UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE TO
TENDER OFFER STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 14(d)(1)
OR 13(e)(1)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
OF NEW JERSEY
(Name of Subject Company (Issuer) and
Filing Person (as Offeror))
Shares of Beneficial Interest
(Title of Class of Securities)
336142 10 4
(CUSIP Number of Class of Securities)
JOHN A. AIELLO, ESQ.
PHILIP D. FORLENZA, ESQ.
GIORDANO, HALLERAN AND CIESLA, P.C.
125 HALF MILE ROAD
RED BANK, NEW JERSEY 07701
(732) 741-3900
(Name, Address, and Telephone Numbers of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications on Behalf of Filing Persons)
CALCULATION OF FILING FEE
Transaction Valuation (1) |
Amount of Filing Fee (2) |
$2,300,000 |
$268 |
(1) Estimated for purposes of calculating
filing fee only. This calculation assumes the purchase of 100,000 shares of beneficial interest of First Real Estate Investment
Trust of New Jersey at the tender offer price of $23 per share.
(2) The amount of the filing fee, calculated
in accordance with Rule 0-11 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Fee Rate Advisory No. 1 for fiscal year 2015
issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, equals $116.20 per million of transaction value, or $268.
| o | Check the box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the
filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the
Form or Schedule and the date of its filing. |
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Amount Previously Paid: |
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Form or Registration No.: |
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Filing Party: |
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Date Filed: |
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| o | Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications made before the commencement
of a tender offer. |
Check the appropriate boxes below to
designate any transactions to which the statement relates:
| o | third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-l. |
| x | issuer tender offer subject to Rule 13e-4. |
| o | going-private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3. |
| o | amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 13d-2. |
Check the following box if the filing
is a final amendment reporting the results of the tender offer: o
If applicable, place an X in the box
to designate the appropriate rule provision relied upon in conducting this transaction:
| o | Rule 13e-4(i) (Cross-Border Issuer Tender Offer) |
| o | Rule 14d-1(d) (Cross-Border Third-Party Tender Offer) |
INTRODUCTION
This Tender Offer
Statement on Schedule TO relates to the offer by First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment
trust organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey (the “Company”), to purchase up to 100,000 shares of beneficial
interest (the “Shares”) in the Company at a price of $23 per Share, in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes
and without interest upon the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase, attached as Exhibit (a)(1)(i)
to Schedule TO, (the “Offer to Purchase”), and the related Letter of Transmittal, attached thereto as Exhibit (a)(1)(ii)
(the “Letter of Transmittal”) (the Offer to Purchase and the Letter of Transmittal collectively constitute the “Offer”).
This Tender Offer Statement on Schedule TO is intended to satisfy the reporting requirements of Rule 13e-4(c)(2) under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
The information set
forth in the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal, copies of which are filed with this Schedule TO as Exhibits
(a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii), respectively, are incorporated by reference in answer to Items 1 through 11 in this Tender Offer Statement
on Schedule TO.
The information set
forth in the Offer to Purchase, including all appendices thereto, is expressly incorporated by reference into this Tender Offer
Statement on Schedule TO in its entirety, and responses to each item in this Amendment are qualified in their entirety by the provisions
of the Offer to Purchase.
Item 1. |
Summary Term Sheet. |
The information set forth in the section
captioned “Summary Term Sheet” of the Offer to Purchase, a copy of which is filed with this Schedule TO as Exhibit
(a)(1)(i), is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 2. |
Subject Company Information. |
(a) Name and
Address. The name of the subject company is First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment
trust organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey. The principal executive offices are located at 505 Main Street, Hackensack,
New Jersey 07601. The Company’s phone number is (201) 488-6400. The information set forth in Section 10 (“Certain Information
Concerning Us”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Securities.
The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase captioned “Introduction” is incorporated herein by
reference.
(c) Trading
Marketing and Price. The information set forth in the section captioned “Introduction” in the Offer to Purchase
is incorporated herein by reference. The information set forth in Section 8 (“Price Range of Shares; Dividends”) of
the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 3. |
Identity and Background of Filing Person. |
(a) Name and
Address. The name of the filing person is First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment
trust organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey. The information set forth in Item 2(a) above is incorporated herein
by reference. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors and Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements
Concerning the Shares”) in the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 4. |
Terms of the Transaction. |
(a) Material
Terms. The information set forth in the following sections of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference:
| · | Section 1 (“Number of Shares; Proration”), |
| · | Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer, Certain Effects of the Offer”), |
| · | Section 3 (“Procedures for Tendering Shares”), |
| · | Section 4 (“Withdrawal Rights”), |
| · | Section 5 (“Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price”), |
| · | Section 6 (“Conditional Tender of Shares”), |
| · | Section 7 (“Conditions of the Offer”), |
| · | Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”), |
| · | Section 11 (“Interests of Trustees and Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements
Concerning the Shares”), |
| · | Section 13 (“Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences”), |
| · | Section 14 (“Extension of the Offer; Termination; Amendment”), and |
| · | Section 16 (“Miscellaneous”). |
(b) Purchases.
The information set forth in the sections of the Offer to Purchase captioned “Introduction” and “Summary
Term Sheet” is incorporated herein by reference. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Trustees and
Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) in the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein
by reference.
Item 5. |
Past Contracts, Transactions, Negotiations and Agreements. |
(e) Agreements
Involving the Subject Company’s Securities. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Trustees and
Executive Officers, Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein
by reference.
Item 6. |
Purposes of the Transaction and Plans or Proposals. |
(a) Purposes.
The information set forth in the section of the Offer to Purchase captioned “Summary Term Sheet” is incorporated herein
by reference. The information set forth in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offering; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the
Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Use of
Securities Acquired. The information set forth in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”)
of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
(c) Plans.
The information set forth in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer”) of the Offer to Purchase
is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 7. |
Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration. |
(a) Source of
Funds. The information set forth in Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated
herein by reference.
(b) Borrowed
Funds. The information set forth in Section 9 (“Source and Amount of Funds”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated
herein by reference.
Item 8. |
Interest in Securities of the Subject Company. |
(a) Securities
Ownership. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors and Executive Officers; Transactions and
Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Securities
Transactions. The information set forth in Section 11 (“Interests of Directors and Executive Officers; Transactions and
Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 9. |
Persons/Assets, Retained, Employed, Compensated or Used. |
(a) Solicitation
of Recommendation. The information set forth in Section 15 (“Fees and Expenses”) of the Offer to Purchase is incorporated
herein by reference.
Item 10. |
Financial Statements. |
Item 11. |
Additional Information. |
(a) Agreements,
Regulatory Requirements and Legal Proceedings. The information set forth in Section 2 (“Purpose of the Offer; Certain
Effects of the Offer”), Section 10 (“Certain Information Concerning the Company”), Section 11 (“Interests
of Directors and Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares”) and Section 12 (“Certain
Legal Matters; Regulatory Approvals”) in the Offer to Purchase is incorporated herein by reference.
(b) Other
Material Information. The information in the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal, copies of which are filed
with this Schedule TO as Exhibits (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii), respectively, are incorporated herein by reference.
Exhibit No. |
Description |
(a)(1)(i) |
Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015. |
(a)(1)(ii) |
Letter of Transmittal. |
(a)(1)(iii) |
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. |
(a)(1)(iv) |
Letter of Information to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and Other Nominees. |
(a)(1)(v) |
Letter to Clients for use by Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and Other Nominees. |
(a)(5)(i) |
Press Release issued by Purchaser announcing the commencement of the Offer dated February 17, 2015. |
(d)(1)(i) |
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Proxy Statement for its 2007 Annual Meeting of Holders of Shares of Beneficial Interest filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2007). |
(d)(1)(ii) |
Form of Stock Option Agreement for options granted pursuant to First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Equity Incentive Plan. |
(d)(1)(iii) |
First Real Estate Investment
Trust of New Jersey Amended and Restated Deferred Fee Plan, amended as of October 31, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to
Exhibit No. 10.8 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 filed with the Securities
and Exchange Commission on January 14, 2015). |
Item 13. |
Information Required by Schedule 13E-3. |
Not applicable.
SIGNATURES
After due inquiry
and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct.
Dated: February 17, 2015 |
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First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey. |
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By: |
/s/ Robert S. Hekemian |
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Name: |
Robert S. Hekemian |
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Title: |
Chairman |
EXHIBIT INDEX
EXHIBIT NO. |
DESCRIPTION |
(a)(1)(i) |
Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015. |
(a)(1)(ii) |
Letter of Transmittal. |
(a)(1)(iii) |
Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. |
(a)(1)(iv) |
Letter of Information to Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and Other Nominees. |
(a)(1)(v) |
Letter to Clients for use by Brokers, Dealers, Commercial Banks, Trust Companies and Other Nominees. |
(a)(5)(i) |
Press Release issued by Purchaser announcing the commencement of the
Offer dated February 17, 2015. |
(d)(1)(i) |
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Equity Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Appendix A to the Company’s Proxy Statement for its 2007 Annual Meeting of Holders of Shares of Beneficial Interest filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2007). |
(d)(1)(ii) |
Form of Stock Option Agreement for options granted pursuant to First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Equity Incentive Plan. |
(d)(1)(iii) |
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Amended and Restated Deferred Fee Plan, amended as of October 31, 2014 (incorporated herein by reference to Exhibit No. 10.8 to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 14, 2015). |
Exhibit (a)(1)(i)
Offer
to Purchase for Cash
by
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF
NEW JERSEY
of
Up to 100,000 Shares of Beneficial Interest
At a Purchase Price of $23.00 per Share
THE OFFER, PRORATION PERIOD AND WITHDRAWAL
RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED.
First Real Estate
Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment trust organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey (the
“Company,” “we” or “us”), invites our shareholders to tender up to 100,000 shares of beneficial
interest in the Company, for purchase by us at a price of $23.00 per share, net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding
taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in this Offer to Purchase and in the related
Letter of Transmittal (which together, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time, constitute the “Offer”).
The term “share” as used in this Offer to Purchase means a share of beneficial interest in the Company.
Upon the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will pay $23.00 per share, net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding
taxes and without interest for shares of beneficial interest properly tendered and not properly withdrawn from the Offer. All shares
acquired in the Offer will be acquired at the same purchase price. However, because of the “odd lot” priority, proration
and conditional tender provisions described in this Offer to Purchase, we may not purchase all of the shares tendered in the Offer
if more than the number of shares we seek are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. Shares not purchased in the Offer will
be returned to the tendering shareholders at our expense promptly after the expiration of the Offer. We reserve the right, in our
sole discretion, to purchase more than 100,000 shares in the Offer, and to increase the purchase price, subject to applicable
law. In accordance with the rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), we may purchase an additional
amount of shares not to exceed 2% of the outstanding shares (approximately 136,423 shares as of February 16, 2015) without amending
or extending the Offer. See Section 1.
THE OFFER IS
NOT CONDITIONED UPON ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES BEING TENDERED. OUR OBLIGATION TO TAKE UP AND PAY FOR ANY SHARES TENDERED UNDER
THE OFFER IS, HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO OTHER CONDITIONS. SEE SECTION 7.
Our shares of
beneficial interest are traded in the over-the-counter market through the use of the OTC Bulletin Board Service provided by
FINRA under the symbol “FREVS.” On February 13, 2015, the last full trading day prior to the announcement and
commencement of the Offer, the last reported sale price of our shares of beneficial interest was $19.20 per share.
Shareholders are urged to obtain current market quotations for the shares before deciding whether to tender their Shares in
the Offer. See Section 8.
OUR BOARD OF
TRUSTEES HAS APPROVED THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, NOR GEORGESON INC., THE INFORMATION
AGENT FOR THE OFFER (THE “INFORMATION AGENT”) OR COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A., THE DEPOSITARY FOR THE OFFER (THE
“DEPOSITARY”), MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES.
NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOR THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY HAS AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE
ANY RECOMMENDATION WITH RESPECT TO THE OFFER. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW
MANY SHARES TO TENDER. IN DOING SO, YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR OWN INVESTMENT AND TAX ADVISORS, AND READ CAREFULLY AND EVALUATE THE
INFORMATION IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, INCLUDING OUR REASONS FOR MAKING THE OFFER. SEE
SECTION 2.
None of our trustees
and executive officers, has indicated that they intend to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer.
Questions and requests
for assistance may be directed to the Information Agent for the Offer at the address and telephone number set forth on the back
cover of this Offer to Purchase. Requests for additional copies of this Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal or the Notice
of Guaranteed Delivery should be directed to the Information Agent at the address and phone number set forth on the back cover
page of this Offer to Purchase.
THIS DOCUMENT
DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OR A SOLICITATION TO ANY PERSON IN ANY JURISDICTION IN WHICH SUCH OFFER OR SOLICITATION IS UNLAWFUL.
THE OFFER IT NOT BEING MADE TO, AND TENDERS OF SHARES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED FROM OR ON BEHALF OF, SHAREHOLDERS IN ANY JURISDICTION
IN WHICH THE MAKING OR ACCEPTANCE OF THE OFFER WOULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THAT JURISDICTION.
February 17, 2015
IMPORTANT
If you want to tender
all or part of your shares, you must do one of the following before the Offer expires at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on
Friday, March 20, 2015 (unless the Offer is extended):
| · | If your shares are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or
other nominee, contact the nominee and request that the nominee tender your shares for you; |
| · | If you hold certificates registered in your own name, complete and sign a Letter of
Transmittal according to its instructions, and deliver it, together with any required signature guarantees, the certificates
for your shares and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, to Computershare Trust Company, N.A., the
Depositary for
the Offer; |
| · | If you are an institution participating in The Depositary Trust Company, which we call the “Book-Entry
Transfer Facility” in this Offer to Purchase, tender your shares according to the procedure for book-entry transfer described
in Section 3; or |
If you want to tender
your shares but (a) the certificates for your shares are not immediately available or cannot be delivered to the Depositary by
the expiration of the Offer, (b) you cannot comply with the procedures for book-entry transfer by the expiration of the Offer,
or (c) your other required documents cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the expiration of the Offer, you can still tender
your shares if you comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures described in Section 3.
Questions and requests
for assistance may be directed to Georgeson Inc., the Information Agent for the Offer, at the address and telephone number set
forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. Requests for additional copies of this Offer to Purchase, the related Letter
of Transmittal or the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery may be directed to the Information Agent.
WE HAVE NOT
AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED
IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE OR IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON ANY RECOMMENDATION, OR ANY SUCH REPRESENTATION
OR INFORMATION, AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY US, ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY.
SUMMARY TERM SHEET
We are providing
this summary term sheet for your convenience. It highlights certain material information in this Offer to Purchase, but you should
realize that it does not describe all of the details of the Offer to same extent described elsewhere in this Offer to Purchase.
We urge you to read the entire Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal because they contain the full details of
the Offer. We have included references to the sections of this Offer to Purchase where you will find a more complete discussion.
Who is offering to purchase my shares?
First Real Estate
Investment Trust of New Jersey is offering to purchase up to 100,000 shares of beneficial interest. See Section 1.
What is the purpose of the Offer?
This Offer is an
element of our overall plan to enhance shareholder value. We believe that investing in our own shares is an attractive use of capital
and an effective and efficient means to provide value to our shareholders. Historically there has been relatively little liquidity
in our shares due to low trading volume and the small size of the “public float.” We believe the Offer set forth herein
represents an efficient mechanism to provide our shareholders with the opportunity to tender all or a portion of their shares and
thereby receive a return of some of all of their investment if they so elect, without potential disruption to the market price
of our shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders who do not participate in the Offer will automatically increase their relative
percentage ownership interest in us and in our future operations at no additional cost to them. Where shares are tendered by the
registered owner of those shares directly to the Depositary, the sale of those shares in the Offer will permit the seller to avoid
the usual transaction costs associated with open market sales. Furthermore, odd lot holders who hold shares registered in their
names and tender their shares directly to the Depositary and whose shares are purchased under the Offer will avoid not only the
payment of brokerage commissions but also any applicable odd lot discounts that might be payable on sales of their shares in the
over-the-counter market. See Section 2, Section 9 and Section 11.
Our Board of Trustees
has determined that the Offer is a prudent use of our financial resources and presents an appropriate balance between meeting the
needs of our business and delivering value to our shareholders. See Section 2 for additional information about the purpose and
effects of the Offer.
How many shares will be purchased
in the Offer?
We will purchase
up to 100,000 shares in the Offer (representing approximately 1.5% of our total outstanding shares of beneficial interest as of
February 16, 2015) or such lesser number of shares as are properly tendered. If more than 100,000 shares are tendered, we will
purchase all shares tendered on a pro rata basis, except for “odd lots” (lots held by beneficial or record owners of
less than 100 shares), which we will purchase on a priority basis. We expressly reserve the right to purchase additional shares
in the Offer, subject to applicable law. See Section 1. The Offer is not conditioned on any minimum number of shares being tendered
but is subject to other conditions. See Section 7.
In accordance with
the rules of the SEC, we may purchase an additional amount of shares not to exceed 2% of the total outstanding shares (approximately
136,423 shares as of February 16, 2015) without amending or extending the Offer.
What will the purchase price for
the shares be and what will be the form of payment?
We are offering
to purchase shares of beneficial interest in the Offer at a fixed price of $23.00 per share in cash. If we purchase your shares
in the Offer, we will pay you the purchase price in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, promptly
after the expiration of the Offer. Under no circumstances will we pay interest on the purchase price, even if there is a delay
in making payment. See the Introduction and Section 1.
How will we pay for the shares?
Assuming we purchase
100,000 shares in the Offer at the specified purchase price of $23.00 per share, approximately $2,300,000 will be required
to purchase such shares. We expect that the maximum aggregate cost of this purchase, including all fees and expenses applicable
to the Offer, will be approximately $2,350,000. We will use cash on hand to purchase shares in the Offer and to pay all related
fees and expenses. See Section 9.
How long do I have to tender my shares?
You may tender your
shares until the Offer expires. The Offer will expire at 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015 unless we
extend the Offer. See Section 1. We may choose to extend the Offer at any time and for any reason. We cannot assure you, however,
that we will extend the Offer or, if we extend it, for how long. See Section 1 and Section 14. If a broker, dealer, commercial
bank, trust company or other nominee holds your shares, it may have an earlier deadline for accepting the Offer. We urge you to
contact the broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee that holds your shares to find out its deadline.
