Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2)
Registration No. 333-145253
CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEES
| Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered |
Amount to be Registered (1) |
Proposed Maximum Per Unit |
Proposed Maximum |
Amount of Registration Fee | ||||
| Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share |
1,604,616 | N/A | $14,762,467 | $580 | ||||
| (1) | Pursuant to Rule 416 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrant common stock offered hereby shall be deemed to cover additional securities to be issued to prevent dilution resulting from stock splits, stock dividends or similar transactions. |
| (2) | The registration fee has been computed pursuant to Rule 457(f)(2) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, based on the book value of the common units of limited partnership interest in DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, the Registrant’s operating partnership, to be received by the Registrant in the exchange hereunder. |
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT TO PROSPECTUS DATED AUGUST 8, 2007
DCT INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC.
1,604,616 SHARES OF COMMON STOCK
This prospectus supplement is a supplement to the accompanying prospectus and relates to the possible issuance by us from time to time of up to 1,604,616 shares of our common stock to holders of common units of limited partnership interest, or “OP Units,” in DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership, and any of their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest. We may only offer our common stock if the holders of these OP Units present them for redemption and we exercise our right to issue our common stock to them instead of paying a cash amount. The registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement satisfies our contractual obligation to do so, but does not necessarily mean that any of the holders of OP Units will exercise their redemption rights or that upon any such redemption we will elect, in our sole and absolute discretion, to redeem some or all of the OP Units for shares of our common stock instead of paying a cash amount.
We will receive no cash proceeds from any issuance of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement, but we will acquire additional OP Units in exchange for any such issuances. We will pay all registration expenses.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DCT.” The last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on January 9, 2009 was $4.13 per share.
Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 as well as the risk factors contained in documents DCT Industrial Trust Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission and which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus supplement is January 12, 2009
No person has been authorized to give any information or to make any representations other than those contained in this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by us or incorporated by reference herein or therein and, if given or made, such information or representation must not be relied upon as having been authorized. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and any free writing prospectus prepared by us do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the securities described in this prospectus supplement or an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy such securities in any circumstances in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. Neither the delivery of this prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus or any free writing prospectus prepared by us nor any sale made hereunder or thereunder shall, under any circumstances, create any implication that the information contained herein or therein is correct as of any time subsequent to the date of such information.
Prospectus Supplement
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Prospectus
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i
You should read this prospectus supplement along with the accompanying prospectus. This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus form one single document and both contain information you should consider when making your investment decision. You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. We have not authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different. If the information contained in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement. The information in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may only be accurate as of their respective dates.
ii
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus supplement or incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. It may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should carefully read this entire prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement before deciding whether to invest in our common stock.
Unless the context otherwise requires, or unless otherwise specified, all references in this prospectus supplement to the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “our company” refer to DCT Industrial Trust Inc., which we refer to as “DCT,” together with its subsidiaries, including DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, which we refer to as our “operating partnership.”
About DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is a leading industrial real estate company that owns, operates and develops high-quality bulk distribution and light industrial properties in high-volume distribution markets in the U.S. and Mexico. We were formed as a Maryland corporation in April 2002 and have elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) for United States (“U.S.”) federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ended December 31, 2003. We are structured as an umbrella partnership REIT under which substantially all of our current and future business is, and will be, conducted through a majority owned and controlled subsidiary, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP (our “operating partnership”), a Delaware limited partnership, for which DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is the sole general partner.
As of September 30, 2008, we owned, managed or had under development 449 industrial real estate buildings comprised of approximately 75.8 million square feet. Our portfolio of consolidated operating properties included 372 industrial real estate buildings, which consisted of 217 bulk distribution properties, 113 light industrial properties and 42 service center properties comprised of approximately 51.9 million square feet. Our portfolio of 372 consolidated operating properties was 91.9% occupied as of September 30, 2008. As of September 30, 2008, we also consolidated 13 development properties, and five redevelopment properties. In addition, as of September 30, 2008, we had ownership interests ranging from approximately 4% to 20% in unconsolidated institutional joint ventures, or funds, that owned 44 properties comprised of approximately 13.6 million square feet, and investments in three unconsolidated operating properties and 10 unconsolidated development joint venture properties. We managed two properties where we had no ownership interests.
Our principal executive office is located at 518 Seventeenth Street, Suite 800, Denver, Colorado 80202; our telephone number is (303) 597-2400. We also maintain regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and Dallas, Texas. Our website address is www.dctindustrial.com.
S-1
The Offering
| Securities offered | Up to 1,604,616 shares of our common stock that may be issued from time to time if, and to the extent that, the holders of an equal number of OP Units of our operating partnership issued on January 23, 2008, present such OP Units for redemption, and we exercise our right to issue shares of our common stock to them instead of paying a cash amount. | |
| DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership, issued 1,604,616 OP Units on January 23, 2008, in connection with its acquisition from certain accredited investors of undivided tenancy-in-common interests, or “TIC Interests,” in our properties. Our operating partnership previously offered TIC Interests in our properties to accredited investors in a private placement exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or “Securities Act.” These TIC Interests may have served as replacement properties for investors seeking to complete like-kind exchange transactions under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. The TIC Interests sold were then 100% leased by our operating partnership pursuant to master leases, and such leases contained purchase options whereby our operating partnership had the right, but not the obligation, to acquire the TIC Interests from the investors at a later point in time in exchange for OP units in our operating partnership under Section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Pursuant to the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership, holders of OP Units may tender their OP Units for a cash amount equal to the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock. In lieu of paying a cash amount, however, we may, at our option, choose to acquire any OP Units so tendered by issuing common stock in exchange for such OP Units. The common stock will be exchanged for OP Units on a one-for-one basis. This one-for-one exchange ratio may be adjusted to prevent dilution.
Under the terms of the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership, these OP Units are not redeemable until after the first anniversary of the issuance date of such OP Units (i.e., January 23, 2009). The registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement satisfies our contractual obligation to do so, but does not necessarily mean that any of the holders of OP Units will exercise their redemption rights or that upon any such redemption we will elect, in our sole and absolute discretion, to redeem some or all of the OP Units for shares of our common stock instead of paying a cash amount. | ||
| Use of proceeds | We will receive no cash proceeds from any issuance of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement, but we will acquire additional OP Units of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership, in exchange for any such issuances. We will pay all registration expenses. | |
| New York Stock Exchange symbol | “DCT” | |
| Risk factors | Before investing in our common stock, you should carefully read and consider the information set forth in “Risk Factors” beginning on page S-3 of this prospectus supplement and all other information appearing elsewhere and in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2007, (ii) DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2008, June 30, 2008 and September 30, 2008, and (iii) documents DCT Industrial Trust Inc. files with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement and which are deemed incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. | |
S-2
You should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before making an investment decision. These risks are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our common stock could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus supplement, the accompanying prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the year ended December 31, 2007, (ii) DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarterly periods ended March 31, 2008, June 30, 2008 and September 30, 2008, and (iii) documents DCT Industrial Trust Inc. files with the SEC after the date of this prospectus supplement and which are deemed incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement.
S-3
The following description of the redemption provisions of the OP Units is only a summary of such provisions and holders of OP Units should carefully review the rest of this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, and the documents we incorporate by reference as exhibits to this prospectus and such accompanying prospectus, particularly our charter, our bylaws and the partnership agreement of our operating partnership, for more complete information.
DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership, issued 1,604,616 OP Units on January 23, 2008, in connection with its acquisition from certain accredited investors of undivided tenancy-in-common interests, or “TIC Interests,” in our properties. Our operating partnership previously offered TIC Interests in our properties to accredited investors in a private placement exempt from registration under the Securities Act. These TIC Interests may have served as replacement properties for investors seeking to complete like-kind exchange transactions under Section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code. The TIC Interests sold were then 100% leased by our operating partnership pursuant to master leases, and such leases contained purchase options whereby our operating partnership had the right, but not the obligation, to acquire the TIC Interests from the investors at a later point in time in exchange for OP units in our operating partnership under Section 721 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Under the terms of the limited partnership agreement of our operating partnership, holders of these OP Units maintain a right to redeem their OP Units. At any time after the first anniversary of the issuance date of these OP Units (i.e., January 23, 2009), each holder of these OP Units has the right to require the operating partnership to redeem all or a portion of such OP Units in exchange for a cash amount equal to the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, on or before the fifth business day after the receipt by our operating partnership of any redemption notice with respect to OP Units, we may elect to acquire some or all of such OP Units in exchange for a cash amount equal to the value of an equivalent number of shares of our common stock. In lieu of paying a cash amount, however, we may, at our option, choose to acquire any OP Units so tendered by issuing common stock in exchange for such OP Units. The common stock will be exchanged for OP Units on a one-for-one basis. This one-for-one exchange ratio may be adjusted to prevent dilution. If we exercise our right to issue common stock in exchange for OP Units, such exchange will be treated as a sale by the holder of such OP Units for federal income tax purposes. Following the exchange of OP Units for shares of common stock, you will have the rights as a stockholder of our company, including the right to receive dividends, from the time you acquire the shares of common stock.
To effect a redemption, each holder of these OP Units must give our operating partnership a notice of redemption. The redemption rights are subject to specific limitations contained in the partnership agreement of our operating partnership, including, without limitation:
| • | the exchange must not cause the tendering holder of OP Units or any other person to violate the ownership limit set forth in our charter or any other provision of our charter; and |
| • | the exchange must be for at least 1,000 OP Units, or, if less than 1,000 OP Units, all of the OP Units held by the tendering holder. |
S-4
We will receive no cash proceeds from any issuance of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement, but we will acquire additional OP Units of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership in exchange for any such issuances.
This prospectus supplement relates to the possible issuance by us from time to time of up to 1,604,616 shares of our common stock to holders of common units of limited partnership interest, or “OP Units,” in DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership, and any of their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest. We may only offer our common stock if the holders of these OP Units present them for redemption and we exercise our right to issue our common stock to them instead of paying a cash amount. The registration of the shares of our common stock covered by this prospectus supplement satisfies our contractual obligation to do so, but does not necessarily mean that any of the holders of OP Units will exercise their redemption rights or that upon any such redemption we will elect, in our sole and absolute discretion, to redeem some or all of the OP Units for shares of our common stock instead of paying a cash amount.
The validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP.
S-5
Prospectus
DCT INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC.
Debt Securities
Warrants
Stock Purchase Contracts
Units
Common Stock
Preferred Stock
Depositary Shares
This prospectus provides you with a general description of debt and equity securities that DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and selling stockholders may offer and sell from time to time. Each time we or selling stockholders sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that sale and may add to or update the information in this prospectus. You should read this prospectus and any applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in our securities.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may offer and sell these securities to or through one or more underwriters, dealers and/or agents on a continuous or delayed basis.
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DCT.” On August 7, 2007 the last reported sale price of our common stock on the New York Stock Exchange was $10.26.
Investing in our securities involves various risks. See “ Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 as well as the risk factors contained in documents DCT Industrial Trust Inc. files with the Securities and Exchange Commission and which are incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities, or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
The date of this prospectus is August 8, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
i
This summary only highlights the more detailed information appearing elsewhere in this prospectus or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. It may not contain all of the information that is important to you. You should carefully read the entire prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus before deciding whether to invest in our securities.
Unless the context otherwise requires, or unless otherwise specified, all references in this prospectus to the terms “we,” “us,” “our” and “our company” refer to DCT Industrial Trust Inc., which we refer to as “DCT,” together with its subsidiaries, including DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, which we refer to as our “operating partnership.”
About This Prospectus
This document is called a “prospectus,” and it provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement containing specific information about the terms of the securities being offered. That prospectus supplement may include a discussion of any risk factors or other special considerations that apply to those securities. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and in a prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement. You should read both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
DCT has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, using a shelf registration process. Under this shelf process, we may offer and sell any combination of the securities described in this prospectus, in one or more offerings.
Our SEC registration statement containing this prospectus, including exhibits, provides additional information about us and the securities offered under this prospectus. The registration statement can be read at the SEC’s web site or at the SEC’s offices. The SEC’s web site and street addresses are provided under the heading “Where You Can Find More Information.”
When acquiring securities, you should rely only on the information provided in this prospectus and in the related prospectus supplement, including any information incorporated by reference. No one is authorized to provide you with information different from that which is contained, or deemed to be contained, in the prospectus and related prospectus supplement. We and the selling stockholders are not offering securities in any state where the offer of such securities is prohibited. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement or any document incorporated by reference is truthful or complete as of any date other than the date indicated on the cover page of these documents.
This prospectus contains forward-looking statements. You should read the explanation of the qualifications and limitations on such forward-looking statements on page 3 of this prospectus. You should also carefully consider the various risk factors incorporated by reference into this prospectus from our SEC filings, which risk factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements.
Unless otherwise stated, currency amounts in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement are stated in United States dollars.
About DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
We are a leading real estate company specializing in the ownership, acquisition, development and management of bulk distribution and light industrial properties located in 24 of the highest volume distribution markets in the United States. In addition, we manage, and own interests in, industrial properties through our institutional capital management program. Our properties primarily consist of high-quality, generic bulk distribution warehouses and light industrial properties. We have elected to be treated as a real estate investment trust, or REIT, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are structured as an umbrella partnership REIT, or UPREIT, under which substantially all of our current and future business is, and will be, conducted through a majority owned and controlled subsidiary, DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, or our operating partnership, for which DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is the sole general partner.
As of March 31, 2007, we owned interests in 405 industrial real estate buildings totaling 64.7 million square feet. Our portfolio of consolidated operating properties included 367 industrial real estate buildings, which consisted of 214 bulk distribution properties, 111 light industrial properties and 42 service center or flex properties totaling 53.2 million square feet. Our portfolio of 367 consolidated operating properties was 92.9% occupied as of March 31, 2007. Also, as of March 31, 2007, we consolidated three developments properties, six redevelopment properties and two properties held for contribution. In addition, as of March 31, 2007, we had ownership interests ranging from 10% to 20% in 16 unconsolidated properties in institutional joint ventures, or funds, totaling 5.7 million square feet, and investments in five unconsolidated development joint venture properties. Including our joint ventures, as of March 31, 2007, we owned approximately 470 acres of land that we believed could support the development of approximately seven million square feet and had options to control approximately 4,000 additional acres. The largest component of this land bank is held by our unconsolidated venture, Stirling Capital Investments, where we owned or controlled approximately 4,350 acres of land, entitled for industrial development, surrounding the Southern California Logistics Airport located in the Inland Empire submarket of Southern California. Through various master development agreements, the venture has the exclusive rights to develop this project for a period of up to 13 years.
Our principal executive office is located at 518 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1700, Denver, Colorado 80202; our telephone number is (303) 597-2400. We also maintain regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; and Dallas, Texas. Our website address is www.dctindustrial.com.
Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
The following table sets forth DCT’s consolidated ratios of earnings to fixed charges for each of the periods shown.
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2007 |
Year Ended December 31, |
Period from Inception (April 12, 2002) to December 31, | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | ||||||||
| Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges |
1.4 | ---(1) | ---(1) | 1.0 | 1.9 | --- | ||||||
| (1) | The ratio was less than 1:1 for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 as earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges by deficiencies of approximately $185.7 million and $15.7 million, respectively. |
The ratio of earnings to fixed charges was computed by dividing earnings by fixed charges. Earnings consist of (a) pretax income from continuing operations before adjustment for minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries or income or loss from equity investees, plus (b) fixed charges, plus (c) amortization of capitalized interest, plus (d) distributed income of equity investees, plus (e) our share of pre-tax losses of equity investees for which charges arising from guarantees are included in fixed charges, less (f) interest capitalized, less (g) preferred stock dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries, less (h) the minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not incurred fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of the sum of (a) interest expensed and capitalized, (b) amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness, (c) an estimate of the interest within rental expense and (d) preferred stock dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries.
Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends
The following table sets forth DCT’s consolidated ratios of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends for each of the periods shown.
| Three Months Ended March 31, 2007 |
Year Ended December 31, |
Period from Inception (April 12, 2002) to December 31, | ||||||||||
| 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | ||||||||
| Ratio of Earnings to Combined Fixed Charges and Preferred Stock Dividends |
1.4 | ---(1) | ---(1) | 1.0 | 1.9 | --- | ||||||
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| (1) | The ratio was less than 1:1 for the years ended December 31, 2006 and 2005 as earnings were inadequate to cover fixed charges by deficiencies of approximately $185.7 million and $15.7 million, respectively. |
The ratio of earnings to combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends was computed by dividing earnings by combined fixed charges and preferred stock dividends. Earnings consist of (a) pretax income from continuing operations before adjustment for minority interests in consolidated subsidiaries or income or loss from equity investees, plus (b) fixed charges, plus (c) amortization of capitalized interest, plus (d) distributed income of equity investees, plus (e) our share of pre-tax losses of equity investees for which charges arising from guarantees are included in fixed charges, less (f) interest capitalized, less (g) preferred stock dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries, less (h) the minority interest in pre-tax income of subsidiaries that have not incurred fixed charges. Fixed charges consist of the sum of (a) interest expensed and capitalized, (b) amortized premiums, discounts and capitalized expenses related to indebtedness, (c) an estimate of the interest within rental expense and (d) preferred stock dividend requirements of consolidated subsidiaries. Preferred stock dividends are the amount of pre-tax earnings that are required to pay the dividends on outstanding preferred stock.
You should carefully consider the risks described in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus, before making an investment decision. These risks are not the only ones facing our company. Additional risks not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. Our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely affected by the materialization of any of these risks. The trading price of our securities could decline due to the materialization of any of these risks, and you may lose all or part of your investment. This prospectus and the documents incorporated herein by reference also contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including the risks described in the documents incorporated herein by reference, including (i) DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 and (ii) documents DCT Industrial Trust Inc. files with the SEC after the date of this prospectus and which are deemed incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
We make statements in this prospectus that are considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act, which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. We intend these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are including this statement for purposes of complying with those safe harbor provisions. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views about our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects, which are based on the information currently available to us and on assumptions we have made. Although we believe that our plans, intentions, expectations, strategies and prospects as reflected in or suggested by those forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that the plans, intentions, expectations or strategies will be attained or achieved. Furthermore, actual results may differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements and will be affected by a variety of risks and factors that are beyond our control including, without limitation:
| • | the competitive environment in which we operate; |
| • | real estate risks, including fluctuations in real estate values and the general economic climate in local markets and competition for tenants in such markets; |
| • | decreased rental rates or increasing vacancy rates; |
| • | defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; |
| • | acquisition and development risks, including failure of such acquisitions and development projects to perform in accordance with projections; |
| • | the timing of acquisitions and dispositions; |
| • | natural disasters such as hurricanes; |
| • | national, international, regional and local economic conditions; |
| • | the general level of interest rates; |
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| • | energy costs; |
| • | the terms of governmental regulations that affect us and interpretations of those regulations, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates; |
| • | financing risks, including the risk that our cash flows from operations may be insufficient to meet required payments of principal and interest; |
| • | lack of or insufficient amounts of insurance; |
| • | litigation, including costs associated with prosecuting or defending claims and any adverse outcomes; |
| • | the consequences of future terrorist attacks; and |
| • | possible environmental liabilities, including costs, fines or penalties that may be incurred due to necessary remediation of contamination of properties presently owned or previously owned by us. |
In addition, our current and continuing qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or the Code, and depends on our ability to meet the various requirements imposed by the Code through actual operating results, distribution levels and diversity of stock ownership. The risks included here are not exhaustive and you should be aware that there may be other factors which could adversely affect our business and financial performance. Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time and it is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor can we assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. Given these risks and uncertainties, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a prediction of actual results. Investors should also refer to DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for future periods and current reports on Form 8-K as it files them with the SEC, and to other materials DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may furnish to the public from time to time through Forms 8-K or otherwise. We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements as a result of future events or developments.
HOW WE INTEND TO USE THE PROCEEDS
We currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of any securities under this prospectus for general corporate purposes, which may include:
| • | the repayment of debt; |
| • | the possible repurchase of our common stock; |
| • | the financing of potential investments; |
| • | working capital; and |
| • | other purposes as mentioned in any prospectus supplement. |
Pending such use, we may temporarily invest the net proceeds. The precise amounts and timing of the application of proceeds will depend upon our funding requirements and the availability of other funds. Except as mentioned in any prospectus supplement, specific allocations of the proceeds to such purposes will not have been made at the date of that prospectus supplement.
Based upon our historical and anticipated future growth and our financial needs, we may engage in additional financings of a character and amount that we determine as the need arises.
Please note that in the sections entitled “Description of Warrants,” “Description of Stock Purchase Contracts,” “Description of Units,” “Description of Common Stock,” “Description of Preferred Stock,” “Description of Depositary Shares” and “Description of Debt Securities,” references to “we,” “our” and “us” refer only to DCT and not to its consolidated subsidiaries. This section outlines some of the provisions of each warrant agreement pursuant to which warrants may be issued, the warrants or rights, and any warrant certificates. This information may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to any warrant agreement with respect to the warrants of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of warrants will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in the prospectus supplement, the terms of that series of warrants may differ from the general description of terms presented below.
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We may issue warrants. We may issue these securities in such amounts or in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes the terms of these securities that apply generally. Most of the financial and other specific terms of any such series of securities will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Those terms may vary from the terms described here.
When we refer to a series of securities in this section, we mean all securities issued as part of the same series under any applicable indenture, agreement or other instrument. When we refer to the applicable prospectus supplement, we mean the prospectus supplement describing the specific terms of the security you purchase. The terms used in the applicable prospectus supplement generally will have the meanings described in this prospectus, unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Warrants
We may issue warrants, options or similar instruments for the purchase of our preferred stock, common stock, depositary shares or units. We refer to these collectively as “warrants.” Warrants may be issued independently or together with preferred stock, common stock, depositary shares or units, and may be attached to or separate from those securities.
Agreements
Each series of warrants may be evidenced by certificates and may be issued under a separate indenture, agreement or other instrument to be entered into between us and a bank that we select as agent with respect to such series. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the warrant agreement or any warrant certificates and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any warrant holders. Copies of the forms of agreements and the forms of certificates representing the warrants will be filed with the SEC near the date of filing of the applicable prospectus supplement with the SEC. Because the following is a summary of certain provisions of the forms of agreements and certificates, it does not contain all information that may be important to you. You should read all the provisions of the agreements and the certificates once they are available.
General Terms of Warrants
The prospectus supplement relating to a series of warrants will identify the name and address of the warrant agent, if any. The prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the series of warrants in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, including:
| • | the offering price; |
| • | the designation and terms of any securities with which the warrants are issued and in that event the number of warrants issued with each security or each principal amount of security; |
| • | the dates on which the right to exercise the warrants will commence and expire, and the price at which the warrants are exercisable; |
| • | the amount of warrants then outstanding; |
| • | material U.S. federal income tax consequences of holding or exercising these securities; and |
| • | any other terms of the warrants. |
Warrant certificates may be exchanged for new certificates of different denominations and may be presented for transfer of registration and, if exercisable for other securities or other property, may be exercised at the warrant agent’s corporate trust office or any other office indicated in the prospectus supplement. If the warrants are not separately transferable from any securities with which they were issued, an exchange may take place only if the certificates representing the related securities are also exchanged. Prior to exercise of any warrant exercisable for other securities or other property, warrant holders will not have any rights as holders of the underlying securities, including the right to receive any principal, premium, interest, dividends, or payments upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up or to exercise any voting rights.
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Modification Without Consent
We and the applicable warrant agent may amend any warrant or warrant agreement without the consent of any holder:
| • | to cure any ambiguity; |
| • | to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision; or |
| • | to make any other change that we believe is necessary or desirable and will not adversely affect the interests of the affected holders in any material respect. |
We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only warrants to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular warrant in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other warrants in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected warrant; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected warrants.
Modification With Consent
We and any agent for any series of warrants may also amend any agreement and the related warrants by a supplemental agreement with the consent of the holders of a majority of the warrants of any series affected by such amendment. However, no such amendment that:
| • | increases the exercise price of such warrant; |
| • | shortens the time period during which any such warrant may be exercised; |
| • | reduces the number of securities the consent of holders of which is required for amending the agreement or the related warrants; or |
| • | otherwise adversely affects the exercise rights of warrant holders in any material respect; |
may be made without the consent of each holder affected by that amendment.
DESCRIPTION OF STOCK PURCHASE CONTRACTS
This section outlines some of the provisions of the stock purchase contracts, the stock purchase contract agreement and the pledge agreement. This information is not complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the stock purchase contract agreement and pledge agreement with respect to the stock purchase contracts of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of stock purchase contracts will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a prospectus supplement, the specific terms of any series of stock purchase contracts may differ from the general description of terms presented below.
Unless otherwise specified in the applicable prospectus supplement, we may issue stock purchase contracts, including contracts obligating holders to purchase from us and us to sell to the holders, a specified number of shares of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares or other security or property at a future date or dates. Alternatively, the stock purchase contracts may obligate us to purchase from holders, and obligate holders to sell to us, a specified or varying number of shares of common stock, preferred stock, depositary shares or other security or property. The consideration per share of common stock or preferred stock or per depositary share or other security or property may be fixed at the time the stock purchase contracts are issued or may be determined by a specific reference to a formula set forth in the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may provide for settlement by delivery by us or on our behalf of shares of the underlying security or property or, they may provide for settlement by reference or linkage to the value, performance or trading price of the underlying security or property. The stock purchase contracts may be issued separately or as part of stock purchase units consisting of a stock purchase contract and debt securities, preferred stock or debt obligations of third parties, including U.S. treasury securities, other stock purchase contracts or common stock, or other securities or property, securing the holders’ obligations to purchase or sell, as the case may be, the common stock, preferred stock, depository shares or other security or property under the stock purchase contracts. The stock purchase contracts may require us to make periodic
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payments to the holders of the stock purchase units or vice versa, and such payments may be unsecured or prefunded on some basis and may be paid on a current or on a deferred basis. The stock purchase contracts may require holders to secure their obligations thereunder in a specified manner and may provide for the prepayment of all or part of the consideration payable by holders in connection with the purchase of the underlying security or other property pursuant to the stock purchase contracts.
