of the Roll-Up Entity will be less than those described in Sections 11.5 and 11.6 hereof; or
(d) in which any of the costs of the Roll-Up Transaction would be borne by the Company if the Roll-Up Transaction is rejected by the holders of Common Shares.
ARTICLE XV
DURATION
In the event that Listing does not occur on or before the tenth anniversary of the Termination of the Initial Public Offering, then the Board must either (a) adopt a resolution that sets forth a proposed amendment to the Charter extending or eliminating this deadline (the “Extension Amendment”), declaring that the Extension Amendment is advisable and directing that the proposed Extension Amendment be submitted for consideration at either an annual or special meeting of the Stockholders, or (b) adopt a resolution that declares that a proposed liquidation of the Company is advisable on substantially the terms and conditions set forth in, or referred to, in the resolution (the “Plan of Liquidation”). If the Board seeks the Extension Amendment as described above and the Stockholders do not approve such amendment, then the Board shall seek the Plan of Liquidation as described above. If the Stockholders do not then approve the Plan of Liquidation, the Company shall continue its business.
If the Board seeks the Plan of Liquidation as described above and the Stockholders do not approve the Plan of Liquidation, then the Board shall seek the Extension Amendment as described above. If the Stockholders do not then approve the Extension Amendment, the Company shall continue its business. In the event that Listing occurs on or before the tenth anniversary of the Termination of the Initial Public Offering, the Company shall continue perpetually unless dissolved pursuant to any applicable provision of the MGCL.
THIRD: The amendment and restatement of the charter as hereinabove set forth have been duly advised by the Board of Directors of the Company and approved by the stockholders of the Company as required by law.
FOURTH: The current address of the principal office of the Company is as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
FIFTH: The name and address of the Company’s current resident agent are as set forth in Article III of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.
SIXTH: The number of directors of the Company and the names of the directors currently in office are as set forth in Section 6.1 of Article VI of the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter.

SEVENTH: The total number of shares of stock which the Company had authority to issue immediately prior to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter was 200,000 shares, $0.01 par value per share, all of one (1) class. The aggregate par value of all shares of stock having par value was $2,000. The total number of shares of stock which the Company has authority to issue pursuant to the foregoing amendment and restatement of the charter is 350,000,000, consisting of 300,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 par value per share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, $0.01 par value per share. The aggregate par value of all authorized shares of stock having par value is $3,500,000.
EIGHTH: The undersigned Chief Executive Officer acknowledges these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be the corporate act of the Company and, as to all matters or facts required to be verified under oath, the undersigned Chief Executive Officer acknowledges that, to the best of his knowledge, information and belief, these matters and facts are true in all material respects and that this statement is made under the penalties for perjury.
[SIGNATURES ON FOLLOWING PAGE]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, Empire American Realty Trust, Inc. has caused these Articles of Amendment and Restatement to be signed in its name and on its behalf by its Chief Executive Officer, and attested by its Secretary, on this __ day of , 2009.
ATTEST:

By: |  |  | By: |
Name: | David Cohen |  | Name: | Ezra Beyman
Title: | Secretary |  | Title: | Chief Executive Officer