DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK
The following paragraphs constitute a summary as of the date of this prospectus and do not purport to be a complete description of our capital stock. The following paragraphs are qualified in their entirety by reference to our Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated, our Bylaws, as amended, and Maryland law. For a complete description of our capital stock, we refer you to our Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated, and our Bylaws, as amended, each of which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement.
General
Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended and restated, which we refer to herein as our “charter,” provides that we may issue up to 37,500,000 shares of stock, consisting of 25,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $1.00 per share, and 12,500,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share. We refer to our common stock and preferred stock collectively as “capital stock.” As of March 9, 2017, 18,399,721 shares of common stock (excluding 200,000 shares subject to issuance upon satisfaction of performance and time based vesting conditions with respect to the related restricted stock units) and no shares of preferred stock were outstanding. We may issue additional shares of capital stock, either independently or together with other offered securities. The shares of capital stock may be attached to or separate from those offered securities. For a description of restrictions on ownership and transfer that apply to our capital stock, please refer to “Provisions of Maryland Law and of our Charter and Bylaws—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer.”
Common Stock
Subject to the preferential rights of any other shares or series of capital stock, holders of shares of our common stock are entitled to receive distributions on such shares if, as and when authorized and declared by our board of directors out of assets legally available and 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 known debts and liabilities.
Each outstanding share of our common stock entitles the holder to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders, including the election of directors. There is no cumulative voting in the election of directors, which means that the holders of a majority of the outstanding shares of our common stock, voting as one class, can elect all of the directors then standing for election and the holders of the remaining shares of our common stock will not be able to elect any directors. Holders of shares of common stock have no preference, conversion, sinking fund, redemption, exchange or preemptive rights to subscribe for any of our securities.
Our charter authorizes our board of directors to take such action, in addition to the other provisions contained in the charter, as it deems necessary or advisable, to protect the Company and the interests of shareholders by preserving our status as a REIT. The charter authorizes our board of directors to refuse or prevent a transfer of shares of our capital stock to any person whose acquisition of such shares would, in the opinion of our board of directors, result in our disqualification as a REIT. In addition, any transfer of our capital stock that, if effective, would result in a shareholder owning shares in excess of the ownership limit set forth in our charter (as described under “Provisions of Maryland Law and of our Charter and Bylaws—Restrictions on Ownership and Transfer”), in our shares of capital stock being owned by less than 100 persons or in the Company being “closely held” shall be void from the date of the purported transfer.
Pursuant to the Maryland General Corporation Law (the “MGCL”), a corporation generally cannot (except under and in compliance with specifically enumerated provisions of the MGCL) 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 the affirmative vote of stockholders holding at least two-thirds of the shares entitled to vote on the matter, approves such action, unless a lesser percentage (but not less than a majority of all of the votes entitled to be cast on the matter) is set forth in the corporation’s charter. Our charter provides for approval of any such action by a majority of the votes entitled to be cast in the matter, except that an amendment to our charter changing the rights, privileges or preferences of any class or series of outstanding stock must be approved by not less than two-thirds of the outstanding shares of such class or series of stock.