The securities related to the stock purchase contracts may be pledged to a collateral agent for our benefit pursuant to a pledge agreement to secure the obligations of holders of stock purchase contracts to purchase the underlying security or property under the related stock purchase contracts. The rights of holders of stock purchase contracts to the related pledged securities will be subject to our security interest therein created by the pledge agreement. No holder of stock purchase contracts will be permitted to withdraw the pledged securities related to such stock purchase contracts from the pledge arrangement except upon the termination or early settlement of the related stock purchase contracts or in the event other securities, cash or property is made subject to the pledge agreement in lieu of the pledged securities, if permitted by the pledge agreement, or as otherwise provided in the pledge agreement. Subject to such security interest and the terms of the stock purchase contract agreement and the pledge agreement, each holder of a stock purchase contract will retain full beneficial ownership of the related pledged securities.
Except as described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the collateral agent will, upon receipt of distributions on the pledged securities, distribute such payments to us or the stock purchase contract agent, as provided in the pledge agreement. The purchase agent will in turn distribute payments it receives as provided in the stock purchase contract agreement.
This section outlines some of the provisions of the units and the unit agreements. This information may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the unit agreement with respect to the units of any particular series. The specific terms of any series of units will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in a particular supplement, the specific terms of any series of units may differ from the general description of terms presented below.
We may issue units comprised of shares of common stock, shares of preferred stock, stock purchase contracts, warrants and other securities in any combination. Each unit will be issued so that the holder of the unit is also the holder of each security included in the unit. Thus, the holder of a unit will have the rights and obligations of a holder of each included security. The unit agreement under which a unit is issued may provide that the securities included in the unit may not be held or transferred separately, at any time or at any time before a specified date.
The applicable prospectus supplement may describe:
| • | the designation and terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units, including whether and under what circumstances those securities may be held or transferred separately; |
| • | any provisions of the governing unit agreement; |
| • | the price or prices at which such units will be issued; |
| • | the applicable U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the units; |
| • | any provisions for the issuance, payment, settlement, transfer or exchange of the units or of the securities comprising the units; and |
| • | any other terms of the units and of the securities comprising the units. |
The provisions described in this section, as well as those described under “Description of Warrants,” “Description of Stock Purchase Contracts,” “Description of Common Stock” and “Description of Preferred Stock” will apply to the securities included in each unit, to the extent relevant.
Issuance in Series
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We may issue units in such amounts and in as many distinct series as we wish. This section summarizes terms of the units that apply generally to all series. Most of the financial and other specific terms of your series will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Unit Agreements
We will issue the units under one or more unit agreements to be entered into between us and a bank or other financial institution, as unit agent. We may add, replace or terminate unit agents from time to time. We will identify the unit agreement under which each series of units will be issued and the unit agent under that agreement in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The following provisions will generally apply to all unit agreements unless otherwise stated in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Modification Without Consent
We and the applicable unit agent may amend any unit or unit agreement without the consent of any holder:
| • | to cure any ambiguity; any provisions of the governing unit agreement that differ from those described below; |
| • | to correct or supplement any defective or inconsistent provision; or |
| • | to make any other change that we believe is necessary or desirable and will not adversely affect the interests of the affected holders in any material respect. |
We do not need any approval to make changes that affect only units to be issued after the changes take effect. We may also make changes that do not adversely affect a particular unit in any material respect, even if they adversely affect other units in a material respect. In those cases, we do not need to obtain the approval of the holder of the unaffected unit; we need only obtain any required approvals from the holders of the affected units.
Modification With Consent
We may not amend any particular unit or a unit agreement with respect to any particular unit unless we obtain the consent of the holder of that unit, if the amendment would:
| • | impair any right of the holder to exercise or enforce any right under a security included in the unit if the terms of that security require the consent of the holder to any changes that would impair the exercise or enforcement of that right; or |
| • | reduce the percentage of outstanding units or any series or class the consent of whose holders is required to amend that series or class, or the applicable unit agreement with respect to that series or class, as described below. |
Any other change to a particular unit agreement and the units issued under that agreement would require the following approval:
| • | If the change affects only the units of a particular series issued under that agreement, the change must be approved by the holders of a majority of the outstanding units of that series; or |
| • | If the change affects the units of more than one series issued under that agreement, it must be approved by the holders of a majority of all outstanding units of all series affected by the change, with the units of all the affected series voting together as one class for this purpose. |
These provisions regarding changes with majority approval also apply to changes affecting any securities issued under a unit agreement, as the governing document.
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In each case, the required approval must be given by written consent.
Unit Agreements Will Not Be Qualified Under Trust Indenture Act
No unit agreement will be qualified as an indenture, and no unit agent will be required to qualify as a trustee, under the Trust Indenture Act. Therefore, holders of units issued under unit agreements will not have the protections of the Trust Indenture Act with respect to their units.
Mergers and Similar Transactions Permitted; No Restrictive Covenants or Events of Default
The unit agreements will not restrict our ability to merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets to, another corporation or other entity or to engage in any other transactions. If at any time we merge or consolidate with, or sell our assets substantially as an entirety to, another corporation or other entity, the successor entity will succeed to and assume our obligations under the unit agreements. We will then be relieved of any further obligation under these agreements.
The unit agreements will not include any restrictions on our ability to put liens on our assets, including our interests in our subsidiaries, nor will they restrict our ability to sell our assets. The unit agreements also will not provide for any events of default or remedies upon the occurrence of any events of default.
Governing Law
The unit agreements and the units will be governed by Maryland law.
Form, Exchange and Transfer
We will issue each unit in global—i.e., book-entry—form only. Units in book-entry form will be represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, which will be the holder of all the units represented by the global security. Those who own beneficial interests in a unit will do so through participants in the depositary’s system, and the rights of these indirect owners will be governed solely by the applicable procedures of the depositary and its participants. We will describe book-entry securities, and other terms regarding the issuance and registration of the units in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each unit and all securities comprising the unit will be issued in the same form.
If we issue any units in registered, non-global form, the following will apply to them.
The units will be issued in the denominations stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Holders may exchange their units for units of smaller denominations or combined into fewer units of larger denominations, as long as the total amount is not changed.
| • | Holders may exchange or transfer their units at the office of the unit agent. Holders may also replace lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated units at that office. We may appoint another entity to perform these functions or perform them ourselves. |
| • | Holders will not be required to pay a service charge to transfer or exchange their units, but they may be required to pay for any tax or other governmental charge associated with the transfer or exchange. The transfer or exchange, and any replacement, will be made only if our transfer agent is satisfied with the holder’s proof of legal ownership. The transfer agent may also require an indemnity before replacing any units. |
| • | If we have the right to redeem, accelerate or settle any units before their maturity, and we exercise our right as to less than all those units or other securities, we may block the exchange or transfer of those units during the period beginning 15 days before the day we mail the notice of exercise and ending on the day of that mailing, in order to freeze the list of holders to prepare the mailing. We may also refuse to register transfers of or exchange any unit selected for early settlement, except that we will continue to permit transfers and exchanges of the unsettled portion of any unit being partially settled. We may also block the transfer or exchange of any unit in this manner if the unit includes securities that are or may be selected for early settlement. |
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Only the depositary will be entitled to transfer or exchange a unit in global form, since it will be the sole holder of the unit.
Payments and Notices
In making payments and giving notices with respect to our units, we will follow the procedures as described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
The following description of our common stock is not complete but is a summary of portions of our charter and is qualified entirely by reference to our charter.
Under our charter, we have authority to issue a total of 500,000,000 shares of capital stock. Of the total shares authorized, 350,000,000 shares are designated as common stock with a par value of $0.01 per share, 50,000,000 shares are designated as preferred stock with a par value of $0.01 per share, and 100,000,000 shares are designated as shares-in-trust with a par value of $0.01 per share, which would be issued only in the event that there is a purported transfer of, or other change in or affecting the ownership of, our common stock that would result in a violation of the ownership limits described below. As of August 7, 2007, (i) 168,422,862 shares of our common stock were issued and outstanding and (ii) no shares of preferred stock or shares-in-trust were issued and outstanding. Under Maryland law, stockholders generally are not liable for the corporation’s debts or obligations.
We may offer common stock issuable upon the conversion of debt securities or preferred stock, the exercise of warrants and pursuant to stock purchase contracts or in exchange for common units of limited partnership interest, or OP Units, in DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, our operating partnership.
Common Stock
Except as may otherwise be specified in the terms of any class or series of common stock, the holders of common stock are entitled to one vote per share on all matters voted on by stockholders, including election of our directors, and, except as may be provided otherwise in our charter and subject to the express terms of any other series of stock, such holders shall have the exclusive voting power. Our charter does not provide for cumulative voting in the election of directors. Therefore, the holders of a majority of the outstanding common stock can elect our entire board of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock can elect all of the directors then standing for election and the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any directors. Subject to any preferential rights of any outstanding series of preferred stock and to the distribution of specified amounts upon liquidation with respect to shares-in-trust, the holders of common stock are entitled to such distributions as may be authorized from time to time by our board of directors in its discretion and declared by us, out of legally available funds and, upon liquidation, are entitled to receive all assets available for distribution to stockholders. All shares issued will be validly issued, fully paid and non-assessable shares of common stock. Holders of shares of common stock will not have preemptive rights, which means that you will not have an automatic option to purchase any new shares that we issue.
Preferred Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences and privileges of each class or series of preferred stock so issued, which may be more beneficial than the rights, preferences and privileges attributable to the common stock. The issuance of preferred stock could have the effect of delaying or preventing a change in control of our company. No shares of our preferred stock are presently outstanding.
Power to Reclassify Shares of Our Stock
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to classify and reclassify any unissued shares of stock into other classes or series of stock, including preferred stock. Prior to issuance of shares of each class or series, our board of directors is required by Maryland law and by our charter to set, subject to restrictions on the transfer and ownership of our stock contained in our charter, the terms of such class or series, including the preferences, conversion or other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or other distributions, qualifications and terms or conditions of redemption for each class or series. Thus, our board of directors could authorize the issuance of shares of common stock or preferred stock with terms and conditions which could have the
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effect of delaying, deferring or preventing a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interests.
Power to Issue Additional Shares of Common Stock and Preferred Stock
We believe that the power of our board of directors to amend our charter without stockholder approval to increase the total number of authorized shares of our stock or any class or series of our stock, to issue additional authorized but unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and to classify or reclassify unissued shares of our common stock or preferred stock and thereafter to cause us to issue such classified or reclassified shares of stock will provide us with increased flexibility in structuring possible future financings and acquisitions and in meeting other needs which might arise. The additional classes or series, as well as our common stock, will be available for issuance without further action by our stockholders unless stockholder action is required by applicable law or the rules of any stock exchange or automated quotation system on which our securities may be listed or traded. No shares of our preferred stock are presently outstanding. Although our board of directors has no intention at the present time of doing so, it could authorize us to issue a class or series in the future without stockholder approval that could, depending upon the terms of such class or series, delay, defer or prevent a transaction or a change in control of us that might involve a premium price for holders of our common stock or otherwise be in their best interests.
Restriction on Ownership of Common Stock
In order for us to qualify as a REIT, beginning in 2004 not more than 50% in value of our outstanding shares may be owned, directly or indirectly through the application of certain attribution rules under the Code, by any five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Code to include specified entities, during the last half of any taxable year. In addition, the outstanding shares must be owned by 100 or more persons that are independent of us and each other during at least 335 days of a 12-month taxable year or during a proportionate part of a shorter taxable year, excluding our first REIT taxable year ending December 31, 2003. In addition, we must meet requirements regarding the nature of our gross income in order to qualify as a REIT. One of these requirements is that at least 75% of our gross income for each calendar year must consist of rents from real property and income from other real property investments. The rents received by our operating partnership from any tenant will not qualify as rents from real property, which could result in our loss of REIT status, if we own, actually or constructively within the meaning of certain provisions of the Code, 10% or more of the ownership interests in that tenant. Our charter contains limitations on ownership and transfer of shares which prohibit any person or entity from owning or acquiring, directly or indirectly, more than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of any class or series of our stock, prohibit the beneficial ownership of our outstanding shares by fewer than 100 persons and prohibit any transfer of or other event or transaction with respect to our common stock that would result in the beneficial ownership of our outstanding shares by fewer than 100 persons. In addition, our charter prohibits any transfer of or other event with respect to our common stock that would cause us to violate the closely held test (see “Federal Income Tax Considerations—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Organizational Requirements”), that would cause us to own, actually or constructively, 9.9% or more of the ownership interests in a tenant of our real property or the real property of our operating partnership or any direct or indirect subsidiary of our operating partnership or that would otherwise cause us to fail to qualify as a REIT. Our charter provides that any transfer of shares that would violate our share ownership limitations is void ab initio and the intended transferee will acquire no rights in such shares unless, in the case of a transfer that would cause a violation of the 9.8% ownership limit, the transfer is approved by our board of directors, prospectively or retroactively, based upon receipt of information that such transfer would not violate the provisions of the Code for qualification as a REIT.
The shares that, if transferred, would result in a violation of any applicable ownership limit notwithstanding the provisions described above which are attempted to be transferred will be exchanged for “shares-in-trust” and will be transferred automatically to a trust effective on the day before the purported transfer of such shares. We will designate a trustee of the share trust that will not be affiliated with us or the purported transferee or record or beneficial holder. We will also name a charitable organization as beneficiary of the trust that will hold the shares-in-trust. Shares-in-trust will remain issued and outstanding shares. The trustee will receive all dividends and distributions on the shares-in-trust and will hold such distributions or distributions in trust for the benefit of the beneficiary. The trustee also will vote the shares-in-trust.
The trustee will transfer the shares-in-trust to a person whose ownership of our common stock will not violate the ownership limits. The transfer shall be made no earlier than 20 days after the later of our receipt of notice that shares have been transferred to the trust or the date we determine that a purported transfer of our common stock has occurred. During this 20-day period, we will have the option of redeeming such shares. Upon any such transfer or redemption, the purported transferee or holder shall receive a per share price equal to the lesser of (a) the price per share in the transaction that created such shares-in-trust (or, in the
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case of a gift or devise, the market price at the time of the gift or devise), and (b) the market price per share on the date of the redemption, in the case of a purchase by us, or the price received by the trustee net of any sales commissions and expenses, in the case of a sale by the trustee. The charitable beneficiary will receive any excess amounts. In the case of a liquidation, holders of shares-in-trust will receive a ratable amount of our remaining assets available for distribution to shares of the applicable class or series taking into account all shares-in-trust of such class or series. The trustee will distribute to the purported transferee or holder an amount equal to the lesser of the amounts received with respect to such shares-in-trust or the price per share in the transaction that created such shares-in-trust (or, in the case of a gift or devise, the market price at the time of the gift or devise) and shall distribute any remaining amounts to the charitable beneficiary.
Any person who (1) acquires or attempts to acquire shares in violation of the foregoing restrictions or who owns shares that were transferred to any such trust is required to give immediate written notice to us of such event or (2) purports to transfer or receive shares subject to such limitations is required to give us 15 days written notice prior to such purported transaction. In both cases, such persons shall provide to us such other information as we may request in order to determine the effect, if any, of such event on our status as a REIT. The foregoing restrictions will continue to apply until our board of directors determines it is no longer in our best interest to continue to qualify as a REIT.
The 9.8% ownership limit does not apply to a person or persons which the directors exempt from the ownership limit upon appropriate assurances that our qualification as a REIT is not jeopardized. Any person who owns 5% or more (or such lower percentage applicable under Treasury regulations) of the outstanding shares during any taxable year will be asked to deliver a statement or affidavit setting forth the number of shares beneficially owned.
Meetings, Special Voting Requirements and Access to Records
An annual meeting of our stockholders will be held each year. Special meetings of stockholders may be called only upon the request of a majority of the directors or by the chairman, the chief executive officer or the president or, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and information requirements by the stockholders requesting the meeting, by our secretary upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting. The presence either in person or by proxy of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum. Generally, a majority of the votes cast is necessary to take stockholder action at a meeting at which a quorum is present, except that a plurality of the votes cast at a meeting of stockholders duly called and at which a quorum is present is sufficient to elect a director.
Provided that such matter has first been declared advisable by our board of directors and except as otherwise provided under the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”) and our charter, stockholders are entitled to vote at a duly held meeting at which a quorum is present on (1) amendment of our charter, (2) dissolution of our company, and (3) merger, consolidation or sale or other disposition of substantially all of our assets.
Stockholders have the ability to elect to remove a director from our board or to remove the entire board, but only for cause and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast generally in the election of directors. Stockholders have rights under Rule 14a-7 under the Exchange Act which provides that, upon the request of investors and the payment of the expenses of the distribution, we are required to distribute specific materials to stockholders in the context of the solicitation of proxies for voting on matters presented to stockholders or, at our option, provide requesting stockholders with a copy of a list of our stockholders so that the requesting stockholders may make the distribution of proxies themselves. The list provided by us will include each stockholder’s name, address and number of shares owned by each stockholder and will be sent within five business days of the receipt by us of the request.
Transfer Agent and Registrar
The transfer agent and registrar for our shares of common stock is The Bank of New York.
DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED STOCK
The following description summarizes the material provisions of the preferred stock we may offer. This description is not complete and is subject to, and is qualified entirely by reference to our charter, bylaws and the applicable provisions of the MGCL. Any series of preferred stock we issue will be governed by our charter (as amended and in effect as of the date of such issuance).
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Our charter authorizes our board of directors to designate and issue one or more classes or series of preferred stock without stockholder approval. Our board of directors may determine the relative rights, preferences and privileges of each class or series of preferred stock so issued. No shares of our preferred stock are presently outstanding. The specific terms of any series of preferred stock offered hereunder will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSITARY SHARES
This section outlines some of the provisions of the deposit agreement to govern any depositary shares, the depositary shares themselves and the depositary receipts. This information may not be complete in all respects and is qualified entirely by reference to the relevant deposit agreement and depositary receipts with respect to the depositary shares related to any particular series of preferred stock. The specific terms of any series of depositary shares will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement. If so described in the prospectus supplement, the terms of that series of depositary shares may differ from the general description of terms presented below.
Interest in a Fractional Share, or Multiple Shares, of Preferred Stock
We may, at our option, elect to offer depositary shares, each of which would represent an interest in a fractional share, or multiple shares, of our preferred stock instead of whole shares of preferred stock. If so, we will allow a depositary to issue to the public depositary shares, each of which will represent an interest in a fractional share, or multiple shares, of preferred stock as described in the prospectus supplement.
Deposit Agreement
The shares of the preferred stock underlying any depositary shares will be deposited under a separate deposit agreement between us and a bank or trust company acting as depositary with respect to those shares of preferred stock. The prospectus supplement relating to a series of depositary shares will specify the name and address of the depositary. Under the deposit agreement, each owner of a depositary share will be entitled, in proportion of its interest in a fractional share, or multiple shares, of the preferred stock underlying that depositary share, to all the rights and preferences of that preferred stock, including dividend, voting, redemption, conversion, exchange and liquidation rights.
Depositary shares will be evidenced by one or more depositary receipts issued under the deposit agreement. We will distribute depositary receipts to those persons purchasing such depositary shares in accordance with the terms of the offering made by the related prospectus supplement.
Dividends and Other Distributions
The depositary will distribute all cash dividends or other cash distributions in respect of the preferred stock underlying the depositary shares to each record depositary shareholder based on the number of the depositary shares owned by that holder on the relevant record date. The depositary will distribute only that amount which can be distributed without attributing to any depositary shareholders a fraction of one cent, and any balance not so distributed will be added to and treated as part of the next sum received by the depositary for distribution to record depositary shareholders.
If there is a distribution other than in cash, the depositary will distribute property to the entitled record depositary shareholders, unless the depositary determines that it is not feasible to make that distribution. In that case the depositary may, with our approval, adopt the method it deems equitable and practicable for making that distribution, including any sale of property and the distribution of the net proceeds from this sale to the concerned holders.
Each deposit agreement will also contain provisions relating to the manner in which any subscription or similar rights we offer to holders of the relevant series of preferred stock will be made available to depositary shareholders.
The amount distributed in all of the foregoing cases will be reduced by any amounts required to be withheld by us or the depositary on account of taxes and governmental charges.
Withdrawal of Preferred Stock
Upon surrender of depositary receipts at the office of the depositary and upon payment of the charges provided in the deposit agreement and subject to the terms thereof, a holder of depositary receipts is entitled to have the depositary deliver to such holder the applicable number of shares of preferred stock underlying the depositary shares evidenced by the surrendered depositary
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receipts. There may be no market, however, for the underlying preferred stock and once the underlying preferred stock is withdrawn from the depositary, it may not be redeposited.
Redemption and Liquidation
The terms on which the depositary shares relating to the preferred stock of any series may be redeemed, and any amounts distributable upon our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Voting
Upon receiving notice of any meeting at which preferred stockholders of any series are entitled to vote, the depositary will mail the information contained in that notice to the record depositary shareholders relating to those series of preferred stock. Each depositary shareholder on the record date will be entitled to instruct the depositary on how to vote the shares of preferred stock underlying that holder’s depositary shares. The depositary will vote the shares of preferred stock underlying those depositary shares according to those instructions, and we will take reasonably necessary actions to enable the depositary to do so. If the depositary does not receive specific instructions from the depositary shareholders relating to that preferred stock, it will abstain from voting those shares of preferred stock, unless otherwise discussed in the prospectus supplement.
Amendment and Termination of Deposit Agreement
We and the depositary may amend the depositary receipt form evidencing the depositary shares and the related deposit agreement. However, any amendment that significantly affects the rights of the depositary shareholders will not be effective unless holders of a majority of the outstanding depositary shares approve that amendment. No amendment, however, may impair the right of any depositary shareholder to receive any money or other property to which he may be entitled under the terms of the deposit agreement at the times and in the manner and amount provided for therein. We or the depositary may terminate a deposit agreement only if:
| • | we redeemed or reacquired all outstanding depositary shares relating to the deposit agreement; |
| • | all outstanding depositary shares have been converted (if convertible) into shares of common stock or another series of preferred stock; or |
| • | there has been a final distribution in respect of the preferred stock of any series in connection with our liquidation, dissolution or winding up and such distribution has been made to the related depositary shareholders. |
Charges of Depositary
We will pay all transfer and other taxes and governmental charges arising solely from the existence of the depositary arrangements. We will also pay all charges of each depositary in connection with the initial deposit and any redemption of the preferred stock. Depositary shareholders will be required to pay any other transfer and other taxes and governmental charges and any other charges expressly provided in the deposit agreement to be for their accounts.
Miscellaneous
Each depositary will forward to the relevant depositary shareholders all our reports and communications that we are required to furnish to preferred stockholders of any series.
The deposit agreement will contain provisions relating to adjustments in the fraction of a share of preferred stock represented by a depositary share in the event of a change in par value, split-up, combination or other reclassification of the preferred stock or upon any recapitalization, merger or sale of substantially all of our assets.
Neither the depositary nor our company will be liable if it is prevented or delayed by law or any circumstance beyond its control in performing its obligations under any deposit agreement, or subject to any liability under the deposit agreement to holders of depositary receipts other than for the relevant party’s gross negligence or willful misconduct. The obligations of our company and each depositary under any deposit agreement will be limited to performance in good faith of their duties under that agreement, and
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they will not be obligated to prosecute or defend any legal proceeding in respect of any depositary shares or preferred stock unless they are provided with satisfactory indemnity. They may rely upon written advice of counsel or accountants, or information provided by persons presenting preferred stock for deposit, depositary shareholders or other persons believed to be competent and on documents believed to be genuine.
Resignation and Removal of Depositary
A depositary may resign at any time by issuing us a notice of resignation, and we may remove any depositary at any time by issuing it a notice of removal. Resignation or removal will take effect upon the appointment of a successor depositary and its acceptance of appointment. That successor depositary must be appointed within 60 days after delivery of the notice of resignation or removal.
DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES
Debt Securities May Be Senior or Subordinated
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may issue senior or subordinated debt securities at one or more times in one or more series. Each series of debt securities may have different terms. Neither the senior debt securities nor the subordinated debt securities will be secured by any property or assets of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP or any of their respective subsidiaries. Thus, by owning a debt security, you are an unsecured creditor of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
Neither any limited or general partner of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP, including DCT Industrial Trust Inc., nor any principal, stockholder, officer, director, trustee or employee of any limited or general partner of including DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP or of any successor of any limited or general partner of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP has any obligation for payment of debt securities or for any of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s obligations, covenants or agreements contained in the debt securities or the applicable indenture. By accepting the debt securities, you waive and release all liability of this kind. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issuance of debt securities.
The senior debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. will be issued under the senior debt indenture, as described below, and will rank equally with all of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s other senior unsecured and unsubordinated debt.
The subordinated debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. will be issued under the subordinated debt indenture, as described below, and will be subordinate in right of payment to all of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s “senior indebtedness,” as defined in the subordinated debt indenture, as described under “Description of Debt Securities—Subordination Provisions” beginning on page 28 and in the prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement for any series of subordinated debt securities or the information incorporated in this prospectus by reference will indicate the approximate amount of senior indebtedness outstanding as of the end of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s most recent fiscal quarter. None of the indentures limit DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s ability to incur additional senior indebtedness, unless otherwise described in the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. senior indebtedness will be structurally subordinate to the indebtedness of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP and will be structurally subordinate to the indebtedness of the subsidiaries of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP. See— “DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Debt Securities Are Structurally Subordinated to Indebtedness of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP and DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP’s Subsidiaries” below.
When we refer to “senior debt securities” in this prospectus, we mean the senior debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., unless the context requires otherwise. When we refer to “subordinated debt securities” in this prospectus, we mean the subordinated debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., unless the context requires otherwise. When we refer to “debt securities” in this prospectus, we mean both the senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities, unless the context requires otherwise.
If we issue debt securities at a discount from their principal amount, then, for purposes of calculating the aggregate initial offering price of the offered securities issued under this prospectus, we will include only the initial offering price of the debt securities and not the principal amount of the debt securities.
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We have summarized below the material provisions of the indentures and the debt securities, or indicated which material provisions will be described in the related prospectus supplement. The prospectus supplement relating to any particular securities offered will describe the specific terms of the securities, which may be in addition to or different from the general terms summarized in this prospectus. Because the summary in this prospectus and in any prospectus supplement does not contain all of the information that you may find useful, you should read the documents relating to the securities that are described in this prospectus or in any applicable prospectus supplement. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information” beginning on page 69 to find out how you can obtain a copy of those documents.