Can the Offer be extended, amended
or terminated and if so, under what circumstances?
Yes. We can extend
or amend the Offer in our sole discretion. If we extend the Offer, we will delay the acceptance of any shares that have been tendered.
See Section 14. We can terminate the Offer under certain circumstances. See Section 7.
How will I be notified if you extend
the Offer or amend the terms of the Offer?
If we extend the
Offer, we will issue a press release not later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the first business day after the previously
scheduled expiration date of the Offer. We will announce any amendment to the Offer by making a public announcement of the amendment.
See Section 14. In the event of an extension, amendment or termination of the Offer, we will also give written or oral notice to
the Information Agent and the Depositary. For the purposes of the Offer, a “business day” means any day other than
a Saturday, Sunday or U.S. federal holiday and consists of the time period from 12:01 a.m. through 12:00 midnight, New York City
time.
Are there any conditions to the Offer?
Yes. Our obligation
to accept for payment and pay for your tendered shares depends upon a number of conditions that must be satisfied or waived on
or prior to the expiration of the Offer, including:
| · | No legal action shall have been threatened, pending or taken that might adversely affect the Offer. |
| · | No general suspension of trading in, or general limitation on prices for, or trading in, securities
on any national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter markets in the United States or the declaration of a banking moratorium
or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the United States shall have occurred. |
| · | No material change in United States or any other currency exchange rates or a suspension of or
limitation on the markets therefor. |
| · | No decrease of more than 10% in the market price of our beneficial interest or in the Dow Jones
Industrial Average or the Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Industrial Companies measured from the close of trading
on February 13, 2015, the last trading day prior to commencement of the Offer, shall have occurred. |
| · | No commencement of war, armed hostilities or other similar national or international calamity directly
or indirectly involving the United States shall have occurred on or after February 17, 2015 nor shall any material escalation or
any war of armed hostilities which had commenced prior to February 17, 2015 have occurred. |
| · | No changes in the general political, market, economic or financial conditions, domestically or
internationally, that are reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect our business or the trading in our shares shall
have occurred. |
| · | No person shall have proposed, announced or made a tender or exchange offer for our shares (other
than this Offer), merger, business combination or other similar transaction involving us. |
| · | No person (including certain groups) shall have acquired, or proposed to acquire, beneficial ownership
of more than 5% of our outstanding shares (other than as publicly disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission
(the “SEC”) on or before February 17, 2015). In addition, no new group shall have been formed that beneficially owns
more than 5% of our outstanding shares. |
| · | No person (including a group) that has publicly disclosed in a filing with the SEC on or before
February 17, 2015 that it has beneficial ownership of more than 5% of the outstanding shares shall have acquired, or publicly announced
its proposal to acquire, beneficial ownership of an additional 1% or more of the outstanding shares. |
| · | No person shall have filed a Notification and Report Form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust
Improvements Act of 1976, or made a public announcement reflecting an intent to acquire us or any of our subsidiaries or affiliates
or any of our assets or securities. |
| · | No material adverse change in our business, condition (financial or otherwise), assets, income,
operations or prospects, shall have occurred during the Offer. |
| · | We shall not have determined that as a result of the consummation of the Offer and the purchase
of shares that there will be a reasonable likelihood that the shares either (1) will be held of record by less than 300 persons
or (2) will be eligible for deregistration under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”)
or that we will fail to qualify as a real estate investment trust for tax purposes. |
For a more detailed
discussion of these and other conditions to the Offer, please see Section 7 of this Offer to Purchase.
How do I tender my shares?
If you want to tender
all or part of your shares, you must do one of the following before 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015
or any later time and date to which the Offer may be extended:
| · | If your shares are registered in the name of a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or
other nominee, contact the nominee and request that the nominee tender your shares for you; |
| · | If you hold certificates registered in your own name, complete and sign a Letter of Transmittal
according to its instructions, and deliver it, together with any required signature guarantees, the certificates for your shares
and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, to the Depositary at one of its addresses appearing on the back
cover page of this Offer to Purchase; |
| · | If you are an institution participating in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, tender your shares
according to the procedure for book-entry transfer described in Section 3; or |
If you want to tender your shares, but:
| · | The certificates for your shares are not immediately available or cannot be delivered to the Depositary
by the expiration of the Offer; |
| · | You cannot comply with the procedure for book-entry transfer by the expiration of the Offer; or |
| · | Your other required documents cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the expiration of the Offer; |
you can still tender your shares if
you comply with the guaranteed delivery procedure described in Section 3.
You may contact
the Information Agent or your broker, bank or other nominee for assistance. The contact information for the Information Agent is
set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. See Section 3 and the Instructions to the Letter of Transmittal.
Once I have tendered shares in the
Offer, may I withdraw my tendered shares?
Yes. You may withdraw
any shares you have tendered at any time before 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015, unless we extend
the Offer, in which case you may withdraw your shares until the expiration of the Offer, as extended. If we have not accepted for
payment the shares you have tendered to us, you may also withdraw your shares at any time after 12:00 midnight, New York City time,
on Tuesday, April 14, 2015. See Section 4.
How do I withdraw shares I previously
tendered?
To properly withdraw
shares, you must deliver on a timely basis a written notice of your withdrawal to the Depositary at one of its addresses appearing
on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. Your notice of withdrawal must specify your name, the number of shares to be withdrawn
and the name of the registered holder of the shares. Some additional requirements apply if the certificates for shares to be withdrawn
have been delivered to the Depositary or if your shares have been tendered under the procedure for book-entry transfer set forth
in Section 3.
In what order will you purchase the
tendered shares?
We will purchase
shares:
| · | first, from all holders of “odd lots” of less than 100 shares who properly tender
all of their shares and do not properly withdraw them before the expiration date; |
| · | second, after purchasing the shares from the “odd lot holders,” from all other
shareholders who properly tender shares, on a pro rata basis, subject to the conditional tender provisions described in Section
6; and |
| · | third, only if necessary to permit us to purchase 100,000 shares (or such greater number
of shares as we may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law), from holders who have tendered shares subject to the condition
that a specified minimum number of the holder’s shares be purchased if any of the holder’s shares are purchased in
the Offer as described in Section 6 (for which the condition was not initially satisfied) by random lot, to the extent feasible.
To be eligible for purchase by random lot, shareholders whose shares are conditionally tendered must have tendered all of their
shares. |
Therefore, we may
not purchase all of the shares that you tender even if they are properly tendered and not withdrawn. See Section 1.
What does the Board of Trustees think
of the Offer?
Our Board of Trustees
has approved the Offer. However, neither we nor any member of our Board of Trustees nor the Depositary or the Information Agent
is making any recommendation to you as to whether you should tender or refrain from tendering your shares. You must make your own
decision as to whether to tender your shares and, if so, how many shares to tender. In doing so, you should read carefully the
information in this Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal, including our reasons for making the Offer. See
Section 2. You should discuss whether to tender your shares with your broker or other financial or tax advisors.
Will your trustees and executive
officers tender shares in the Offer?
None of our trustees
and executive officers has indicated that they intend to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer.
If I decide not to tender, how will
the Offer affect my shares?
Shareholders who
decide not to tender will own a greater percentage interest in our outstanding shares following the purchase, if any, of shares
tendered in the Offer. See Section 2.
Following the Offer, will you continue
as a public company?
We believe that
our shares will continue to be authorized for quotation on the OTC Bulletin Board and that we will continue to be subject to the
periodic reporting requirements of the Exchange Act. See Section 2.
When and how will you pay me for
the shares I tender?
We will pay $23.00
per share, net to the seller in cash, less applicable withholding taxes and without interest, for the shares we purchase promptly
after the expiration of the Offer. We will pay for the shares accepted for purchase by depositing the aggregate purchase price
with the Depositary, promptly after the expiration of the Offer. The Depositary will act as your agent and will transmit to you
the payment for all of your shares accepted for payment. See Section 1 and Section 5.
What is the recent market price of
my shares?
On February 13,
2015, the last full trading day before the announcement and commencement of the Offer, the last reported sale price of our shares
of beneficial interest on the OTC Bulletin Board was $19.20 per share. You are urged to obtain current market quotations for the
shares before deciding whether or not to tender your shares. See Section 8.
Will I have to pay brokerage commissions
if I tender my shares?
If you are a registered
shareholder and you tender your shares directly to the Depositary, you will not incur any brokerage commissions. If you hold shares
through a broker, bank or other nominee, we urge you to consult your broker, bank or other nominee to determine whether any transaction
costs are applicable. See the Introduction, Section 3 and Section 15.
Will I have to pay stock transfer
tax if I tender my shares?
If you instruct
the Depositary in the Letter of Transmittal to make the payment for the shares to the registered holder, you will not incur any
share transfer tax. See Section 5.
What are the United States federal
income tax consequences if I tender my shares?
Generally, your
receipt of cash from us in exchange for the shares of beneficial interest you tender will be a taxable transaction for United States
federal income tax purposes. The cash you receive for your tendered shares of beneficial interest will generally be treated for
United States federal income tax purposes either as consideration received in respect of a sale or exchange of the shares of beneficial
interest purchased by us or as a distribution from us in respect of shares of beneficial interest. See Section 13 for a more detailed
discussion of the tax treatment of the Offer. We urge you to consult with your own tax advisor as to the particular tax consequences
to you of the Offer. Non-United States Holders (as defined in Section 13) are urged to consult their tax advisor regarding the
application of United States federal income tax withholding and backup withholding, including eligibility for a withholding tax
reduction or exemption, and the refund procedure.
Who is the contact for questions
about the Offer?
The Depositary
can help answer your questions regarding the procedures for tendering your shares, including how to complete the enclosed
forms. The Depositary is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Its contact information is set forth on the back cover of this Offer to
Purchase. You may also contact the Information Agent for more information about the Company or the Offer. The Information
Agent is Georgeson Inc. Its contact information is set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain of the statements
contained in this Offer to Purchase are forward looking. In addition, from time to time, we may publish forward-looking statements
relating to such matters as anticipated financial performance, business prospects, the purchase, sale or lease of real estate,
the financing of real estate and similar matters. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology
such as “may,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipated,” “estimate,”
“continue,” or other similar words, including but not limited to statements as to our intent, belief, or current expectations
and the intent, belief or current expectations of our trustees, officers, and management with respect to our future operations,
performance, or positions or which contain other forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are predictions.
No assurances can be given that the future results indicated, whether expressed or implied, will be achieved. Our actual results
may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. While we believe that these statements are
and will be accurate, a variety of factors could cause our actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated
results or other expectations expressed in our statements. Our business is dependent upon general economic conditions and upon
various conditions specific to the real estate industry and future trends, events or results cannot be predicted with certainty.
Particular risks and uncertainties that may affect our business, other than those described elsewhere herein, include the risk
factors described below. When considering the forward-looking statements in this Offer to Purchase, you should keep in mind the
risk factors and other cautionary statements set forth in this Offer to Purchase.
These forward-looking
statements are based upon a variety of assumptions relating to our business, which may not be realized. Because of the number and
range of the assumptions underlying our forward-looking statements, many of which are subject to significant uncertainties and
contingencies beyond our reasonable control, some of the assumptions inevitably will not materialize and unanticipated events and
circumstances may occur subsequent to the date of this document. These forward-looking statements are based on current information
and expectations, and we assume no obligation to update. Therefore, our actual experience and the results achieved during the period
covered by any particular forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that
these estimates will be realized, and actual results may vary materially. There can be no assurance that any of these expectations
will be realized or that any of the forward-looking statements contained herein will prove to be accurate.
In addition to the
other information set forth in this Offer to Purchase, you should carefully consider the following factors which could materially
affect our business, financial condition, cash flows or future results. Any one of these factors could cause our actual results
to vary materially from recent results or from anticipated future results. The risks described below are not the only risks facing
us. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may materially
adversely affect our business, financial condition and/or operating results.
| · | Almost all of our income and cash flow are derived from net rental income from our investment properties
and our business and financial results are affected by, among other things, the national economic climate, occupancy rates at the
properties, tenant turnover rates, rental rates and cost of and availability of capital, among other things. |
| · | Financially distressed tenants may be unable to pay rents and expense recovery charges. |
| · | If tenants fail to renew leases, fail to exercise renewal options or terminate leases early, the
lost rents and costs of re-renting could prove costly to us. |
| · | Increases in inflation could have a pronounced negative impact on our operating and administrative
expenses, as these costs may increase at a higher rate than our rents. |
| · | Our development and construction activities present certain risks that may adversely affect our
cash flow, including: |
| Ø | financing may not be available in the amounts we seek, or may not be available on favorable terms; |
| Ø | long-term financing may not be available upon completion of the construction; |
| Ø | failure to complete construction on schedule or within budget may increase debt service costs and
constructions costs; and |
| Ø | abandoned project costs could result in an impairment loss. |
| · | Debt financing could adversely affect our income and cash flow. |
| · | Failure of banking and financing institutions could make financing unavailable to us and could
adversely affect our liquidity and negatively affect our operations. |
| · | Financial failure of our insurance carriers could result in their inability to pay claims, which
could have an adverse affect on our financial condition. |
| · | Many of our competitors have significantly greater resources than us, which could give them an
advantage when we compete for properties. |
| · | Increased competition to our retailer tenants could adversely affect the viability of those tenants,
which could adversely affect our revenues and earnings. |
| · | Real estate investments are relatively difficult to buy and sell quickly, and our ability to vary
our portfolio in response to changing market or economic conditions is limited. |
| · | Environmental legislation increases the cost of selling real estate, the cost to develop real estate
and the risks associated with purchasing real estate, and liability arising from environmental legislation could adversely affect
our financial condition and results of operations. |
| · | Changes in legislation, new regulations and administrative interpretations may significantly change
the tax laws with respect to the requirements for our qualification as a REIT, and future economic, marketing, legal, tax or other
considerations may cause us to revoke our REIT election or fail to qualify as a REIT, which could have adverse tax consequences
and eliminate the requirement that we pay dividends to our shareholders. |
| · | Our investment and operating policies, including indebtedness and dividends, are exclusively determined
by our Board of Trustees, and are not subject to shareholder approval. |
| · | We depend on the services of our key personnel. |
Please refer to
the section entitled “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014 for
information on these and other risk factors. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to revise any of the forward-looking
information included in this document or to update it to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this document.
INTRODUCTION
To the holders of
our shares of beneficial interest:
We invite our shareholders
to tender up to 100,000 shares of beneficial interest for purchase by us at a price of $23.00 per share, net to the seller in cash,
less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to the conditions described in this Offer
to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal which together, as they may be amended or supplemented from time to time,
constitute the “Offer.”
Upon the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will pay $23.00 per share, net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding
taxes and without interest, for shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn in the Offer. We will acquire all shares in
the Offer at the same purchase price, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, including proration provisions.
We will only purchase
shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. However, because of the “odd lot” priority, proration (because
more than the number of shares we seek are properly tendered) and conditional tender provisions described in this Offer to Purchase,
we may not purchase all of the shares tendered in the Offer. Shares not purchased in the Offer will be returned to the tendering
shareholders at our expense promptly after the expiration of the Offer. See Section 1.
We expressly reserve
the right, in our sole discretion, to purchase more than 100,000 shares in the Offer, and/or to amend the purchase price, subject
to applicable law. See Section 1.
THE OFFER IS
NOT CONDITIONED ON ANY MINIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES BEING TENDERED. THE OFFER IS, HOWEVER, SUBJECT TO OTHER CONDITIONS. SEE SECTION
7.
OUR BOARD OF
TRUSTEES HAS APPROVED THE OFFER. HOWEVER, WE DO NOT, NOR DOES ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE
DEPOSITARY, MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES. YOU MUST MAKE
YOUR OWN DECISION AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER. IN DOING SO, YOU SHOULD READ CAREFULLY
THE INFORMATION IN THIS OFFER TO PURCHASE AND IN THE RELATED LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL, INCLUDING OUR REASONS FOR MAKING THE OFFER.
SEE SECTION 2. YOU SHOULD DISCUSS WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER WITH YOUR FINANCIAL AND TAX
ADVISORS.
None of our trustees
and executive officers have indicated that they intend to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer.
We will pay all
fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Offer by the Information Agent and the Depositary. See Section 15.
As of February 16,
2015, we had 6,993,152 issued shares of beneficial interest, including 6,821,171 outstanding shares and 171,981 treasury shares.
The 100,000 shares that we are offering to purchase pursuant to the Offer represent approximately 1.5% of our shares of beneficial
interest outstanding on February 16, 2015. Our shares are traded in the over-the-counter market through the OTC Bulletin Board
sponsored by FINRA under the symbol “FREVS”. On February 13, 2015, the last full trading day prior to the announcement
and commencement of the Offer, the last reported sale price of our shares on the OTC Bulletin Board was $19.20 per share. Shareholders
are urged to obtain current market quotations for the shares before deciding whether to tender their shares. See Section 8 and
Section 11.
Our principal executive
offices are located at 505 Main Street, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 and our phone number is (201) 488-6400.
THE OFFER
| 1. | Number of Shares; Proration. |
Upon the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, we will purchase up to 100,000 shares of beneficial interest, or such lesser number of
shares as are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn in accordance with Section 4 before the expiration date at a price of
$23.00 per share net to seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest (such purchase price, the “Purchase
Price”).
The term “expiration
date” means 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015, unless and until we, in our sole discretion, shall
have extended the period of time during which the Offer will remain open, in which event the term “expiration date”
shall refer to the latest time and date at which the Offer, as so extended by us, shall expire. See Section 14 for a description
of our right to extend, delay, terminate or amend the Offer.
We will purchase
all shares in the Offer at the Purchase Price. We will only purchase shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. However,
because of the “odd lot” priority, proration and conditional tender provisions of the Offer, we may not purchase all
of the shares tendered in the Offer if more than the number of shares we seek are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn.
We will return all shares tendered and not purchased in the Offer, including shares not purchased because of proration or conditional
tenders, to the tendering shareholders at our expense, promptly following the expiration date.
By following the
instructions in the Letter of Transmittal, shareholders can specify the order in which the specified portions of their shares will
be purchased in the event that, as a result of proration or otherwise, some but not all of the tendered shares are purchased pursuant
to the Offer. In the event a shareholder does not designate such order and fewer than all shares are purchased due to proration,
the Depositary will select the order of shares purchased.
