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| Related-Party Transactions | RELATED-PARTY TRANSACTIONS Our Adviser and Administrator
We are externally managed pursuant to contractual arrangements with our Adviser and our Administrator, which collectively employ all of our personnel and pay their salaries, benefits, and general expenses directly. Both our Adviser and Administrator are affiliates of ours, as their parent company is owned and controlled by David Gladstone, our chairman, chief executive officer, and president. In addition, two of our executive officers, Mr. Gladstone and Terry Brubaker (our vice chairman and chief operating officer), serve as directors and executive officers of each of our Adviser and Administrator, and Michael LiCalsi, our general counsel and secretary (who also serves as our Administrator’s president, general counsel, and secretary) is also executive vice president of administration of our Adviser.
We have entered into an investment advisory agreement with our Adviser and an administration agreement with our Administrator (the “Administration Agreement”). The advisory agreement with our Adviser that was in effect through March 31, 2017, and the Administration Agreement each became effective February 1, 2013. The advisory agreement with our Adviser that was in effect through June 30, 2019 (the “Prior Advisory Agreement”), was amended and restated on July 9, 2019 (as amended, the “2019 Advisory Agreement”), and again amended and restated on January 14, 2020 (as amended, the “2020 Advisory Agreement,” and, together with the Prior Advisory Agreement and the 2019 Advisory Agreement, the “Advisory Agreements”). The Administration Agreement and each of the Advisory Agreements were approved unanimously by our board of directors, including our independent directors.
Our Board of Directors reviews and considers renewing the agreement with our Adviser each July. During its July 2020 meeting, our board of Directors reviewed and renewed each of the 2020 Advisory Agreement and the Administration Agreement for an additional year, through August 31, 2021.
A summary of the compensation terms for each of the Advisory Agreements is below.
Advisory Agreements
Pursuant to each of the Prior Advisory Agreement (which was in effect from April 1, 2017, through June 30, 2019), the 2019 Advisory Agreement (which was in effect from July 1, 2019, through December 31, 2019), and the 2020 Advisory Agreement (which has been in effect since January 1, 2020), our Adviser is compensated in the form of a base management fee and, each as applicable, an incentive fee, a capital gains fee, and a termination fee. Our Adviser does not charge acquisition or disposition fees when we acquire or dispose of properties, as is common in other externally-managed REITs. The 2019 Advisory Agreement modified the calculation of the base management and incentive fees to exclude preferred equity from such calculations, while the capital gains and termination fees remained unchanged. The 2020 Advisory Agreement revised and replaced the previous calculation of the base management fee, which was previously based on equity, with a calculation based on gross real estate assets, while all other fees remained unchanged. Each of the base management, incentive, capital gains, and termination fees is described below.
Base Management Fee
Pursuant to the Prior Advisory Agreement, a base management fee was paid quarterly and was calculated as 2.0% per annum (0.50% per quarter) of the calendar quarter’s total adjusted equity, which was defined as total equity plus total mezzanine equity, if any (each as reported on our balance sheet), adjusted to exclude unrealized gains and losses and certain other one-time events and non-cash items (“Total Adjusted Equity”).
Pursuant to the 2019 Advisory Agreement, a base management fee was paid quarterly and was calculated as 2.0% per annum (0.50% per quarter) of the prior calendar quarter’s total adjusted common equity, which was defined as common stockholders’ equity plus non-controlling common interests in the Operating Partnership, if any (each as reported on our balance sheet), adjusted to exclude unrealized gains and losses and certain other one-time events and non-cash items (“Total Adjusted Common Equity”).
Under the 2020 Advisory Agreement, a base management fee is paid quarterly and is calculated at an annual rate of 2.00% (0.500% per quarter) of the prior calendar quarter’s “Gross Tangible Real Estate,” defined as the gross cost of tangible real estate owned by us (including land and land improvements, irrigation and drainage systems, permanent plantings, farm-related facilities, and other tangible site improvements), prior to any accumulated depreciation, and as shown on our balance sheet or the notes thereto for the applicable quarter.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, our Adviser granted us certain non-contractual, unconditional, and irrevocable waivers, which were applied as credits against the base management fee for the period, as detailed in the table below under “—Related-Party Fees.” We did not have any such waivers for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Incentive Fee
Pursuant to the Prior Advisory Agreement, an incentive fee was calculated and payable quarterly in arrears if the Pre-Incentive Fee FFO for a particular quarter exceeded a hurdle rate of 1.75% (7.0% annualized) of the prior calendar quarter’s Total Adjusted Equity.