The Senior Debt Indenture and the Subordinated Debt Indenture of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
The senior debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. will be issued under an indenture, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between DCT Industrial Trust Inc. as the issuer of the debt securities, and U.S. Bank National Association (“U.S. Bank”), as trustee, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the “senior indenture.” The subordinated debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. will be issued under a separate indenture, dated as of a date prior to such issuance, between DCT Industrial Trust Inc. as the issuer of the debt securities, and U.S. Bank, as trustee, as amended or supplemented from time to time. We will refer to any such indenture throughout this prospectus as the “subordinated indenture” and to a trustee under any senior or subordinated indenture as the “trustee.”
The indentures will be subject to and governed by the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. We included copies of the indentures as exhibits to our registration statement and they are incorporated into this prospectus by reference. Except as otherwise indicated, the terms of the indentures are identical. As used in this prospectus, the term “debt securities” includes the debt securities being offered by this prospectus and all other debt securities issued by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. under the indentures. When we refer to the indenture or the trustee with respect to any debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., we mean the indenture under which those debt securities are issued and the trustee under that indenture.
General
The indentures:
| • | do not limit the amount of debt securities that we may issue; |
| • | allow us to issue debt securities with terms different from those of the debt securities previously issued under the indenture; |
| • | allow us to issue debt securities in one or more series; |
| • | do not require us to issue all of the debt securities of a series at the same time; |
| • | allow us to reopen a series to issue additional debt securities without the consent of the holders of the debt securities of such series; and |
| • | provide that the debt securities will be unsecured. |
Except as described under “Description of Debt Securities—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets” beginning on page 22 or as may be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities will not contain any provisions that (1) would limit our ability to incur indebtedness or (2) would afford holders of debt securities protection in the event of (a) a highly leveraged or similar transaction involving DCT Industrial Trust Inc., DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP or any of their respective affiliates or (b) a change of control or reorganization, restructuring, merger or similar transaction involving us that may adversely affect the holders of the debt securities. In the future, we may enter into transactions, such as the sale of all or substantially all of our assets or a merger or consolidation, that may have an adverse effect on our ability to service our indebtedness, including the debt securities, by, among other things, substantially reducing or eliminating our assets. Neither governing law, nor our governing instruments, define the term “substantially all” as it relates to the sale of assets. Consequently, to determine whether a sale of “substantially all” of our assets has occurred, a holder of debt securities must review the financial and other information that we have disclosed to the public.
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Each indenture provides that we may, but need not, designate more than one trustee under an indenture. Any trustee under an indenture may resign or be removed and a successor trustee may be appointed to act with respect to the series of debt securities administered by the resigning or removed trustee. If two or more persons are acting as trustee with respect to different series of debt securities, each trustee shall be a trustee of a trust under the applicable indenture separate and apart from the trust administered by any other trustee. Except as otherwise indicated in this prospectus, any action described in this prospectus to be taken by each trustee may be taken by each trustee with respect to, and only with respect to, the one or more series of debt securities for which it is trustee under the applicable indenture.
Information in the Prospectus Supplement
When we refer to a series of debt securities, we mean a series issued under the applicable indenture. When we refer to a prospectus supplement, we mean the prospectus supplement describing the specific terms of the debt securities of a particular series being offered. The terms used in any prospectus supplement have the meanings described in this prospectus, unless otherwise specified.
We will describe most of the financial and other specific terms of a particular series of debt securities being offered, whether it be a series of the senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities, in a prospectus supplement accompanying this prospectus. Those terms may vary from the terms described here.
The applicable prospectus supplement will also contain the terms of a given offering, the initial offering price and our net proceeds. Where applicable, a prospectus supplement will also describe any material U.S. federal income tax considerations relating to the debt securities offered and indicate whether the securities offered are or will be listed on any securities exchange.
Disclosure of the specific terms of a particular series of debt securities in the applicable prospectus supplement may include some or all of the following:
| • | the title of the debt securities; |
| • | whether they are senior debt securities or subordinated debt securities and, if they are subordinated debt securities, any changes in the subordination provisions described in this prospectus applicable to those subordinated debt securities; |
| • | the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities being offered, the aggregate principal amount of the debt securities outstanding as of the most recent practicable date and any limit on their aggregate principal amount, including the aggregate principal amount of debt securities authorized; |
| • | the stated maturity; |
| • | the price at which the debt securities will be issued, expressed as a percentage of the principal amount, and the original issue date; |
| • | the portion of the principal payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity, if other than the principal amount; |
| • | the date or dates, or the method for determining the date or dates, on which the principal of the debt securities will be payable; |
| • | the fixed or variable interest rate or rates of the debt securities, or the method by which the interest rate or rates is determined; |
| • | the date or dates, or the method for determining the date or dates, from which interest will accrue; |
| • | the dates on which interest will be payable; |
| • | the record dates for interest payment dates, or the method by which we will determine those dates; |
| • | the persons to whom interest will be payable; |
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| • | the basis upon which interest will be calculated if other than that of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months; |
| • | any make-whole amount, which is the amount in addition to principal and interest that is required to be paid to the holder of a debt security as a result of any optional redemption or accelerated payment of such debt security, or the method for determining the make-whole amount; |
| • | whether the debt securities may be converted into common stock or preferred stock of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or other securities, the terms on which such conversion may occur, including whether such conversion is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option, the period during which such conversion may occur, the initial conversion price or rate, and the circumstances or manner in which the shares of common stock or preferred stock issuable upon conversion may be adjusted or calculated according to the market price of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. common stock or preferred stock or such other securities or other applicable parameters; |
| • | the place or places where the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, the debt securities will be payable; |
| • | where the debt securities may be surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange; |
| • | where notices or demands to or upon us in respect of the debt securities and the applicable indenture may be served; |
| • | the times, prices and other terms and conditions upon which we may redeem the debt securities; |
| • | any obligation we have to redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities pursuant to any sinking fund or analogous provision or at the option of holders of the debt securities, and the times and prices at which we must redeem, repay or purchase the debt securities as a result of such an obligation; |
| • | any deletions from, modifications of, or additions to our events of default or covenants, and any change in the right of any trustee or any of the holders to declare the principal amount of any of such debt securities due and payable; |
| • | the denominations in which the debt securities will be issuable, if other than denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000; |
| • | the currency or currencies in which the debt securities are denominated and in which principal and/or interest is payable if other than United States dollars, which may be a foreign currency or units of two or more foreign currencies or a composite currency or currencies, and the terms and conditions relating thereto, and the manner of determining the equivalent of such foreign currency in United States dollars; |
| • | whether the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) or interest on, the debt securities of the series are to be payable, at our election or at the election of a holder, in a currency or currencies other than that in which the debt securities are denominated or stated to be payable, and other related terms and conditions; |
| • | whether the amount of payments of principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) or interest on, the debt securities may be determined according to an index, formula or other method and how such amounts will be determined; |
| • | whether the debt securities will be in registered form, bearer form or both and (1) if in registered form, the person to whom any interest shall be payable, if other than the person in whose name the security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date for such interest, or (2) if in bearer form, the manner in which, or the person to whom, any interest on the security shall be payable if otherwise than upon presentation and surrender upon maturity; |
| • | the identity of the depository for securities in registered form, if such series are to be issuable as a global security; |
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| • | any restrictions applicable to the offer, sale or delivery of securities in bearer form and the terms upon which securities in bearer form of the series may be exchanged for securities in registered form of the series and vice versa if permitted by applicable laws and regulations; |
| • | whether any debt securities of the series are to be issuable initially in temporary global form and whether any debt securities of the series are to be issuable in permanent global form with or without coupons and, if so, whether beneficial owners of interests in any such permanent global security may or shall be required to exchange their interests for other debt securities of the series, and the manner in which interest shall be paid; |
| • | the date as of which any debt securities in bearer form or in temporary global form shall be dated if other than the original issuance date of the first security of the series to be issued; |
| • | the applicability, if any, of the defeasance and covenant defeasance provisions described in this prospectus or in the applicable indenture; |
| • | whether and under what circumstances we will pay any additional amounts on the debt securities in respect of any tax, assessment or governmental charge and, if so, whether we will have the option to redeem the debt securities in lieu of making such a payment; |
| • | the circumstances, if any, under which beneficial owners of interests in the global security may obtain definitive debt securities and the manner in which payments on a permanent global debt security will be made if any debt securities are issuable in temporary or permanent global form; |
| • | any provisions granting special rights to holders of securities upon the occurrence of such events as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement; |
| • | the name of the applicable trustee and the nature of any material relationship with us or with any of our affiliates, and the percentage of debt securities of the class necessary to require the trustee to take action; and |
| • | any other terms of such debt securities not inconsistent with the provisions of the applicable indenture. |
Original Issue Discount Securities
We may issue debt securities at a discount below their principal amount and provide for less than the entire principal amount thereof to be payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof. We will refer to any such debt securities throughout this prospectus as “original issue discount securities.” A fixed rate debt security, a floating rate debt security or an indexed debt security may be an original issue discount debt security. The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the material federal income tax consequences and other relevant considerations applicable to original issue discount securities.
Fixed Rate Debt Securities
We may issue fixed rate debt securities. A debt security of this type will bear interest at a fixed rate described in the applicable prospectus supplement. This type includes zero coupon debt securities, which bear no interest and are instead issued at a price usually significantly lower than the principal amount. Each fixed rate debt security, except any zero coupon debt security, will bear interest from its original issue date or from the most recent date to which interest on the debt security has been paid or made available for payment. Interest will accrue on the principal of a fixed rate debt security at the fixed yearly rate stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, until the principal is paid or made available for payment or the debt security is exchanged. Each payment of interest due on an interest payment date or the date of maturity will include interest accrued from and including the last date to which interest has been paid, or made available for payment, or from the issue date if none has been paid or made available for payment, to but excluding the interest payment date or the date of maturity. Unless otherwise disclosed in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will compute interest on fixed rate debt securities on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
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Floating Rate Debt Securities
We may issue floating rate debt securities. A debt security of this type will bear interest at rates that are determined by reference to an interest rate formula. In some cases, the rates may also be adjusted by adding or subtracting a spread or multiplying by a spread multiplier and may be subject to a minimum rate or a maximum rate. If a debt security is a floating rate debt security, the formula and any adjustments that apply to the interest rate will be specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Each floating rate debt security will bear interest from its original issue date or from the most recent date to which interest on the debt security has been paid or made available for payment. Interest will accrue on the principal of a floating rate debt security at the yearly rate determined according to the interest rate formula stated in the applicable prospectus supplement, until the principal is paid or made available for payment or the security is exchanged.
Calculations relating to floating rate debt securities will be made by the calculation agent, an institution that we appoint as our agent for this purpose. The prospectus supplement for a particular floating rate debt security will name the institution that we have appointed to act as the calculation agent for that debt security as of its original issue date. We may appoint a different institution to serve as calculation agent from time to time after the original issue date of the debt security without your consent and without notifying you of the change.
For each floating rate debt security, the calculation agent will determine, on the corresponding interest calculation or determination date, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the interest rate that takes effect on each interest reset date. In addition, the calculation agent will calculate the amount of interest that has accrued during each interest period—i.e., the period from and including the original issue date, or the last date to which interest has been paid or made available for payment, to but excluding the payment date. For each interest period, the calculation agent will calculate the amount of accrued interest by multiplying the face or other specified amount of the floating rate debt security by an accrued interest factor for the interest period. This factor will equal the sum of the interest factors calculated for each day during the interest period. The interest factor for each day will be expressed as a decimal and will be calculated by dividing the interest rate, also expressed as a decimal, applicable to that day by 360 or by the actual number of days in the year, as specified in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Upon the request of the holder of any floating rate debt security, the calculation agent will provide for that debt security the interest rate then in effect—and, if determined, the interest rate that will become effective on the next interest reset date. The calculation agent’s determination of any interest rate, and its calculation of the amount of interest for any interest period, will be final and binding in the absence of manifest error.
All percentages resulting from any calculation relating to a debt security will be rounded upward or downward, as appropriate, to the next higher or lower one hundred-thousandth of a percentage point, e.g., 9.876541% (or .09876541) being rounded down to 9.87654% (or .0987654) and 9.876545% (or .09876545) being rounded up to 9.87655% (or .0987655). All amounts used in or resulting from any calculation relating to a floating rate debt security will be rounded upward or downward, as appropriate, to the nearest cent, in the case of U.S. dollars, or to the nearest corresponding hundredth of a unit, in the case of a currency other than U.S. dollars, with one-half cent or one-half of a corresponding hundredth of a unit or more being rounded upward.
In determining the base rate that applies to a floating rate debt security during a particular interest period, the calculation agent may obtain rate quotes from various banks or dealers active in the relevant market, as described in the applicable prospectus supplement. Those reference banks and dealers may include the calculation agent itself and its affiliates, as well as any underwriter, dealer or agent participating in the distribution of the relevant floating rate debt securities and its affiliates.
Indexed Debt Securities
We may issue indexed debt securities. Payments of principal of, and premium and interest on, indexed debt securities are determined with reference to the rate of exchange between the currency or currency unit in which the debt security is denominated and any other currency or currency unit specified by us, to the relationship between two or more currencies or currency units or by other similar methods or formulas specified in the prospectus supplement. A debt security of this type provides that the principal amount payable at its maturity, and the amount of interest payable on an interest payment date, will be determined by reference to:
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| • | securities of one or more issuers; |
| • | one or more currencies; |
| • | one or more commodities; |
| • | any other financial, economic or other measure or instrument, including the occurrence or non-occurrence of any event or circumstance; or |
| • | one or more indices or baskets of the items described above. |
If you are a holder of an indexed debt security, you may receive an amount at maturity that is greater than or less than the face amount of your debt security depending upon the value of the applicable index at maturity. The value of the applicable index will fluctuate over time.
We will provide you with more information in the applicable prospectus supplement regarding any deletions, modifications, or additions to the events of default or covenants that are described below, including any addition of a covenant or other provision providing event risk or similar protection.
Amounts That We May Issue
None of the indentures limit the aggregate amount of debt securities that we may issue or the number of series or the aggregate amount of any particular series. In addition, the indentures and the debt securities do not limit DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s ability to incur other indebtedness or to issue other securities, unless otherwise described in the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities. Also, DCT Industrial Trust Inc. is not subject to financial or similar restrictions by the terms of the debt securities, unless otherwise described in the prospectus supplement relating to any series of debt securities.
Payment
Unless we give you different information in the applicable prospectus supplement, the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, any series of the debt securities will be payable at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee. We will provide you with the address of the trustee in the applicable prospectus supplement. We may also pay interest by mailing a check to the address of the person entitled to it as it appears in the applicable register for the debt securities or by wire transfer of funds to that person at an account maintained within the United States.
All monies that we pay to a paying agent or a trustee for the payment of the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) or interest on, any debt security will be repaid to us if unclaimed at the end of two years after the obligation underlying payment becomes due and payable. After funds have been returned to us, the holder of the debt security may look only to us for payment, without payment of interest for the period which we hold the funds.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Debt Securities Are Structurally Subordinated to Indebtedness of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP and DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP’s Subsidiaries, Respectively
DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s indebtedness is structurally subordinate to debt of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP. In addition, because DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s assets consist principally of interests in DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP and because DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP’s assets consist principally of interests in the subsidiaries through which we own our properties and conduct our business, our right to participate as an equity holder in any distribution of assets of any of our subsidiaries upon the subsidiary’s liquidation or otherwise, and thus the ability of our security holders to benefit from the distribution, is junior to creditors of the applicable subsidiary, except to the extent that any claims we may have as a creditor of such subsidiary are recognized. Furthermore, because some of our subsidiaries are partnerships in which we are a general partner, we may be liable for their obligations. We may also guarantee some obligations of our subsidiaries. Any liability we may have for our subsidiaries’ obligations could reduce our assets that are available to satisfy our direct creditors, including investors in our debt securities.
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Form of Debt Securities
We will issue each debt security in global—i.e., book-entry—form only, unless we specify otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement. Debt securities in book-entry form will be represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, which will be the holder of all the debt securities represented by that global security. Those who own beneficial interests in a global debt security will do so through participants in the depositary’s securities clearance system, and the rights of these indirect owners will be governed solely by the applicable procedures of the depositary and its participants. See “Legal Ownership and Book-entry Issuance” below.
In addition, we will issue each debt security in fully registered form, without coupons.
Denomination, Interest, Registration and Transfer
Unless otherwise described in the applicable prospectus supplement, the debt securities of any series will be issuable in denominations of $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000.
Subject to the limitations imposed upon debt securities that are issued in book-entry form and represented by a global security registered in the name of a depositary, a holder of debt securities of any series may:
| • | exchange them for any authorized denomination of other debt securities of the same series and of a like aggregate principal amount and kind upon surrender of such debt securities at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate for such purpose; and |
| • | surrender them for registration of transfer or exchange at the corporate trust office of the applicable trustee or at the office of any transfer agent that we designate for such purpose. |
Every debt security surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange must be duly endorsed or accompanied by a written instrument of transfer, and the person requesting such action must provide evidence of title and identity satisfactory to the applicable trustee or transfer agent. Payment of a service charge will not be required for any registration of transfer or exchange of any debt securities, but we or the trustee may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge payable in connection therewith. If in addition to the applicable trustee, the applicable prospectus supplement refers to any transfer agent initially designated by us for any series of debt securities, we may at any time rescind the designation of any such transfer agent or approve a change in the location through which any such transfer agent acts, except that we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for such series. We may at any time designate additional transfer agents for any series of debt securities.
Neither we nor any trustee shall be required to:
| • | issue, register the transfer of or exchange debt securities of any series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day that the notice of redemption of any debt securities selected for redemption is mailed and ending at the close of business on the day of such mailing; |
| • | register the transfer of or exchange any debt security, or portion thereof, so selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion of any debt security being redeemed in part; and |
| • | issue, register the transfer of or exchange any debt security that has been surrendered for repayment at the option of the holder, except the portion, if any, of such debt security not to be so repaid. |
Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets
The indentures provide that DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may, without the consent of the holders of any outstanding debt securities, (1) consolidate with, (2) sell, lease or convey all or substantially all of its assets to, or (3) merge with or into, any other entity provided that:
| • | either it is the continuing entity, or the successor entity, if other than DCT Industrial Trust Inc., is an entity organized and existing under the laws of the United States and assumes itd obligations (A) to pay the principal of, and any premium and |
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| interest on, all of its debt securities and (B) to duly perform and observe all of its covenants and conditions contained in the applicable indenture; |
| • | immediately after giving effect to the transaction and treating any indebtedness that becomes the obligation of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or the obligation of any of our subsidiaries as having been incurred by us or by such subsidiary at the time of the transaction, no event of default under the applicable indenture, and no event which, after notice or the lapse of time, or both, would become such an event of default, occurs and continues; and |
| • | an officers’ certificate and legal opinion covering such conditions are delivered to each trustee. |
Covenants
Existence. Except as permitted under “Description of Debt Securities—Merger, Consolidation or Sale of Assets” above, the indentures require us to do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect our existence, rights and franchises. However, the indentures do not require us to preserve any right or franchise if the board of directors of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. determines that any right or franchise is no longer desirable in the conduct of our business.
Maintenance of properties. If we determine that it is necessary in order to properly and advantageously carry on our business, the indentures require us to:
| • | cause all of our material properties used or useful in the conduct of our business or the business of any of our subsidiaries to be maintained and kept in good condition, repair and working order, normal wear and tear, casualty and condemnation excepted, and supplied with all necessary equipment; and |
| • | cause to be made all necessary repairs, renewals, replacements, betterments and improvements thereof. |
However, the indentures do not prohibit us or our subsidiaries from (1) permanently removing any property that has been condemned or suffered a casualty loss, if it is in our best interests, or (2) selling or otherwise disposing of our respective properties for value in the ordinary course of business.
Insurance. The indentures require our insurable properties to be insured against loss or damage in an amount deemed reasonable by the board of directors of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. with insurers of recognized responsibility.
Payment of taxes and other claims. The indentures require us to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged, before they become delinquent:
| • | all taxes, assessments and governmental charges levied or imposed on us, our subsidiaries or our subsidiaries’ income, profits or property; and |
| • | all lawful claims for labor, materials and supplies which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien upon our or our subsidiaries’ property. |
However, we will not be required to pay, discharge or cause to be paid or discharged any such tax, assessment, charge or claim whose amount, applicability or validity is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings.
Provision of Financial Information. The indentures require us to (1) within 15 days of each of the respective dates by which we are required to file annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents with the SEC, file copies of such reports and documents with the trustee and (2) within 30 days after the filing of such reports and documents with the Trustee, mail to all holders of debt securities, as their names and addresses appear in the applicable register for such debt securities summary of the annual reports, quarterly reports and other documents that we file with the SEC under Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Additional covenants. The applicable prospectus supplement will set forth any additional covenants of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. relating to any series of debt securities.
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Events of Default, Notice and Waiver
Unless the applicable prospectus supplement states otherwise, when we refer to “events of default” as defined in the indentures with respect to any series of debt securities, we mean:
| • | default in the payment of any installment of interest on any debt security of such series continuing for 30 days; |
| • | default in the payment of principal of, or any premium (or make-whole amount) on, any debt security of such series at its maturity; |
| • | default in making any sinking fund payment as required for any debt security of such series; |
| • | default in the performance or breach of any other covenant or warranty of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. contained in the indenture continuing for 60 days after written notice to DCT Industrial Trust Inc. as provided in the applicable indenture; |
| • | default by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. under any bond, debenture, note, mortgage, indenture or other instrument under which there may be outstanding, or by which there may be secured or evidenced any recourse indebtedness for money borrowed by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. having an aggregate in principal amount outstanding of at least $50 million, whether such recourse indebtedness now exists or shall hereafter be created, which default either (A) constitutes a failure to pay any portion of the principal of such recourse indebtedness when due and payable at its stated maturity after the expiration of any applicable grace period with respect thereto (and without such recourse indebtedness having been discharged) or (B) resulted in such recourse indebtedness becoming or being declared due and payable prior to its stated maturity (and without such recourse indebtedness having been discharged or such accelleration having been rescinded or annulled), and in each case such default shall not have been rescinded or annulled within 10 days after written notice of such default has been received by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. as provided in the applicable indenture; |
| • | certain events of bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP or any subsidiary of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP that is an obligor or guarantor of any indebtedness that is also recourse indebtedness of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. having an aggregate principal amount outstanding of at least $50 million; and |
| • | any other event of default provided with respect to a particular series of debt securities. |
If an event of default occurs and is continuing with respect to debt securities of any series outstanding, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series to be due and payable. If the debt securities of that series are original issue discount securities or indexed securities, then the applicable trustee or the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the debt securities of that series will have the right to declare the portion of the principal amount as may be specified in the terms thereof to be due and payable. However, at any time after such a declaration of acceleration has been made, but before a judgment or decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the applicable trustee, the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of outstanding debt securities of such series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may rescind and annul such declaration and its consequences if:
| • | we have deposited with the applicable trustee all required payments of the principal, any premium (or make-whole amount), and interest, plus applicable fees, expenses, disbursements and advances of the applicable trustee; and |
| • | all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal, or a specified portion thereof, and any premium (or make-whole amount), have been cured or waived. |
The indentures also provide that the holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under the applicable indenture may on behalf of all holders waive any past default with respect to such series and its consequences, except a default:
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| • | in the payment of the principal, any premium (or make-whole amount) or interest; |
| • | in respect of a covenant or provision contained in the applicable indenture that cannot be modified or amended without the consent of the holder of the outstanding debt security that is affected by the default; or |
| • | in respect of a covenant or provision for the benefit or protection of the trustee, without its express written consent. |
The indentures require each trustee to give notice to the holders of debt securities within 90 days of a default unless such default has been cured or waived. However, the trustee may withhold notice if specified responsible officers of such trustee consider such withholding to be in the interest of the holders of debt securities. The trustee may not withhold notice of a default in the payment of principal, any premium or interest on any debt security of such series or in the payment of any sinking fund installment in respect of any debt security of such series.
The indentures provide that holders of debt securities of any series may not institute any proceedings, judicial or otherwise, with respect to such indenture or for any remedy under the indenture, unless the trustee fails to act for a period of 60 days after the trustee has received a written request to institute proceedings in respect of an event of default from the holders of 25% or more in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, as well as an offer of indemnity reasonably satisfactory to the trustee. However, this provision will not prevent any holder of debt securities from instituting suit for the enforcement of payment of the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, such debt securities at the respective due dates thereof.
The indentures provide that, subject to provisions in each indenture relating to its duties in the case of a default, a trustee has no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any holders of any series of debt securities then outstanding under the indenture, unless the holders have offered to the trustee reasonable security or indemnity. The holders of at least a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series or of all debt securities then outstanding under an indenture shall have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the applicable trustee, or of exercising any trust or power conferred upon such trustee. However, a trustee may refuse to follow any direction which:
| • | is in conflict with any law or the applicable indenture; |
| • | may involve the trustee in personal liability; or |
| • | may be unduly prejudicial to the holders of debt securities of the series not joining the proceeding. |
Within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, we will be required to deliver to each trustee a certificate, signed by one of our several specified officers stating whether or not that officer has knowledge of any default under the applicable indenture. If the officer has knowledge of any default, the notice must specify the nature and status of the default.