We expressly reserve
the right, in our sole discretion, to purchase more than 100,000 shares under the Offer, subject to applicable law. In accordance
with the rules of the SEC, we may purchase an additional amount of shares not to exceed 2% of the outstanding shares (approximately
136,423 shares as of February 16, 2015) without amending or extending the Offer. However, if we purchase an additional number of
shares in excess of 2% of the outstanding shares, we will amend and extend the offer in compliance with applicable law. See Section
14.
In the event of
an over-subscription of the Offer as described below, shares tendered prior to the expiration date and not withdrawn will be subject
to proration, except for “odd lots.” The proration period and withdrawal rights also expire on the expiration date.
The Offer is not
conditioned on any minimum number of shares being tendered. The Offer is, however, subject to other conditions. See Section 7.
Priority of Purchases.
On the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, if more than 100,000 shares (or such greater number of shares as we may
elect to purchase, subject to applicable law), have been properly tendered and not properly withdrawn before the expiration, we
will purchase properly tendered shares on the basis set forth below:
| · | first, we will purchase all shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn by an “odd
lot holder,” as described below, who: |
| · | tenders all shares owned beneficially or of record by such “odd lot holder” (tenders
of less than all of the shares owned by such “odd lot holder” will not qualify for this preference); and |
| · | completes the box entitled “Odd Lots” in the related Letter of Transmittal and, if
applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery; |
| · | second, after the purchase of all of the shares properly tendered by “odd lot holders,”
subject to the conditional tender provisions described in Section 6, we will purchase all other shares properly tendered and not
withdrawn on a pro rata basis with appropriate adjustment to avoid purchases of fractional shares; and |
| · | third, only if necessary to permit us to purchase the total number of shares to be purchased
in this Offer, we will purchase shares, conditionally tendered (for which the condition was not initially satisfied), by random
lot, to the extent feasible. To be eligible for purchase by random lot, shareholders whose shares are conditionally tendered must
have tendered all of their shares. |
As a result of the
foregoing priorities applicable to the purchase of shares tendered, it is possible that fewer than all shares tendered by a shareholder
will be purchased or that, if a tender is conditioned upon the purchase of a specified number of shares, none of those shares will
be purchased even though those shares were properly tendered and not withdrawn.
As we noted above,
we may elect to purchase more than 100,000 shares in the Offer, subject to applicable law. If we do so, the preceding provisions
will apply to the greater number of shares.
Odd Lots.
For purposes of the Offer, the term “odd lots” means all shares held by a shareholder who owns beneficially or of record
an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares which we refer to an “odd lot holder,” and so certifies in the appropriate place
on the related Letter of Transmittal, and if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. To qualify for this preference,
an “odd lot holder” must tender all shares owned beneficially or of record by the “odd lot holder” in accordance
with the procedures described in Section 3. As set forth above, “odd lots” will be accepted for payment before proration,
if any, of the purchase of other tendered shares. This preference is not available to partial tenders or to beneficial or record
holders of an aggregate of 100 or more shares, even if these holders have separate accounts or certificates representing fewer
than 100 shares. By accepting the Offer, an “odd lot holder” who holds shares in his or her name and tenders his or
her shares directly to the Depositary would not only avoid the payment of brokerage commissions, but also would avoid any applicable
“odd lot” discounts in a sale of the holder’s shares. Any “odd lot holder” wishing to tender all
of part of such “odd lot holder’s” shares pursuant to the Offer should complete the box entitled “Odd Lots”
in the Letter of Transmittal, and if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.
Proration.
If proration of tendered shares is required, we will determine the proration factor promptly following the expiration date. Proration
of each shareholder tendering shares, other than “odd lot holders,” will be based on the ratio of the number of shares
properly tendered and not properly withdrawn by such shareholder to the total number of shares property tendered and not properly
withdrawn by all shareholders, other than “odd lot holders,” subject to conditional tenders. The preliminary results
of any proration will be announced by press release promptly after the expiration date. After the expiration date, shareholders
may obtain preliminary proration information from the Information Agent, and also may be able to obtain the information from their
brokers.
As described in
Section 13, the number of shares that we will purchase from a shareholder pursuant to the Offer may affect the United States federal
income tax consequences to the shareholder or the purchase and, therefore may be relevant to a shareholder’s decision whether
or not to tender shares. The Letter of Transmittal affords each shareholder who tenders shares registered in such shareholder’s
name directly to the Depositary the opportunity to designate the order of priority in which shares tendered are to be purchased
in the event of proration as well as the ability to condition such tender on a minimum number of shares being purchased.
This Offer to Purchase
and the related Letter of Transmittal will be mailed to record holders of the shares and will be furnished to brokers, dealers,
commercial banks, trust companies and other nominees and similar persons whose names, or the names of whose nominees, appear on
our shareholder list or, if applicable, who are listed as participants in a clearing agency’s security position listing for
subsequent transmittal to beneficial owners of shares.
| 2. | Purpose of the Offer; Certain Effects of the Offer: |
This Offer is an
element of our overall plan to enhance shareholder value. We believe that investing in our own shares is an attractive use of capital
and an effective and efficient means to provide value to our shareholders. Our management and Board of Trustees have spent a great
deal of time analyzing our business. In determining to make the Offer, the Board considered our cash resources, our anticipated
cash needs and the appropriate amount of cash to use in the Offer. It also considered general economic conditions and conditions
in the real estate market. Our Board of Trustees believes that using a portion of our existing cash resources to fund the Offer
is a prudent use of our financial resources and an efficient means of providing liquidity to our shareholders who desire it and
potentially creating value for our shareholders who do not accept the Offer and continue holding our shares. Our Board of Trustees
believes that the purchase of shares pursuant to the Offer should not interfere without our ability to maintain financial flexibility
we need to continue to execute our strategy and take advantage of opportunities to grow our business.
Historically there
has been relatively little liquidity in our shares of beneficial interest due to low trading volume and the small size of the “public
float.” We believe the Offer set forth herein represents an efficient mechanism to provide our shareholders with the opportunity
to tender all or a portion of their shares and thereby receive a return of some or all of their investment if they so elect without
potential disruption to the market price of our shares of beneficial interest. Shareholders who do not participate in the Offer
will automatically increase their relative percentage ownership interest in us and our future operations at no additional cost
to them. Where shares are tendered by the registered owner of those shares directly to the Depositary, the sale of those shares
in the Offer will permit the seller to avoid the usual transaction costs associated with open market sales. Furthermore, odd lot
holders who hold shares registered in their names and tender their shares directly to the Depositary and whose shares are purchased
under the Offer will avoid not only the payment of brokerage commissions but also any applicable odd lot discounts that might be
payable on sales of their shares in OTC Bulletin Board transactions.
We believe that
the Offer is consistent with our objective of returning value to shareholders and increasing long-term shareholder value. While
we believe that our shares have potential for significant appreciation over the long-term, we also recognize that future results
may differ significantly from our expectations. In that regard, future events, such as deterioration in existing economic conditions
or adverse effects on operations could adversely affect our ability to fully implement our strategy and create value for our shareholders.
Moreover, we believe no active United States public trading market exists for our shares since historically only small volumes
of the shares are traded on a sporadic basis. As a result, we recognize that some shareholders may desire liquidity.
Following the completion
or termination of the Offer, we may, from time to time, repurchase our shares on the open market or through private or public transactions
in accordance with applicable law. Exchange Act Rule 13e-4 generally prohibits us and our affiliates from purchasing any of our
shares of beneficial interest, other than in the Offer, until at least 10 business days after the expiration date, except pursuant
to certain limited exceptions provided in Exchange Act Rule 14e-5.
None of our trustees
and executive officers have indicated that they intend to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer. See Section
8.
Potential Benefits
of the Offer to Shareholders. We believe that the Offer will allow us to return significant capital to our shareholders. Our
Board of Trustees has determined that the Offer is a prudent use of our financial resources, presents an appropriate balance between
meeting the needs of our business and delivering value to our shareholders and will provide benefits to our shareholders, including
the following:
| · | The Offer provides our shareholders with an opportunity to obtain liquidity with respect to all
or a portion of their shares, without potential disruption to the share price and the usual transaction costs associated with market
sales. |
| · | If we complete the Offer, we will return cash to our shareholders who tender, while shareholders
who do not tender will increase their percentage ownership in the Company. |
Potential Risks
and Disadvantages of the Offer to Shareholders. The Offer also presents some potential risks and disadvantages to the Company
and shareholders who choose not to tender their shares, including the following:
| · | The Offer and additional share repurchases will reduce our “public float,” which is
the number of shares owned by non-affiliate shareholders and available for trading in the securities markets, and is likely to
reduce the number of our shareholders. These reductions may reduce the volume of trading in our shares and may result in lower
stock prices and reduced liquidity in the trading of our shares following completion of the Offer. As of February 16, 2015, we
had outstanding approximately 6,821,171 shares. At the purchase price of $23.00 per share, we could purchase up to 100,000 shares,
which would represent approximately 1.5% of the total number of our issued and outstanding shares of beneficial interest as of
February 16, 2015. If the Offer is fully subscribed, we will have approximately 6,721,171 shares outstanding upon completion of
the Offer. |
| · | All of our trustees and executive officers have advised us that they do not intend to tender any
of their shares in the Offer (including shares they are deemed to beneficially own). As a result, the Offer will increase the proportional
holdings of our trustees and executive officers. See Section 12. However, after termination of the Offer, our trustees and executive
officers may, in compliance with applicable law, sell their shares in open market transactions or otherwise, at prices that may
be more or less favorable than the purchase price to be paid to our shareholders in the Offer. |
Upon completion
of the Offer, non-tendering shareholders will realize a proportionate increase in their relative ownership interest in the Company.
However, there can be no assurance that we will not issue additional shares in the future which could have the effect of decreasing
the relative ownership interests of such non-tendering shareholders.
Certain Effects
of the Offer. Shareholders who decide not to tender will own a greater percentage interest in our outstanding shares following
the purchase, if any, of shares tendered in the Offer. These shareholders will also continue to bear the risks associated with
owning our shares, including risks resulting from our repurchase of shares in the Offer. Shareholders may be able to sell non-tendered
shares in the future on the OTC Bulletin Board or otherwise, at a net price significantly higher or lower than the Purchase Price
in the Offer. We can give no assurance, however, as to the price at which a shareholder may be able to sell his or her shares in
the future.
We anticipate that
there will be a sufficient number of shares outstanding and publicly traded following completion of the Offer to ensure a continued
trading market for the shares. Based upon published guidelines of the OTC Bulletin Board, we do not believe that our purchase of
shares under the Offer will cause our remaining outstanding shares to be delisted from the OTC Bulletin Board. We also believe
that our purchase of shares under the Offer will not result in the shares becoming eligible for deregistration under the Exchange
Act.
OUR BOARD OF
TRUSTEES HAS APPROVED THE OFFER. HOWEVER, NEITHER WE NOR ANY MEMBER OF OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES NOR THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY
MAKES ANY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU AS TO WHETHER YOU SHOULD TENDER OR REFRAIN FROM TENDERING YOUR SHARES. YOU MUST MAKE YOUR OWN DECISION
AS TO WHETHER TO TENDER YOUR SHARES AND, IF SO, HOW MANY SHARES TO TENDER.
Shares we acquire
pursuant to the Offer will be cancelled.
Except as otherwise
disclosed in this Offer to Purchase or in our filings with the SEC, neither we nor any of our executive officers, trustees or affiliates
(including executive officers and directors of our affiliates) currently have no plans, proposals or negotiations that relate to
or would result in:
| · | Any extraordinary transaction, such as a merger, reorganization or liquidation, involving us or
any of our subsidiaries; |
| · | Any purchase, sale or transfer of an amount of our assets or any of our subsidiaries’ assets
which is material to us and our subsidiaries, taken as a whole; |
| · | Any material change in our present Board of Trustees or management or any plans or proposal to
change the number or the terms of trustees (although we may fill vacancies arising on the Board) or to change any material term
of the employment contract of any executive officer; |
| · | Any material change in our present dividend rate or policy, our indebtedness or capitalization,
corporate structure or business; |
| · | Any class of our equity securities ceasing to be authorized to be quoted on the OTC Bulletin Board; |
| · | The termination or suspension of our obligation to file reports under Sections 13(a) or 15(d) of
the Exchange Act; |
| · | The acquisition or disposition by any person of our securities; or |
| · | Any change in our Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust or other governing instruments or other
actions that could impede the acquisition of control of us. See Section 8, Section 9 and Section 10. |
Nothing in this
Offer will preclude us from pursuing, developing or engaging in future plans, proposals or negotiations that relate to or would
result in one of more of the foregoing events, subject to applicable law.
|
3. | Procedures for Tendering Shares. |
Proper Tender
of Shares. For shares to be tendered pursuant to the Offer, the certificates for such shares (or confirmation of receipt of
such shares pursuant to the procedures for book –entry transfer set forth below), together with a properly completed and
duly executed Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile of the Letter of Transmittal), including any required signature
guarantees, or an “Agent’s Message” (as defined below), and any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal,
must be received before 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015 by the Depositary at one of its addresses
set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase.
In the alternative,
the tendering shareholder must, before the expiration date, comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures described below.
“Odd lot holders”
who tender all of their shares must complete the section entitled “Odd Lots” in the Letter of Transmittal to qualify
for the preferential treatment available to “odd lot holders” as set forth in Section 1.
Shareholders holding
their shares through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee must contact the nominee in order to tender
their shares. Shareholders who hold shares through nominees are urged to consult their nominees to determine whether transaction
costs may apply if shareholder tender shares through the nominees and not directly to the Depositary.
Shareholders may
tender shares subject to the condition that all, or a specified minimum number of shares, be purchased. Any shareholder desiring
to make such a conditional tender should so indicate in the box entitled “Conditional Tender” in the Letter of Transmittal.
It is the tendering shareholder’s responsibility to determine the minimum number of shares to be purchased. Shareholders
should consult their own financial and tax advisors with respect to the effect of proration of the Offer and the advisability of
making a conditional tender. See Section 6 and Section 13.
Signature Guarantees
and Method of Delivery. No signature guarantee is required if:
| · | The Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder of the shares (which term, for purposes
of this Section 3, will include any participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility whose name appears on a security position listing
as the owner of the shares) tendered and such holder has not completed either the section entitled “Special Payment Instructions”
or the section entitled “Special Delivery Instructions” in the Letter of Transmittal; or |
| · | Shares are tendered for the account of a bank, broker, dealer, credit union, savings association,
or other entity which is a member in good standing of the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program or an “eligible guarantor
institution,” as the term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 17Ad-15, each of the foregoing constituting an “Eligible
Institution.” See Instruction 1 of the Letter of Transmittal. |
If a certificate
for shares is registered in the name of a person other than the person executing the Letter of Transmittal, or if payment is to
be made, or shares not purchased or tendered are to be issued, to a person other than the registered holder, then the certificate
must be endorsed or accompanied by an appropriate stock power, signed in either case exactly as the name of the registered holder
appears on the certificate, with the signature guaranteed by an Eligible Institution.
Payment for shares
tendered and accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer will be made only after timely receipt by the Depositary of:
| · | One of (a) certificates for the shares or (b) a timely confirmation of the book-entry transfer
of the shares into the Depositary’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility as described below; |
| · | One of (a) a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal or a manually signed facsimile
of the Letter of Transmittal, including any required signature guarantees or (b) an Agent’s Message (as defined below) in
the case of a book-entry transfer and |
| · | Any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal. |
The method of
delivery of all documents, including certificates for shares, the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents, is at
the election and risk of the tendering shareholder. If delivery is by mail, then registered mail with return receipt requested,
properly insured, is recommended. In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to ensure timely delivery.
All deliveries
in connection with the Offer, including a Letter of Transmittal and certificates for shares, must be made to the Depositary and
not to us, the Information Agent or the Book-Entry Transfer Facility. ANY DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO US, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE
BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER FACILITY WILL NOT BE FORWARDED TO THE DEPOSITARY AND WILL NOT BE DEEMED TO BE PROPERLY TENDERED.
Book-Entry Delivery.
The Depositary will establish an account with respect to the shares for purposes of the Offer at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility
within two business days after the date of this Offer to Purchase, and any financial institution that is a participant in the Book-Entry
Transfer Facility’s system may make book-entry delivery of the shares by means of a book-entry transfer by causing the Book-Entry
Transfer Facility to transfer shares into the Depositary’s account in accordance with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s
procedures for transfer. Although delivery of shares may be effected through a book-entry transfer into the Depositary’s
account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, a properly completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal or a manually signed
facsimile of the Letter of Transmittal, including any required signature guarantees, or an Agent’s Message, and any other
required documents must, in any case, be transmitted to and received by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on the
back cover of this Offer to Purchase before the expiration date, or the tendering shareholder must comply with the guaranteed delivery
procedures described below. Delivery of the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents to the Book-Entry Transfer Facility
does not constitute delivery to the Depositary.
The
term "Agent's Message" means a message transmitted by the Book-Entry Transfer Facility
to, and received by, the Depositary, which states that the Book-Entry Transfer Facility has received an express acknowledgment
from the participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility tendering the shares that such participant has received and agrees to
be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal and that we may enforce such agreement against the participant.
Guaranteed Delivery.
If you wish to tender shares in the Offer and your certificates for shares are not immediately available or the procedures
for book-entry transfer cannot be completed on a timely basis or time will not permit all required documents to reach the Depositary
prior to the expiration date, your tender may be effected if all the following conditions are met:
| · | your tender is made by or through an Eligible Institution; |
| · | a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery in the
form we have provided is received by the Depositary, as provided below, prior to the expiration date; and |
| · | the Depositary receives at one of its addresses listed on the back cover
of this Offer to Purchase and within the period of three trading days after the date of execution of that Notice of Guaranteed
Delivery, either: (i) the certificates representing the shares being tendered, in the proper form for transfer, together with all
other required documents and a Letter of Transmittal, which has been properly completed and duly executed and includes all signature
guarantees required; or (ii) confirmation of book-entry transfer of the shares into the Depositary's account at the book-entry
transfer facility, together with all other required documents and either a Letter of Transmittal, which has been properly completed
and duly executed and includes all signature guarantees required, or an Agent's Message. |
A Notice of Guaranteed
Delivery must be delivered to and received by the Depositary by hand, overnight courier, facsimile transmission or mail before
the expiration date and must include a guarantee by an Eligible Institution in the form set forth in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.