Under the 2019 Advisory Agreement and the 2020 Advisory Agreement, an incentive fee was calculated and payable quarterly in arrears if the Pre-Incentive Fee FFO for a particular quarter exceeded a hurdle rate of 1.75% (7.0% annualized) of the prior calendar quarter’s Total Adjusted Common Equity.
For purposes of this calculation, Pre-Incentive Fee FFO was defined in each of the Advisory Agreements as FFO (also as defined in each of the Advisory Agreements) accrued by the Company during the current calendar quarter (prior to any incentive fee calculation for the current calendar quarter), less any dividends paid on preferred stock securities that were not treated as a liability for GAAP purposes. Our Adviser would receive: (i) no Incentive Fee in any calendar quarter in which the Pre-Incentive Fee FFO did not exceed the hurdle rate; (ii) 100% of the Pre-Incentive Fee FFO with respect to that portion of such Pre-Incentive Fee FFO, if any, that exceeded the hurdle rate but was less than 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized); and (iii) 20% of the amount of the Pre-Incentive Fee FFO, if any, that exceeded 2.1875% in any calendar quarter (8.75% annualized).
Capital Gains Fee
Pursuant to each of the Advisory Agreements, a capital gains-based incentive fee will be calculated and payable in arrears at the end of each fiscal year (or upon termination of the agreement with our Adviser). The capital gains fee shall equal: (i) 15% of the cumulative aggregate realized capital gains minus the cumulative aggregate realized capital losses, minus (ii) any aggregate capital gains fees paid in prior periods. For purposes of this calculation, realized capital gains and losses will be calculated as (x) the sales price of the property, minus (y) any costs to sell the property and the then-current gross value of the property
(which includes the property’s original acquisition price plus any subsequent, non-reimbursed capital improvements). At the end of each fiscal year, if this figure is negative, no capital gains fee shall be paid.
Termination Fee
Pursuant to each of the Advisory Agreements, in the event of our termination of the agreement with our Adviser for any reason (with 120 days’ prior written notice and the vote of at least two-thirds of our independent directors), a termination fee would be payable to the Adviser equal to three times the sum of the average annual base management fee and incentive fee earned by the Adviser during the 24-month period prior to such termination.
Administration Agreement
Pursuant to the Administration Agreement, we pay for our allocable portion of the Administrator’s expenses incurred while performing its obligations to us, including, but not limited to, rent and the salaries and benefits expenses of our Administrator’s employees, including our chief financial officer, treasurer, chief compliance officer, general counsel and secretary (who also serves as our Administrator’s president, general counsel, and secretary), and their respective staffs.
As approved by our Board of Directors, effective July 1, 2014, our allocable portion of the Administrator’s expenses is generally derived by multiplying our Administrator’s total expenses by the approximate percentage of time the Administrator’s employees perform services for us in relation to their time spent performing services for all companies serviced by our Administrator under similar contractual agreements.
Gladstone Securities
On April 11, 2017, we entered into an agreement with Gladstone Securities for it to act as our non-exclusive agent to assist us with arranging financing for our properties (the “Financing Arrangement Agreement”). Gladstone Securities is a privately-held broker-dealer and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and the Securities Investor Protection Corporation. Gladstone Securities is an affiliate of ours, as its parent company is owned and controlled by Mr. Gladstone, who also serves on the board of managers of Gladstone Securities. In addition, Michael LiCalsi, our General Counsel and Secretary, serves in several capacities for Gladstone Securities, serving as Chief Legal Officer, Secretary, and a member of its board of managers since 2010 and a managing principal since 2011.
Financing Arrangement Agreement
We pay Gladstone Securities a financing fee in connection with the services it provides to us for securing financing on our properties. Depending on the size of the financing obtained, the maximum amount of the financing fee, which will be payable upon closing of the respective financing, will range from 0.5% to 1.0% of the amount of financing obtained. The amount of the financing fee may be reduced or eliminated as determined by us and Gladstone Securities after taking into consideration various factors, including, but not limited to, the involvement of any unrelated third-party brokers and general market conditions.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we paid total financing fees to Gladstone Securities of approximately $262,000 and $235,000, respectively. Through December 31, 2020, the total amount of financing fees paid to Gladstone Securities represented approximately 0.14% of the total financings secured since the Financing Arrangement Agreement has been in place.