Modification of the Indentures
The indentures provide that modifications and amendments may be made only with the consent of the affected holders of at least a majority in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities issued under that indenture. However, no such modification or amendment may, without the consent of the holders of the debt securities affected by the modification or amendment:
| • | change the stated maturity of the principal of, or any premium (or make-whole amount) on, or any installment of principal of or interest on, any such debt security; |
| • | reduce the principal amount of, the rate or amount of interest on or any premium (or make-whole amount) payable on redemption of any such debt security; |
| • | reduce the amount of principal of an original issue discount security that would be due and payable upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof or would be provable in bankruptcy, or adversely affect any right of repayment of the holder of any such debt security; |
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| • | change the place of payment or the coin or currency for payment of principal of, or any premium (or make-whole amount) or interest on, any such debt security; |
| • | impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to any such debt security; |
| • | reduce the percentage in principal amount of any outstanding debt securities necessary to modify or amend the applicable indenture with respect to such debt securities, to waive compliance with particular provisions thereof or defaults and consequences thereunder or to reduce the quorum or voting requirements set forth in the applicable indenture; and |
| • | modify any of the foregoing provisions or any of the provisions relating to the waiver of particular past defaults or covenants, except to increase the required percentage to effect such action or to provide that some of the other provisions may not be modified or waived without the consent of the holder of such debt security. |
The holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of each series may, on behalf of all holders of debt securities of that series, waive, insofar as that series is concerned, our compliance with material restrictive covenants of the applicable indenture.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and the respective trustee may make modifications and amendments of an indenture without the consent of any holder of debt securities for any of the following purposes:
| • | to evidence the succession of another person to us as obligor under such indenture; |
| • | to add to the covenants of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities or to surrender any right or power conferred upon us in such indenture; |
| • | to add events of default for the benefit of the holders of all or any series of debt securities; |
| • | to add or change any provisions of an indenture (1) to facilitate the issuance of, or to change or eliminate restrictions on the payment of principal of, or premium (or make-whole amount) or interest on, debt securities in bearer form, or (2) to permit or facilitate the issuance of debt securities in uncertificated form, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the debt securities of any series in any material respect; |
| • | to change or eliminate any provisions of an indenture, provided that any such change or elimination shall become effective only when there are no debt securities outstanding of any series created prior thereto which are entitled to the benefit of such provision; |
| • | to secure the debt securities; |
| • | to establish the form or terms of debt securities of any series; |
| • | to provide for the acceptance of appointment by a successor trustee or facilitate the administration of the trusts under an indenture by more than one trustee; |
| • | to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency in an indenture, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of holders of debt securities of any series issued under such indenture; and |
| • | to supplement any of the provisions of an indenture to the extent necessary to permit or facilitate defeasance and discharge of any series of such debt securities, provided that such action shall not adversely affect the interests of the holders of the outstanding debt securities of any series. |
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Voting
The indentures provide that in determining whether the holders of the requisite principal amount of outstanding debt securities of a series have given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver under the indentures or whether a quorum is present at a meeting of holders of debt securities:
| • | the principal amount of an original issue discount security that shall be deemed to be outstanding shall be the amount of the principal thereof that would be due and payable as of the date of such determination upon declaration of acceleration of the maturity thereof; |
| • | the principal amount of any debt security denominated in a foreign currency that shall be deemed outstanding shall be the United States dollar equivalent, determined on the issue date for such debt security, of the principal amount or, in the case of an original issue discount security, the United States dollar equivalent on the issue date of such debt security of the amount determined as provided in the preceding bullet point; |
| • | the principal amount of an indexed security that shall be deemed outstanding shall be the principal face amount of such indexed security at original issuance, unless otherwise provided for such indexed security under such indenture; and |
| • | debt securities owned by us or any other obligor upon the debt securities or by any affiliate of ours or of such other obligor shall be disregarded. |
The indentures contain provisions for convening meetings of the holders of debt securities of a series. A meeting will be permitted to be called at any time by the applicable trustee, and also, upon request, by us or the holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series, in any such case upon notice given as provided in such indenture. Except for any consent that must be given by the holder of each debt security affected by the modifications and amendments of an indenture described above, any resolution presented at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present may be adopted by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series represented at such meeting.
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, except as referred to above, any resolution relating to a request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action that may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage, which is less than a majority, of the aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series may be adopted at a meeting or adjourned meeting duly reconvened at which a quorum is present by the affirmative vote of such specified percentage.
Any resolution passed or decision taken at any properly held meeting of holders of debt securities of any series will be binding on all holders of such series. The quorum at any meeting called to adopt a resolution, and at any reconvened meeting, will be persons holding or representing a majority in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series. However, if any action is to be taken relating to a consent or waiver which may be given by the holders of at least a specified percentage in principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of a series, the persons holding such percentage will constitute a quorum.
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the indentures provide that if any action is to be taken at a meeting with respect to any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver and other action that such indenture expressly provides may be made, given or taken by the holders of a specified percentage in principal amount of all outstanding debt securities affected by such action, or of the holders of such series and one or more additional series:
| • | there shall be no minimum quorum requirement for such meeting; and |
| • | the principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of such series that vote in favor of such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action shall be taken into account in determining whether such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action has been made, given or taken under such indenture. |
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Subordination Provisions
Holders of subordinated debt securities should recognize that contractual provisions in the applicable subordinated debt indenture may prohibit the issuer of subordinated debt securities from making payments on those securities. Subordinated debt securities are subordinate and junior in right of payment, to the extent and in the manner stated in the applicable subordinated debt indenture or in the provisions of the applicable debt securities, to all of the issuer's senior debt, as defined in the applicable subordinated debt indenture, including all debt securities the issuer has issued and will issue under the applicable senior debt indenture.
The applicable subordinated debt indentures define “senior debt” as the principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all indebtedness of the issuer, other than the subordinated debt securities, whether outstanding on the date of the indenture or thereafter created, incurred or assumed, which is (a) for money borrowed, (b) evidenced by a note or similar instrument given in connection with the acquisition of any businesses, properties or assets of any kind or (c) obligations the issuer, as lessee under leases required to be capitalized on the balance sheet of the lessee under generally accepted accounting principles or leases of property or assets made as part of any sale and lease-back transaction to which the issuer is a party. For the purpose of this definition, “interest” includes interest accruing on or after the filing of any petition in bankruptcy or for reorganization relating to the issuer, to the extent that the claim for post-petition interest is allowed in the proceeding. Also for the purpose of this definition, “indebtedness of the issuer” includes indebtedness of others guaranteed by the issuer and amendments, renewals, extensions, modifications and refundings of any indebtedness or obligation of the kinds described in the first sentence of this paragraph. However, “indebtedness of the issuer” for the purpose of this definition does not include any indebtedness or obligation if the instrument creating or evidencing the indebtedness or obligation, or under which the indebtedness or obligation is outstanding, provides that the indebtedness or obligation is not superior in right of payment to the subordinated debt securities.
The subordinated debt indentures provides that, unless all principal of and any premium or interest on the senior debt has been paid in full, no payment or other distribution may be made in respect of any subordinated debt securities in the following circumstances:
| • | in the event of any insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, or any receivership, liquidation, reorganization or other similar proceeding involving the issuer or its assets; |
| • | in the event of any liquidation, dissolution or other winding up of the issuer, whether voluntary or involuntary and whether or not involving insolvency or bankruptcy; |
| • | in the event of any assignment for the benefit of creditors or any other marshalling of assets and liabilities of the issuer; |
| • | if any subordinated debt securities of issuer have been declared due and payable before their stated maturity; |
| • | in the event and during the continuation of any default in the payment of principal, premium or interest on any senior debt beyond any applicable grace period or if any event of default with respect to any senior debt of the issuer has occurred and is continuing, permitting the holders of that senior debt of the issuer or a trustee to accelerate the maturity of that senior debt, unless the event of default has been cured or waived or ceased to exist and any related acceleration has been rescinded; or |
| • | if any judicial proceeding is pending with respect to a payment default or an event of default described in the immediately preceding clause. |
If the trustee under the applicable subordinated debt indenture or any holders of the subordinated debt securities receive any payment or distribution that they know is prohibited under the subordination provisions, then the trustee or the holders will have to repay that money to the holders of the senior debt.
Even if the subordination provisions prevent DCT Industrial Trust Inc. from making any payment when due on the subordinated debt securities of any series, DCT Industrial Trust Inc. will be in default on its obligations under that series if it does not make the payment when due. This means that the trustee under the applicable subordinated debt indenture and the holders of that series can take action against us, but they will not receive any money until the claims of the holders of senior debt have been fully satisfied.
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If this prospectus is being delivered in connection with the offering of a series of subordinated securities, the accompanying prospectus supplement or the information incorporated in this prospectus by reference will set forth the approximate amount of senior debt outstanding as of the end of our most recent fiscal quarter.
Modification of Subordination Provisions
DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may not amend the subordinated debt indenture governing any series of subordinated debt securities it has already issued to alter the subordination of any outstanding subordinated debt securities without the written consent of each holder of senior debt then outstanding who would be adversely affected. In addition, DCT Industrial Trust Inc. may not modify the subordination provisions of the subordinated debt indenture governing any series of subordinated debt securities it has already issued in a manner that would adversely affect the outstanding subordinated debt securities of any one or more series in any material respect, without the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of all affected series, voting together as one class.
Discharge, Defeasance and Covenant Defeasance
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures allow us to discharge our obligations to holders of any series of debt securities issued under any indenture when:
| • | either (1) all securities of such series have already been delivered to the applicable trustee for cancellation; or (2) all securities of such series have not already been delivered to the applicable trustee for cancellation but (A) have become due and payable, (B) will become due and payable within one year, or (C) if redeemable at our option, are to be redeemed within one year, and we have irrevocably deposited with the applicable trustee, in trust, funds in such currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such debt securities are payable, an amount sufficient to pay the entire indebtedness on such debt securities in respect of principal (and any premium or make-whole amount) and interest to the date of such deposit if such debt securities have become due and payable or, if they have not, to the stated maturity or redemption date; |
| • | we have paid or caused to be paid all other sums payable; and |
| • | we have delivered to the trustee an officers’ certificate and an opinion of counsel stating the conditions to discharging the debt securities have been satisfied. |
| • | Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the indentures provide that, upon our irrevocable deposit with the applicable trustee, in trust, of an amount, in such currency or currencies, currency unit or units or composite currency or currencies in which such debt securities are payable at stated maturity, or government obligations, or both, applicable to such debt securities, which through the scheduled payment of principal and interest in accordance with their terms will provide money in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of, and any premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, such debt securities, and any mandatory sinking fund or analogous payments thereon, on the scheduled due dates therefor, we may elect either: |
| • | to defease and be discharged from any and all obligations with respect to such debt securities; or |
| • | to be released from our obligations with respect to such debt securities under the applicable indenture or, if provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, our obligations with respect to any other covenant, and any omission to comply with such obligations shall not constitute an event of default with respect to such debt securities. |
Notwithstanding the above, we may not elect to defease and be discharged from the obligation to pay any additional amounts upon the occurrence of particular events of tax, assessment or governmental charge with respect to payments on such debt securities and the obligations to register the transfer or exchange of such debt securities, to replace temporary or mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen debt securities, to maintain an office or agency in respect of such debt securities, or to hold monies for payment in trust.
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The indentures only permit us to establish the trust described in the paragraph above if, among other things, we have delivered to the applicable trustee an opinion of counsel to the effect that the holders of such debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for federal income tax purposes as a result of such defeasance or covenant defeasance and will be subject to federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the same times as would have been the case if such defeasance or covenant defeasance had not occurred. Such opinion of counsel, in the case of defeasance, will be required to refer to and be based upon a ruling received from or published by the Internal Revenue Service or a change in applicable federal income tax law occurring after the date of the indenture. In the event of such defeasance, the holders of such debt securities would be able to look only to such trust fund for payment of principal, any premium (or make-whole amount), and interest.
When we use the term “government obligations,” we mean securities that are:
| • | direct obligations of the United States or the government that issued the foreign currency in which the debt securities of a particular series are payable, for the payment of which its full faith and credit is pledged; or |
| • | obligations of a person controlled or supervised by and acting as an agency or instrumentality of the United States or other government that issued the foreign currency in which the debt securities of such series are payable, the payment of which is unconditionally guaranteed as a full faith and credit obligation by the United States or such other government, which are not callable or redeemable at the option of the issuer thereof and shall also include a depository receipt issued by a bank or trust company as custodian with respect to any such government obligation or a specific payment of interest on or principal of any such government obligation held by such custodian for the account of the holder of a depository receipt. However, except as required by law, such custodian is not authorized to make any deduction from the amount payable to the holder of such depository receipt from any amount received by the custodian in respect of the government obligation or the specific payment of interest on or principal of the government obligation evidenced by such depository receipt. |
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, if after we have deposited funds and/or government obligations to effect defeasance or covenant defeasance with respect to debt securities of any series, (1) the holder of a debt security of such series is entitled to, and does, elect under the terms of the applicable indenture or the terms of such debt security to receive payment in a currency, currency unit or composite currency other than that in which such deposit has been made in respect of such debt security, or (2) a conversion event occurs in respect of the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such deposit has been made, the indebtedness represented by such debt security will be deemed to have been, and will be, fully discharged and satisfied through the payment of the principal of, and premium (or make-whole amount) and interest on, such debt security as they become due out of the proceeds yielded by converting the amount so deposited in respect of such debt security into the currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt security becomes payable as a result of such election or such cessation of usage based on the applicable market exchange rate.
When we use the term “conversion event,” we mean the cessation of use of:
| • | a currency, currency unit or composite currency both by the government of the country that issued such currency and for the settlement of transactions by a central bank or other public institutions of or within the international banking community; |
| • | the European Currency Unit both within the European Monetary System and for the settlement of transactions by public institutions of or within the European Communities; or |
| • | any currency unit or composite currency other than the European Currency Unit for the purposes for which it was established. |
Unless otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, all payments of principal of, and premium (or make-whole amount), if any, and interest on, any debt security that is payable in a foreign currency that ceases to be used by its government of issuance shall be made in United States dollars.
In the event that (1) we effect covenant defeasance with respect to any debt securities and (2) such debt securities are declared due and payable because of the occurrence of any event of default, the amount in such currency, currency unit or composite currency in which such debt securities are payable, and government obligations on deposit with the applicable trustee, will be sufficient to pay amounts due on such debt securities at the time of their stated maturity but may not be sufficient to pay amounts due
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on such debt securities at the time of the acceleration resulting from such event of default. However, we would remain liable to make payments of such amounts due at the time of acceleration.
The applicable prospectus supplement may further describe the provisions, if any, permitting such defeasance or covenant defeasance, including any modifications to the provisions described above, with respect to the debt securities of or within a particular series.
Conversion Rights
The terms and conditions, if any, on which debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. are convertible into shares of common stock or preferred stock of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or other securities will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement. Such terms will include the terms on which such conversion may occur, including whether such conversion is mandatory, at the option of the holder or at our option, the period or periods during which such conversion may occur, the initial conversion price or rate, the circumstances under or manner in which the number of shares of common stock or preferred stock of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or other securities issuable upon conversion may be adjusted or calculated according to the market price of such common stock or preferred stock of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or other securities or based on other parameters, and provisions affecting conversion in the event that the debt securities are redeemed.
No Recourse
No recourse under or upon any obligation, covenant or agreement contained in any indenture or the debt securities, or because of any indebtedness evidenced thereby, shall be had against any past, present or future shareholder, employee, officer or director, as such, of DCT Industrial Operating Partnership LP or DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or any successor under any rule of law, statute or constitutional provision or by the enforcement of any assessment or by any legal or equitable proceeding or otherwise. Each holder of debt securities waives and releases all such liability by accepting the debt securities. The waiver and release are part of the consideration for the issue of the debt securities.
DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s Relationship with the Trustee
U.S. Bank has provided commercial banking and other services for DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and its affiliates in the past and may do so in the future.
U.S. Bank is initially serving as the trustee for the senior debt securities and the subordinated debt securities of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. We may appoint other parties to serve as trustee or co-trustee as may be indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement. If an actual or potential event of default occurs with respect to any of the debt securities, the trustee may be considered to have a conflicting interest for purposes of the Trust Indenture Act of 1939. In that case, the trustee may be required to resign under one or more of the indentures, and the issuer of the debt securities would be required to appoint a successor trustee. For this purpose, a “potential” event of default means an event that would be an event of default if the requirements for giving the issuer of the debt securities default notice or for the default having to exist for a specific period of time were disregarded.
CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF THE MARYLAND GENERAL CORPORATION LAW
AND OUR CHARTER AND BYLAWS
The following description of the terms of our stock and of certain provisions of Maryland law is only a summary. Copies of our charter and bylaws are filed as exhibits to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part and the following description is qualified entirely by reference to our charter and bylaws and the applicable provisions of Maryland law.
The MGCL and our charter and bylaws contain provisions that could make it more difficult for a potential acquiror to acquire us by means of a tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise. These provisions are expected to discourage certain coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids and to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to negotiate first with our board of directors. We believe that the benefits of these provisions outweigh the potential disadvantages of discouraging any such acquisition proposals because, among other things, the negotiation of such proposals may improve their terms.
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Number of Directors; Vacancies; Removal
Our charter provides that the number of directors will be set only by our board of directors in accordance with our bylaws. Our bylaws provide that a majority of our entire board of directors may at any time increase or decrease the number of directors. However, the number of directors may never be less than the minimum number required by the MGCL. Any vacancies on our board of directors for any cause other than an increase in the number of directors will be filled 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 vacancies on our board of directors created by an increase in the number of directors will be filled by a majority vote of the entire board of directors. Any director elected to fill a vacancy will serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders and until a successor is duly elected and qualifies.
Our charter provides that a director may be removed only for cause, which means conviction of a felony or a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction holding that such director caused demonstrable, material harm to us through bad faith or active and deliberate dishonesty, and then only by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be case generally in the election of directors.
Action by Stockholders
Under the MGCL, stockholder action can be taken only at an annual or special meeting of stockholders or by unanimous consent in lieu of a meeting (unless the charter provides for a lesser percentage, which our charter does not). These provisions, combined with the requirements of our bylaws regarding the calling of a stockholder-requested special meeting of stockholders discussed below, may have the effect of delaying consideration of a stockholder proposal until the next annual meeting.
Advance Notice Provisions for Stockholder Nominations and Stockholder Proposals
Our bylaws provide that with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors and the proposal of business to be considered by stockholders may be made only (i) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (iii) by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by such stockholder as provided for in our bylaws and at the time of the annual meeting and who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice procedures of our bylaws. With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of the meeting may be conducted at the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors at a special meeting at which directors are to be elected may be made only (i) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (ii) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (iii) provided that our board of directors has determined that directors will be elected at the meeting, by a stockholder who was a stockholder of record both at the time of giving of notice by such stockholder as provided for in our bylaws and at the time of the special meeting and who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has complied with the advance notice provisions of our bylaws.
The purpose of requiring stockholders to give us advance notice of nominations and other business is to afford our board of directors a meaningful opportunity to consider the qualifications of the proposed nominees and the advisability of any other proposed business and, to the extent deemed necessary or desirable by our board of directors, to inform stockholders and make recommendations about such qualifications or business, as well as to provide a more orderly procedure for conducting meetings of stockholders. Although our bylaws do not give our board of directors any power to disapprove stockholder nominations for the election of directors or proposals recommending certain action, they may have the effect of precluding a contest for the election of directors or the consideration of stockholder proposals if proper procedures are not followed and of discouraging or deterring a third party from conducting a solicitation of proxies to elect its own slate of directors or to approve its own proposal without regard to whether consideration of such nominees or proposals might be harmful or beneficial to us and our stockholders.
Calling of Special Meetings of Stockholders
Our bylaws provide that special meetings of stockholders may be called by our board of directors and certain of our officers. Additionally, our bylaws provide that, subject to the satisfaction of certain procedural and informational requirements by the stockholders requesting the meeting, a special meeting of stockholders shall be called by the secretary of the corporation upon the written request of stockholders entitled to cast not less than a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting.
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Approval of Extraordinary Corporate Action; Amendment of Charter and Bylaws
Under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation generally cannot dissolve, amend its charter, merge, sell all or substantially all of its assets, engage in a share exchange or engage in similar transactions outside the ordinary course of business, unless approved by the affirmative vote of stockholders entitled to cast at least two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. However, a Maryland corporation may provide in its charter for approval of these matters by a lesser percentage, but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter, with certain exceptions, generally provides for approval of charter amendments and extraordinary transactions (which have been first declared advisable by our board of directors) by the stockholders entitled to cast at least a majority of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter.
Our bylaws provide that our board of directors will have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of our bylaws and to make new bylaws.
No Appraisal Rights
As permitted by the MGCL, our charter provides that stockholders will not be entitled to exercise appraisal rights unless a majority of our board of directors determines with respect to all or any classes or series of stock classified or reclassified in the future that such rights will apply.
Control Share Acquisitions
The Maryland Control Share Acquisition Act provides that control shares of a Maryland corporation acquired in a control share acquisition have no voting rights except to the extent approved by a vote of two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Shares owned by the acquiror, by officers or by employees who are directors of the corporation are excluded from shares entitled to vote on the matter. “Control shares” are voting shares which, if aggregated with all other shares owned by the acquiror or with respect to which the acquiror has the right to vote or to direct the voting of, other than solely by virtue of revocable proxy, would entitle the acquiror to exercise voting power in electing directors within one of the following ranges of voting powers:
| • | one-tenth or more but less than one-third; |
| • | one-third or more but less than a majority; or |
| • | a majority or more of all voting power. |
Control shares do not include shares the acquiring person is then entitled to vote as a result of having previously obtained stockholder approval. Except as otherwise specified in the statute, a “control share acquisition” means the acquisition of control shares. Once a person who has made or proposes to make a control share acquisition has undertaken to pay expenses and has satisfied other required conditions, the person may compel our board of directors to call a special meeting of stockholders to be held within 50 days of demand to consider the voting rights of the shares. If no request for a meeting is made, the corporation may itself present the question at any stockholders’ meeting.
If voting rights are not approved for the control shares at the meeting or if the acquiring person does not deliver an “acquiring person statement” for the control shares as required by the statute, the corporation may repurchase any or all of the control shares for their fair value, except for control shares for which voting rights have previously been approved. Fair value is to be determined for this purpose without regard to the absence of voting rights for the control shares, and is to be determined as of the date of the last control share acquisition or of any meeting of stockholders at which the voting rights for control shares are considered and not approved.
If voting rights for control shares are approved at a stockholders’ meeting and the acquiror becomes entitled to vote a majority of the shares entitled to vote, all other stockholders may exercise appraisal rights. The fair value of the shares as determined for purposes of these appraisal rights may not be less than the highest price per share paid in the control share acquisition. Some of the limitations and restrictions otherwise applicable to the exercise of dissenters’ rights do not apply in the context of a control share acquisition.
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The control share acquisition statute does not apply to (a) shares acquired in a merger, consolidation or share exchange if the corporation is a party to the transaction or (b) to acquisitions approved or exempted by the charter or bylaws of the corporation.
Our bylaws contain a provision exempting from the Control Share Acquisition Act any acquisition by any person of our shares of stock. There can be no assurance that such provision will not be amended or eliminated at any time in the future. However, we will amend our bylaws to be subject to the Control Share Acquisition Act only if our board of directors determines that it would be in our best interests.
Subtitle 8
Subtitle 8 of Title 3 of the MGCL permits a Maryland corporation with a class of equity securities registered under the Exchange Act and at least three independent directors to elect to be subject, by provision in its charter or bylaws or a resolution of its board of directors and notwithstanding any contrary provision in the charter or bylaws, to any or all of five provisions:
| • | a classified board; |
| • | a two-thirds stockholder vote requirement for removing a director; |
| • | a requirement that the number of directors by fixed only by vote of the directors; |
| • | a requirement that a vacancy on the board be filled only by the remaining directors and for the remainder of the full term of the class of directors in which the vacancy occurred; and |
| • | a majority requirement for the calling of a special meeting of stockholders. |
Through provisions in our charter and our bylaws unrelated to Subtitle 8, we already (a) require a two-thirds stockholder vote for the removal of any director from the board, as well as require that such removal be for cause (as defined in our charter), (b) unless called by our chairman of the board, our chief executive officer, our president or the board, require the request of holders of a majority of all votes entitled to be cast at a special meeting to call such a meeting and (c) vest in the board the exclusive power to fix the number of directorships.
Business Combinations
Under the MGCL, “business combinations” between a Maryland corporation and an interested stockholder or the interested stockholder’s affiliate are prohibited for five years after the most recent date on which the stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. For this purpose, the term “business combinations” includes mergers, consolidations, share exchanges, or, in circumstances specified in the MGCL, asset transfers and issuances or reclassifications of equity securities. An “interested stockholder” is defined for this purpose as: (1) any person who beneficially owns 10% or more of the voting power of the corporation’s shares; or (2) an affiliate or associate of the corporation who, at any time within the two-year period prior to the date in question, was the beneficial owner of 10% or more of the voting power of the then outstanding voting shares of the corporation.
A person is not an interested stockholder under the MGCL if our board of directors approved in advance the transaction by which he or she otherwise would have become an interested stockholder. However, in approving a transaction, our board of directors may provide that its approval is subject to compliance, at or after the time of approval, with any terms and conditions determined by the board.
After the five-year prohibition, any business combination between the corporation and an interested stockholder generally must be recommended by the board of directors of the corporation and approved by the affirmative vote of at least: (1) 80% of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of outstanding voting shares of the corporation; and (2) two-thirds of the votes entitled to be cast by holders of voting shares of the corporation other than shares held by the interested stockholder or its affiliate with whom the business combination is to be effected, or held by an affiliate or associate of the interested stockholder voting together as a single voting group.
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These super-majority vote requirements do not apply if the corporation’s common stockholders receive a minimum price, as defined under the MGCL, for their shares in the form of cash or other consideration in the same form as previously paid by the interested stockholder for its shares.
The statute permits various exemptions from its provisions, including business combinations that are exempted by our board of directors before the time that the interested stockholder becomes an interested stockholder. Our board of directors has adopted a resolution which provides that any business combination between us and any other person is exempted from the provisions of the Business Combination Act, provided that the business combination is first approved by our board of directors. This resolution, however, may be altered or repealed in whole or in part at any time. If this resolution is repealed, or our board of directors does not otherwise approve a business combination, the statute may discourage others from trying to acquire control of us and increase the difficulty of consummating any offer.
Indemnification and Limitation of Liabilities
Maryland law permits a Maryland corporation to include in its charter a provision limiting the liability of its directors and officers to the corporation and its stockholders for money damages, except for liability resulting from:
| • | actual receipt of an improper benefit or profit in money, property or services; or |
| • | active and deliberate dishonesty established by a final judgment and which is material to the cause of action. |
Our charter contains such a provision which eliminates directors’ and officers’ liability to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Our charter also authorizes our company, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to obligate our company to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at the request of our company, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee, from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding.