Return of Unpurchased
Shares. If any tendered shares are not purchased under the Offer or are properly withdrawn before the expiration date, or if
less than all shares evidenced by a shareholder's certificates are tendered, we will return certificates for unpurchased shares
promptly after the expiration or termination of the Offer or, in the case of shares tendered by book-entry transfer at the Book-Entry
Transfer Facility, the shares will be credited to the appropriate account maintained by the tendering shareholder at the Book-Entry
Transfer Facility, in each case without expense to the shareholder.
Determination
of Validity; Rejection of Shares; Waiver of Defects; No Obligation to Give Notice of Defects. All questions as to the number
of shares to be accepted, and the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt) and acceptance for payment of any tender
of shares will be determined by us, in our sole discretion, and our determination will be final and binding on all parties. We
reserve the absolute right to reject any or all tenders of any shares that we determine are not in proper form or the acceptance
for payment of or payment for which may, in the opinion of our counsel, be unlawful. We also reserve the absolute right to waive
any of the conditions of the Offer on or prior to the expiration date, or any defect or irregularity in any tender with respect
to any particular shares or any particular shareholder (whether or not we waive similar defects or irregularities in the case of
other shareholders), and our interpretation of the terms of the Offer will be final and binding on all parties. In the event a
condition is waived with respect to any particular shareholder, the same condition will be waived with respect to all shareholders.
No tender of shares will be deemed to have been properly made until all defects or irregularities have been cured by the tendering
shareholder or waived by us. We will not be liable for failure to waive any condition of the Offer, or any defect or irregularity
in any tender of shares. Neither we nor the Information Agent, the Depositary or any other person will be obligated to give notice
of any defects or irregularities in tenders, nor will any of the foregoing incur any liability for failure to give any such notification.
Tendering Shareholder’s
Representation and Warranty; Our Acceptance Constitutes an Agreement. It is a violation of Exchange Act Rule 14e-4 for a person,
directly or indirectly, to tender shares for that person’s own account unless, at the time of tender and at the end of the
proration period or period during which share are accepted by lot (including any extensions of such period), the person so tendering
(1) has a “net long position” equal to or greater than the amount of shares tendered in (a) shares of beneficial interest
or (b) other securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for shares of beneficial interest and, upon acceptance
of the tender, will acquire the shares by conversion, exchange or exercise and (2) will deliver or cause to be delivered the shares
in accordance with the terms of the Offer. Rule 14e-4 also provides a similar restriction application to a tender on behalf of
another person.
A tender of our
shares of beneficial interest in accordance with any of the procedures described above will constitute the tendering shareholder’s
acceptance of the terms and conditions of the Offer, as well as the tendering shareholder’s representation and warranty to
us that (2) the shareholder has a “net long position,” within the meaning of Rule 14e-4 promulgated under the Exchange
Act, in the shares of beneficial interest, or equivalent securities at least equal to the shares of beneficial interest, being
tendered and (2) the tender of shares complied with Rule 14e-4. Our acceptance for payments of shares of beneficial interest tendered
pursuant o the Offer will constitute a binding agreement between the tendering shareholder and us on the terms and subject to the
conditions of the Offer.
Lost or
Destroyed Certificates. Shareholders whose certificates for part or all of the shares have been lost, destroyed or stolen
may contact the Depositary’s Lost Securities Department at (800) 546-5141 for instructions to obtain a replacement
certificate. That certificate will then be required to be submitted together with the Letter of Transmittal in order to
receive payment for shares that are tendered and accepted for payment. A bond may be required to be posted by the shareholder
to secure against the risk that the certificates may be subsequently re-circulated. The Letter of Transmittal and related
documents cannot be processed until the procedures for replacing lost or destroyed certificates have been followed.
Shareholders are requested to contact the Depositary’s Lost Securities Department immediately in order to permit timely
processing of this documentation. Certificates for shares, together with a properly completed Letter of Transmittal and any
other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal, must be delivered to the Depositary and not to us or the Information
Agent. Any certificates delivered to us or the Information Agent will not be forwarded to the Depositary and will not be
deemed to be properly tendered.
Backup Withholding.
Under the United States federal income tax laws, payments to a tendering shareholder may be subject to “backup withholding”
at the applicable statutory rate (currently 28%), unless a tendering shareholder:
| · | provides a correct taxpayer identification number (which, for a individual shareholder, is the
shareholder’s social security number) and any other required information; or |
| · | is an exempt recipient and, when required, demonstrates this fact and otherwise complies with applicable
requirements of the backup withholding rules. |
A shareholder that
does not provide a correct taxpayer identification number may be subject to penalties imposed by the Internal Revenue Service (the
“IRS”). To prevent backup withholding on cash payable under the Offer, each shareholder should provide the Depositary
with his or her correct taxpayer identification number and certify that he or she is not subject to backup withholding by completing
the Substitute RES Form W-9 included in the Letter of Transmittal. Non-United States Holders should complete and sign the appropriate
IRS Form W08, a copy of which may be obtained from the Depositary, in order to avoid backup withholding. See Section 13 and Instruction
10 to the Letter of Transmittal.
Backup withholding
is not an additional tax. Taxpayers may use amounts withheld as a credit against their United States federal income tax liability
or may claim a refund of such amounts if they timely provide certain required information to the IRS.
United States Federal Withholding
Tax on Payments to Non-United States Holders.
Non-United States
Holders (as defined in Section 13) may be subject to a 30% United States federal withholding tax on payments received pursuant
to the Offer. As described in Section 13, a sale of shares pursuant to the Offer may qualify for sale or exchange treatment or
may constitute a taxable dividend, depending on a particular shareholder’s facts and circumstances. The Depositary generally
will treat payments made to Non-United States Holders pursuant to the Offer as taxable dividends. Accordingly, in compliance with
the United States federal income tax laws, the Depositary will withhold 30% of the gross proceeds payable to a Non-United States
Holder unless the holder provides the Depositary with (i) a properly executed IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) certifying
that it is entitled to a reduced rate of withholding under an applicable tax treaty or (ii) a properly executed IRS Form W-8ECI
certifying that it is exempt from withholding because the payment is effectively connected with the Non-United States Holder’s
conduct of a trade or business in the United States. A Non-United States Holder may be eligible to obtain a refund of all or a
portion of any tax withheld if its sale of shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer satisfies the requirements for sale
or exchange treatment described in Section 13 or the Non-United States Holder is otherwise able to establish that no tax or a reduced
amount of tax is due.
Non-United States
Holders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of United States federal income tax withholding, including
eligibility for a withholding tax reduction or exemption, and the refund procedure.
Except as otherwise
provided in this Section 4, tenders of shares pursuant to the Offer are irrevocable. Shares tendered pursuant to the Offer may
be withdrawn at any time before the expiration date and, unless we have accepted tendered shares for payment under the Offer, may
also be withdrawn at any time after 12:00 midnight, New York City time, on Tuesday, April 14, 2015.
For a withdrawal
to be effective, a notice of withdrawal must be in written form and must be received in a timely manner by the Depositary at one
of its addresses set forth on the back cover of this Offer to Purchase. Any notice of withdrawal must specify the name of the tendering
shareholder; the number of shares to be withdrawn; and the name of the registered holder of the shares. If the certificates for
shares to be withdrawn have been delivered or otherwise identified to the Depositary, then, before the release of the certificate,
the tendering shareholder must also submit the serial numbers shown on the particular certificates for shares to be withdrawn and
the signature(s) on the notice of withdrawal must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution (except in the case of shares tendered
for the account of an Eligible Institution). If shares have been tendered pursuant to the procedure for book-entry transfer described
in Section 3, the notice of withdrawal also must specify the name and the number of the account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility
to be credited with the withdrawn shares and must otherwise comply with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s procedures.
We will determine
all questions as to the form and validity, including the time of receipt, of any notice of withdrawal, in our sole discretion,
which determination will be final and binding on all parties, subject to a holder challenging our determination in a court of competent
jurisdiction and such court issuing a judgment to the contrary. Neither we nor the Depositary, the Information Agent or any other
person will be obligated to give notice of any defects or irregularities in any notice of withdrawal, nor will any of the foregoing
incur liability for failure to give any such notification. Withdrawals may not be rescinded, and any shares properly withdrawn
will be deemed not properly tendered for purposes of the Offer. However, withdrawn shares may be re-tendered before the expiration
date by again following one of the procedures described in Section 3.
If we extend the
Offer, are delayed in our purchase of shares or are unable to purchase shares pursuant to the Offer for any reason, then, without
prejudice to our rights under the Offer, the Depositary may, subject to applicable law, retain tendered shares on our behalf, and
the shares may not be withdrawn except to the extent tendering shareholders are entitled to withdrawal rights as described in this
Section 4. Our reservation of the right to delay payment for shares that we have accepted for payment is limited by Exchange Act
Rule 13e-4(f)(5) which requires that we must pay the consideration offered or return the shares tendered promptly after termination
or withdrawal of the Offer.
| 5. | Purchase of Shares and Payment of Purchase Price. |
On the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, promptly following the expiration date, we will accept for payment and pay for (and thereby
purchase) up to 100,000 shares (or such greater number of shares as we may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law) properly
tendered and not properly withdrawn. We may purchase an additional amount of shares not to exceed 2% of the outstanding shares
(approximately 136,423 shares as of February 16, 2015) without amending or extending the Offer.
For purposes of
the Offer, we will be deemed to have accepted for payment (and therefore purchased), subject to the “odd lot” priority,
proration and conditional tender provision of the Offer, shares that are properly tendered and not property withdrawn only when,
as and if we give oral or written notice to the Depositary of our acceptance of the shares for payment pursuant to the Offer.
On the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, promptly after the expiration date, we will accept for purchase and pay the per share Purchase
Price for all of the shares accepted for payment in accordance with the Offer. In all cases, payment for shares tendered and accepted
for payment in accordance with the Offer will be made promptly, subject to possible delay due to proration, but only after timely
receipt by the Depositary of:
| · | Certificates for shares or a timely confirmation of a book-entry transfer of shares into the Depositary’s
account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility; |
| · | A properly competed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile of
the letter of Transmittal) or an Agent’s Message in the case of book-entry transfer; and |
| · | Any other documents required by the Letter of Transmittal. |
We will pay for
shares purchased pursuant to the Offer by depositing the aggregate purchase price for the shares with the Depositary, which will
act as agent for tendering shareholders for the purpose of receiving payment from us and transmitting payment to the tendering
shareholders. In the event of proration, the Depositary will determine the proration factor and pay for those tendered shares accepted
for payment promptly after the expiration date. Certificates for all shares tendered and not purchased, including all shares not
purchased due to proration or conditional tenders, will be returned, or, in the case of shares tendered by book-entry transfer,
will be credited to the account maintained with the Book-Entry Transfer Facility by the participant who delivered the shares, to
the tendering shareholder promptly after the expiration or termination of the Offer at our expense.
Under no circumstances
will interest be paid on the Purchase Price for the shares, regardless of any delay in making payment. In addition, if certain
events occur, we may not be obligated to purchase shares pursuant to the Offer. See Section 7.
We will pay all
share transfer taxes, if any, payable on the transfer to us of shares purchased pursuant to the Offer. If, however, payment of
the Purchase Price is to be made to, or (in the circumstances permitted by the Offer) if unpurchased shares are to be registered
in the name of, any person other than the registered holder, or if tendered certificates are registered in the name of any person
other than the person signing the Letter of Transmittal, the amount of all stock transfer taxes, if any(whether imposed on the
registered holder or the other person), payable on account of the transfer to the person will be deducted from the Purchase Price
unless satisfactory evidence of the payment of the stock transfer taxes, or exception from payment of the share transfer taxes,
is submitted See instruction 6 of the Letter of Transmittal.
| 6. | Conditional Tender of Shares. |
Subject to the exception
for “odd lot holders,” in the event of an over-subscription of the Offer, shares properly tendered prior to the expiration
date and not properly withdrawn will be subject to proration. See Section 1. As discussed in Section 13, the number of shares to
be purchased from a particular shareholder may affect the tax treatment of the purchase to the shareholder and the shareholder’s
decision whether to tender. Accordingly, a shareholder may tender shares subject to the condition that a specified minimum number
of the shareholder’s shares tendered pursuant to a Letter of Transmittal must be purchased if any shares tendered are purchased.
Any shareholder desiring to make a conditional tender must so indicate in the box entitled “Conditional Tender” in
the Letter of Transmittal, and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. We urge each shareholder to consult with
his or her own financial or tax advisors with respect to the advisability of making a conditional tender.
Any tendering shareholder
wishing to make a conditional tender must calculate and appropriately indicate the minimum number of shares that must be purchased
from that shareholder if any are to be purchased. After the Offer expires, if more than 100,000 shares (or such greater number
of shares as we may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law) are properly tendered and not properly withdrawn, so that we
must prorate our acceptance of and payment for tendered shares, we will calculate a preliminary proration percentage based upon
all shares properly tendered, conditionally or unconditionally. If the effect of this preliminary proration would be to reduce
the number of shares to be purchased from any shareholder below the minimum number specified, the conditional tender will automatically
be regarded as withdrawn (except as provided in the next paragraph). All shares tendered by a shareholder subject to a conditional
tender pursuant to the Letter of Transmittal and regarded as withdrawn as a result of proration will be returned promptly after
the expiration date at our expense.
After giving effect
to these withdrawals, we will accept the remaining shares properly tendered, conditionally or unconditionally, on a pro rata basis,
if necessary. If conditional tenders would otherwise be regarded as withdrawn and would cause the total number of shares to be
purchased to fall below the total number of shares to be purchased (or such greater number of shares as we may elect to purchase,
subject to applicable law) then, to the extent feasible, we will select enough of the conditional tenders that would otherwise
have been deemed withdrawn to permit us to purchase the total number of shares to be purchased shares (or such greater number of
shares as we may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law). In selecting among the conditional tenders, we will select by random
lot, treating all tenders by a particular taxpayer as a single lot, and will limit our purchase in each case to the designated
minimum number of shares to be purchased.
| 7. | Conditions of the Offer. |
The Offer is not
conditioned on any minimum number of shares being tendered. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Offer, we will not be required
to accept for payment, purchase or pay for any shares tendered, and may terminate or amend the Offer or may postpone the acceptance
for payment of or the payment for shares tendered, subject to the Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(f)(5), which requires that we must pay
the consideration offered or return the shares tendered promptly after termination or withdrawal of the Offer, if at any time on
or after the commencement of the Offer and prior to the time of payment for shares (whether or not any shares have been accepted
for payment) any of the following events have occurred (or are determined by us in our reasonable judgment to have occurred) that,
in our reasonable judgment and regardless of the circumstances giving rise to the event or events (including any action or inaction
by us), makes it inadvisable to proceed with the Offer or with acceptance for payment or payment for the shares in the Offer:
| · | there has been threatened, instituted or pending any action, suit or proceeding by any government
or governmental, regulatory or administrative agency, authority or tribunal or by any other person, domestic, foreign or supranational,
before any court, authority, agency or other tribunal that directly or indirectly: |
| · | challenges or seeks to make illegal, or to delay or otherwise directly or indirectly to restrain,
prohibit or otherwise affect the consummation of the Offer, the acquisition of some or all of the shares pursuant to the Offer
or otherwise relates in any manner to the Offer; or |
| · | in our reasonable judgment, could materially and adversely affect our and our subsidiaries’
or affiliates’ business, condition (financial or otherwise), income, operations or prospects, taken as a whole, or otherwise
materially impair our ability to repurchase some or all of the shares pursuant to the offer; |
| · | there has been any action threatened, pending or taken, including any settlement, or any approval
withheld, or any statute, rule, regulation, judgment, order or injunction threatened, invoked, proposed, sought, promulgated, enacted,
entered, amended, enforced or deemed to be applicable to the Offer or us or any of our subsidiaries or affiliates, including any
settlement, by any court, government or governmental, regulatory or administrative authority, agency or tribunal, domestic, foreign
or supranational, that, in our reasonable judgment could directly or indirectly: |
| · | make the acceptance for payment of, or payment for, some or all of the shares illegal or otherwise
restrict or prohibit consummation of the Offer; |
| · | delay or restrict our ability, or render us unable to accept for payment or pay for some or all
of the shares to be purchased pursuant to the Offer; or |
| · | materially and adversely affect our or our subsidiaries’ or our affiliates’ business,
condition (financial or otherwise), income, operations or prospects; |
| · | there has occurred any of the following: |
| · | any general suspension of trading in, or limitation on prices for, securities on any United States
national securities exchange or in the over-the-counter market; |
| · | the declaration of a banking moratorium or any suspension of payments in respect of banks in the
United States, whether or not mandatory; |
| · | a material change in United States or any other currency exchange rates or a suspension of or limitation
on the markets therefor; |
| · | no decrease of more than 15% in the market price for our shares of beneficial interest or in the
Dow Jones Industrial Average or Standard & Poor’s Composite Index of 500 Industrial Companies measured from the close
of trading on February 13, 2015, the last trading day prior to commencement of the Offer shall have occurred; |
| · | the commencement of a war, armed hostilities or other international or national calamity on or
after February 17, 2015, including, but not limited to an act of terrorism; |
| · | any material escalation of any war or armed hostilities which had commenced prior to February 17,
2015; |
| · | any limitation, whether or not mandatory, by any governmental, regulatory or administrative agency
or authority on, or any event that, in our reasonable judgment, could materially affect, the extension of credit by banks or other
lending institutions in the United States; |
| · | any change in the general political, market, economic or financial conditions, domestically or
internationally, that is reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect our business or the trading in the shares; or |
| · | in the case of any of the foregoing existing at the time of the commencement of the Offer, a material
acceleration or worsening thereof; |
| · | a tender or exchange offer for any or all of our shares (other than this Offer), or any merger,
acquisition, business combination or other similar transaction with or involving us or any subsidiary or affiliate, has been proposed,
announced or made by any person or has been publicly disclosed; |
| · | any entity, “group” (as that term is used in Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act)
or person has acquired or proposes to acquire beneficial ownership of more than 5% of our outstanding shares, whether through the
acquisition of our shares, the formation of a group, the grant of any option or right, or otherwise (other than as and to the extent
disclosed in a Schedule 13D or Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on or before February 17, 2015); or |
| · | any entity, group or person who has filed a Schedule 13D or schedule 13G with the SEC on or before
February 17, 2015, has acquired or proposes to acquire, whether through the acquisition of our shares, the formation of a group,
the grant of any option or right, or otherwise (other than by virtue of the Offer made hereby), beneficial ownership of an additional
1% or more of our outstanding shares; |
| · | any person, entity or group has filed a Notification and Report Form under the Hart-Scott-Rodino
Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976, as amended, reflecting an intent to acquire us or any of our shares of beneficial interest,
or has made a public announcement reflecting an intent to acquire us or any of our subsidiaries or affiliates or any of our or
their respective assets or securities; |
| · | any change or changes have occurred or are threatened in our or our subsidiaries’ or affiliates’
business, condition (financial or otherwise), properties, assets, income, operations or prospects that, in our reasonable judgment,
has or could have a material adverse effect on us or any of our subsidiaries or affiliates or the benefits of the Offer to us; |
| · | any approval, permit, authorization, favorable review or consent of any governmental entity required
to be obtained in connection with the Offer shall not have been obtained on terms satisfactory to us in our reasonable discretion;
or |
| · | we determine that the consummation of the Offer and the purchase of the shares may (1) cause the
shares to be held of record by less than 300 persons, (2) cause us to fail to qualify as a real estate investment trust for tax
purposes or (3) cause our shares of beneficial interest to be eligible for deregistration under the Exchange Act. |
The conditions referred
to above are for our sole benefit and may be asserted by us regardless of the circumstances giving rise to any such condition,
and may be waived by us, in whole or in part, at any time and from time to time prior to the Expiration Date. Our failure at any
time to exercise any of the foregoing rights will not be deemed a waiver of any right, and each such right will be deemed an ongoing
right that may be asserted at any time and from time to time. If a condition is triggered, we will need to waive that condition
prior to the Expiration Date to proceed with the Offer. In certain circumstances, if we waive any of the conditions described above,
we may be required to extend the Expiration Date of the Offer in accordance with applicable law and provide additional disclosure
as required by applicable law. All offer conditions, except any that may be dependent upon the receipt of government approvals,
must be satisfied or waived before the Expiration Date, and we will have no right to exercise any of the conditions after the Expiration
Date. Any determination by us concerning the events described above will be final and binding on all parties. All conditions will
be satisfied or waived on or prior to the expiration of the Offer. See Section 14.