Series B Dealer-Manager Agreement
On January 10, 2018, we entered into a dealer-manager agreement, which was amended and restated on May 31, 2018 (the “Series B Dealer-Manager Agreement”), with Gladstone Securities, whereby Gladstone Securities serves as our exclusive dealer-manager in connection with the offering of our Series B Preferred Stock (as defined in Note 8, “Equity—Series B Preferred Stock”). Pursuant to the Series B Dealer-Manager Agreement, Gladstone Securities provides certain sales, promotional, and marketing services to us in connection with the offering of the Series B Preferred Stock, and we generally will pay Gladstone Securities: (i) selling commissions of up to 7.0% of the gross proceeds from sales of Series B Preferred Stock in the offering (the “Series B Selling Commissions”), and (ii) a dealer-manager fee of 3.0% of the gross proceeds from sales of Series B Preferred Stock in the offering (the “Series B Dealer-Manager Fee”). Gladstone Securities was permitted, in its sole discretion, to remit all or a portion of the Series B Selling Commissions and also to reallow all or a portion of the Series B Dealer-Manager Fees to participating broker-dealers and wholesalers in support of the offering. The terms of the Dealer-Manager Agreement were approved by our board of directors, including all of its independent directors.
During the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, we paid total Series B Selling Commissions and Series B Dealer-Manager Fees to Gladstone Securities of approximately $2.5 million and $7.6 million, respectively, in connection with sales of the Series B Preferred Stock. The majority of these amounts were then remitted by Gladstone Securities to unrelated third parties involved in the offering, including participating broker-dealers and wholesalers. Series B Selling Commissions and
Series B Dealer-Manager Fees paid to Gladstone Securities were netted against the gross proceeds received from sales of the Series B Preferred Stock and are included within Additional paid-in capital on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The offering of our Series B Preferred Stock was completed on March 5, 2020.
Series C Dealer-Manager Agreement
On February 20, 2020, we entered into a dealer-manager agreement (the “Series C Dealer-Manager Agreement”), with Gladstone Securities, whereby Gladstone Securities will serve as our exclusive dealer-manager in connection with the offering of our Series C Preferred Stock (as defined in Note 8, “Equity—Equity Issuances—Series C Preferred Stock”). Pursuant to the Series C Dealer-Manager Agreement, Gladstone Securities provides certain sales, promotional, and marketing services to us in connection with the offering of the Series C Preferred Stock, and we pay Gladstone Securities (i) selling commissions of up to 6.0% of the gross proceeds from sales of Series C Preferred Stock (the “Series C Selling Commissions”) in the Primary Series C Offering (as defined in Note 8, “Equity—Equity Issuances—Series C Preferred Stock”), and (ii) a dealer-manager fee of 3.0% of the gross proceeds from sales of Series C Preferred Stock in the Primary Series C Offering (the “Series C Dealer-Manager Fee”). No Series C Selling Commissions or Series C Dealer-Manager Fee shall be paid with respect to shares of the Series C Preferred Stock sold pursuant to our dividend reinvestment plan (the “DRIP”) for the Series C Preferred Stock. Gladstone Securities may, in its sole discretion, reallow a portion of the Series C Dealer-Manager Fee to participating broker-dealers in support of the Primary Series C Offering. The terms of the Series C Dealer-Manager Agreement were approved by our board of directors, including all of our independent directors.
During the year ended December 31, 2020, we paid total Series C Selling Commissions and Series C Dealer-Manager Fees to Gladstone Securities of approximately $2.2 million in connection with sales of the Series C Preferred Stock. The majority of these amounts were then remitted by Gladstone Securities to unrelated third parties involved in the offering, including participating broker-dealers and wholesalers. Series C Selling Commissions and Series C Dealer-Manager Fees paid to Gladstone Securities are netted against the gross proceeds received from sales of the Series C Preferred Stock and are included within Additional paid-in capital on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Related Party Fees
The following table summarizes related-party fees paid or accrued for and reflected in our accompanying consolidated financial statements (dollars in thousands):
(1)Pursuant to the agreements with the respective related-party entities, as discussed above.
(2)Reflected as a line item on our accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.
(3)Included within Additional paid-in capital on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.
(4)Included within Notes and bonds payable, net on the Consolidated Balance Sheets and amortized into Interest expense on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income.
Related-Party Fees Due
Amounts due to related parties on our accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 were as follows (dollars in thousands):
(1)Other fees due to or from our Adviser primarily relate to miscellaneous general and administrative expenses either paid by our Adviser on our behalf or by us on our Adviser’s behalf.
(2)Represents the cumulative accrued but unpaid portion of prior Administration fees that are scheduled to be paid during the three months ending September 30 of each year, which is the quarter following our Administrator’s fiscal year end.
(3)Represents miscellaneous costs related to the Series C Offering paid by Gladstone Securities on our behalf.
(4)Reflected as a line item on our accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.
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