Our bylaws obligate us, to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law, to indemnify any present or former director or officer or any individual who, while a director or officer of our company and at the request of our company, serves or has served another corporation, real estate investment trust, partnership, joint venture, trust, employee benefit plan or other enterprise as a director, officer, partner or trustee and who is made, or threatened to be made, a party to the proceeding by reason of his or her service in that capacity from and against any claim or liability to which that individual may become subject or which that individual may incur by reason of his or her service in any such capacity and to pay or reimburse his or her reasonable expenses in advance of final disposition of a proceeding. Our charter and bylaws also permit our company to indemnify and advance expenses to any individual who served a predecessor of our company in any of the capacities described above and any employee or agent of our company or a predecessor of our company.
Maryland law requires a corporation (unless its charter provides otherwise, which our charter does not) to indemnify a director or officer who has been successful, on the merits or otherwise, in the defense of any proceeding to which he or she is made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of his or her service in such capacity. Maryland law permits a corporation to indemnify its present and former directors and officers, among others, against judgments, penalties, fines, settlements and reasonable expenses actually incurred by them in connection with any proceeding to which they may be made, or threatened to be made, a party by reason of their service in those or other capacities unless it is established that:
| • | the act or omission of the director or officer was material to the matter giving rise to the proceeding and (i) was committed in bad faith or (ii) was the result of active and deliberate dishonesty; or |
| • | the director or officer actually received an improper personal benefit in money, property or services; or |
| • | in the case of any criminal proceeding, the director or officer had reasonable cause to believe that the act or omission was unlawful. |
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A court may order indemnification if it determines that the director or officer is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnification, even though the director or officer did not meet the prescribed standard of conduct or was adjudged liable on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received.
However, under Maryland law, a Maryland corporation may not indemnify for an adverse judgment in a suit by or in the right of the corporation or for a judgment of liability on the basis that personal benefit was improperly received unless in either case a court orders indemnification and then only for expenses. In addition, Maryland law permits a corporation to advance reasonable expenses to a director or officer upon the corporation’s receipt of:
| • | a written affirmation by the director or officer of his or her good faith belief that he or she has met the standard of conduct necessary for indemnification by the corporation; and |
| • | a written undertaking by him or her or on his or her behalf to repay the amount paid or reimbursed by the corporation if it is ultimately determined that the standard of conduct was not met. |
We have obtained a policy of insurance under which our directors and officers will be insured, subject to the limits of the policy, against certain losses arising from claims made against such directors and officers by reason of any acts or omissions covered under such policy in their respective capacities as directors or officers, including certain liabilities under the Securities Act. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with each of our executive officers and directors that obligate us to indemnify them to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law and our charter. Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to our directors, officers and controlling persons pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, we have been advised that, in the opinion of the SEC, such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable.
LEGAL OWNERSHIP AND BOOK-ENTRY ISSUANCE
In this section, we describe special considerations that will apply to registered securities issued in global—i.e., book-entry—form. First we describe the difference between legal ownership and indirect ownership of registered securities. Then we describe special provisions that apply to global securities.
Who Is the Legal Owner of a Registered Security?
Each debt security, common or preferred share and depositary share in registered form will be represented either by a certificate issued in definitive form to a particular investor or by one or more global securities representing the entire issuance of securities. We refer to those who have securities registered in their own names, on the books that we or the trustee or other agent maintain for this purpose, as the “holders” of those securities. These persons are the legal holders of the securities. We refer to those who, indirectly through others, own beneficial interests in securities that are not registered in their own names as indirect owners of those securities. As we discuss below, indirect owners are not legal holders, and investors in securities issued in book-entry form or in street name will be indirect owners.
Book-Entry Owners
We expect to issue debt securities and depositary shares in book-entry form only. We may issue common shares in book-entry form. This means those securities will be represented by one or more global securities registered in the name of a financial institution that holds them as depositary on behalf of other financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system. These participating institutions, in turn, hold beneficial interests in the securities on behalf of themselves or their customers.
Under each indenture or other applicable agreement, only the person in whose name a security is registered is recognized as the holder of that security. Consequently, for securities issued in global form, we will recognize only the depositary as the holder of the securities and we will make all payments on the securities, including deliveries of common or preferred shares in exchange for exchangeable debt securities, to the depositary. The depositary passes along the payments it receives to its participants, which in turn pass the payments along to their customers who are the beneficial owners. The depositary and its participants do so under agreements they have made with one another or with their customers; they are not obligated to do so under the terms of the securities.
As a result, investors will not own securities directly. Instead, they will own beneficial interests in a global security, through a bank, broker or other financial institution that participates in the depositary’s book-entry system or holds an interest through
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a participant. As long as the securities are issued in global form, investors will be indirect owners, and not holders, of the securities.
Street Name Owners
In the future we may terminate a global security or issue securities initially in non-global form. In these cases, investors may choose to hold their securities in their own names or in street name. Securities held by an investor in street name would be registered in the name of a bank, broker or other financial institution that the investor chooses, and the investor would hold only a beneficial interest in those securities through an account he or she maintains at that institution.
For securities held in street name, we will recognize only the intermediary banks, brokers and other financial institutions in whose names the securities are registered as the holders of those securities and we will make all payments on those securities, including deliveries of common or preferred shares in exchange for exchangeable debt securities, to them. These institutions pass along the payments they receive to their customers who are the beneficial owners, but only because they agree to do so in their customer agreements or because they are legally required to do so. Investors who hold securities in street name will be indirect owners, not holders, of those securities.
Legal Holders
Our obligations, as well as the obligations of the trustee under any indenture and the obligations, if any, of any other third parties employed by us, the trustee or any agents, run only to the holders of the securities. We do not have obligations to investors who hold beneficial interests in global securities, in street name or by any other indirect means. This will be the case whether an investor chooses to be an indirect owner of a security or has no choice because we are issuing the securities only in global form.
For example, once we make a payment or give a notice to the holder, we have no further responsibility for that payment or notice even if that holder is required, under agreements with depositary participants or customers or by law, to pass it along to the indirect owners but does not do so. Similarly, if we want to obtain the approval of the holders for any purpose—e.g., to amend the indenture for a series of debt securities or to relieve us of the consequences of a default or of our obligation to comply with a particular provision of an indenture—we would seek the approval only from the holders, and not the indirect owners, of the relevant securities. Whether and how the holders contact the indirect owners is up to the holders.
When we refer to “you” in this section of the prospectus, we mean those who invest in the securities being offered by this prospectus, whether they are the holders or only indirect owners of those securities. When we refer to “your securities” in this section of the prospectus, we mean the securities in which you will hold a direct or indirect interest.
Special Considerations for Indirect Owners
If you hold securities through a bank, broker or other financial institution, either in book-entry form or in street name, you should check with your own institution to find out:
| • | how it handles securities payments and notices; |
| • | whether it imposes fees or charges; |
| • | how it would handle a request for the holders’ consent, if ever required; |
| • | whether and how you can instruct it to send you securities registered in your own name so you can be a holder, if that is permitted in the future; |
| • | how it would exercise rights under the securities if there were a default or other event triggering the need for holders to act to protect their interests; and |
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| • | if the securities are in book-entry form, how the depositary’s rules and procedures will affect these matters. |
What Is a Global Security?
A global security is issued in book-entry form only. Each security issued in book-entry form will be represented by a global security that we deposit with and register in the name of one or more financial institutions or clearing systems, or their nominees, which we select. A financial institution or clearing system that we select for any security for this purpose is called the “depositary” for that security. A security will usually have only one depositary but it may have more.
Each series of these securities will have one or more of the following as the depositaries:
| • | The Depository Trust Company, New York, New York, which is known as “DTC”; |
| • | a financial institution holding the securities on behalf of Euroclear Bank S.A./N.V., as operator of the Euroclear system, which is known as “Euroclear”; |
| • | a financial institution holding the securities on behalf of Clearstream Banking, société anonyme, Luxembourg, which is known as “Clearstream”; and |
| • | any other clearing system or financial institution named in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
The depositaries named above may also be participants in one another’s systems. Thus, for example, if DTC is the depositary for a global security, investors may hold beneficial interests in that security through Euroclear or Clearstream, as DTC participants. The depositary or depositaries for your securities will be named in your prospectus supplement; if none is named, the depositary will be DTC.
A global security may represent one or any other number of individual securities. Generally, all securities represented by the same global security will have the same terms. We may, however, issue a global security that represents multiple securities of the same kind, such as debt securities, that have different terms and are issued at different times. We call this kind of global security a master global security. Your prospectus supplement will indicate whether your securities are represented by a master global security.
A global security may not be transferred to or registered in the name of anyone other than the depositary or its nominee, unless special termination situations arise. We describe those situations below under “—Holder’s Option to Obtain a Non-Global Security; Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated.” As a result of these arrangements, the depositary, or its nominee, will be the sole registered owner and holder of all securities represented by a global security, and investors will be permitted to own only indirect interests in a global security. Indirect interests must be held by means of an account with a broker, bank or other financial institution that in turn has an account with the depositary or with another institution that does. Thus, an investor whose security is represented by a global security will not be a holder of the security, but only an indirect owner of an interest in the global security.
If the prospectus supplement for a particular security indicates that the security will be issued in global form only, then the security will be represented by a global security at all times unless and until the global security is terminated. We describe the situations in which this can occur below under “—Holder’s Option to Obtain a Non-Global Security; Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated.” If termination occurs, we may issue the securities through another book-entry clearing system or decide that the securities may no longer be held through any book-entry clearing system.
Special Considerations for Global Securities
As an indirect owner, an investor’s rights relating to a global security will be governed by the account rules of the depositary and those of the investor’s financial institution or other intermediary through which it holds its interest (e.g., Euroclear or Clearstream, if DTC is the depositary), as well as general laws relating to securities transfers. We do not recognize this type of investor or any intermediary as a holder of securities and instead deal only with the depositary that holds the global security.
If securities are issued only in the form of a global security, an investor should be aware of the following:
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| • | An investor cannot cause the securities to be registered in his or her own name, and cannot obtain non-global certificates for his or her interest in the securities, except in the special situations we describe below; |
| • | An investor will be an indirect holder and must look to his or her own bank or broker for payments on the securities and protection of his or her legal rights relating to the securities, as we describe above under “—Who Is the Legal Owner of a Registered Security?”; |
| • | An investor may not be able to sell interests in the securities to some insurance companies and other institutions that are required by law to own their securities in non-book-entry form; |
| • | An investor may not be able to pledge his or her interest in a global security in circumstances where certificates representing the securities must be delivered to the lender or other beneficiary of the pledge in order for the pledge to be effective; |
| • | The depositary’s policies will govern payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to an investor’s interest in a global security, and those policies may change from time to time. We, the trustee and any agents will have no responsibility for any aspect of the depositary’s policies, actions or records of ownership interests in a global security. We, the trustee and any agents also do not supervise the depositary in any way; |
| • | The depositary will require that those who purchase and sell interests in a global security within its book-entry system use immediately available funds and your broker or bank may require you to do so as well; and |
| • | Financial institutions that participate in the depositary’s book-entry system and through which an investor holds its interest in the global securities, directly or indirectly, may also have their own policies affecting payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to the securities, and those policies may change from time to time. For example, if you hold an interest in a global security through Euroclear or Clearstream, when DTC is the depositary, Euroclear or Clearstream, as applicable, will require those who purchase and sell interests in that security through them to use immediately available funds and comply with other policies and procedures, including deadlines for giving instructions as to transactions that are to be effected on a particular day. There may be more than one financial intermediary in the chain of ownership for an investor. We do not monitor and are not responsible for the policies or actions or records of ownership interests of any of those intermediaries. |
Holder’s Option to Obtain a Non-Global Security; Special Situations When a Global Security Will Be Terminated
If we issue any series of securities in book-entry form but we choose to give the beneficial owners of that series the right to obtain non-global securities, any beneficial owner entitled to obtain non-global securities may do so by following the applicable procedures of the depositary, any transfer agent or registrar for that series and that owner’s bank, broker or other financial institution through which that owner holds its beneficial interest in the securities. For example, in the case of a global security representing preferred shares or depositary shares, a beneficial owner will be entitled to obtain a non-global security representing its interest by making a written request to the transfer agent or other agent designated by us. If you are entitled to request a non-global certificate and wish to do so, you will need to allow sufficient lead time to enable us or our agent to prepare the requested certificate.
In addition, in a few special situations described below, a global security will be terminated and interests in it will be exchanged for certificates in non-global form representing the securities it represented. After that exchange, the choice of whether to hold the securities directly or in street name will be up to the investor. Investors must consult their own banks or brokers to find out how to have their interests in a global security transferred on termination to their own names, so that they will be holders. We have described the rights of holders and street name investors above under “—Who Is the Legal Owner of a Registered Security?”
The special situations for termination of a global security are as follows:
| • | if the depositary notifies us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary for that global security or the depositary has ceased to be a clearing agency registered under the Securities Exchange Act, and in either case we do not appoint another institution to act as depositary within 90 days; |
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| • | in the case of a global security representing debt securities, if an event of default has occurred with regard to the debt securities and has not been cured or waived; or |
| • | any other circumstances specified for this purpose in the applicable prospectus supplement. |
If a global security is terminated, only the depositary, and not we or the trustee for any debt securities, is responsible for deciding the names of the institutions in whose names the securities represented by the global security will be registered and, therefore, who will be the holders of those securities.
Considerations Relating to Euroclear and Clearstream
Euroclear and Clearstream are securities clearance systems in Europe. Both systems clear and settle securities transactions between their participants through electronic, book-entry delivery of securities against payment.
Euroclear and Clearstream may be depositaries for a global security. In addition, if DTC is the depositary for a global security, Euroclear and Clearstream may hold interests in the global security as participants in DTC.
As long as any global security is held by Euroclear or Clearstream, as depositary, you may hold an interest in the global security only through an organization that participates, directly or indirectly, in Euroclear or Clearstream. If Euroclear or Clearstream is the depositary for a global security and there is no depositary in the United States, you will not be able to hold interests in that global security through any securities clearance system in the United States.
Payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other matters relating to the securities made through Euroclear or Clearstream must comply with the rules and procedures of those systems. Those systems could change their rules and procedures at any time. We have no control over those systems or their participants and we take no responsibility for their activities. Transactions between participants in Euroclear or Clearstream, on one hand, and participants in DTC, on the other hand, when DTC is the depositary, would also be subject to DTC’s rules and procedures.
Special Timing Considerations for Transactions in Euroclear and Clearstream
Investors will be able to make and receive through Euroclear and Clearstream payments, deliveries, transfers, exchanges, notices and other transactions involving any securities held through those systems only on days when those systems are open for business. Those systems may not be open for business on days when banks, brokers and other institutions are open for business in the United States.
In addition, because of time-zone differences, U.S. investors who hold their interests in the securities through these systems and wish to transfer their interests, or to receive or make a payment or delivery or exercise any other right with respect to their interests, on a particular day may find that the transaction will not be effected until the next business day in Luxembourg or Brussels, as applicable. Thus, investors who wish to exercise rights that expire on a particular day may need to act before the expiration date. In addition, investors who hold their interests through both DTC and Euroclear or Clearstream may need to make special arrangements to finance any purchases or sales of their interests between the U.S. and European clearing systems, and those transactions may settle later than would be the case for transactions within one clearing system.
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CERTAIN UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES OF AN EXCHANGE OR
REDEMPTION OF OP UNITS
The following summary is a general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences to a holder of OP Units (a “unitholder”) that exercises its option to have all or a portion of such units redeemed as described in “Redemption of OP Units.” This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code, the regulations promulgated by the U.S. Treasury Department, rulings and other administrative pronouncements issued by the IRS, and judicial decisions, all as currently in effect, and all of which are subject to differing interpretations or to change, possibly with retroactive effect. No assurance can be given that the IRS would not assert, or that a court would not sustain, a position contrary to any of the tax consequences described below. No advance ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS regarding any matter discussed in this prospectus. The summary is also based upon the assumption that the operation of DCT Industrial Trust Inc., and of its subsidiaries and other lower-tier and affiliated entities, will in each case be in accordance with its applicable organizational documents or partnership agreement. This summary is for general information only and does not purport to discuss all aspects of federal income taxation which may be important to a particular investor in light of its specific investment or tax circumstances, or if a particular investor is subject to special tax rules (for example, if a particular investor is a financial institution, broker-dealer, insurance company, tax-exempt organization or, except to the extent discussed below, foreign investor, as determined for federal income tax purposes). This summary assumes that OP Units are held as capital assets, which generally means as property held for investment. No advance ruling has been or will be sought from the IRS, and no opinion of counsel will be received, regarding the U.S. federal, state, local or foreign tax consequences discussed herein.
The federal income tax consequences to a unitholder that exercises its option to have units redeemed depends in some instances on determinations of fact and interpretations of complex provisions of federal income tax law. No clear precedent or authority may be available on some questions. Accordingly, unitholders should consult their tax advisor regarding the U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax consequences of an exchange or redemption of OP Units in light of such unitholders specific tax situation.
Exchange or Redemption of OP Units
If a unitholder tenders all or any portion of its OP Units for redemption and we exchange shares of our common stock for such units, a unitholder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between (i) the amount realized in the transaction (i.e., the fair market value of our shares received in such exchange plus the amount of our operating partnership liabilities allocable to such exchanged units at such time) and (ii) the unitholder’s tax basis in such units, which tax basis will be adjusted for the units allocable share of our operating partnership’s income, gain or loss for the taxable year of disposition. In many circumstances, the tax liability resulting from the gain recognized on the disposition of units could exceed the fair market value of any shares of our common stock received in exchange therefor.
If our operating partnership redeems a tendered unit with cash (which is not contributed by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. to effect the redemption), the tax consequences generally would be the same as described in the preceding paragraph, except that if our operating partnership redeems less than all of a unitholder’s units, the unitholder would recognize no taxable loss and would recognize taxable gain only to the extent that the cash, plus the amount of our operating partnership liabilities allocable to the redeemed units, exceeded the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis in all of such unitholder’s units immediately before the redemption.
Disguised Sales
Under the Internal Revenue Code, a transfer of property by a partner to a partnership followed by a related transfer by the partnership of money or other property to the partner is treated as a disguised sale if (i) the second transfer would not have occurred but for the first transfer and (ii) the second transfer is not dependent on the entrepreneurial risks of the partnership’s operations. In a disguised sale, the partner is treated as if he or she sold the contributed property to the partnership as of the date the property was contributed to the partnership. Transfers of money or other property between a partnership and a partner that are made within two years of each other, including redemptions of units made within two years of a unitholder’s contribution of property to our operating partnership, must be reported to the IRS and are presumed to be a disguised sale unless the facts and circumstances clearly establish that the transfers do not constitute a sale.
While there is no authority applying the disguised sale rules to the exercise of a redemption right by a partner with respect to a partnership interest received in exchange for property, a redemption of units, particularly OP Units, by our operating partnership within two years of the date of a unitholder’s contribution of property to our operating partnership may be treated as a disguised
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sale. If this treatment were to apply, such unitholder would be treated for federal income tax purposes as if, on the date of its contribution of property to our operating partnership, our operating partnership transferred to it an obligation to pay it the redemption proceeds. In that case, the unitholder would be required to recognize gain on the disguised sale in such earlier year.
Character of Gain or Loss Recognized
Except as described below, the gain or loss that a unitholder recognizes on a sale, exchange or redemption of a tendered unit will be treated as a capital gain or loss and will be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the holding period for the unit exceeds 12 months. Long-term capital gains recognized by individuals and certain other noncorporate taxpayers generally will be subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of 15%. If the amount realized with respect to a unit that is attributable to a unitholder’s share of unrealized receivables of our operating partnership exceeds the tax basis attributable to those assets, such excess will be treated as ordinary income. Among other things, unrealized receivables include depreciation recapture for certain types of property. In addition, the maximum federal income tax rate applicable to persons who are noncorporate taxpayers for net capital gains attributable to the sale of depreciable real property (which may be determined to include the sale or exchange of a unit to DCT Industrial Trust Inc., but not the redemption of a unit by our operating partnership for cash which is not contributed by DCT Industrial Trust Inc.) held for more than 12 months is currently 25% (rather than 15%) to the extent of previously claimed depreciation deductions that would not be treated as unrealized receivables.
Passive Activity Losses
The passive activity loss rules of the Internal Revenue Code limit the use of losses derived from passive activities, which generally include investments in limited partnership interests such as the units. You are urged to consult your tax advisor concerning whether, and the extent to which, you have available suspended passive activity losses from our operating partnership or other investments that may be used to offset gain from the sale, exchange or redemption of your units tendered for redemption.
Tax Reporting
If a unitholder tenders a unit and such unit is acquired by DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or our operating partnership, the unitholder must report the transaction by filing a statement with its federal income tax return for the year of the disposition which provides certain required information to the IRS. To prevent the possible application of backup withholding with respect to payment of the consideration, a unitholder must provide DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or our operating partnership with its correct taxpayer identification number.
Foreign Offerees
Gain recognized by a foreign person on a sale, exchange or redemption of a unit tendered for redemption will be subject to U.S. federal income tax under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 ( “FIRPTA”). If you are a foreign person, DCT Industrial Trust Inc. or our operating partnership will be required, under the FIRPTA provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, to deduct and withhold 10% of the amount realized by you on the disposition. The amount withheld would be creditable against your U.S. federal income tax liability and, if the amount withheld exceeds your actual tax liability, you could claim a refund from the IRS by filing a Federal income tax return.
YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR AS TO THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES APPLICABLE TO YOU AS A RESULT OF A SALE, EXCHANGE OR REDEMPTION OF UNITS TENDERED FOR REDEMPTION.
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COMPARISON OF OP UNITS AND COMMON STOCK
The information below highlights a number of the significant differences between the OP Units and our common stock, including, among other things, the nature of the investment, voting rights, distributions and dividends, liquidity and transferability, liquidation rights, redemption rights and certain tax matters. These comparisons are intended to assist holders of OP Units in understanding how their investment changes if they exchange their OP Units for shares of our common stock.
This discussion is summary in nature and does not constitute a complete discussion of these matters, and holders of OP Units should carefully review the rest of this prospectus and the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part, and the documents we incorporate by reference as exhibits to such registration statement, particularly our charter, our bylaws and the partnership agreement of our operating partnership, for additional important information. This discussion, to the extent it constitutes a summary of our charter, our bylaws or the partnership agreement of our operating partnership, is qualified entirely by reference to those documents.
| OP Units | Common Stock | |
| Nature of Investment | ||
| The OP Units constitute limited partnership interests in our operating partnership, a Delaware limited partnership. | The shares of common stock constitute equity securities in DCT, a Maryland corporation. | |
| Voting Rights | ||
| Under the partnership agreement, OP Unit holders have voting rights as limited partners only with respect to certain limited matters, such as certain types of amendments to the partnership agreement, termination of the partnership and certain other transactions.
In addition, the affirmative vote or consent of holders of at least 50% of the outstanding OP Units will be necessary for any merger, consolidation or other combination of the general partner with or into another person, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets that results in a change of control of the general partner unless (1) the holders of OP Units are entitled to receive for each unit an amount of consideration equal to that paid for each share of common stock or (2) the general partner survives the transaction and holders of common stock are not entitled to any consideration in such transaction other than retaining their shares of common stock. With respect to the exercise of the above described voting rights, a holder of OP Units will be entitled to one vote per unit. |
Each outstanding share of our common stock entitles the holder thereof to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of our stockholders, including the election of directors.
Holders of our common stock have the right to vote on, among other things, a merger of DCT, amendments to the DCT charter and the dissolution of DCT. Certain amendments to our charter require the affirmative vote of not less than two-thirds of votes entitled to be cast on the matter. Our charter permits our Board of Directors to classify and issue capital stock in one or more series having voting power which may differ from that of our common stock.
Under our charter and bylaws, a consolidation, merger, share exchange, transfer of all or substantially all of our assets or the dissolution of DCT requires the affirmative vote of a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast by stockholders on the matter. | |
| Distributions/Dividends | ||
| Holders of OP Units are entitled to receive quarterly cash distributions in an amount determined by the general partner in its sole and absolute discretion. Distributions shall be made to holders of OP Units in accordance with their respective percentage interests in our operating partnership.
In no event may a holder of OP Units receive a distribution of cash with respect to an OP Unit if such holder is entitled to receive a cash distribution as the holder of record of a share of our common |
Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and as authorized by our Board of Directors and declared by us out of funds legally available therefor.
Under the REIT rules, we are required to distribute dividends (other than capital gain dividends) to our stockholders in an amount at least equal to (i) the sum of (A) 90% of our “REIT taxable income” (computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain) and (B) 90% of the income (after tax), if any, from foreclosure property, minus (ii) the sum | |
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| stock for which all or part of such OP Unit has been or will be exchanged. | of certain items of non-cash income. See “Operational Requirements—Annual Distribution Requirement” within the “Federal Income Tax Considerations” section. | |
| Liquidity and Transferability/Redemption at Holder’s Option | ||
| There is no public market for the OP Units and the OP Units are not listed on any securities exchange.
Under the partnership agreement, no OP Unit holder may transfer all or any portion of its OP Units to any transferee, other than certain of his family members or affiliates or beneficial owners, if the transferee is an entity, without the consent of the general partner, which consent may be withheld in its sole and absolute discretion.
Holders of OP Units maintain a right to redeem their units. At any time after the OP Units shall have been outstanding for at least one year, each holder of OP Units has the right to require our operating partnership to redeem all or a portion of such OP Units in exchange for an equivalent number of shares of common stock of DCT.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, upon notice to a holder of OP Units delivered by our operating partnership, our operating partnership may redeem all or any portion of such holder’s OP Units on the redemption date for the Cash Amount of the OP Units, as defined in the partnership agreement. |
Our common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “DCT.” Transfers of our common stock are subject to the ownership limits set forth in our charter as such limits may be changed by our board. Our common stock is not redeemable or convertible at the option of the holder. | |
| Liquidation Rights | ||
| Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of our operating partnership, after payment of, or adequate provision for, debts and obligations of our operating partnership, any remaining assets shall be distributed to the partners to the extent of the positive balance of the capital account of each partner. | Holders of our common stock are entitled to share ratably in our assets legally available for distribution to our stockholders in the event of our liquidation, dissolution or winding up, after payment of or adequate provision for all of our known debts and liabilities. These rights are subject to the preferential liquidation rights of any other class or series of our stock. | |
| Redemption at Our Option | ||
| The OP Units may not be redeemed by the general partner. | Our common stock is not subject to redemption. | |
| Certain Tax Matters | ||
| The operating partnership itself is not required to pay federal income taxes. Instead, each holder of OP Units includes its allocable share of partnership taxable income or loss in determining its individual federal income tax liability. Income and loss generally is subject to “passive activity” limitations. Under the “passive activity” rules, partners can generally offset income and loss that is considered “passive” against income and loss from other investments that constitute “passive activities.”