| 8. | Price Range of Shares; Dividends. |
Our shares of
beneficial interest are listed and traded on the OTC Bulletin Board under the trading symbol “FREVS.” We believe
that no active United States public trading market exists for our shares since historically only small volumes of the shares
are traded on a sporadic basis. The following table sets forth, as of the end of the fiscal quarters indicated, the high and
low intra-day sales share prices of our shares of beneficial interest on the OTC Bulletin Board.
| |
Bid | | |
Asked | |
Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2013 | |
| | | |
| | |
First Quarter | |
$ | 16.65 | | |
$ | 17.25 | |
Second Quarter | |
$ | 18.50 | | |
$ | 19.00 | |
Third Quarter | |
$ | 18.75 | | |
$ | 19.50 | |
Fourth Quarter | |
$ | 17.50 | | |
$ | 18.00 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2014 | |
| | | |
| | |
First Quarter | |
$ | 18.25 | | |
$ | 18.75 | |
Second Quarter | |
$ | 18.75 | | |
$ | 18.90 | |
Third Quarter | |
$ | 18.45 | | |
$ | 18.75 | |
Fourth Quarter | |
$ | 18.25 | | |
$ | 18.70 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
Fiscal Year Ending October 31, 2015 | |
| | | |
| | |
First Quarter | |
$ | 19.25 | | |
$ | 19.50 | |
Second Quarter (through February 13, 2015) | |
$ | 19.25 | | |
$ | 19.60 | |
| |
| | | |
| | |
On February
13, 2015, the last full trading day before the announcement and commencement of the Offer, the last reported sales price of
our shares of beneficial interest on the OTC Bulletin Board was $19.20 per share. SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO OBTAIN
CURRENT MARKET QUOTATIONS FOR OUR SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST.
Distributions to Shareholders
Since our inception
in 1961, we have elected to be treated as a REIT for Federal income tax purposes. In order to qualify as a REIT, we must satisfy
a number of highly technical and complex operational requirements including that we must distribute to our shareholders at least
90% of our REIT taxable income. We anticipate making distributions to shareholders from operating cash flows, which are expected
to increase from future growth in rental revenues. Although cash used to make distributions reduces amounts available for capital
investment, we generally intend to distribute not less than the minimum of REIT taxable income necessary to satisfy the applicable
REIT requirements as set forth in the Internal Revenue Code.
It has been our
policy to pay fixed quarterly dividends for the first three quarters of each fiscal year, and a final fourth quarter dividend based
on the fiscal year’s net income and taxable income.
The following table
sets forth, on the dates indicated, the dividends per share of beneficial interest declared by us for the prior two fiscal years:
| |
Amount | |
Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2013 | |
| | |
First Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Second Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Third Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Fourth Quarter | |
$ | .66 | |
Fiscal Year Ended October 31, 2014 | |
| | |
First Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Second Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Third Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
Fourth Quarter | |
$ | .30 | |
| |
| | |
We plan to continue
to pay dividends in the future consistent with past practice. However, there is no guarantee that we will pay dividends in amounts
equal to or greater than the dividends we have paid to our shareholders in the past, or that we will continue to pay any dividends
to our shareholders at all.
| 9. | Source and Amount of Funds. |
Assuming we purchase
100,000 shares in the Offer at Purchase Price of $23.00 per share, approximately $2.3 million will be required to purchase such
shares. We expect that the maximum aggregate cost of these purchases, including all fees and expenses applicable to the offer,
will be approximately $2,350,000. We intend to use cash on hand to purchase shares in the Offer and to pay all related
fees and expenses.
| 10. | Certain Information Concerning Us. |
We are subject to
the informational filing requirements of the Exchange Act which obligates us to file reports, statements and other information
with the SEC relating to our business, financial condition and other matters. Information, as of particular dates, concerning our
trustees and officers, their remuneration, options granted to them, the principal holders of our securities and any material interest
of these persons in transactions with us, is required to be disclosed in proxy statements distributed to our shareholders and filed
with the SEC. As required by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(c)(2), we have also filed with the SEC an Issuer Tender Offer Statement on
Schedule TO, which includes additional information relating to the Offer.
These reports, statements
and other information can be inspected and copied at the public reference facilities maintained by the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of this material may also be obtained by mail, upon payment of the SEC’s customary charges,
from the Public Reference Section of the SEC at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. The SEC also maintains a web site on
the Internet at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information
regarding registrants that file electronically with the SEC, including the Schedule TO and documents incorporated by reference.
You may obtain information about the Public Reference room by calling the SEC for more information at 1-800-SEC-0330.
Incorporation
by Reference. The rules of the SEC allow us to “incorporate by reference” information into this document, which
means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to another document filed separately with the SEC. We
hereby incorporate by reference each of the following documents:
SEC FILINGS |
PERIOD OR DATE FILED
|
Annual Report of Form 10-K |
Year ended October 31, 2014
|
You can obtain any of the documents incorporated by reference
in this document from us or from the SEC’s web site at the address described above. Documents incorporated by reference are
available from us without charge, excluding any exhibits to those documents, at our principal executive offices located at 505
Main Street, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601 and our phone number is 1-201-488-6400. Please be sure to include your complete name
and address in your request. If you request any incorporated documents, we will mail them to you by first class mail, or another
equally prompt means, within one business day after we receive your request.
| 11. | Interests of Trustees and Executive Officers; Transactions and Arrangements Concerning the Shares. |
Beneficial Ownership.
As of February 16, 2015, we had 6,993,152 issued shares of beneficial interest, including 6,821,171 outstanding shares and 171,981
treasury shares. The 100,000 shares that we are offering to purchase represent approximately 1.5% of the shares outstanding on
February 16, 2015.
As of February 16,
2015, our trustees and executive officers as a group (8 persons) beneficially owned 1,502,401 shares or approximately 22.0% of
the total outstanding shares of beneficial interest. Our trustees and executive officers are entitled to participate in the Offer
on the same basis as all other shareholders. However, none of our trustees and executive officers have indicated that they intend
to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer.
The following table
sets forth the beneficial ownership of each trustee and executive officer (i) owned as of February 16, 2015, and (ii) assuming
we purchase 100,000 shares of beneficial interest in the Offer, the percentage beneficially owned after consummation of the Offer.
| |
Ownership as of February 16, 2015 | |
Ownership After Purchase of 100,000
Shares of Beneficial Interest |
Name of Beneficial Owner(1) | |
Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Owner(2) | |
Percent of
Class | |
Amount and Nature of
Beneficial Owner(2) | |
Percent of
Class |
Executive Officers and Trustees: | |
| |
| |
| |
|
Robert S. Hekemian (3) | |
| 246,455 | (4) | |
| 3.6 | % | |
| 246,455 | (4) | |
| 3.7 | % |
Donald W. Barney (3) | |
| 177,371 | | |
| 2.6 | % | |
| 177,371 | | |
| 2.6 | % |
Herbert C. Klein (5) | |
| 325,122 | (6) | |
| 4.8 | % | |
| 325,122 | (6) | |
| 4.8 | % |
Ronald J. Artinian (5) | |
| 430,792 | (7) | |
| 6.3 | % | |
| 430,792 | (7) | |
| 6.4 | % |
Alan L. Aufzien (5) | |
| 34,000 | (8) | |
| (9 | ) | |
| 34,000 | (8) | |
| (9 | ) |
David F. McBride, Esq. (5) | |
| 5,000 | (10) | |
| (9 | ) | |
| 5,000 | (10) | |
| (9 | ) |
Robert S. Hekemian, Jr. (5) | |
| 283,661 | (11) | |
| 4.2 | % | |
| 283,661 | (11) | |
| 4.2 | % |
John A. Aiello, Esq. (12) | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | | |
| — | |
All Trustees and Executive Officers as a
group (8 persons)(4)(6)(7)(8)(10)(11) | |
| 1,502,401 | | |
| 22.0 | % | |
| 1,502,401 | | |
| 22.4 | % |
__________
| (1) | All trustees and executive officers listed in this table, with the exception of Mr. Aiello, maintain
a mailing address at 505 Main Street, P.O. Box 667, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601. Mr. Aiello maintains a mailing address at 125
Half Mile Road, Suite 300, Red Bank, New Jersey 07701. |
| (2) | Except as otherwise indicated, all of the shares are held beneficially and of record. |
| (3) | A trustee and executive officer of the Company. |
| (4) | Includes 74,392 Shares held by Mr. Hekemian’s wife, with respect to which Mr. Hekemian disclaims
beneficial ownership. Also includes (i) an aggregate of 45,000 Shares which are held by certain partnerships in which Mr. Hekemian
is a partner, (ii) 14,196 Shares held in certain trusts for which Mr. Hekemian is a trustee and one trust in which Mr. Hekemian
is a beneficiary, and (iii) 72,740 Shares held by the Robert and Mary Jane Hekemian Foundation, Inc. of which Mr. Hekemian is the
President, all of such Shares with respect to which Mr. Hekemian disclaims beneficial ownership thereof except to the extent of
this pecuniary interest in the partnerships and trusts. |
| (5) | A trustee of the Company. |
| (6) | Includes 189,879 Shares held by Mr. Klein’s wife, with respect to which Mr. Klein disclaims
beneficial ownership. |
| (7) | Includes 4,250 Shares which are held by Mr. Artinian’s son, with respect to which Mr. Artinian
disclaims beneficial ownership. |
| (8) | Includes 2,000 shares held by Mr. Aufzien’s wife. |
| (9) | Shares beneficially owned do not exceed 1% of the Company’s issued and outstanding Shares. |
| (10) | Includes 4,000 shares held by Mr. McBride’s wife. |
| (11) | Includes (i) an aggregate of 102,216 Shares which are held by certain partnerships in which Mr.
Hekemian is a partner, (ii) 9,238 Shares which are held in trust by Mr. Hekemian for the benefit of his children, and (iii) an
aggregate of 11,000 Shares which are held in certain trusts for the benefit of Mr. Hekemian’s nephews and of which Mr. Hekemian
is trustee, all of such Shares with respect to which Mr. Hekemian disclaims beneficial interest thereof except to the extent of
his pecuniary interest in the partnerships. Also includes 25,458 Shares held in a trust of which Mr. Hekemian is a beneficiary,
with respect to which Shares Mr. Hekemian disclaims beneficial ownership except to the extent of his pecuniary interest in such
trust. |
| (12) | An executive officer of the Company. |
None of our trustees
and executive officers have indicated that they intend to tender shares beneficially owned by them into the Offer.
Securities Transactions.
Based on our records and on information provided to us by our trustees, executive officers, affiliates and subsidiaries, neither
we nor any of our trustees, our executive officers or our affiliates or our subsidiaries nor, to the best of our knowledge, any
of our subsidiaries’ trustees or executive officers, has effected any transactions involving our shares of beneficial interest
during the 60 days prior to February 17, 2015.
Equity Incentive
Plan. Our employees, consultants and trustees are eligible to participate in our Equity Incentive Plan. The purpose of the
Equity Incentive Plan is to allow the Trust to retain the services of individuals, including, but not limited to, executive officers,
who have made or are expected to make significant contributions to the business of the Trust and its subsidiaries, to align such
persons’ interests with the long-term interests of the Trust, and to reward hard work, dedication and success by providing
such individuals with an opportunity to acquire Shares of the Trust or receive other stock-based awards.
The Board of Trustees
administers the Equity Incentive Plan and, based on recommendations made by the Compensation Committee, may grant options,
restricted share awards, and other share based awards under the Equity Incentive Plan to eligible participants. On September 4,
2014, the Board of Trustees approved grants of stock options to the executive officers and trustees to acquire an aggregate of
192,000 shares, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee. The options expire 10 years from the date of grant, vest
in equal annual installments over a period of 5 years from the date of grant and have an exercise price equal to the Fair Market
Value (as such term is defined in the Equity Incentive Plan) of the Trust’s shares on the date of grant. All such options
were unexercised and outstanding as of the date of this Offer to Purchase.
As of the date hereof,
no determinations have been made by the Board of Trustees or the Compensation Committee with respect to the granting, if at all,
of any options or other awards under the Equity Incentive Plan in the 2015 fiscal year.
Deferred Fee Plan. The Deferred
Fee Plan is intended to provide a benefit to executive officers and Trustees who have made, and who are expected to continue to
make, significant contributions to the long-term success of the Trust by providing such individuals with a long-term savings opportunity.
An election to defer compensation is required to be made prior to the calendar year for which it will be effective, and is irrevocable
with respect to the calendar year to which it applies. The Deferred Fee Plan was amended and restated effective December
31, 2008, and further amended and restated effective November 1, 2014. Prior to the amendments that went into effect
as of November 1, 2014, the Deferred Fee Plan permitted any executive officer or trustee to elect to defer receipt of any compensation,
including executive officer salary, trustee annual retainer fees, meeting attendance fees, and property site inspection fees, and
the rate of interest payable on any amounts deferred was fixed at 9% per annum, compounded quarterly, which interest rate was determined
based on a rate equal to 120% of the applicable federal long-term interest rate in effect in November 2000, the month in which
the Deferred Fee Plan was established.
The Deferred Fee
Plan, as amended and restated effective November 1, 2014, no longer permits trustees who are also executive officers of the Trust
to defer amounts payable to them as salary for their services as executive officers. Participants in the Deferred Fee Plan are
only permitted to defer amounts payable to them for their service as trustees. In addition, from and after November 1, 2014, amounts
deferred, together with the interest accrued on a participant’s entire balance, shall be converted on the last day of each
calendar quarter into share units (“Share Units”) that are equivalent to the Trust’s shares, and credited to
the participant’s account. The number of Share Units to be credited will be determined by the closing price of the Trust’s
shares on the date of the deferral. The participants’ existing balances as of October 31, 2014 shall be preserved in the
form of cash and shall not be converted into Share Units, although the interest that accrues on the existing balance from and after
November 1, 2014 will be converted into Share Units. The interest rate on participants’ cash balances under the Deferred
Fee Plan has been changed as of November 1, 2014 from 9% per annum to the average interest rate on ten year Treasury bonds plus
150 basis points. In the event that any cash dividend is paid by the Trust with respect to the shares, each participant will be
credited with a number of Share Units equal to (x) the amount of the cash dividend paid with respect to one share, (y) multiplied
by the total number of Share Units credited to a participant’s account as of the record date for the dividend, (z) divided
by the Fair Market Value of one share on the trading day immediately preceding the payment date of the dividend. In the event that
any dividend is paid with respect to the Trust’s shares in shares, each participant shall be credited with a number of Share
Units equal to the number of full shares that such participant would have received had the participant been the owner, on the record
date for the dividend, of a number of shares equal to the number of Share Units credited to the participant’s account.
A participant’s
deferred benefits under the Deferred Fee Plan shall be paid to the participant at either: (i) the retirement age specified by the
participant in the deferral election; (ii) actual retirement of the participant; (iii) upon the earlier cessation of duties as
a trustee of the Trust; or (iv) upon a change in control of the Trust, as defined in the Deferred Fee Plan. On the payment
date, the Trust shall issue to the participant a number of shares equal to the number of Share Units credited to the participant’s
account, and shall pay to the participant amounts maintained in the participant’s account as of October 31, 2014 as cash
in either a lump sum or in a number of substantially equal annual installments over a period not to exceed 10 years, at the election
of the participant, except if a participant elects to receive payment upon the occurrence of a change in control, in which case
all such amounts shall be payable in a lump sum. The Trust has not created and will not create a cash sinking fund for
amounts deferred pursuant to the Deferred Fee Plan that are not payable in shares. As a result, any participant who
elects to participate in the Deferred Fee Plan is an unsecured creditor of the Trust with respect to any amounts deferred thereunder. The
Deferred Fee Plan may be amended, suspended or terminated by resolution of the Board of Trustees at any time and from time to time,
provided that no amendment, suspension or termination shall operate to adversely affect the plan benefits accrued or available
for any participant.
Trustee fee expense
(including interest) for each of the years ended October 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $1,204,000, $1,101,000, and $1,045,000, respectively.
As of October 31, 2014 and 2013, approximately $5,163,000 and $4,703,000, respectively, of fees have been deferred together with
accrued interest of approximately $3,854,000 and $3,110,000, respectively.
The foregoing
descriptions of our Equity Incentive Plan and Deferred Fee Plans are qualified in their entirety by reference to the text of the
plans, copies of which have been filed with the SEC.
Except as otherwise
described herein, neither we nor, to the best of our knowledge, any of our affiliates, trustees or executive officers, is a party
to any contract, agreement, arrangement, understanding or relationship with any other person with respect to any of our securities.
| 12. | Certain Legal Matters, Regulatory Approvals. |
We are not aware
of any license or regulatory permit that is reasonably likely to be material to our business that might be adversely affected by
our acquisition of shares as contemplated in the Offer or of any approval or other action by any government or governmental, administrative
or regulatory authority or agency, domestic, foreign or supranational, that would be required for our acquisition or ownership
of shares as contemplated by the Offer. Should any approval or other action be required, we presently contemplate that we will
seek that approval or other action, but we have no current intention to delay the purchase of shares tendered pursuant to the Offer
pending the outcome of any such matter, subject to our right to decline to purchase shares if any of the conditions in Section
7 have not been satisfied or waived. We cannot predict whether we would be required to delay the acceptance for payment of or payment
for shares tendered pursuant to the Offer pending the outcome of any such matter. We cannot assure you that any approval or other
action, if needed, would be obtained or would be obtained without substantial cost or conditions or that the failure to obtain
the approval or other action might not result in adverse consequences to our business and financial condition. If certain types
of adverse actions are taken with respect to the matters discussed above, or certain approvals, consents, licenses or permits identified
above are not obtained, we can decline to accept for payment or pay for any shares tendered. See Section 7.
| 13. | Certain United States Federal Income Tax Consequences. |
The following is
a summary of certain United States federal income tax consequences of the Offer to shareholders whose shares are properly tendered
and accepted for payment pursuant to the Offer. Those shareholders who do not participate in the Offer should not incur any United
States federal income tax liability from the Offer. This summary is based upon the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended to
the date of the Offer (the “Code”), existing and proposed United States Treasury Regulations promulgated under the
Code, published rulings, administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions, any changes to which could affect the tax consequences
described in this Offer to Purchase (possibly on a retroactive basis). This summary addresses only shares of beneficial interest
held as capital assets. It does not address all of the tax consequences that may be relevant to particular shareholders because
of their personal circumstances (including, without limitation, certain financial institutions, brokers, dealers or traders in
securities or commodities, insurance companies, “S” corporations, partnerships (including entities treated as partnerships
for United States federal income tax purposes), expatriates, tax-exempt organizations, tax-qualified retirement plans, persons
who are subject to alternative minimum tax, persons who hold shares of beneficial interest as a position in a “straddle”
or as part of a “hedging,” “conversion” or “integrated” transaction, or persons that have a
functional currency other than the United States dollar). This summary may not be applicable with respect to shares acquired as
compensation, upon the exercise of options or under a tax-qualified retirement plan. This summary does not address tax considerations
arising under any state, local or foreign laws, or under United States federal estate or gift tax laws.
In addition, if
a partnership (including any entity treated as a partnership for United States federal income tax purposes) is a shareholder, the
tax treatment of a partner in the partnership will generally depend upon the status of the partner and the activities of the partnership.
A shareholder that is a partnership, and partners in such partnership, should consult their own tax advisors regarding the tax
consequences of participating in the Offer. You are urged to consult your tax advisor as to the particular consequences to you
of participating in the Offer.
For purposes of
this summary, a “United States Holder” is a beneficial owner of shares that for United States federal income tax purpose
is:
| · | a citizen or resident of the United States; |
| · | a corporation (or other entity taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes)
created or organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state or the District of Columbia; |
| · | an entity the income of which is subject to United States federal income taxation regardless of
its source; or |
| · | a trust if a court within the United States is able to exercise primary supervision over the administration
of the trust, or certain other trusts considered United States Holders for United States federal income tax purposes. |
A “Non-United
States Holder” is a beneficial owner of shares other than a United States Holder or a partnership for United States federal
income tax purposes.
Consequences of the Offer to United States Holder
Characterization
of the Purchase – Distribution vs. Sale Treatment. Our purchase of shares from a United States Holder pursuant to the
Offer will be a taxable transaction for United States federal income tax purposes. As a consequence of any such purchase, a United
States Holder will, depending on the United States Holder’s particular circumstances, be treated either as having sold the
United States Holder’s shares or as having received a distribution in respect of such United States Holder’s shares.
The purchase of shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer will be treated as a distribution if the United States Holder
does not satisfy at least one of the Section 302 tests.
We cannot predict
whether any particular United States Holder will be subject to sale or distribution treatment. Each United States Holder should
be aware that because proration may occur in the Offer, even if all the shares actually and constructively owned by a United States
Holder are tendered pursuant to the Offer, fewer than all of such shares may be purchased by us. Consequently, we cannot assure
you that a sufficient number of any particular United States Holder’s shares will be purchased to ensure that his purchase
will be treated as a sale or exchange, rather than as a distribution, for United States federal income tax purposes pursuant to
the rules discussed below. Accordingly, a tendering United States Holder may choose to submit a “conditional tender”
under the procedures described in Section 6, which allows the United States Holder to tender shares of beneficial interest subject
to the condition that a specified minimum number of the United States Holder’s shares must be purchased by us if any such
shares so tendered are purchased.
A United States
Holder that satisfies any of the Section 302 tests explained below will be treated as having sold the shares purchased by us pursuant
to the Offer and will generally recognize capital gain or capital loss (subject to certain limits on deductibility of losses, including
the wash sale rules under the Code) in an amount equal to the difference between the amount of cash received under the Offer and
the United States Holder’s tax basis in such shares. This capital gain or loss will be long-term capital gain or loss if
the United States held the shares for more than one year as of the date of our purchase pursuant to the Offer. Currently the maximum
long-term capital gain rate for individual United States Holders is 15%. Certain limitations apply to the deductibility of capital
losses by United States Holders. A United States Holder must calculate gain or loss separately for each block of shares (generally,
shares acquired at the same cost in a single transaction) that we purchase from a United States Holder under the Offer. A United
States Holder may be able to designate which blocks of shares it wishes to tender in the Offer if less than all of its shares are
tendered in the Offer, and the order in which different blocks will be purchased by us in the event of proration in the Offer.
If a United States
Holder does not satisfy any of the Section 302 tests explained below, the full amount received by the United States Holder with
respect to our purchase of shares under the Offer will be treated as a distribution to the United States Holder with respect to
the United States Holder’s shares of beneficial interest. This distribution will be treated as a dividend to the United States
Holder to the extent of the United States Holder’s share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, as
determined under United States federal income tax principles. Such a dividend would be includible in the United States Holder’s
gross income without reduction for the tax basis of the shares of beneficial interest exchanged, and no current loss would be recognized.
Currently, dividends are taxable at a maximum rate for individual United States Holders of 15%, which is the same as the maximum
tax rate for long-term capital gains, if certain holding period and other requirements are met. As of the date of this Offer to
Purchase, we believe that the total amount of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be greater than the aggregate
amount that we will pay for tendered shares of beneficial interest. To the extent that the amount received by a United States Holder
exceeds the United States Holder’s share of our current and accumulated earnings and profits, the excess first will be treated
as a tax-free return of capital to the extent, generally, of the United States Holder’s tax basis in its shares of beneficial
interest and any remainder will be treated as capital gain from the sale of shares of beneficial interest. To the extent that a
purchase of a United States Holder’s shares by us in the Offer is treated as the receipt of a dividend, the United States
Holder’s remaining adjusted tax basis (after the adjustment as described in the preceding sentence) in the purchased shares
will be added to any shares of beneficial interest retained by the holder, subject to certain adjustments in the case of a corporate
shareholder.
To the extent that
a corporate United States Holder is treated as receiving a dividend, as described above, it may be eligible for a dividends received
deduction (subject to applicable limitations). In addition, any amount received by a corporate United States Holder that is treated
as a dividend may constitute an “extraordinary dividend” under Section 1059 of the Code, thereby resulting in a reduction
of tax basis or possible gain recognition in an amount equal to the non-taxed portion of the dividend. Corporate United States
Holders should consult their own tax advisors as to the application of Section 1059 of the Code to the Offer, and to the tax consequences
of a dividend treatment of the purchase of shares of beneficial interest pursuant to this Offer in their particular circumstances.
Section 302 Tests
– Determination of Sale or Distribution Treatment. Our purchase of shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer
will be treated as a sale of the shares of beneficial interest by a United States Holder if any of the following Section 302 tests
is satisfied:
| · | as a result of the purchase, there is a “complete termination” of the United States
Holder’s equity interest in us under Section 302(b)(3) of the Code; |
| · | as a result of the purchase, there is a “substantially disproportionate” redemption
with respect to the United States Holder’s equity interest in us under Section 302(b)(2) of the Code; or |
| · | the receipt of cash by the United States Holder is “not essentially equivalent to a dividend,”
under Section 302(b)(1) of the Code. |
As indicated above,
if none of these tests is met with respect to a particular United States Holder, then our purchase of shares of beneficial interest
pursuant to the Offer will be treated as a distribution. In applying the Section 302 tests, the constructive ownership rules of
Section 318 of the Code generally apply. As a result, a United States Holder is treated as owning not only shares of beneficial
interest actually owned by such holder but also shares of beneficial interest actually (and in some cases constructively) owned
by certain related entities and individuals. Under the constructive ownership rules, a United States Holder will be considered
to own shares of beneficial interest, owned, directly or indirectly, by certain members of the holder’s family and certain
entities (such as corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) in which the United States Holder has an equity interest, as
well as certain shares of beneficial interest which the United States Holder has an option to acquire.
| · | Complete Termination. The purchase of shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer
will result in a “complete termination” of a United States Holder’s equity interest in the Company, if immediately
after such purchase, such holder owns, actually and constructively, none of our shares of beneficial interest. In applying the
“complete termination” test, United States Holders may be able to waive the application of constructive ownership through
the family attribution rules, provided that such holders comply with the provisions of Section 302(c) of the Code and applicable
Treasury Regulations. United States Holders wishing to satisfy the “complete termination” test through satisfaction
of the special conditions set forth in Section 302(c) of the Code should consult their tax advisors concerning the mechanics and
desirability of those conditions. A United States Holder who holds options to acquire our shares of beneficial interest will be
treated as the constructive owner of such shares, and therefore will not be eligible for “complete termination” treatment,
even if all of such Holder’s actual shares of beneficial interest are sold in the transaction. |
| · | Substantially Disproportionate. In general, our purchase of a United States Holder’s
shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer will be “substantially disproportionate” as to a United States
Holder if, immediately after the purchase, the percentage of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest that the United States
Holder actually and constructively owns (including shares constructively owned as a result of the ownership of options) is less
than 80% of the percentage of the outstanding share of beneficial interest actually and constructively owned by the United States
Holder immediately before the purchase. |
| · | Not Essentially Equivalent to a Dividend. Our purchase of a United States Holder’s
shares of beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer will be treated as “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” if
it results in a “meaningful reduction” in the United States Holder’s proportionate interest in us, given the
United States Holder’s particular facts and circumstances. The IRS has indicated in a published ruling that even a small
reduction in the percentage interest of a shareholder whose relative stock interest in a publicly held corporation is minimal and
who exercises no control over corporate affairs should constitute a “meaningful reduction.” United States Holders who
intend to qualify for sale treatment by demonstrating that the proceeds received from us are “not essentially equivalent
to a dividend” are strongly urged to consult their tax advisor because this test will be met only if the reduction in such
holder’s proportionate interest in us is “meaningful” given the particular facts and circumstances of the holder
in the context of the Offer. In particular, depending on the total number of shares of beneficial interest purchased pursuant to
the Offer, it is possible that a tendering shareholder’s percentage interest as a result of the ownership of options) could
increase even though the total number of shares of beneficial interest held by such shareholder decreases. |
If a United States
Holder sells shares of beneficial interest to persons other than us, gain or loss recognized on such sales will be capital gain
or loss and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the holder held the shares of beneficial interest for more than one year
at the date of the sale. If such sale occurs at or about the time such holder also sells shares of beneficial interest pursuant
to the Offer, and the various sales effected by the United States Holder are part of an overall plan to reduce or terminate such
holder’s proportionate interest in us, then the sales to persons other than us may, for United States federal income tax
purposes, be integrated with the United States Holder’s exchange of shares of our beneficial interest pursuant to the Offer
and, if integrated, should be taken into account in determining whether such holder satisfies any of the Section 302 tests with
respect to shares of beneficial interest.
Consequences
of the Offer to Non-United States Holders of Shares. The United States federal income tax treatment of our purchase of
shares of beneficial interest from a Non-United States Holder pursuant to the Offer will depend on whether such holder is
treated, based on the Non-United States Holder’s particular circumstances, as having sold the tendered shares of
beneficial interest or as having received a distribution in respect of such Non-United States Holder’s shares of our
beneficial interest. The appropriate treatment of the purchase of shares of beneficial interest will be determined in the
manner described above with respect to the United States federal income tax treatment of a purchase of shares of beneficial
interest pursuant to the Offer in the case of United States Holders (see “Consequences of the Offer to United States
Holder – Characterization of the Purchase – Distribution vs. Sale Treatment.”).
A Non-United States
Holder that satisfies any of the Section 302 tests explained above will be treated as having sold the shares of beneficial interest
purchased by us pursuant to the Offer. A Non-United States Holder will generally not be subject to United States federal income
tax (and would be eligible to obtain a refund of any amounts withheld as described below) on gain recognized on a sale of shares
of beneficial interest provided that:
(a) the
gain is not effectively connected with the conduct by such Non-United States Holder of a trade or business in the United States
(and if certain tax treaties apply is not attributable to a permanent establishment in the U.S. maintained by Non-United States
Holder);
(b) the
Non-United States Holder is an individual who holds the Shares of beneficial interest as a capital asset and is not present in
the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year of the exchange and certain other conditions are met; and
(c) (i) We
are “domestically controlled,” which for these purposes means that less than 50% in the value of our shares of beneficial
interest is held directly or indirectly by foreign persons during a specified testing period and no portion of the consideration
is attributable to gain from sales or exchanges by us of United States real property interests; or
(ii) Our
shares of beneficial interest are “regularly traded” on an established securities market and the tendering Non-United
States Holder has not held more than 5% of our outstanding shares of beneficial interest during a specified testing period.
We believe that
we are domestically controlled and do not expect that any portion of the consideration will be attributable to gain from sales
or exchanges of United States real property interests. In addition, we believe it is likely that our shares of beneficial interest
will be treated as “regularly traded” on an established securities market at the time we purchase Shares pursuant to
the Offer. Notwithstanding the preceding, there can be no guarantee that we will be domestically controlled or our shares of beneficial
interest will be “regularly traded” at the time we purchase Shares pursuant to the Offer. Furthermore, there can be
no assurance that a portion of the consideration paid in exchange for Shares pursuant to the Offer will not be attributable to
the sale or exchange by us of United States real property interests.
If the gain on exchange
of our Shares were subject to U.S. income tax, a Non-United States Holder would be taxed on that gain in the same manner as U.S.
Holders, subject to applicable alternative minimum tax and a special alternative minimum tax in the case of nonresident alien individuals.
Additionally, we may be required to withhold a portion of the gross amount of cash payable to a Non-United States Holder and remit
this amount to the IRS on behalf of the Non-United States Holder. As discussed below, for withholding purposes, we do not intend
to treat the exchange of Shares for cash as a sale or exchange, but will treat the entire distribution as an ordinary dividend
subject to a 30% withholding tax.
If the exchange
of Shares for cash by a Non-United States Holder is treated as a distribution with respect to Shares (and not an exchange), that
is not designated by us as a capital gain dividend and not attributable to gain from sale or exchange of United States real property
interests, such distributions will be treated as a dividend of ordinary income to the extent it is made out of our current or accumulated
earnings and profits. Such a dividend distribution will be subject to withholding of U.S. federal income tax at a 30% rate unless
reduced or eliminated by an applicable income tax treaty or such dividend is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business.
If such dividend is treated as effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business by a Non-United States Holder,
the Non-United States Holder generally will be subject to tax at the graduated rates applicable to ordinary income in the same
manner as U.S. Holders. In addition, in the case of a Non-United States Holder that is a corporation such dividends may be subject
to a 30% branch profits, subject to reduction or elimination pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty. Distributions in excess
of our current and accumulated earnings and profits will not be taxable to a Non-United States Holder to the extent they do not
exceed the adjusted tax basis of the Non-United States Holder’s Shares exchanged in the Offer. To the extent that such distributions
exceed the adjusted tax basis of the Non-United States Holder’s Shares exchanged in the Offer, the distributions will give
rise to tax if such Non-United States Holder would otherwise be subject to tax on any gain from the “sale or exchange”
of the Shares pursuant to the Offer as previously described above.
Distributions that
are not treated as a sale or exchange for Shares, and that we properly designate as capital gain dividends, other than those arising
from the disposition of a United States real property interest, generally should not be subject to tax. Distributions on (and not
in exchange for) Shares that are attributable to gain from our sale or exchange of United States real property interests (whether
or not designated as capital gain dividends) generally will be taxable to a Non-United States Holder as if such gain were effectively
connected with the conduct by such Non-United States Holder of a U.S. trade or business. Non-United States Holders would be taxed
at capital gains rates applicable to U.S. Holders, and would be subject to applicable alternative minimum tax (including a special
alternative minimum tax in the case of a nonresident alien individual). In addition, in the case of a Non-United States Holder
that is a corporate Non-United States Holder, a 30% branch profits may apply. Furthermore, we would be required to withhold at
a rate of 35% of any portion of a distribution that is attributable to the sale of U.S. real property interests. A Non-United States
Holder may be eligible to obtain a refund of all or a portion of any tax withheld to the extent it exceeds its actual U.S. tax
liability. Notwithstanding the preceding, a capital gain dividend from a REIT is not treated as effectively connected with respect
to a Non-United States Holder if (a) the dividend is received with respect to a class of stock that is regularly trade on an established
securities market in the U.S. and (b) such Non-United States Holder does not own more than 5% of the shares at any time during
the one year period ending on the date of the exchange pursuant to the Offer. As previously noted, although there can be no guarantee,
we believe it is likely that our Shares will treated as regularly traded on an established securities market in the United States
at the time we purchase Shares pursuant to the Offer, and therefore, we anticipate that this exception will apply to the extent
that any of our distributions are treated as attributable to the sale of U.S. real property interests.