Partnership cash distributions are generally not taxable to a |
As long as we qualify as a REIT, distributions out of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, other than capital gain dividends discussed below, generally will constitute dividends taxable to our taxable U.S. stockholders as ordinary income and will not be eligible for the dividends-received deduction in the case of U.S. stockholders that are corporations. In addition, these distributions generally will not be eligible for treatment as “qualified dividend income” for individual U.S. stockholders. Distributions that we properly designate as capital gain dividends will be taxable to our taxable U.S. stockholders as gain from the sale or disposition of a capital asset, to the extent | |
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| holder of OP Units except to the extent they exceed the holder’s basis in its partnership interest, which will include such holder’s allocable share of the debt of the partnership.
Holders of units are required, in some cases, to file state income tax returns and/or pay state income taxes in the states in which our operating partnership owns property, even if they are not residents of those states. |
that such gain does not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year. Distributions in excess of current and accumulated earnings and profits will be treated as a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of a stockholder’s adjusted basis in his common stock, with the excess taxed as capital gain.
Distributions we make and gain arising from the sale or exchange by a U.S. stockholder of our shares will not be treated as passive activity income. As a result, U.S. stockholders generally will not be able to apply any “passive losses” against this income or gain.
Stockholders who are individuals generally will not be required to file state income tax returns and/or pay state income taxes outside of their state of residence with respect to our operations and distributions. |
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FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
General
The following is a summary of certain United States federal income tax considerations associated with an investment in our common shares that may be relevant to you. The statements made in this section of the prospectus are based upon current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder, as currently applicable, currently published administrative positions of the Internal Revenue Service and judicial decisions, all of which are subject to change, either prospectively or retroactively. We cannot assure you that any changes will not modify the conclusions expressed in counsel’s opinions described herein. This summary does not address all possible tax considerations that may be material to an investor and does not constitute legal or tax advice. Moreover, this summary does not deal with all tax aspects that might be relevant to you, as a prospective holder of debt securities, common stock, or preferred stock, in light of your personal circumstances, nor does it deal with particular types of stockholders that are subject to special treatment under the federal income tax laws, such as insurance companies, holders whose shares are acquired through the exercise of stock options or otherwise as compensation, holders whose shares are acquired through the distribution reinvestment plan or who intend to sell their shares under the share redemption program, tax-exempt organizations except as provided below, financial institutions or broker-dealers, a trust, an estate, a regulated investment company, a person who holds 10% or more (by vote or value) of our stock, foreign corporations or persons who are not citizens or residents of the United States except as provided below, or others who are subject to special treatment under the Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Code provisions governing the federal income tax treatment of REITs and their stockholders are highly technical and complex, and this summary is qualified in its entirety by the express language of applicable Internal Revenue Code provisions, Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder and administrative and judicial interpretations thereof.
This discussion is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, tax advice. We urge you, as a prospective stockholder, to consult your tax advisor regarding the specific tax consequences to you of a purchase of shares, ownership and sale of the shares and of our election to be taxed as a REIT, including the federal, state, local, foreign and other tax consequences of such purchase, ownership, sale and election and of potential changes in applicable tax laws.
REIT Qualification
We elected to be taxable as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2003. This section of the prospectus discusses the laws governing the tax treatment of a REIT and its stockholders. These laws are highly technical and complex.
Goodwin Procter LLP has delivered an opinion to us that, commencing with our taxable year that began on January 1, 2003, our company was organized in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, and its actual method of operation, and its proposed method of operation has enabled it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.
It must be emphasized that the opinion of Goodwin Procter LLP is based on various assumptions relating to the organization and operation of our company, and is conditioned upon representations and covenants made by us regarding our organization, our sources of income, our assets and the past, present and future conduct of our business operations. While we intend to operate so that we will qualify as a REIT, given the highly complex nature of the rules governing REITs, the ongoing importance of factual determinations, and the possibility of future changes in our circumstances, no assurance can be given by Goodwin Procter LLP or by us that we will so qualify for any particular year. Goodwin Procter LLP has no obligation to advise us or the holders of our common stock of any subsequent change in the matters stated, represented or assumed in the opinion, or of any subsequent change in the applicable law. You should be aware that opinions of counsel are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service or any court, and no assurance can be given that the Internal Revenue Service will not challenge the conclusions set forth in such opinions.
Qualification and taxation as a REIT depends on our ability to meet on a continuing basis, through actual operating results, distribution levels, and diversity of stock ownership, various qualification requirements imposed upon REITs by the Internal Revenue Code, the compliance with which will not be reviewed by Goodwin Procter LLP. Our ability to qualify as a REIT also requires that we satisfy certain asset tests, some of which depend upon the fair market values of assets directly or indirectly owned by us. Such values may not be susceptible to a precise determination. While we intend to continue to operate in a manner that will allow us to
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qualify as a REIT, no assurance can be given that the actual results of our operations for any taxable year satisfy such requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT.
Taxation of Our Company
If we qualify for taxation as a REIT, we generally will not be subject to federal corporate income taxes on that portion of our ordinary income or capital gain that we distribute currently to our stockholders, because the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code generally allow a REIT to deduct dividends paid to its stockholders. This substantially eliminates the federal “double taxation” on earnings (taxation at both the corporate level and stockholder level) that usually results from an investment in a corporation. Even if we qualify for taxation as a REIT, however, we will be subject to federal income taxation as follows:
| • | We will be taxed at regular corporate rates on our undistributed “REIT taxable income,” including undistributed net capital gains (“REIT taxable income” is the taxable income of the REIT subject to special adjustments, including a deduction for dividends paid); |
| • | Under some circumstances, we may be subject to the “alternative minimum tax” on our items of tax preference; |
| • | If we have income from prohibited transactions (which are, in general, sales or other dispositions of property, other than foreclosure property, held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business), the income will be subject to a 100% tax; |
| • | If we elect to treat property that we acquire in connection with a foreclosure of a mortgage loan or certain leasehold terminations as “foreclosure property,” we may avoid the 100% tax on gain from a resale of that property (if the sale would otherwise constitute a prohibited transaction), but the income from the sale or operation of the property may be subject to corporate income tax at the highest applicable rate (currently 35%); |
| • | Pursuant to provisions in recently enacted legislation, if we should fail to satisfy the asset or other requirements applicable to REITs, as described below, yet nonetheless maintain our qualification as a REIT because there is reasonable cause for the failure and other applicable requirements are met, we may be subject to an excise tax. In that case, the amount of the tax will be at least $50,000 per failure, and, in the case of certain asset test failures, will be determined as the amount of net income generated by the assets in question multiplied by the highest corporate tax rate (currently 35%) if that amount exceeds $50,000 per failure; |
| • | If we fail to satisfy the 75% gross income test or the 95% gross income test, as discussed below, but have otherwise maintained our qualification as a REIT because certain other requirements are met, we will be required to pay tax equal to (1) the greater of (A) the amount by which 75% of our gross income exceeds the amount qualifying under the 75% gross income test and (B) the amount by which 95% of our gross income (90% for our taxable years beginning before October 23, 2004) exceeds the amount qualifying under the 95% gross income test, multiplied by (2) a fraction intended to reflect our profitability; |
| • | If we fail to distribute during each year at least the sum of (i) 85% of our REIT ordinary income for the year, (ii) 95% of our REIT capital gain net income for such year and (iii) any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, we will be subject to a 4% excise tax on the excess of the required distribution over the sum of (A) the amounts actually distributed, plus (B) retained amounts on which corporate level tax is paid by us; |
| • | We may be required to pay monetary penalties to the IRS in certain circumstances, including if we fail to meet record-keeping requirements intended to monitor our compliance with rules relating to the composition of our stockholders; |
| • | We may elect to retain and pay income tax on our net long-term capital gain. In that case, a stockholder would include its proportionate share of our undistributed long-term capital gain (to the extent we make a timely designation of such gain to the stockholder) in its income, would be deemed to have paid the tax that we paid on such gain, and would be allowed a |
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| credit for its proportionate share of the tax deemed to have been paid, and an adjustment would be made to increase the stockholders’ basis in DCT Industrial Trust Inc.; |
| • | If we acquire appreciated assets from a C corporation (i.e., a corporation generally subject to corporate-level tax) in a transaction in which the C corporation would not normally be required to recognize any gain or loss on disposition of the asset and we subsequently recognize gain on the disposition of the asset during the ten year period beginning on the date on which we acquired the asset, then a portion of the gain may be subject to tax at the highest regular corporate rate, unless the C corporation made an election to treat the asset as if it were sold for its fair market value at the time of our acquisition; and |
| • | Any taxable REIT subsidiary of ours will be subject to the regular corporate income tax on its income. |
A 100% tax may be imposed on some items of income and expense that are directly or constructively paid between a REIT and a taxable REIT subsidiary if and to the extent that the IRS successfully asserts that such items were not based on market rates.
No assurance can be given that the amount of any such federal income taxes will not be substantial. In addition, we and our subsidiaries may be subject to a variety of taxes other than U.S. federal income tax, including payroll taxes and state, local, and foreign income, franchise, property and other taxes on assets and operations. We could also be subject to tax in situations and on transactions not presently contemplated.
Requirements for Qualification as a REIT
We elected to be taxed as a REIT for United States federal income tax purposes commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2003. In order for us to have so qualified as a REIT, we must have met and continue to meet the requirements discussed below relating to our organization, sources of income, nature of assets and distributions of income to our stockholders.
Organizational Requirements
In order to qualify for taxation as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code, we must meet tests regarding our income and assets described below and:
1) Be a corporation, trust or association that would be taxable as a domestic corporation but for the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code;
2) Elect to be taxed as a REIT and satisfy relevant filing and other administrative requirements for each taxable year;
3) Be managed by one or more trustees or directors;
4) Have our beneficial ownership evidenced by transferable shares;
5) Not be a financial institution or an insurance company subject to special provisions of the federal income tax laws;
6) Use a calendar year for U.S. federal income tax purposes;
7) Have at least 100 stockholders for at least 335 days of each taxable year of 12 months or during a proportionate part of a taxable year of less than 12 months; and
8) Not be closely held as defined for purposes of the REIT provisions of the Internal Revenue Code.
We would be treated as closely held if, during the last half of any taxable year, more than 50% in value of our outstanding capital stock is owned, directly or indirectly through the application of certain attribution rules, by five or fewer individuals, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code to include certain entities. Items 7 and 8 above do not apply until after the first taxable year for which we elect to be taxed as a REIT. If we comply with Treasury regulations that provide procedures for ascertaining the actual
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ownership of our common stock for each taxable year and we did not know, and with the exercise of reasonable diligence could not have known, that we failed to meet item 8 above for a taxable year, we will be treated as having met item 8 for that year.
We elected to be taxed as a REIT commencing with our taxable year ending December 31, 2003 and we intend to satisfy the other requirements described in Items 1-6 above at all times during each of our taxable years. In addition, our charter contains restrictions regarding ownership and transfer of shares of our stock that are intended to assist us in continuing to satisfy the share ownership requirements in Items 7 and 8 above.
To qualify as a REIT, we also cannot have at the end of any taxable year any undistributed earnings and profits that are attributable to a non-REIT taxable year. We do not believe that we have any non-REIT earnings and profits and believe that we therefore satisfy this requirement.
For purposes of the requirements described herein, any corporation that is a qualified REIT subsidiary of ours will not be treated as a corporation separate from us and all assets, liabilities, and items of income, deduction and credit of our qualified REIT subsidiaries will be treated as our assets, liabilities and items of income, deduction and credit. A qualified REIT subsidiary is a corporation, other than a taxable REIT subsidiary (as described below under “Operational Requirements—Asset Tests”), all of the capital stock of which is owned by a REIT.
In the case of a REIT that is a partner in an entity treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes, the REIT is treated as owning its proportionate share of the assets of the partnership and as earning its allocable share of the gross income of the partnership for purposes of the requirements described herein. In addition, the character of the assets and gross income of the partnership will retain the same character in the hands of the REIT for purposes of the REIT requirements, including the asset and income tests described below. As a result, our proportionate share of the assets, liabilities and items of income of our operating partnership and of any other partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other entity treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes in which we directly or indirectly through other partnerships or disregarded entities have an interest will be treated as our assets, liabilities and items of income.
The Internal Revenue Code provides relief from violations of the REIT gross income requirements, as described below under “Operational Requirements—Gross Income Tests,” in cases where a violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and other requirements are met, including the payment of a penalty tax that is based upon the magnitude of the violation. In addition, the Internal Revenue Code includes provisions that extend similar relief in the case of certain violations of the REIT asset requirements (see “Operational Requirements—Asset Tests” below) and other REIT requirements, again provided that the violation is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, and other conditions are met, including the payment of a penalty tax. If we fail to satisfy any of the various REIT requirements, there can be no assurance that these relief provisions would be available to enable us to maintain our qualification as a REIT, and, if available, the amount of any resultant penalty tax could be substantial.
Protection from Stock Concentration
In order to protect us from a concentration of ownership of stock that would cause us to fail item 8 above, our charter provides that stock owned, or deemed to be owned or transferred to a shareholder in excess of specified ownership limits will be converted automatically into Excess Stock (as defined below) and transferred to a charity for resale. The original shareholder is entitled to receive certain proceeds from such a resale. Excess Stock is a separate class of our capital stock that is entitled to no voting rights but shares ratably with the common stock in dividends and rights upon dissolution. Because of the absence of authority on this issue, however, we cannot assure you that the operation of the Excess Stock or other provisions contained in our charter will, as a matter of law, prevent a concentration of ownership of stock in excess of the applicable ownership limits from causing us to violate item 8 above. If there were such a concentration of ownership and the operation of the Excess Stock or other provisions contained in our charter were not held to cure such violation, we would be disqualified as a REIT. In rendering its opinion that we are organized in a manner that permits us to qualify as a REIT, Goodwin Procter LLP is relying on our representation that the ownership of our stock (without regard to the Excess Stock provisions) satisfies item 8 above. Goodwin Procter LLP expresses no opinion as to whether, as a matter of law, the Excess Stock or other provisions contained in our charter preclude us from failing item 8 above.
To monitor its compliance with item 8 above, a REIT is required to send annual letters to certain stockholders requesting information regarding the actual ownership of its shares. If we comply with the annual letters requirement and we do not know or, exercising reasonable diligence, would not have known of our failure to meet item 8 above, then we will be treated as having met item 8 above. A list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with this demand must be maintained as part of our records. Failure
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by us to comply with these record-keeping requirements could subject us to monetary penalties. A stockholder that fails or refuses to comply with the demand is required by Treasury Regulations to submit a statement with its tax return disclosing the actual ownership of the shares and other information.
Operational Requirements—Gross Income Tests
To maintain our qualification as a REIT, we must satisfy annually two gross income requirements.
| • | At least 75% of our gross income, excluding gross income from “prohibited transactions” (as defined below), for each taxable year must be derived directly or indirectly from investments relating to real property or mortgages on real property and from other specified sources, including qualified temporary investment income, as described below. For these purposes, qualifying gross income includes “rents from real property” and, in some circumstances, interest, but excludes gross income from dispositions of property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of a trade or business. These dispositions are referred to as “prohibited transactions.” This is the 75% Income Test. |
| • | At least 95% of our gross income, excluding gross income from prohibited transactions, for each taxable year must be derived from the real property investments described above and generally from distributions and interest and gains from the sale or disposition of stock or securities or from any combination of the foregoing. This is the 95% Income Test. |
The rents we will receive or be deemed to receive will qualify as “rents from real property” for purposes of satisfying the gross income requirements for a REIT only if the following conditions are met:
| • | The amount of rent received from a tenant must not be based in whole or in part on the income or profits of any person; however, an amount received or accrued generally will not be excluded from the term “rents from real property” solely by reason of being based on a fixed percentage or percentages of gross receipts or sales; |
| • | In general, neither we nor an owner of 10% or more of our stock may directly or constructively own 10% or more of a tenant, or a Related Party Tenant, or a subtenant of the tenant (in which case only rent attributable to the subtenant is disqualified); |
| • | Rent attributable to personal property leased in connection with a lease of real property cannot be greater than 15% of the total rent received under the lease, as determined based on the average of the fair market values as of the beginning and end of the taxable year; and |
| • | We normally must not operate or manage the property or furnish or render services to tenants, other than through an “independent contractor” who is adequately compensated and from whom we do not derive any income or through a “taxable REIT subsidiary.” However, a REIT may provide services with respect to its properties, and the income derived therefrom will qualify as “rents from real property,” if the services are “usually or customarily rendered” in connection with the rental of space only and are not otherwise considered “rendered to the occupant.” Even if the services provided by us with respect to a property are impermissible tenant services, the income derived therefrom will not cause other rental income from the applicable property to fail to qualify as “rents from real property” if such income does not exceed one percent of all amounts received or accrued with respect to that property. |
We may from time to time enter into hedging transactions with respect to interest rate exposure on one or more of our assets or liabilities. Any such hedging transactions could take a variety of forms, including the use of derivative instruments such as interest rate swap contracts, interest rate cap or floor contracts, futures or forward contracts, and options. For taxable years beginning prior to 2005, to the extent that we enter into such a contract to reduce interest rate risk on indebtedness incurred or to be incurred to acquire or carry real estate assets, any periodic income from the instrument, or gain from the disposition of the instrument, would be qualifying income for purposes of the 95% Income Test, but not for the 75% Income Test. To the extent that we hedge with other types of financial instruments or in other situations (for example, hedges against fluctuations in the value of foreign currencies), the resultant income may be treated as income that does not qualify under the 95% or 75% income tests unless certain technical requirements are met.
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For taxable years beginning in 2005 or later, income of a REIT arising from “clearly identified” hedging transactions that are entered into to manage the risk of interest rate or price changes or currency fluctuations with respect to borrowings, including gain from the disposition of such hedging transactions, to the extent the hedging transactions hedge indebtedness incurred, or to be incurred, by the REIT to acquire or carry real estate assets are ignored for purposes of the 95% Income Test and treated as income that does not qualify under the 75% Income Test. In general, for a hedging transaction to be “clearly identified,” (a) it must be identified as a hedging transaction before the end of the day on which it is acquired or entered into, and (b) the items or risks being hedged must be identified “substantially contemporaneously” with entering into the hedging transaction (generally, not more than 35 days after entering into the hedging transaction).
We intend to structure any hedging transactions in a manner that does not jeopardize our status as a REIT. We may conduct some or all of our hedging activities (including hedging activities relating to currency risk) through a taxable REIT subsidiary or other corporate entity, the income from which may be subject to federal income tax, rather than participating in the arrangements directly. No assurance can be given, however, that our hedging activities will not give rise to income that does not qualify for purposes of either or both of the REIT income tests, and will not adversely affect our ability to satisfy the REIT qualification requirements.
We expect the bulk of our income to qualify under the 75% Income and 95% Income Tests as rents from real property in accordance with the requirements described above. In this regard, we anticipate that most of our leases will be for fixed rentals with annual “consumer price index” or similar adjustments and that none of the rentals under our leases will be based on the income or profits of any person. In addition, none of our tenants are expected to be Related Party Tenants and the portion of the rent attributable to personal property is not expected to exceed 15% of the total rent to be received under any lease. Finally, we anticipate that all or most of the services to be performed with respect to our properties will be performed by our property manager and such services are expected to be those usually or customarily rendered in connection with the rental of real property and not rendered to the occupant of such property. In addition, we anticipate that any non-customary services will be provided by a taxable REIT subsidiary or, alternatively, by an independent contractor that is adequately compensated and from whom we derive no income. However, we can give no assurance that the actual sources of our gross income will allow us to satisfy the 75% Income and the 95% Income Tests described above.
Notwithstanding our failure to satisfy one or both of the 75% Income and the 95% Income Tests for any taxable year, we may still qualify as a REIT for that year if we are eligible for relief under specific provisions of the Internal Revenue Code. These relief provisions generally will be available if:
| • | Our failure to meet these tests was due to reasonable cause and not due to willful neglect; and |
| • | following our identification of the failure to meet the 75% or 95% Income Test for any taxable year, we file a schedule with the IRS setting forth each item of our gross income for purposes of such tests for such taxable year in accordance with Treasury regulations to be issued. |
It is not possible, however, to state whether, in all circumstances, we would be entitled to the benefit of these relief provisions. In addition, as discussed above in “—General—Taxation of Our Company,” even if these relief provisions apply, a tax would be imposed with respect to the excess net income.
Operational Requirements—Asset Tests
At the close of each quarter of our taxable year, we also must satisfy four tests, which we refer to as the Asset Tests, relating to the nature and diversification of our assets.
| • | First, at least 75% of the value of our total assets must be represented by real estate assets, cash, cash items and government securities. The term “real estate assets” includes real property, mortgages on real property, shares in other qualified REITs, property attributable to the temporary investment of new capital as described above and a proportionate share of any real estate assets owned by a partnership in which we are a partner or of any qualified REIT subsidiary of ours. Real estate assets include, for this purpose, stock or debt instruments held for less than one year purchased with the proceeds of an offering of shares of our common stock or certain debt. |
| • | Second, no more than 25% of our total assets may be represented by securities other than those in the 75% asset class. |
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| • | Third, of the investments included in the 25% asset class, the value of any one issuer’s securities that we own may not exceed 5% of the value of our total assets. Additionally, we may not own more than 10% of the voting power or value of any one issuer’s outstanding securities. This Asset Test does not apply to securities of a taxable REIT subsidiary. For purposes of this Asset Test and the second Asset Test, securities do not include the equity or debt securities of a qualified REIT subsidiary of ours or an equity interest in any entity treated as a partnership for federal tax purposes. |
| • | Fourth, no more than 20% of the value of our total assets may consist of the securities of one or more taxable REIT subsidiaries. Subject to certain exceptions, a taxable REIT subsidiary is any corporation, other than a REIT, in which we directly or indirectly own stock and with respect to which a joint election has been made by us and the corporation to treat the corporation as a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours and also includes any corporation, other than a REIT, in which a taxable REIT subsidiary of ours owns, directly or indirectly, more than 35 percent of the voting power or value. |
The Asset Tests must generally be met for any quarter in which we acquire securities or other property. If we meet the Asset Tests at the close of any quarter, we will not lose our REIT status for a failure to satisfy the Asset Tests at the end of a later quarter in which we have not acquired any securities or other property if such failure occurs solely because of changes in asset values. If our failure to satisfy the Asset Tests results from an acquisition of securities or other property during a quarter, we can cure the failure by disposing of a sufficient amount of non-qualifying assets within 30 days after the close of that quarter. We intend to maintain adequate records of the value of our assets to ensure compliance with the Asset Tests and to take other action within 30 days after the close of any quarter as may be required to cure any noncompliance.
The Internal Revenue Code contains a number of provisions applicable to REITs, including relief provisions, that make it easier for REITs to satisfy the asset requirements, or to maintain REIT qualification notwithstanding certain violations of the asset and other requirements.
One such provision applies to “de minimis” violations of the 10% and 5% asset tests. A REIT may maintain its qualification despite a violation of such requirements if (a) the value of the assets causing the violation does not exceed the lesser of 1% of the REIT’s total assets, and $10,000,000, and (b) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or the relevant tests are otherwise satisfied within that time frame.
A second relief provision allows a REIT which fails one or more of the asset requirements and is ineligible for relief under the de minimis rule to nevertheless maintain its REIT qualification if (a) it provides the IRS with a description of each asset causing the failure, (b) the failure is due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, (c) the REIT pays a tax equal to the greater of (i) $50,000 per failure, and (ii) the product of the net income generated by the assets that caused the failure multiplied by the highest applicable corporate tax rate (currently 35%), and (d) the REIT either disposes of the assets causing the failure within 6 months after the last day of the quarter in which it identifies the failure, or otherwise satisfies the relevant asset tests within that time frame.
The Internal Revenue Code also provides that certain securities will not cause a violation of the 10% value test described above. Such securities include instruments that constitute “straight debt,” which includes securities having certain contingency features. A security will not, however, qualify as “straight debt” where a REIT (or a controlled taxable REIT subsidiary of the REIT) owns other securities of the issuer of that security which do not qualify as straight debt, unless the value of those other securities constitute, in the aggregate, 1% or less of the total value of that issuer’s outstanding securities. In addition to straight debt, the Internal Revenue Code provides that certain other securities will not violate the 10% value test. Such securities include (a) any loan made to an individual or an estate, (b) certain rental agreements in which one or more payments are to be made in subsequent years (other than agreements between a REIT and certain persons related to the REIT), (c) any obligation to pay rents from real property, (d) securities issued by governmental entities that are not dependent in whole or in part on the profits of (or payments made by) a non-governmental entity, (e) any security issued by another REIT, and (f) any debt instrument issued by a partnership if the partnership’s income is of a nature that it would satisfy the 75% Income Test described above under “Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Operational Requirements—Gross Income Tests.” The Internal Revenue Code provides that in applying the 10% value test, a debt security issued by a partnership is not taken into account to the extent, if any, of the REIT’s proportionate equity interest in that partnership.
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To the extent that we fail one or more of the Asset Tests, and we do not fall within the de minimis safe harbors with respect to the 5% and 10% asset tests, we may nevertheless be deemed to have satisfied such requirements if (i) we take certain corrective measures, (ii) we meet certain technical requirements, and (iii) we pay a specified excise tax of $50,000.