Withholding for
Non-United States Holders. Because, as described above, we cannot predict whether any particular shareholder will be subject
to sale or distribution treatment, the Depositary generally will treat the cash received by a Non-United States Holder participating
in the Offer as a dividend distribution from us. Accordingly, the Depositary generally will withhold United States federal income
taxes equal to 30% of the gross proceeds payable to the Non-United States Holder or his or her agent, unless (i) an exemption from,
or a reduced rate of, withholding tax is available under a tax treaty or such gross proceeds are effectively connected with the
conduct of trade or business of the Non-United States Holder within the United States and (ii) the shareholder so certifies on
the appropriate IRS Form W-8 as described below. In order to obtain a reduced rate of withholding under a tax treaty, a Non-United
States Holder must deliver to the Depositary before the payment a properly completed and executed IRS Form W-8BEN and/or W-8IMY.
In order to obtain an exemption from withholding on the grounds that the gross proceeds paid under the Offer are effectively connected
with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States, a Non-United States Holder must deliver to the Depositary a properly
completed and executed IRS Form W-8ECI. If tax is withheld, a Non-United States Holder may be eligible to obtain a refund of all
or a portion of such tax withheld if such Non-United States Holder satisfies one of the Section 302 tests described above or is
otherwise able to establish that no withholding or a reduced amount of withholding is due. Backup withholding generally will not
apply to amounts subject to the 30% or treaty-reduced rate of United States federal income tax withholding.
NON-UNITED STATES
HOLDERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO INCOME TAX ON THE SALE OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER, EVEN IF SUCH HOLDERS WOULD NOT BE SUBJECT TO
TAX IF THOSE SAME SHARES WERE SOLD ON THE OPEN MARKET. IN ADDITION, NON-UNITED STATES HOLDERS MAY BE SUBJECT TO A 30% WITHHOLDING
TAX ON THE SALE OF SHARES PURSUANT TO THE OFFER, EVEN IF THE TRANSACTION IS NOT SUBJECT TO INCOME TAX. NON-UNITED STATES HOLDERS
ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE UNITED STATES TAX CONSEQUENCES OF PARTICIPATION IN THE OFFER, INCLUDING THE
APPLICATION OF UNITED STATES FEDERAL INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING RULES, ELIGIBILITY FOR A REDUCTION OF OR AN EXEMPTION FROM WITHHOLDING
TAX, AND THE REFUND PROCEDURE.
Information Reporting
and Backup Withholding. Payments made to the holders in the Offer may be reported to the IRS. In addition, under the United
States federal income tax laws, the Depositary will be required to backup withholding at the applicable statutory rate on the purchase
price paid to certain shareholders (who are not “exempt” recipients) pursuant to the Offer. To avoid such backup withholding,
each such United States Holder must provide the Depositary with such shareholder’s taxpayer identification number and certify
that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding by completing the Substitute Form W-9 in the Letter of Transmittal,
or otherwise establish to the satisfaction of the Depositary that such shareholder is not subject to backup withholding. See Instructions
14 and 15 of the Letter of Transmittal. Certain “exempt” recipients (including, among others, all corporations and
certain Non-United States Holders) are not subject to these backup withholding requirements. For a Non-United States Holder to
qualify as and for such exemption, such Non-United States Holder must submit an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable IRS Form),
signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to such Non-United States Holder’s exempt status. See the Instructions to the
Letter of Transmittal.
Backup withholding
is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld under the backup withholding rules will be refunded or credited against the shareholder’s
United States federal income tax liability if certain required information is furnished to the IRS. Shareholders should consult
their own tax advisors regarding application of backup withholding in their particular circumstances and the availability of, and
procedure for obtaining, an exemption from backup withholding under current Treasury Regulations.
THE TAX DISCUSSION
SET FORTH ABOVE IS INCLUDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION ONLY AND IS NOT TAX ADVICE. YOU ARE URGED TO CONSULT YOUR TAX ADVISOR TO DETERMINE
THE PARTICULAR TAX CONSEQUENCES TO YOU OF THE OFFER, INCLUDING THE APPLICABILITY AND EFFECT OF STATE, LOCAL, FOREIGN, AND OTHER
TAX LAWS.
| 14. | Extension of the Offer; Termination; Amendment. |
We expressly reserve
the right to extend the period of time the Offer is open and delay acceptance for payment of, and payment for, any shares of beneficial
interest by giving oral or written notice of such extension to the Depositary and making a public announcement of such extension.
During any such extension, all shares of beneficial interest previously tendered and not properly withdrawn will remain subject
to the Offer and to the rights of tendering shareholder to withdraw such shareholder’s shares of beneficial interest.
We also expressly
reserve the right, in our sole discretion, not to accept for payment and not pay for any shares of beneficial interest not previously
accepted for payment or paid for, subject to applicable law, to postpone payment for shares of beneficial interest or terminate
the Offer upon the occurrence of any of the conditions specified in Section 7 by giving oral or written notice of the termination
or postponement to the Depositary and making a public announcement of the termination or postponement. Our reservation of the right
to delay payment for shares of beneficial interest that we have accepted for payment is limited by Exchange Act rule 13e-4(f)(5),
which requires that we must pay the consideration offered or return the shares of beneficial interest tendered promptly after termination
or withdrawal of the Offer.
Subject to compliance
with applicable law, we further reserve the right, in our reasonable discretion, and regardless of whether any of the events set
forth in Section 7 have occurred or are deemed by us to have occurred, to amend the Offer in any respect (including, without limitation,
by deceasing or increasing the consideration offered in the Offer to holders of shares of beneficial interest or by decreasing
or increasing the number of shares of beneficial interest being sought in the Offer). Amendments to the Offer may be made at any
time and from time to time by public announcement of the amendment. In the case of an extension, the amendment shall be issued
no later than 9:00 a.m., New York City time, on the next business day after the last previously scheduled or announced expiration
date. Any public announcement made pursuant to the offer will be disseminated promptly to shareholders in a manner reasonably designed
to inform shareholders of the change. Without limiting the manner in which we may choose to make a public announcement, except
as required by applicable law, we will have no obligation to publish, advertise or otherwise communicate any public announcement
other than by issuing a press release to the Dow Jones News Service or comparable service.
If we materially
change the terms of the Offer or the information concerning the Offer, or if we waive a material condition of the Offer, we will
extend the Offer to the extent required by Exchange Act Rule 13e-4(f)(1)(ii). This rule and related releases and interpretations
of the SEC provide that the minimum period during which an Offer must remain open following material changes in the terms of the
Offer or information concerning the Offer (other than a change in price or a change in percentage of securities sought) will depend
on the facts and circumstances, including the relative materiality of the terms or information. If:
| · | we increase or decrease the price to be paid for shares or increase or decrease the number of shares
of beneficial interest being sought in the Offer and, in the event of an increase in the number of shares of beneficial interest
being sought, the increase exceeds 2% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest; and |
| · | the Offer is scheduled to expire at any time earlier than the expiration of a period ending on
the tenth business day from, and including, the date that notice of such an increase or decrease is first published, sent or given
to security holders in the manner specified in this Section 14, |
then in each case the Offer will be
extended until the expiration of a period of at least ten business days.
If we purchase an
additional amount of shares of beneficial interest that does not exceed 2% of the outstanding shares of beneficial interest (approximately
136,423 shares as of February 16, 2015), this will not be deemed a material change to the terms of the offer, and we will not be
required to amend or extend the Offer. See Section 1.
We have retained
Georgeson Inc. as the Information Agent and Computershare, N.A. to act as Depositary in connection with the Offer. The Information
Agent may contact shareholders by mail, telephone, telegraph and in person and may request brokers, dealers, commercial banks,
trust companies and other nominee shareholders to forward materials relating to the Offer to beneficial owners.
We have agreed to
pay the Information Agent upon acceptance for and payment of shares pursuant to the Offer, a total of $3,750 plus certain expenses.
The Depositary will receive reasonable and customary compensation for its services. We will reimburse the Information Agent and
the Depositary for certain reasonable out-of-pocket expenses and will indemnify them against certain liabilities in connection
with the Offer, including certain liabilities under the federal securities laws.
We will pay all
expenses related to the printing and mailing of this Offer to Purchase and related materials, attorneys’ fees and expenses
and other miscellaneous fees and expenses incurred in connection with the Offer. We will also pay or cause to be paid all stock
transfer taxes, if any, on our purchase of shares except as otherwise provided in this document and Instruction 6 in the related
Letter of Transmittal.
We will not pay
any fees or commissions to brokers, dealers, commercial banks, trust companies or other persons (other than fees to the Depositary
as described above) for soliciting tenders of shares pursuant to the Offer. Shareholders holding shares through brokers or banks
are urged to consult the brokers or banks to determine whether transaction costs may apply if shareholders tender shares through
the brokers or banks and not directly to the Depositary. We will, however, upon request, reimburse brokers, dealers, commercial
banks, trust company or other nominees for customary mailing and handling expenses incurred by them in forwarding the Offer to
Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related materials to the beneficial owners of shares held by them as a nominee or in a
fiduciary capacity. No broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other nominee has been authorized to act as our agent
or the agent of the Depositary or the Information Agent for purposes of the Offer.
We are not aware
of any jurisdiction where the making of the Offer is not in compliance with applicable law. If we become aware of any jurisdiction
where the making of the Offer or the acceptance of shares pursuant to the Offer is not in compliance with any applicable law, we
will make a good faith effort to comply with the applicable law. If, after a good faith effort, we cannot comply with the applicable
law, the Offer will not be made to, nor will tenders be accepted from or on behalf of, the holders of shares residing in that jurisdiction.
In any jurisdiction where the securities, “blue sky” or other laws require the Offer to be made by a licensed broker
or dealer, the Offer will be deemed to be made on our behalf by one or more registered brokers or dealers licensed under the laws
of the jurisdiction. Pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 13e-4, we have filed with the SEC an Issuer Tender Offer Statement on Schedule
TO (the “Schedule TO”), which contains additional information relating to the Offer. The Schedule TO, including the
exhibits and any amendments thereto, may be examined, and copies may be obtained, at the same places and in the same manner set
forth in Section 10 with respect to information concerning our company.
Rule 13e-4(f) under
the Exchange Act prohibits us and our affiliates from purchasing any Shares other than in the Offer until at least ten business
days after the Expiration Date. Accordingly, any additional purchases outside of the Offer may not be consummated until at least
ten business days after the Expiration Date.
You should rely
only on the information contained in this document or to which we have referred you. We have not authorized anyone to provide you
with information or make any representation on our behalf in connection with the Offer other than those contained in this Offer
to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal. If given or made, you should not rely on that information or representation
as having been authorized by us or any member of the Board of Trustees.
WE HAVE NOT
AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION ON OUR BEHALF AS TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD TENDER YOUR SHARES IN THE
OFFER. WE HAVE NOT AUTHORIZED ANY PERSON TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION OR TO MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER
OTHER THAN THOSE CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENT OR IN THE LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. ANY RECOMMENDATION OR ANY SUCH INFORMATION OR
REPRESENTATION MADE BY ANYONE ELSE MUST NOT BE RELIED UPON AS HAVING BEEN AUTHORIZED BY FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT OF NEW
JERSEY, THE INFORMATION AGENT OR THE DEPOSITARY.
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
OF NEW JERSEY
February 17, 2015
The Letter of Transmittal
and certificates for shares, and any other required documents should be sent or delivered by each shareholder or the shareholder’s
broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or nominee to the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth below. To confirm
delivery of shares, shareholders are directed to contact the Depositary. Shareholders submitting certificates representing shares
to be tendered must deliver such certificates together with the Letter of Transmittal and any other required documents by mail
or overnight courier. Facsimile copies of share certificates will not be accepted.
The Depositary for the Offer is:
Computershare
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By Mail:
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By Overnight Courier: |
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attn: Corporate Actions
P.O. Box 43011
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3011 |
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attn: Corporate Actions
250 Royall Street, Suite V
Canton, Massachusetts 02021
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Questions and requests
for assistance or for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal or related documents may be directed
to the Information Agent at the telephone number or address set forth below. You may also contact your broker, dealer, commercial
bank, trust company or other nominee for assistance concerning the Offer.
The Information Agent for the Offer
is:
480 Washington Blvd., 26th Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Stockholders, Banks and Brokers
Call Toll-Free (800) 314-4549
Exhibit (a)(1)(ii)
LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL
To Tender Shares of Beneficial Interest
Pursuant to the Offer to Purchase
Dated February 17, 2015
by
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW
JERSEY
of
Up to 100,000 of its Shares of Beneficial
Interest
at a Purchase Price of $23.00 Per
Share
THE OFFER, PRORATION PERIOD AND WITHDRAWAL
RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 2015, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED OR WITHDRAWN.
By Hand Delivery or Overnight Courier:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
250 Royal Street
Suite V
Canton, Massachusetts 02021 |
By Mail:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
P.O. Box 43011
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3011 |
The instructions set forth in this Letter
of Transmittal should be read carefully before this Letter of Transmittal is completed.
Indicate below the order (by certificate number)
in which shares are to be purchased in the event of proration (attach additional signed list if necessary). If you do not designate
an order, if less than all shares tendered are purchased due to proration, shares will be selected for purchase by the Depositary.
See Instruction 14.
1st :__________ 2nd:
__________ 3rd:__________ 4th:__________ 5th:__________ |
“Lost Certificates. I have lost my certificate(s) for __________ shares and require assistance in replacing the shares. (See Instruction 11). |
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DESCRIPTION OF SHARES TENDERED (See Instructions 3 and 4) |
Name(s) and Address(es) of Registered Holder(s)
(Please fill in, if blank, exactly as name(s) appear(s) on certificate(s)) |
Shares of Common Stock Tendered
(Attach Additional Signed List if Necessary) |
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Certificate Number(s)* |
Total Number of
Shares Represented by
Certificate(s)* |
Number of Shares
Tendered Including
shares held through
book entry** |
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* Need not be completed if shares are tendered
by book-entry transfer.
** Unless otherwise indicated, it will be
assumed that all shares, including shares held in book entry, are being tendered. See Instruction 4. |
This Letter of Transmittal
is to be used either if certificates for shares (as defined below) are to be forwarded herewith or, unless an Agent’s Message
(as defined in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase (as defined below)) is utilized, if delivery of shares is to be made by book-entry
transfer to an account maintained by the Depositary (as defined below) at the book-entry transfer facility (as defined in Section
3 of the Offer to Purchase) pursuant to the procedures set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase. Tendering shareholders
whose certificates for shares are not immediately available or who cannot deliver either the certificates for, or a book-entry
confirmation (as defined in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase) with respect to, their shares and all other documents required
hereby to the Depositary prior to the expiration date (as defined in Section 1 of the Offer to Purchase) must tender their shares
in accordance with the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase. See Instruction 2.
Your attention is
directed in particular to the following:
| 1. | If you want to retain your shares, you do not need to take any action. |
| 2. | If you want to participate in the Offer (as defined below), you should complete this Letter of
Transmittal. |
DELIVERY OF DOCUMENTS
TO THE BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER FACILITY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE DELIVERY TO THE DEPOSITARY.
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CHECK HERE IF TENDERED SHARES ARE BEING DELIVERED BY BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER MADE TO ACCOUNT MAINTAINED BY THE DEPOSITARY WITH THE BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER FACILITY AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING (ONLY PARTICIPANTS IN THE BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER FACILITY MAY DELIVER SHARES BY BOOK-ENTRY TRANSFER): |
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Name of Tendering Institution: |
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Account Number: |
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Transaction Code Number: |
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CHECK HERE IF TENDERED SHARES ARE BEING DELIVERED PURSUANT TO A NOTICE OF GUARANTEED DELIVERY PREVIOUSLY SENT TO THE DEPOSITARY. ENCLOSE A PHOTOCOPY OF THE NOTICE OF GUARANTEED DELIVERY AND COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING: |
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Name of Registered Owner(s): |
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Date of Execution of Notice of Guaranteed Delivery: |
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Name of Institution that Guaranteed Delivery: |
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If delivery by book-entry transfer, check box: |
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ODD LOTS
(See Instruction 13) |
To be completed ONLY
if shares are being tendered by or on behalf of a person owning, beneficially or of record, an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares.
The undersigned either (check one box)
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is the beneficial
or record owner of an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares, all of which are being tendered; or |
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is a broker,
dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or other nominee that (a) is tendering for the beneficial owner(s), shares with respect
to which it is the record holder, and (b) believes, based upon representations made to it by the beneficial owner(s), that each
such person is the beneficial owner of an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares and is tendering all of the shares. |
CONDITIONAL TENDER
(See Instruction 12) |
A tendering shareholder may condition his or her tender of shares upon the Company purchasing a specified minimum number of the shares tendered, all as described in Section 6 of the Offer to Purchase. Unless at least the minimum number of shares you indicate below is purchased by the Company pursuant to the terms of the Offer, none of the shares tendered by you will be purchased. It is the tendering shareholder’s responsibility to calculate the minimum number of shares that must be purchased if any are purchased, and each shareholder is urged to consult his or her own tax advisor before completing this section. Unless this box has been checked and a minimum specified, your tender will be deemed unconditional. |
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The minimum number of shares that must be purchased from me, if any are purchased from me, is: __________ shares. |
If, because of proration, the minimum number of shares designated will not be purchased, the Company may accept conditional tenders by random lot, if necessary. However, to be eligible for purchase by random lot, the tendering shareholder must have tendered all of his or her shares and checked this box. |
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The tendered shares represent all shares held by the undersigned. |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The
undersigned hereby tenders to First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (the “Company”) the above
described shares of beneficial interest (the “shares”) in the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in the Company’s Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”), and this
Letter of Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements thereto or hereto, collectively constitute the
“Offer”), receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the
shares shall refer to the shares of beneficial interests in the Company.
Subject to and effective
on acceptance for payment for, the shares tendered with this Letter of Transmittal in accordance with the terms and subject to
the conditions of the Offer, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers to, or upon the order of, the Company, all right,
title and interest in and to all the shares that are being tendered hereby and irrevocably constitutes and appoints Computershare
Trust Company, N.A. (the “Depositary”), the true and lawful agent and attorney-in-fact of the undersigned, with full
power of substitution (such power of attorney being deemed to be an irrevocable power coupled with an interest), to the full extent
of the undersigned’s rights with respect to such shares, to (a) deliver certificates for such shares or transfer ownership
of such shares on the account books maintained by the book-entry transfer facility, together, in any such case, with all accompanying
evidences of transfer and authenticity to, or upon the order of the Company, (b) present such shares for cancellation and transfer
on the Company’s books and (c) receive all benefits and otherwise exercise all rights of beneficial ownership of such shares,
all in accordance with the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer.