Operational Requirements—Annual Distribution Requirement
In order to be taxed as a REIT, we are required to make distributions, other than capital gain distributions, to our stockholders each year in the amount at least equal to (1) the sum of (a) 90% of our REIT taxable income, computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction and our net capital gain and (b) 90% of the net income, after tax, from foreclosure property, minus (2) the sum of certain specified items of noncash income. In addition, if we recognize any built-in gain, we will be required, under Treasury regulations, to distribute at least 90% of the built-in gain, after tax, recognized on the disposition of the applicable asset. While we must generally pay distributions in the taxable year to which they relate, we may also pay distributions in the following taxable year if (1) they are declared before we timely file our federal income tax return for the taxable year in question, and if (2) they are paid on or before the first regular distribution payment date after the declaration.
Even if we satisfy the foregoing distribution requirement and, accordingly, continue to qualify as a REIT for tax purposes, we will still be subject to federal income tax on the excess of our net capital gain and our REIT taxable income, as adjusted, over the amount of distributions to stockholders.
In addition, if we fail to distribute during each calendar year at least the sum of:
| • | 85% of our ordinary income for that year; |
| • | 95% of our capital gain net income other than the capital gain net income which we elect to retain and pay tax on for that year; and |
| • | any undistributed taxable income from prior periods, |
we will be subject to a 4% nondeductible excise tax on the excess of the amount of the required distributions over the sum of (A) the amounts actually distributed plus (B) retained amounts on which corporate level tax is paid by us.
We intend to make timely distributions sufficient to satisfy this requirement; however, it is possible that we may experience timing differences between (1) the actual receipt of income and payment of deductible expenses, and (2) the inclusion of that income and deduction of those expenses for purposes of computing our taxable income. It is also possible that we may be allocated a share of net capital gain attributable to the sale of depreciated property by our operating partnership that exceeds our allocable share of cash attributable to that sale. In those circumstances, we may have less cash than is necessary to meet our annual distribution requirement or to avoid income or excise taxation on undistributed income. We may find it necessary in those circumstances to arrange for financing or raise funds through the issuance of additional shares in order to meet our distribution requirements. If we fail to satisfy the distribution requirement for any taxable year by reason of a later adjustment to our taxable income made by the Internal Revenue Service, we may be able to pay “deficiency dividends” in a later year and include such distributions in our deductions for dividends paid for the earlier year. In that event, we may be able to avoid losing our REIT status or being taxed on amounts distributed as deficiency dividends, but we would be required to pay an interest charge to the Internal Revenue Service based upon the amount of any deduction taken for deficiency dividends for the earlier year.
As noted above, we may also elect to retain, rather than distribute, our net long-term capital gains. The effect of such an election would be as follows:
| • | We would be required to pay the federal income tax on these gains; |
| • | Taxable U.S. stockholders, while required to include their proportionate share of the undistributed long-term capital gains in income, would receive a credit or refund for their share of the tax paid by the REIT; and |
| • | The basis of the stockholder’s shares would be increased by the difference between the designated amount included in the stockholder’s long-term capital gains and the tax deemed paid with respect to such shares. |
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In computing our REIT taxable income, we will use the accrual method of accounting and intend to depreciate depreciable property under the alternative depreciation system. We are required to file an annual federal income tax return, which, like other corporate returns, is subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. Because the tax law requires us to make many judgments regarding the proper treatment of a transaction or an item of income or deduction, it is possible that the Internal Revenue Service will challenge positions we take in computing our REIT taxable income and our distributions.
Issues could arise, for example, with respect to the allocation of the purchase price of properties between depreciable or amortizable assets and non-depreciable or non-amortizable assets such as land and the current deductibility of fees paid to our former advisor or its affiliates. Were the Internal Revenue Service to successfully challenge our characterization of a transaction or determination of our REIT taxable income, we could be found to have failed to satisfy a requirement for qualification as a REIT. If, as a result of a challenge, we are determined to have failed to satisfy the distribution requirements for a taxable year, we would be disqualified as a REIT, unless we were permitted to pay a deficiency dividend to our stockholders and pay interest thereon to the Internal Revenue Service, as provided by the Internal Revenue Code. A deficiency dividend cannot be used to satisfy the distribution requirement, however, if the failure to meet the requirement is not due to a later adjustment to our income or dividends paid deduction by the Internal Revenue Service.
Operational Requirements—Record Keeping
We must maintain certain records as set forth in Treasury Regulations in order to avoid the payment of monetary penalties to the Internal Revenue Service. Such Treasury Regulations require that we request, on an annual basis, certain information designed to disclose the ownership of our outstanding shares. We intend to comply with these requirements.
Failure to Qualify as a REIT
If we fail to qualify as a REIT for any reason in a taxable year and applicable relief provisions do not apply, we will be subject to tax (including any applicable alternative minimum tax) on our taxable income at regular corporate rates. We will not be able to deduct dividends paid to our stockholders in any year in which we fail to qualify as a REIT. In this situation, to the extent of current and accumulated earnings and profits, all distributions to our stockholders that are individuals will generally be taxable at capital gains rates (through 2010), and, subject to limitations of the Internal Revenue Code, corporate distributees may be eligible for the dividends received deduction. We also will be disqualified for the four taxable years following the year during which qualification was lost unless we are entitled to relief under specific statutory provisions.
Sale-Leaseback Transactions
Some of our investments may be in the form of sale-leaseback transactions. We normally intend to treat these transactions as true leases for U.S. federal income tax purposes. However, depending on the terms of any specific transaction, the Internal Revenue Service might take the position that the transaction is not a true lease but is more properly treated in some other manner. If such re-characterization were successful, we would not be entitled to claim the depreciation deductions available to an owner of the property. In addition, the re-characterization of one or more of these transactions might cause us to fail to satisfy the Asset Tests or the Income Tests described above based upon the asset we would be treated as holding or the income we would be treated as having earned and such failure could result in our failing to qualify as a REIT. Alternatively, the amount or timing of income inclusion or the loss of depreciation deductions resulting from the re-characterization might cause us to fail to meet the distribution requirement described above for one or more taxable years absent the availability of the deficiency dividend procedure or might result in a larger portion of our distributions being treated as ordinary distribution income to our stockholders.
Taxation of Taxable U.S. Stockholders
Definition
In this section, the phrase “U.S. stockholder” means a holder of our common stock that for U.S. federal income tax purposes is:
| • | a citizen or resident of the United States; |
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| • | a corporation or other entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or of any political subdivision thereof; |
| • | an estate, the income of which is subject to U.S. federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
| • | any trust if (1) a United States court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a United States person. |
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in a partnership that holds our common stock generally will depend on the status of the partner and the activities of such partnership. Partners and partnerships should consult their own tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to them.
For any taxable year for which we qualify for taxation as a REIT, amounts distributed to, and gains realized by, taxable U.S. stockholders with respect to our common shares generally will be taxed as described below.
Distributions Generally
Distributions to U.S. stockholders, other than capital gain distributions discussed below, will constitute dividends up to the amount of our current or accumulated earnings and profits and will be taxable to stockholders as ordinary income. As long as we qualify as a REIT, these distributions are not eligible for the dividends received deduction generally available to corporations. In addition, with limited exceptions, these distributions are not eligible for taxation at the preferential income tax rates for qualified distributions received by individuals from taxable C corporations in effect through 2010. Stockholders that are individuals, however, are taxed at the preferential rates on distributions designated by and received from us to the extent that the distributions are attributable to (i) income retained by us in the prior taxable year on which we were subject to corporate level income tax (less the amount of tax), (ii) distributions received by us from taxable C corporations, including our taxable REIT subsidiaries, or (iii) income in the prior taxable year from the sales of “built-in gain” property acquired by us from C corporations in carryover basis transactions (less the amount of corporate tax on such income).
To the extent that we make a distribution in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will be treated first as a tax-free return of capital, reducing the tax basis in the U.S. stockholder’s shares, and the amount of each distribution in excess of a U.S. stockholder’s tax basis in its shares will be taxable as gain realized from the sale of its shares. Distributions that we declare in October, November or December of any year payable to a stockholder of record on a specified date in any of these months will be treated as both paid by us and received by the stockholder on December 31 of the year, provided that we actually pay the distribution during January of the following calendar year. U.S. stockholders may not include any of our losses on their own federal income tax returns.
We will be treated as having sufficient earnings and profits to treat as a dividend any distribution by us up to the amount required to be distributed in order to avoid imposition of the 4% excise tax discussed above. Moreover, any “deficiency dividend” will be treated as an ordinary or capital gain dividends, as the case may be, regardless of our earnings and profits. As a result, stockholders may be required to treat as taxable some distributions that would otherwise result in a tax-free return of capital.
Capital Gain Dividends
Distributions to U.S. stockholders that we properly designate as capital gain dividends normally will be treated as long-term capital gains to the extent they do not exceed our actual net capital gain for the taxable year without regard to the period for which the U.S. stockholder has held his stock. A corporate U.S. stockholder might be required to treat up to 20% of some capital gain dividends as ordinary income. Long-term capital gains are generally taxable at maximum federal rates of 15% (through 2010) in the case of stockholders who are individuals, and 35% in the case of stockholders that are corporations. Capital gains attributable to the sale of depreciable real property held for more than 12 months are subject to a 25% maximum federal income tax rate for taxpayers who are individuals, to the extent of previously claimed depreciation deductions. See “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Operational Requirements—Annual Distribution Requirement” above for the treatment by U.S. stockholders of net long-term capital gains that we elect to retain and pay tax on.
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Certain Dispositions of Shares of Our Common Stock
In general, capital gains recognized by individuals upon the sale or disposition of shares of our common stock will be subject to a maximum federal income tax rate of 15% (through 2010) if such stock is held for more than 12 months, and will be taxed at ordinary income rates (of up to 35% through 2010) if such stock is held for 12 months or less. Gains recognized by stockholders that are corporations are subject to federal income tax at a maximum rate of 35%, whether or not classified as long-term capital gains. Capital losses recognized by a stockholder upon the disposition of shares of our common stock will be considered capital losses, and are generally available only to offset capital gain income of the stockholder but not ordinary income (except in the case of individuals, who may offset up to $3,000 of ordinary income each year). In addition, any loss upon a sale or exchange of shares of our common stock by a stockholder who has held such shares for six months or less, after applying holding period rules, will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of distributions received from us that are required to be treated by the stockholder as long-term capital gain.
Passive Activity Losses and Investment Interest Limitations
Distributions made by us and gain arising from the sale or exchange by a U.S. Stockholder of our stock will not be treated as passive activity income. As a result, a U.S. Stockholder will not be able to apply any “passive losses” against income or gain relating to our stock. Distributions made by us, to the extent they do not constitute return of capital, generally will be treated as investment income for purposes of computing the investment interest limitation.
Information Reporting Requirements and Backup Withholding for U.S. Stockholders
We will report to U.S. stockholders of our common shares and to the Internal Revenue Service the amount of distributions made or deemed made during each calendar year and the amount of tax withheld, if any. Under some circumstances, U.S. stockholders may be subject to backup withholding at a current rate of up to 28% on payments made with respect to, or cash proceeds of a sale or exchange of, our common stock. Backup withholding will apply only if the stockholder:
| • | Fails to furnish its taxpayer identification number (which, for an individual, would be his or her Social Security number); |
| • | Furnishes an incorrect taxpayer identification number; |
| • | Is notified by the Internal Revenue Service that the stockholder has failed properly to report payments of interest or distributions and is subject to backup withholding; or |
| • | Under some circumstances, fails to certify, under penalties of perjury, that it has furnished a correct taxpayer identification number and has not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that the stockholder is subject to backup withholding for failure to report interest and distribution payments or has been notified by the Internal Revenue Service that the stockholder is no longer subject to backup withholding for failure to report those payments. |
Backup withholding will not apply with respect to payments made to some stockholders, such as corporations in certain circumstances and tax-exempt organizations. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Rather, the amount of any backup withholding with respect to a payment to a U.S. stockholder will be allowed as a credit against the U.S. stockholder’s United States federal income tax liability and may entitle the U.S. stockholder to a refund, provided that the required information is furnished to the Internal Revenue Service. U.S. stockholders should consult their tax advisors regarding their qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining an exemption.
Treatment of Tax-Exempt Stockholders
Tax-exempt entities including qualified employee pension benefit trusts, profit sharing trusts and individual retirement accounts generally are exempt from United States federal income taxation. These entities are subject to taxation, however, on any “unrelated business taxable income,” or UBTI, as defined in the Internal Revenue Code. The Internal Revenue Service has issued a published ruling that distributions from a REIT to a tax-exempt pension trust did not constitute UBTI.
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Although rulings are merely interpretations of law by the Internal Revenue Service and may be revoked or modified, based on this analysis, indebtedness incurred by us or by our operating partnership in connection with the acquisition of a property should not cause any income derived from the property to be treated as UBTI upon the distribution of those amounts as dividends to a tax-exempt U.S. stockholder of our common shares. A tax-exempt entity that incurs indebtedness to finance its purchase of our common shares, however, will be subject to UBTI under the debt-financed income rules. However, social clubs, voluntary employee benefit associations, supplemental unemployment benefit trusts and qualified group legal services plans that are exempt from taxation under specified provisions of the Internal Revenue Code are subject to different UBTI rules, which generally will require them to treat dividend distributions from us as UBTI. These organizations are urged to consult their own tax advisor with respect to the treatment of our distributions to them.
In addition, tax-exempt pension and specified other tax-exempt trusts that hold more than 10% by value of the shares of a REIT may be required to treat a specified percentage of REIT dividends as UBTI. This requirement applies only if our qualification as a REIT depends upon the application of a look-through exception to the closely-held restriction and we are considered to be predominantly held by those tax-exempt trusts. It is not anticipated that our qualification as a REIT will depend upon application of the look-through exception or that we will be predominantly held by these types of trusts.
Special Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Stockholders
The rules governing United States federal income taxation of non-resident alien individuals, foreign corporations, foreign partnerships and other foreign stockholders, which we collectively refer to as Non-U.S. holders, are complex. The following discussion is intended only as a summary of these rules. Non-U.S. holders should consult with their own tax advisors to determine the impact of United States federal, state and local income tax laws on an investment in our common stock, including any reporting requirements as well as the tax treatment of the investment under the tax laws of their home country.
Ordinary Dividends
The portion of distributions received by Non-U.S. holders payable out of our earnings and profits which are not attributable to our capital gains and which are not effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the Non-U.S. holder will be subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30%, unless reduced by treaty. In general, Non-U.S. holders will not be considered to be engaged in a U.S. trade or business solely as a result of their ownership of our common stock. In cases where the dividend income from a Non-U.S. holder’s investment in our common stock is, or is treated as, effectively connected with the Non-U.S. holder’s conduct of a U.S. trade or business, the Non-U.S. holder generally will be subject to U.S. tax at graduated rates, in the same manner as domestic stockholders are taxed with respect to such distributions, such income must generally be reported on a U.S. income tax return filed by or on behalf of the non-U.S. holder, and the income may also be subject to the 30% branch profits tax in the case of a Non-U.S. holder that is a corporation. We plan to withhold United States income tax at the rate of 30% on the gross amount of any distribution paid to a non-U.S. stockholder unless either:
| • | a lower treaty rate applies and the non-U.S. stockholder files an IRS Form W-8BEN evidencing eligibility for that reduced rate with us; or |
| • | the non-U.S. stockholder files an IRS Form W-8ECI with us claiming that the distribution is effectively connected income. |
Non-Dividend Distributions
Unless our common stock constitutes a U.S. real property interest, or a USRPI, as described in “—Dispositions of Our Common Stock” below, distributions by us which are not dividends out of our earnings and profits will not be subject to U.S. income tax. If it cannot be determined at the time at which a distribution is made whether or not the distribution will exceed current and accumulated earnings and profits, the distribution will be subject to withholding at the rate applicable to dividends. However, the Non-U.S. holder may seek a refund from the Internal Revenue Service of any amounts withheld if it is subsequently determined that the distribution was, in fact, in excess of our current and accumulated earnings and profits. If our common stock constitutes a USRPI, as described below, distributions by us in excess of the sum of our earnings and profits plus the stockholder’s basis in our stock will be taxed under FIRPTA, at the rate of tax, including any applicable capital gains rates, that would apply to a domestic stockholder of the same type (e.g., an individual or a corporation, as the case may be), and the collection of the tax will be enforced by a refundable withholding at a rate of 10% of the amount by which the distribution exceeds the stockholder’s share of our earnings and profits.
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Capital Gain Distributions
Under FIRPTA, a distribution made by us to a non-U.S. holder, to the extent attributable to gains from dispositions of USRPIs held by us directly or through pass-through subsidiaries, or USRPI capital gains, will be considered effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. holder and will be subject to federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. individuals or corporations, without regard to whether the distribution is designated as a capital gain dividend. See “—Ordinary Dividends” above for a discussion of the consequences of income that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. In addition, we will be required to withhold tax equal to 35% of the amount of dividends to the extent the dividends constitute USRPI capital gains. A capital gain dividend paid by us that would otherwise have been treated as a USRPI capital gain will not be so treated or be subject to FIRPTA, will generally not be treated as income that is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business, and will instead be treated the same as an ordinary dividend from us (see “—Ordinary Dividends” above), provided that (1) the capital gain dividend is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly traded on an established securities market located in the United States, and (2) the recipient non-U.S. holder does not own more than 5% of that class of stock at any time during the taxable year in which the capital gain dividend is received. We believe that our stock is currently regularly traded on an established securities market. However, we cannot assure you that we will continue to be “regularly traded” at all times in the future. Distributions subject to FIRPTA may also be subject to a 30% branch profits tax in the hands of a non-U.S. holder that is a corporation. A distribution is not a USRPI capital gain if we held the underlying asset solely as a creditor. Capital gain dividends received by a non-U.S. holder from a REIT that are not USRPI capital gains are generally not subject to U.S. income tax, but may be subject to withholding tax.
Dispositions of Our Common Stock
Unless our common stock constitutes a USRPI, a sale of our common stock by a non-U.S. holder generally will not be subject to U.S. taxation under FIRPTA. Subject to the exceptions described below, our common stock generally will be treated as a USRPI if 50% or more of our assets throughout a prescribed testing period consist of interests in real property located within the United States, excluding, for this purpose, interests in real property solely in a capacity as a creditor.
However, our common stock will not constitute a USRPI if we are a “domestically controlled qualified investment entity.” A domestically controlled qualified investment entity includes a REIT in which, at all times during a specified testing period, less than 50% in value of its shares is held directly or indirectly by non-U.S. holders. No assurance can be given that we will be a domestically controlled qualified investment entity. In the event that we do not constitute a domestically controlled qualified investment entity, a person’s sale of stock nonetheless will generally not be subject to tax under FIRPTA as a sale of a USRPI, provided that (1) the stock owned is of a class that is “regularly traded,” as defined by applicable Treasury regulations, on an established securities market, and (2) the selling non-U.S. holder held 5% or less of our outstanding stock of that class at all times during a specified testing period. We believe that our stock is currently regularly traded on an established securities market. However, we cannot assure you that we will continue to be “regularly traded” at all times in the future.
If the gain on the sale of shares were subject to taxation under FIRPTA, a Non-U.S. holder would be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. stockholder with respect to the gain, subject to any applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of non-resident alien individuals. Gain from the sale of our common stock that would not otherwise be subject to FIRPTA will nonetheless be taxable in the United States to a non-U.S. holder in two cases: (a) if the non-U.S. holder’s investment in our common stock is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business conducted by such non-U.S. holder, the non-U.S. holder will be subject to the same treatment as a U.S. stockholder with respect to such gain plus an additional branch profits tax of up to 30% in the case of corporate non-U.S. holders, or (b) if the non-U.S. holder is a nonresident alien individual who was present in the United States for 183 days or more during the taxable year and has a “tax home” in the United States, the nonresident alien individual will be subject to a 30% tax on the individual’s capital gain.
Information Reporting Requirements and Backup Withholding for Non-U.S. Stockholders
Non-U.S. stockholders should consult their tax advisors with regard to U.S. information reporting and backup withholding requirements under the Internal Revenue Code.
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Statement of Stock Ownership
We are required to demand annual written statements from the record holders of designated percentages of our common stock disclosing the actual owners of the shares. Any record stockholder who, upon our request, does not provide us with required information concerning actual ownership of the shares is required to include specified information relating to his shares in his federal income tax return. We also must maintain, within the Internal Revenue District in which we are required to file our federal income tax return, permanent records showing the information we have received about the actual ownership of our common stock and a list of those persons failing or refusing to comply with our demand.
Federal Income Tax Aspects of Our Partnership
The following discussion summarizes certain federal income tax considerations applicable to our investment in our operating partnership. The discussion does not cover state or local tax laws or any federal tax laws other than income tax laws.
Classification as a Partnership
We will be entitled to include in our income a distributive share of our operating partnership’s income and to deduct our distributive share of our operating partnership’s losses only if our operating partnership is classified for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a partnership, rather than as a corporation or an association taxable as a corporation. Under applicable Treasury Regulations, which we refer to as the Check-the-Box Regulations, an unincorporated domestic entity with at least two members may elect to be classified either as an association taxable as a corporation or as a partnership. If the entity fails to make an election, it generally will be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Our operating partnership intends to be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and will not elect to be treated as an association taxable as a corporation under the Check-the-Box-Regulations.
Even though our operating partnership will not elect to be treated as an association for U.S. federal income tax purposes, it may be taxed as a corporation if it is deemed to be a “publicly traded partnership.” A publicly traded partnership is a partnership whose interests are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof. We and our operating partnership believe and currently intend to take the position that our operating partnership should not be classified as a publicly traded partnership because (i) OP Units are not traded on an established securities market, and (ii) OP Units should not be considered readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof.
Even if our operating partnership were considered a publicly traded partnership under the PTP Regulations, the operating partnership should not be treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes under currentl law as long as 90% or more of its gross income consists of “qualifying income” under section 7704(d) of the Internal Revenue Code. In general, qualifying income includes interest, dividends, real property rents (as defined by section 856 of the Internal Revenue Code) and gain from the sale or disposition of real property.
We have not requested, and do not intend to request, a ruling from the Internal Revenue Service that our operating partnership will be classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.
If for any reason our operating partnership were taxable as a corporation, rather than a partnership, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, we would not be able to qualify as a REIT, unless we are eligible for relief from the violation pursuant to relief provisions described above. See “—Requirements for Qualification as a REIT—Organizational Requirements” and “—Operational Requirements—Asset Tests,” above, for discussion of the effect of the failure to satisfy the REIT tests for a taxable year, and of the relief provisions. In addition, any change in our operating partnership’s status for tax purposes might be treated as a taxable event, in which case we might incur a tax liability without any related cash distribution. Further, items of income and deduction of our operating partnership would not pass through to its partners, and its partners would be treated as stockholders for tax purposes. Our operating partnership would be required to pay income tax at corporate tax rates on its net income, and distributions to its partners would constitute dividends that would not be deductible in computing our operating partnership’s taxable income.
Income Taxation of Our Operating Partnership and its Partners
Partners, Not Partnership, Subject to Tax. A partnership is not a taxable entity for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a partner in our operating partnership, we will be required to take into account our allocable share of our operating partnership’s
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income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits for any taxable year of our operating partnership ending within or with our taxable year, without regard to whether we have received or will receive any distributions from our operating partnership.
Partnership Allocations. Although a partnership agreement generally determines the allocation of income and losses among partners, such allocations will be disregarded for tax purposes under section 704(b) of the Internal Revenue Code if they do not comply with the provisions of section 704(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder. If an allocation is not recognized for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the item subject to the allocation will be reallocated in accordance with the partner’s interests in the partnership, which will be determined by taking into account all of the facts and circumstances relating to the economic arrangement of the partners with respect to such item. Our operating partnership’s allocations of taxable income and loss are intended to comply with the requirements of section 704(b) of the Internal Revenue Code and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
Tax Allocations With Respect to Contributed Properties. Pursuant to section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code, income, gain, loss, and deduction attributable to appreciated or depreciated property that is contributed to a partnership in exchange for an interest in the partnership must be allocated for U.S. federal income tax purposes in a manner such that the contributor is charged with, or benefits from, the unrealized gain or unrealized loss associated with the property at the time of the contribution. The amount of unrealized gain or unrealized loss is generally equal to the difference between the fair market value of the contributed property at the time of contribution and the adjusted tax basis of such property at the time of contribution. Under applicable Treasury Regulations, partnerships are required to use a “reasonable method” for allocating items subject to section 704(c) of the Internal Revenue Code and several reasonable allocation methods are described therein.
Under the partnership agreement, subject to exceptions applicable to the special limited partnership interests, depreciation or amortization deductions of our operating partnership generally will be allocated among the partners in accordance with their respective interests in our operating partnership, except to the extent that our operating partnership is required under section 704(c) to use a different method for allocating depreciation deductions attributable to its properties. In addition, gain or loss on the sale of a property that has been contributed to our operating partnership will be specially allocated to the contributing partner to the extent of any built-in gain or loss with respect to the property for U.S. federal income tax purposes. It is possible that we may (1) be allocated lower amounts of depreciation deductions for tax purposes with respect to contributed properties than would be allocated to us if each such property were to have a tax basis equal to its fair market value at the time of contribution, and (2) be allocated taxable gain in the event of a sale of such contributed properties in excess of the economic profit allocated to us as a result of such sale. These allocations may cause us to recognize taxable income in excess of cash proceeds received by us, which might adversely affect our ability to comply with the REIT distribution requirements, although we do not anticipate that this event will occur. The foregoing principles also will affect the calculation of our earnings and profits for purposes of determining the portion of our distributions that are taxable as a dividend. The allocations described in this paragraph may result in a higher portion of our distributions being taxed as a dividend than would have occurred had we purchased such properties for cash.
Basis in Partnership Interest. The adjusted tax basis of our partnership interest in our operating partnership generally will be equal to (1) the amount of cash and the basis of any other property contributed to our operating partnership by us, (2) increased by (A) our allocable share of our operating partnership’s income and (B) our allocable share of indebtedness of our operating partnership, and (3) reduced, but not below zero, by (A) our allocable share of our operating partnership’s loss and (B) the amount of cash distributed to us, including constructive cash distributions resulting from a reduction in our share of indebtedness of our operating partnership. If the allocation of our distributive share of our operating partnership’s loss would reduce the adjusted tax basis of our partnership interest in our operating partnership below zero, the recognition of the loss will be deferred until such time as the recognition of the loss would not reduce our adjusted tax basis below zero. If a distribution from our operating partnership or a reduction in our share of our operating partnership’s liabilities would reduce our adjusted tax basis below zero, that distribution, including a constructive distribution, will constitute taxable income to us. The gain realized by us upon the receipt of any such distribution or constructive distribution would normally be characterized as capital gain, and if our partnership interest in our operating partnership has been held for longer than the long-term capital gain holding period (currently one year), the distribution would constitute long-term capital gain.
Depreciation Deductions Available to Our Operating Partnership. To the extent that our operating partnership acquires properties for cash, our operating partnership’s initial basis in such properties for U.S. federal income tax purposes generally will be equal to the purchase price paid by our operating partnership. Our operating partnership plans to depreciate each depreciable property for U.S. federal income tax purposes under the alternative depreciation system of depreciation, or ADS. Under ADS, our operating
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partnership generally will depreciate buildings and improvements over a 40-year recovery period using a straight-line method and a mid-month convention and will depreciate furnishings and equipment over a 12-year recovery period. To the extent that our operating partnership acquires properties in exchange for OP Units, our operating partnership’s initial basis in each such property for U.S. federal income tax purposes should be the same as the transferor’s basis in that property on the date of acquisition by our operating partnership. Although the law is not entirely clear, our operating partnership generally intends to depreciate such depreciable property for U.S. federal income tax purposes over the same remaining useful lives and under the same methods used by the transferors.
Sale of Our Operating Partnership’s Property. Generally, any gain realized by our operating partnership on the sale of property held for more than one year will be long-term capital gain, except for any portion of such gain that is treated as depreciation or cost recovery recapture. Our share of any gain realized by our operating partnership on the sale of any property held by our operating partnership as inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our operating partnership’s trade or business will be treated as income from a prohibited transaction that is subject to a 100% tax. We, however, do not presently intend to acquire or hold or allow our operating partnership to acquire or hold any property that represents inventory or other property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of our or our operating partnership’s trade or business.
Other Tax Considerations
Legislative or Other Actions Affecting REITs
The rules dealing with federal income taxation are constantly under review by persons involved in the legislative process and by the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Treasury Department. Changes to the federal tax laws and interpretations thereof could adversely affect an investment in our stock.
State and Local Taxation
We and any operating subsidiaries we may form may be subject to state and local tax in states and localities in which we or they do business or own property. The tax treatment of our company, our operating partnership, any operating subsidiaries, joint ventures or other arrangements we or our operating partnership may form or enter into and the tax treatment of the holders of our common stock in local jurisdictions may differ from the federal income tax treatment described above. Consequently, prospective stockholders should consult their own tax advisors regarding the effect of state and local tax laws on their investment in our common stock.
Taxation of Holders of Certain Fixed Rate Debt Securities
This section describes the material United States federal income tax consequences of owning the fixed rate debt securities that DCT Industrial Trust, Inc. may offer for general information only. It is not tax advice. It applies only if the fixed rate debt securities purchased are acquired in the initial offering at the offering price. If these fixed rate debt securities are purchased at a price other than the offering price, the amortization bond premium or market discount rules may apply. Prospective holders should consult their own tax advisors regarding these possibilities.
The tax consequences of owning any floating rate debt securities, convertible or exchangeable debt securities, or indexed debt securities that we offer will be discussed in the applicable prospectus supplement.
Taxation of Taxable U.S. Holders.
The term “U.S. Holder” means any beneficial owner of a debt security, other than an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that for United States federal income tax purposes, is
| • | a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| • | a corporation (including an entity treated as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes) created or organized under the laws of the United States or of a political subdivision of the United States; |
| • | an estate, the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of its source; or |
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| • | any trust if (1) a United States court is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration of such trust and one or more United States persons have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust or (2) it has a valid election in place to be treated as a United States person. |
The term “Non-U.S. Holder” shall refer to a beneficial owner of a debt security, other than an entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes, that is not a U.S. Holder.
If a partnership (including for this purpose any entity treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) is a beneficial owner of debt securities, the treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and upon the activities of the partnership. A holder of debt securities that is a partnership, and partners in such partnership, should consult their tax advisors about the U.S. federal income tax consequences of purchasing, holding and disposing of debt securities.
Interest and Original Issue Discount.
If the issue price of a debt security is less than its stated redemption price at maturity, then the debt security will be treated as being issued with original issue discount (“OID”) for U.S. federal income tax purposes unless the difference between the debt security’s issue price and its stated redemption price at maturity is less than a statutory de minimis amount. Generally, the “issue price” of a debt security is the first price at which a substantial amount of the debt securities is sold to purchasers other than bond houses, brokers or similar persons or organizations acting in the capacity of underwriters, placement agents or wholesalers. The “stated redemption price at maturity” of a debt security is the total of all payments to be made under the debt security other than qualified stated interest (generally, stated interest that is unconditionally payable in cash or property at least annually at a single fixed rate or at certain floating rates that properly take into account the length of the interval between stated interest payments); and, generally, is expected to equal the principal amount of the debt security. The amount of OID on the debt security will be de minimis if it is less than 0.0025 multiplied by the product of the stated redemption price at maturity and the number of complete years to maturity.
If the difference between the issue price and the stated redemption price at maturity of a debt security is more than the statutory de minimis amount, the debt security will be treated as having been issued with OID. The amount of OID on a debt security, which is equal to the difference, must be included in income as ordinary interest as it accrues under a constant yield method in advance of receipt of the cash payments attributable to such income, regardless of such U.S. Holder’s regular method of tax accounting.
Stated interest on a debt security generally will be included in the income of a U.S. Holder as ordinary income at the time such interest is received or accrued, in accordance with the U.S. Holder’s regular method of tax accounting.
Disposition of the Debt Securities.
Upon the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase, retirement or other disposition of a debt security, a U.S. Holder generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to the difference between (i) the amount of cash proceeds and the fair market value of any property received on the disposition (except to the extent such amount is attributable to accrued but unpaid stated interest, which is taxable as ordinary income if not previously included in such holder’s income) and (ii) such U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in the debt security. A U.S. Holder’s adjusted tax basis in a debt security generally will equal the cost of the debt security to such Holder increased by the amount of OID previously included in income by such Holder. Capital gain or loss recognized upon the disposition of a debt security will be a long-term capital gain or loss if the debt security was held for more than one year. The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains to non-corporate U.S. Holders is generally 15% (for taxable years through December 31, 2010). The deductibility of capital losses is subject to limitations.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding
We will report to our U.S. Holders and to the IRS the amount of stated interest payments and payments of the proceeds from the sale, exchange, redemption, repurchase, retirement or other disposition of a debt security made to a U.S. Holder, and the amount we withhold, if any. Under the backup withholding rules, a U.S. Holder may be subject to backup withholding at a current rate of up to 28% with respect to distributions unless the holder
| • | is a corporation or comes within certain exempt categories and, when required, demonstrates that fact, or |
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| • | provides a taxpayer identification number, certifies as to no loss of exemption from backup withholding, and otherwise complies with the applicable requirements of the backup withholding rules. |
A noteholder who does not provide us with its correct taxpayer identification number also may be subject to penalties imposed by the IRS. Any amount paid as backup withholding will be creditable against the noteholder’s income tax liability. For a discussion of the backup withholding rules as applied to non-U.S. Holders, see “Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders of Debt Securities.”
Taxation of Non-U.S. Holders of Debt Securities
The rules governing the U.S. federal income taxation of a Non-U.S. Holder are complex and no attempt will be made herein to provide more than a summary of such rules. Non-U.S. Holders should consult their tax advisors to determine the effect of U.S. federal, state, local and foreign tax laws, as well as tax treaties, with regard to an investment in the debt securities.
Interest and Original Issue Discount. A Non-U.S. Holder holding the debt securities on its own behalf generally will be exempt from U.S. federal income and withholding taxes on payments of interest (including OID) on a debt security so long as such payments are not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the Non-U.S. Holder, unless such Non-U.S. Holder is (i) a direct or indirect 10% or greater partner (as defined in section 871(h)(3) of the Code) in the Operating Partnership in the event that debt is issued by the Operating Partnership, (ii) a direct or indirect 10% or greater stockholder of the REIT in the event that debt is issued by the REIT, (iii) a controlled foreign corporation related to the Operating Partnership or the REIT, as applicable, or (iv) a bank extending credit pursuant to a loan agreement entered into in the ordinary course of its trade or business.
In order for a Non-U.S. Holder that is an individual or corporation (or entity treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes) to qualify for the exemption from taxation on noncontingent interest (including OID), the “withholding agent” (generally, the last U.S. payor or a non-U.S. payor who is a qualified intermediary or withholding foreign partnership) must have received a statement (generally made on IRS Form W-8BEN) from the individual or corporation that: (i) is signed under penalties of perjury by the beneficial owner of the debt security, (ii) certifies that such owner is not a U.S. Holder and (iii) provides the beneficial owner’s name and address. A Non-U.S. Holder that is not an individual or corporation (or an entity treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes) holding the debt securities on its own behalf may have substantially increased reporting requirements and should consult its tax advisor.
To the extent that interest income (including OID) with respect to a debt security is not exempt from U.S. withholding tax as described above, a Non-U.S. Holder may still be able to eliminate or reduce such taxes under an applicable income tax treaty.
Disposition of the Debt Securities. Any gain realized on the sale, redemption, exchange, retirement, repurchase or other taxable disposition of a debt security by a Non-U.S. Holder (except to the extent such amount is attributable to accrued but unpaid stated interest, which would be taxable as described above) will be exempt from U.S. federal income and withholding taxes so long as: (i) the gain is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the Non-U.S. Holder, (ii) in the case of a foreign individual, the Non-U.S. Holder is not present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year, and (iii) the debt securities do not constitute USRPIs, within the meaning of FIRPTA.
Except to the extent that an applicable income tax treaty otherwise provides, a Non-U.S. Holder whose gain or interest income with respect to a debt security is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by such Non-U.S. Holder, although exempt from the withholding tax previously discussed provided the holder furnishes an IRS form W-8ECI, will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the gain or interest income at regular U.S. federal income tax rates, as if the holder were a U.S. person. In addition, if the Non-U.S. Holder is a foreign corporation, it may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30 percent of its “dividend equivalent amount” within the meaning of the Code for the taxable year, subject to adjustment, unless it qualifies for a lower rate or an exemption under an applicable tax treaty.
Information reporting requirements and backup withholding generally will not apply to payments on a debt security to a Non-U.S. Holder if the statement described in “Non-U.S. Holders of the Debt Securities” is duly provided by such holder, provided that the withholding agent does not have actual knowledge that the holder is a United States person. Information reporting requirements and backup withholding will not apply to any payment of the proceeds of the sale of a debt security effected outside the
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United States by a foreign office of a “broker” (as defined in applicable Treasury Regulations), unless such broker (i) is a United States person, (ii) derives 50% or more of its gross income for certain periods from the conduct of a trade or business in the United States, (iii) is a controlled foreign corporation within the meaning of the Code or (iv) is a U.S. branch of a foreign bank or a foreign insurance company. Payment of the proceeds of any such sale effected outside the United States by a foreign office of any broker that is described in (i), (ii) or (iii) of the preceding sentence will not be subject to backup withholding, but will be subject to the information reporting requirements unless such broker has documentary evidence in its records that the beneficial owner is a Non-U.S. Holder and certain other conditions are met, or the beneficial owner otherwise establishes an exemption. Payment of the proceeds of any such sale to or through the United States office of a broker is subject to information reporting and backup withholding requirements, unless the beneficial owner of the debt security provides the statement described in “-Non-U.S. Holders of the Debt Securities” or otherwise establishes an exemption. Any amount withheld from a payment to a holder of a debt security under the backup withholding rules is allowable as a credit against such holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability (which might entitle such holder to a refund), provided that such holder furnishes the required information to the IRS.
Information about selling stockholders, where applicable, will be set forth in a prospectus supplement, in a post-effective amendment, or in filings we make with the SEC which are incorporated into this prospectus by reference.
Sales By Us
We may sell the securities in any one or more of the following ways:
| • | directly to investors; |
| • | to investors through agents; |
| • | to dealers; |
| • | through a special offering, an exchange distribution or a secondary distribution in accordance with applicable New York Stock Exchange or other stock exchange rules; |
| • | through underwriting syndicates led by one or more managing underwriters; and |
| • | through one or more underwriters acting alone. |
Any underwritten offering may be on a best efforts or a firm commitment basis. We may also make direct sales through subscription rights distributed to our stockholders on a pro rata basis, which may or may not be transferable. In any distribution of subscription rights to stockholders, if all of the underlying securities are not subscribed for, we may then sell the unsubscribed securities directly to third parties or may engage the services of one or more underwriters, dealers or agents, including standby underwriters, to sell the unsubscribed securities to third parties.
The distribution of the securities may be effected from time to time in one or more transactions:
| • | at a fixed price or prices, which may be changed; |
| • | at market prices prevailing at the time of sale; |
| • | at prices related to such prevailing market prices; or |
| • | at negotiated prices. |
Any of the prices may represent a discount from the prevailing market prices.
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In the sale of the securities, underwriters or agents may receive compensation from us or from purchasers of the securities, for whom they may act as agents, in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions. Underwriters may sell the securities to or through dealers, and such dealers may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions from the underwriters and/or commissions from the purchasers for whom they may act as agents. Underwriters, dealers and agents that participate in the distribution of the securities may be deemed to be underwriters under the Securities Act of 1933, and any discounts or commissions they receive from us and any profit on the resale of securities they realize may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions under the Securities Act of 1933. The applicable prospectus supplement will, where applicable:
| • | identify any such underwriter or agent; |
| • | describe any compensation in the form of discounts, concessions, commissions or otherwise received from us by each such underwriter or agent and in the aggregate to all underwriters and agents; |
| • | identify the amounts underwritten; and |
| • | identify the nature of the underwriter's obligation to take the securities. |
Unless otherwise specified in the related prospectus supplement, each series of securities will be a new issue with no established trading market, other than the common stock, which is listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Common stock sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange, subject to the New York Stock Exchange's approval of the listing of the additional shares of common stock sold. We may elect to list any series of securities other than common stock on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. It is possible that one or more underwriters may make a market in a series of securities, but such underwriters will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. Therefore, no assurance can be given as to the liquidity of, or the trading market for, any series of securities.
Until the distribution of the securities is completed, rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission may limit the ability of any underwriters and selling group members to bid for and purchase the securities. As an exception to these rules, underwriters are permitted to engage in some transactions that stabilize the price of the securities. Such transactions consist of bids or purchases for the purpose of pegging, fixing or maintaining the price of the securities.
If any underwriters create a short position in the securities in an offering in which they sell more securities than are set forth on the cover page of the applicable prospectus supplement, the underwriters may reduce that short position by purchasing the securities in the open market.
The lead underwriters may also impose a penalty bid on other underwriters and selling group members participating in an offering. This means that if the lead underwriters purchase securities in the open market to reduce the underwriters' short position or to stabilize the price of the securities, they may reclaim the amount of any selling concession from the underwriters and selling group members who sold those securities as part of the offering.
In general, purchases of a security for the purpose of stabilization or to reduce a short position could cause the price of the security to be higher than it might be in the absence of such purchases. The imposition of a penalty bid might also have an effect on the price of a security to the extent that it discourages resales of the security before the distribution is completed.
We do not make any representation or prediction as to the direction or magnitude of any effect that the transactions described above might have on the price of the securities. In addition, we do not make any representation that underwriters will engage in such transactions or that such transactions, once commenced, will not be discontinued without notice.
Under agreements into which we may enter, underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of the securities may be entitled to indemnification by us against some liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act.
Underwriters, dealers and agents may engage in transactions with us, perform services for us or be our customers in the ordinary course of business.
If indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters or other persons acting as our agents to solicit offers by particular institutions to purchase securities from us at the public offering price set forth in such prospectus
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supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on the date or dates stated in such prospectus supplement. Each delayed delivery contract will be for an amount no less than, and the aggregate principal amounts of securities sold under delayed delivery contracts shall be not less nor more than, the respective amounts stated in the applicable prospectus supplement. Institutions with which such contracts, when authorized, may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others, but will in all cases be subject to our approval. The obligations of any purchaser under any such contract will be subject to the conditions that (a) the purchase of the securities shall not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of any jurisdiction in the United States to which the purchaser is subject, and (b) if the securities are being sold to underwriters, we shall have sold to the underwriters the total principal amount of the securities less the principal amount thereof covered by the contracts. The underwriters and such other agents will not have any responsibility in respect of the validity or performance of such contracts.
To comply with applicable state securities laws, the securities offered by this prospectus will be sold, if necessary, in such jurisdictions only through registered or licensed brokers or dealers. In addition, securities may not be sold in some states unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable state or an exemption from the registration or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.
In addition to the foregoing, we may issue shares of our common stock to holders of OP Units, and any of their pledgees, donees, transferees or other successors in interest, in exchange for their OP Units. We may only offer our common stock in this manner if the holders of these OP Units present them for redemption under the partnership agreement of our operating partnership, and we exercise our right to issue our common stock to them instead of paying a cash amount. We will receive no cash proceeds from any issuance of the shares of our common stock in exchange for OP Units, but we will acquire additional OP Units in exchange for any such issuances.
Sales by Selling Stockholders
The selling stockholders may resell or redistribute securities from time to time on any stock exchange or automated interdealer quotation system on which the shares are listed, in the over-the-counter market, in privately negotiated transactions, or in any other legal manner, at fixed prices that may be changed, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to prevailing market prices or at negotiated prices. Persons who are pledgees, donees, transferees, or other successors in interest of any of the named selling stockholders (including but not limited to persons who receive shares from a named selling stockholder as a gift, partnership distribution or other non-sale-related transfer after the date of this prospectus) may also use this prospectus and are included when we refer to “selling stockholders” in this prospectus. The selling stockholders may sell the shares by one or more of the following methods, without limitation:
| • | block trades (which may include cross trades) in which the broker or dealer so engaged will attempt to sell the shares as agent but may position and resell a portion of the block as principal to facilitate the transaction; |
| • | purchases by a broker or dealer as principal and resale by the broker or dealer for its own account; |
| • | an exchange distribution or secondary distribution in accordance with the rules of any stock exchange on which the shares are listed; |
| • | ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchases; |
| • | an offering at other than a fixed price on or through the facilities of any stock exchange on which the shares are listed or to or through a market maker other than on that stock exchange; |
| • | privately negotiated transactions, directly or through agents; |
| • | short sales; |
| • | through the writing of options on the shares, whether or the options are listed on an options exchange; |
| • | through the distribution of the shares by any selling stockholder to its partners, members or stockholders; |
| • | one or more underwritten offerings; |
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| • | agreements between a broker or dealer and any selling stockholder to sell a specified number of the shares at a stipulated price per share; and |
| • | any combination of any of these methods of sale or distribution, or any other method permitted by applicable law. |
The selling stockholders may also transfer the shares by gift.
The selling stockholders may engage brokers and dealers, and any brokers or dealers may arrange for other brokers or dealers to participate in effecting sales of the shares. These brokers, dealers or underwriters may act as principals, or as an agent of a selling stockholder. Broker-dealers may agree with a selling stockholder to sell a specified number of the shares at a stipulated price per share. If the broker-dealer is unable to sell shares acting as agent for a selling stockholder, it may purchase as principal any unsold shares at the stipulated price. Broker-dealers who acquire shares as principals may thereafter resell the shares from time to time in transactions in any stock exchange or automated interdealer quotation system on which the shares are then listed, at prices and on terms then prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to the then-current market price or in negotiated transactions. Broker-dealers may use block transactions and sales to and through broker-dealers, including transactions of the nature described above. The selling stockholders may also sell all or a portion of their shares of our common stock in transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the Securities Act in reliance upon Rule 144 under the Securities Act rather than pursuant to this prospectus, regardless of whether the shares are covered by this prospectus.
From time to time, one or more of the selling stockholders may pledge, hypothecate or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares owned by them. The pledgees, secured parties or persons to whom the shares have been hypothecated will, upon foreclosure in the event of default, be deemed to be selling stockholders. The number of a selling stockholder’s shares offered under this prospectus will decrease as and when it takes such actions. The plan of distribution for that selling stockholder’s shares will otherwise remain unchanged. In addition, a selling stockholder may, from time to time, sell the shares short, and, in those instances, this prospectus may be delivered in connection with the short sales and the shares offered under this prospectus may be used to cover short sales.
The selling stockholders and any underwriters, brokers, dealers or agents that participate in the distribution of the shares may be deemed to be “underwriters” within the meaning of the Securities Act, and any discounts, concessions, commissions or fees received by them and any profit on the resale of the shares sold by them may be deemed to be underwriting discounts and commissions.
A selling stockholder may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealers and the broker-dealers may engage in short sales of the shares in the course of hedging the positions they assume with that selling stockholder, including, without limitation, in connection with distributions of the shares by those broker-dealers. A selling stockholder may enter into option or other transactions with broker-dealers that involve the delivery of the shares offered hereby to the broker-dealers, who may then resell or otherwise transfer those shares. A selling stockholder may also loan or pledge the shares offered hereby to a broker-dealer and the broker-dealer may sell the shares offered hereby so loaned or upon a default may sell or otherwise transfer the pledged shares offered hereby.
The selling stockholders and other persons participating in the sale or distribution of the shares will be subject to applicable provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the related rules and regulations adopted by the SEC, including Regulation M. This regulation may limit the timing of purchases and sales of any of the shares by the selling stockholders and any other person. The anti-manipulation rules under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 may apply to sales of shares in the market and to the activities of the selling stockholders and their affiliates. Furthermore, Regulation M may restrict the ability of any person engaged in the distribution of the shares to engage in market-making activities with respect to the particular shares being distributed for a period of up to five business days before the distribution. These restrictions may affect the marketability of the shares and the ability of any person or entity to engage in market-making activities with respect to the shares.
We may agree to indemnify the selling stockholders and their respective officers, directors, employees and agents, and any underwriter or other person who participates in an offering against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the federal securities laws or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities. The selling stockholders may agree to indemnify us, the other selling stockholders and any underwriter or other person who participates in an offering against specified liabilities, including liabilities under the federal securities laws or to contribute to payments the underwriters may be required to make in respect of those liabilities. The selling stockholders may agree to indemnify any brokers, dealers or agents who
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participate in transactions involving sales of the shares against specified liabilities arising under the federal securities laws in connection with the offering and sale of the shares.
If a selling stockholder notifies us that a material arrangement has been entered into with a broker-dealer for the sale of shares through a block trade, special offering, exchange, distribution or secondary distribution or a purchase by a broker or dealer, the prospectus supplement will include any other facts that are material to the transaction. If applicable, this may include a statement to the effect that the participating broker-dealers did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus.
INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE
We incorporate by reference into this prospectus information we file with the SEC, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, and later information that we file with the SEC will automatically update and supersede that information. This prospectus incorporates by reference the documents set forth below, that we have previously filed with the SEC. These documents contain important information about us and our financial condition.
| • | our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed March 14, 2007, for the year ended December 31, 2006; |
| • | our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed May 9, 2007, for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2007; |
| • | our Current Report on Form 8-K filed June 20, 2007; |
| • | the statements of revenue and certain expenses of the 2006 Acquisition A properties; the 2006 Acquisition B properties; the Cal-TIA portfolio; the PC portfolio; the OCMI portfolio; and the Parkwest II portfolio for the year ended December 31, 2005, in each case including the report of independent registered public accounting firm and notes thereto, contained in the prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(4) on December 14, 2006 (File No. 333-138094); and |
| • | the description of DCT Industrial Trust Inc.’s capital stock contained in its Registration Statement on Form 8-A (File No. 1-33201) filed December 8, 2006, including any amendment or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. |
All documents filed by us under Section 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act on or after the date of this prospectus until the date on which the registration statement containing this prospectus has been withdrawn shall also be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus and to be a part of this prospectus from the date of filing of those documents. Any statement contained in this prospectus or in a previously filed document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that also is or was deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.
The information relating to us contained in this prospectus should be read together with the information in the documents incorporated by reference.
You can obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference in this document from us, or from the SEC through the SEC’s Internet World Wide Web site at the address described above. Documents incorporated by reference are available from us without charge, excluding any exhibits to those documents, unless the exhibit is specifically incorporated by reference as an exhibit in this document. You can obtain documents incorporated by reference in this document, at no cost, by requesting them in writing or by telephone from us at the following address or telephone number:
DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
Investor Relations
518 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1700
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone (303) 597-2400
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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
We file annual, quarterly and special reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. You may read and copy any document that we file at the public reference facilities of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 25049. Please call the SEC at (800) SEC-0330 for further information about the public reference facilities. These documents also may be accessed through the SEC’s electronic data gathering, analysis and retrieval system, or EDGAR via electronic means, including the SEC’s home page on the Internet (www.sec.gov).
You may request a copy of these filings, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:
DCT Industrial Trust Inc.
Investor Relations
518 Seventeenth Street, Suite 1700
Denver, Colorado 80202
Telephone (303) 597-2400
We also maintain an internet site at www.dctindustrial.com where there is additional information about our business, but the contents of that site are not incorporated by reference in or otherwise a part of this prospectus.
The consolidated financial statements and related financial statement schedule of DCT Industrial Trust Inc. and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2006 and 2005, and for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2006, have been incorporated by reference herein, in reliance upon the reports of KPMG LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, incorporated by reference herein, and upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
The statements of revenue and certain expenses of the 2006 Acquisition A properties; the 2006 Acquisition B properties; the Cal-TIA portfolio; the PC portfolio; the OCMI portfolio; and the Parkwest II portfolio for the year ended December 31, 2005, incorporated by reference in this prospectus have been audited by Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman PC, an independent registered public accounting firm, as indicated in their reports with respect thereto, and are incorporated by reference in this prospectus in reliance upon the authority of said firm as experts in accounting and auditing.
Unless otherwise indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, the validity of the securities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by Venable LLP, Baltimore, Maryland, and certain tax matters will be passed upon for us by Goodwin Procter LLP. Any underwriters will also be advised about the validity of the securities and other legal matters by their own counsel, which will be named in the prospectus supplement.
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DCT INDUSTRIAL TRUST INC.
1,604,616 Shares of Common Stock
PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT
January 12, 2009