The undersigned
hereby represents and warrants that the undersigned has full power and authority to tender, sell, assign and transfer the shares
tendered hereby and that, when the same are accepted for purchase by the Company, the Company will acquire good title thereto,
free and clear of all security interests, liens, restrictions, claims and encumbrances, and the same will not be subject to any
adverse claim or right. The undersigned will, on request by the Depositary or the Company, execute and delivery any additional
documents deemed by The Depositary or the Company to be necessary or desirable to complete the sale, assignment and transfer of
the shares tendered hereby, all in accordance with the terms of the Offer.
All authority conferred
or agreed to be conferred pursuant to this Letter of Transmittal shall be binding on the successors, assigns, heirs, personal representatives,
executors, administrators and other legal representatives of the undersigned and shall not be affected by, and shall survive, the
death or incapacity of the undersigned. Except as stated in the Offer to Purchase , this tender is irrevocable.
The undersigned
understands that the valid tender of shares pursuant to any of the procedures described in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase and
in the instructions to this Letter of Transmittal will constitute a binding agreement between the undersigned and the Company on
the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer.
It is a violation
of Rule 14e-4 promulgated under the Exchange Act (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) for a person acting alone or in concert
with others, directly or indirectly, to tender shares for such person’s own account unless at the time of tender and at the
expiration date such person has a “net long position” in (a) the shares that is equal to or greater than the amount
tendered and will deliver or cause to be delivered such shares for the purpose of tender to the Company within the period specified
in the Offer, or (b) other securities immediately convertible into, exercisable for or exchangeable into shares (“Equivalent
Securities”) that is equal to or greater than the amount tendered and, upon the acceptance of such tender, will acquire such
shares by conversion, exchange or exercise of such Equivalent Securities to the extent required by the terms of the Offer and will
deliver or cause to be delivered such shares so acquired for the purpose of tender to the Company within the period specified in
the Offer. Rule 14e-4 also provides a similar restriction applicable to the tender or guarantee of a tender on behalf of another
person. A tender of shares made pursuant to any method of delivery set forth in this Letter of Transmittal will constitute the
undersigned’s representation and warranty to the Company that (a) the undersigned has a “net long position” in
shares or Equivalent Securities being tendered within the meaning of Rule 14e-4, and (b) such tender of shares complies with Rule
14e-4.
The undersigned
understands that all shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn will be purchased at the purchase price, without interest,
upon the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, including its proration provisions, “odd lot” provisions
and conditional tender provisions, and that the Company will return at its expense all other shares including shares not purchased
because of proration or conditional tenders, promptly following the expiration date.
Unless otherwise
indicated herein under “Special Payment Instructions,” please issue the check for payment of the purchase price and/or
return any certificates for shares not tendered or accepted for payment in the name(s) of the registered holder(s) appearing under
“Description of Shares Tendered.” Similarly, unless otherwise indicated under “Special Delivery Instructions,”
please mail the check for payment of the purchase price and/or return any certificates for shares not tendered or accepted for
payment (and accompanying documents, as appropriate) to the address(es) of the registered holder(s) appearing under “Description
of Shares Tendered.” In the event that both the “Special Delivery Instructions” and the “Special Payment
Instructions” are completed, please issue the check for payment of the purchase price and/or return any certificates for
shares not tendered or accepted for payment (and any accompanying documents, as appropriate) to, the person or persons so indicated.
Please credit any shares tendered herewith by book-entry transfer that are not accepted for payment by crediting the account at
the book-entry transfer facility designated above. The undersigned recognizes that the Company has no obligation pursuant to the
“Special Payment Instructions” to transfer any shares from the name of the registered holder(s) thereof if the Company
does not accept payment for any of the shares so tendered.
NOTE: SIGNATURE
MUST BE PROVIDED ON PAGE 4 BELOW.
SPECIAL PAYMENT INSTRUCTIONS
(See Instructions 1, 5, 6 and 7) |
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SPECIAL DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS
(See Instruction 1, 5, 6 and 7) |
To be completed ONLY if certificates
for shares not tendered or not accepted for payment and/or the check for payment of the purchase price of shares accepted
for payment are to be issued in the name of someone other than the undersigned, or if shares tendered hereby and delivered
by book-entry transfer which are not purchased are to be returned by crediting them to an account at the book-entry transfer
facility other than the account designated above.
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Complete ONLY if the check is to be
delivered to someone other than the undersigned or to the undersigned at an address other than that shown under the undersigned’s
name at the top of the letter.
Mail: ¨
Check ¨ Certificate(s) to:
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Issue: ¨
Check ¨ Certificate(s) to: |
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Name: |
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Name:
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(Please
Print First, Middle & Last Name) |
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(Please
Print First, Middle & Last Name) |
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Address: |
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Address: |
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Zip Code) |
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(including
Zip Code) |
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Dated: |
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Tax Identification or
Social Security Number: |
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(See
substitute Form W-9 Included Herewith)
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Tax
Identification or Social Security Number: |
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(See
substitute Form W-9 Included Herewith) |
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Check
and complete if applicable: |
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Credit
shares delivered by book-entry transfer and not purchased to the account set forth below. |
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Account
Number: |
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IMPORTANT
SHAREHOLDER SIGN HERE
(Also Complete Substitute Form W-9 Below)
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(Signature(s) of Shareholder(s)) |
Must be signed by registered holder(s) exactly
as name(s) appear on stock certificate(s) for the security position listing or by person(s) authorized to become registered holder(s)
by certificates and documents transmitted herewith. If signature is by a trustee, executor, administrator, guardian, attorney-in-fact,
officer of a corporation or other person acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity he or she should so indicate when signing
and provide a signature guaranty as described in Instruction 1, or in lieu of a signature guarantee, proper evidence satisfactory
to the Company of his or her authority to so act. See Instructions 1 and 5.)
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Name(s): |
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(Please Print) |
Capacity (full title): |
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Address: |
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Daytime Area Code and Telephone No.: |
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Taxpayer Identification or Social Security Number: |
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GUARANTEE OF SIGNATURE(S)
(If Required – See Instructions 1 and
5)
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Authorized Signature: |
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Name: |
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(Please Print) |
Name of Firm: |
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Title: |
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Address: |
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(Include Zip Code) |
Daytime Area Code and Telephone No.: |
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Dated: _________________, 2015 |
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INSTRUCTIONS
Forming Part of the Terms and Conditions
of the Offer
1. Guarantee
of Signatures. No signature guarantee is required on this Letter of Transmittal if either (a) this Letter of Transmittal
is signed by the registered holder(s) (which term, for purposes of this Instruction 1, includes any participant in the book-entry
transfer facility’s system whose name appears on a security position listing as the owner of the shares) of shares tendered
herewith, unless such registered holder(s) has completed either the box entitled “Special Payment Instructions” or
the box entitled “Special Delivery Instructions on this Letter of Transmittal or (b) such shares are tendered for the account
of a form that is a member in good standing of a recognized Medallion Program approved by the Securities Transfer Association,
Inc., including the Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program, the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. Medallion Signature Program
or the Stock Exchange Medallion Program, or is otherwise an “eligible guarantor institution,” as that term is defined
in Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (each, an “eligible institution”). In all other
cases, all signatures on this Letter of Transmittal must be guaranteed by an eligible institution. Shareholders may also need to
have any certificates they deliver endorsed or accompanied by a stock power, and the signatures on these documents also may need
to be guaranteed. See Instruction 5.
2. Requirements
of Tender. This Letter of Transmittal is to be completed by shareholders either if certificates are to be forwarded herewith
or, unless an Agent’s Message (as defined below) is utilized, if delivery of shares is to be made pursuant to the procedures
for book-entry transfer set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase. For a shareholder validly to tender shares pursuant to
the Offer, either (a) a Letter of Transmittal (or a facsimile thereof), properly completed and duly executed, together with any
required signature guarantees, or, in the case of a book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message, and any other required documents,
must be received by the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth on the back of this Letter of Transmittal prior to the expiration
date and either certificates for tendered shares must be received by the Depositary at one of such addresses or shares must be
delivered pursuant to the procedures for book-entry transfer set forth herein (and a book-entry confirmation must be received by
the Depositary), in each case prior to the expiration date, or (b) the tendering shareholder must comply with the guaranteed delivery
procedures set forth below and in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase.
Shareholders whose
certificates for shares are not immediately available or who cannot deliver their certificates and all other required documents
to the Depositary or complete the procedures for book-entry transfer prior to the expiration date may tender their shares by properly
completing and duly executing the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in Section
3 of the Offer to Purchase. Pursuant to those procedures, (a) tender must be made by or through an eligible institution, (b) a
properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, in the form provided by the Company, must be received by the
Depositary prior to the expiration date and (c) the certificates for all tendered shares, in proper form for transfer (or a book-entry
confirmation with respect to all such shares), together with a Letter of Transmittal (or facsimile thereof), properly completed
and duly executed, with any required signature guarantees, or, in the case of a book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message,
and any other required documents must be received by the Depositary, in each case within three trading days after the date of execution
of the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery as provided in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase. A “trading day” is any day
on which the OTC Bulletin Board is open for business. The term “Agent’s Message” means a message transmitted
by the book-entry transfer facility to, and received by, the Depositary and forming a part of a book-entry confirmation, which
states that such book-entry transfer facility has received an express acknowledgment from the participant in the book-entry transfer
facility tendering the shares that such participant has received and agrees to be bound by the terms of the Letter of Transmittal
and that the Company may enforce such agreement against the participant.
The method of
delivery of shares, this Letter of Transmittal and all other required documents, including delivery through the book-entry transfer
facility, is at the sole election and risk of the tendering shareholder. Shares will be deemed delivered only when actually received
by the Depositary (including, in the case of a book-entry transfer, by book-entry confirmation). If delivery is by mail, registered
mail with return receipt requested, properly insured, is recommended. In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to ensure
timely delivery.
Except as specifically
provided by the Offer to Purchase, no alternative, conditional or contingent tenders will be accepted. No fractional shares will
be purchased. All tendering shareholders, by execution of this Letter of Transmittal (or a facsimile hereof), waive any right to
receive any notice of the acceptance for payment of their shares.
3. Inadequate
Space. If the space provided in the box captioned “Description of Shares Tendered” in this Letter of
Intent is inadequate, the certificate numbers and/or the number of shares stock should be listed on a separate signed schedule
attached hereto.
4. Partial
Tenders (Not Applicable to Shareholders Who Tender by Book-Entry Transfer). If fewer than all the shares represented by
any certificate submitted to the Depositary are to be tendered, fill in the number of shares that are to be tendered in the box
entitled “Number of Shares Tendered.” In that case, if any tendered shares are purchased, new certificate(s) for the
remainder of the shares that were evidenced by the old certificate(s) will be sent to the registered holder(s), unless otherwise
provided in the appropriate box on this Letter of Transmittal, as soon as practicable after the acceptance for payment of, and
payment for, the shares tendered herewith. All shares represented by certificates (or held electronically through book entry) delivered
to the Depositary will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise indicated.
5. Signatures
on Letter of Transmittal, Stock Powers and Endorsements. If this Letter of Transmittal is signed by the registered holder(s)
of the Shares tendered hereby, the signature(s) must correspond exactly with the name(s) as written on the face of the certificate(s)
without change whatsoever.
If any of the shares
tendered hereby are held of record by two or more joint owners, all such persons must sign this Letter of Transmittal.
If any shares tendered
are registered in different names on several certificates, it will be necessary to complete, sign and submit as many separate Letters
of Transmittal as there are different registrations of certificates.
If this Letter of
Transmittal is signed by the registered owner (s) of the shares tendered hereby, no endorsements of certificates or separate stock
powers are required unless payment of the purchase price is to be made, or certificates for shares not tendered or accepted for
payment are to be issued, to a person other than the registered owner(s) appear(s) on the certificate(s). The signature(s) on any
such certificate(s) or stock power(s) must be guaranteed by an eligible institution.
6. Stock
Transfer Taxes. The Company will pay any stock transfer taxes with respect to the transfer and sale of shares to it pursuant
to the Offer. If, however, payment of the purchase price is to be made to, or if shares not tendered or accepted for payment are
to be registered in the name of, any person(s) other than the registered owner(s), or if shares tendered hereby are registered
in the name(s) of any person(s) other than the person(s) signing this Letter of Transmittal, the amount of any stock transfer taxes
(whether imposed on the registered owner(s) or such person(s)) payable on account of the transfer to such person(s) will be deducted
from the purchase price unless satisfactory evidence of the payment of such taxes or exemption therefrom is submitted with this
Letter of Transmittal.
Except as provided
in this Instruction 6, it will not be necessary for transfer tax stamps to be affixed to the certificates listed in this Letter
of Transmittal.
7. Special
Payment and Delivery Instructions. If a check for the purchase price of any shares accepted for payment is to be issued
in the name of, and/or certificates for any shares not accepted for payment or not tendered are to be issued in the name of and/or
returned to, a person other than the signer of this Letter of Transmittal or if a check is to be sent, and/or such certificates
are to be returned, to a person other than the signer of this Letter of Transmittal or to an address other than that shown above,
the appropriate boxes on this Letter of Transmittal should be completed and signatures must be guaranteed as described in Instructions
1 and 5.
8. Irregularities.
The Company will determine in its sole discretion all questions as to the number of shares to accept, and the validity, eligibility
(including time of receipt) and acceptance for payment of any tender of shares. Any such determinations will be final and binding
on all parties, subject to a shareholder’s right to challenge our determination in a court of competent jurisdiction. The
Company reserves the absolute right to reject any or all tenders of shares it determines not to be in proper form or the acceptance
of which or payment for which may, in the Company’s opinion, be unlawful. The Company also reserves the absolute right to
waive any defect or irregularity in the tender of any particular shares, and the Company’s interpretation of the terms of
the Offer including these instructions),will be final and binding on all parties. No tender of shares will be deemed to be properly
made until all defects and irregularities have been cured or waived. Unless waived, any defects or irregularities in connection
with tenders must be cured within such time as the Company shall determine. None of the Company, the Depositary, the Information
Agent (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) or any other person is or will be obligated to give notice of any defects or irregularities
in tenders and none of them will incur any liability for failure to give any such notice.
9. U.S.
Federal Backup Withholding Tax. Under the U.S. federal backup withholding tax rules, 28% of the gross proceeds payable
to a shareholder or other payee in the Offer must be withheld and remitted to the Internal Revenue Service, or IRS, unless the
shareholder or other payee provides such person’s taxpayer identification number (employer identification number or social
security number) to the Depositary or other payor and certifies under penalties of perjury that this number is correct or otherwise
establishes an exemption. If the Depositary or other payor is not provided with the correct taxpayer identification number or another
adequate basis for exemption, the shareholder may be subject to back up withholding tax and may be subject to certain penalties
imposed by the IRS. Therefore, each tendering shareholder that is a U.S. Holder (as defined in Section 14 of the Offer to Purchase)
should complete and sign the Substitute Form W-9 included as a part of the Letter of Transmittal in order to provide the information
and certification necessary to avoid the backup withholding tax, unless the shareholder otherwise establishes an exemption from
the backup withholding tax to the satisfaction of the Depositary. The backup withholding tax is not an additional tax, and any
amounts withheld under the backup withholding tax rules will be allowed as a refund or credit against a shareholder’s U.S.
federal income tax liability provided the required information is timely furnished to the IRS. A U.S. Holder (or other payee) should
write “Applied For” in the space for the TIN provided on the attached Substitute Form W-9 and must also complete the
attached “Certificate of Awaiting Taxpayer Identification Number” if such U.S. Holder (or other payee) has not been
issued a TIN and has applied for a TIN or intends to apply for a TIN in the near future. If the Depositary is not provided with
a TIN prior to payment, the Depositary will withhold 28% on all such payments.
Certain shareholders
(including, among others, all corporations and certain Non-U.S. Holders) as defined in Section 14 of the Offering to Purchase)
are not subject to these backup withholding tax rules. In order for a Non-U.S. Holder to qualify as an exempt recipient, that shareholder
must submit an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form), signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to that shareholder’s
non-U.S. status. The applicable form can be obtained from the Depositary. A Non-U.S. Holder that submits a properly completed IRS
Form W-8BEN may still be subject to the regular U.S. federal withholding tax on gross proceeds payable to such holder. See Withholding
for Non-U.S. Holders and Section 3 and Section 14 of the Offer to Purchase.
Shareholders are
urged to consult with their tax advisors regarding possible qualifications for exemption from backup withholding tax and the procedure
for obtaining any applicable exemption.
Withholding For
Non-U.S. Holders. A payment made to a Non-U.S. Holder pursuant to the Offer will be subject to U.S. federal income and withholding
tax unless the Non-U.S. Holder meets the “complete termination,” “substantially disproportionate,” or “not
essentially equivalent to a dividend” test described in Section 13 of the Offer to Purchase. If a Non-U.S. Holder tenders
shares held in a U.S. brokerage account or otherwise through a U.S. broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or other nominee,
such U.S. broker or other nominee will generally be the withholding agent for the payment made to the Non-U.S. Holder pursuant
to the Offer. Such U.S. brokers or other nominees may withhold or require certifications in this regard. Non-U.S. Holders tendering
shares held through a U.S. broker or other nominee should consult such U.S. broker or other nominee and their own tax advisors
to determine the particular withholding procedures that will be applicable to them. Notwithstanding the foregoing, even if a
Non-U.S. Holder tenders shares held in its own name as a holder of record and delivers to the Depositary a properly completed IRS
Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) before any payment is made, the Depositary has advised the Company that it will withhold
30% of the gross proceeds unless the Depositary determines that a reduced rate under an applicable income tax treaty or exemption
from withholding is applicable, regardless of whether the payment is properly exempt from U.S. federal income tax under the “complete
termination,” “substantially disproportionate,” or “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” test.
To obtain a reduced
rate of withholding under an applicable income tax treaty, a Non-U.S. Holder must deliver to the Depositary a properly completed
IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable form) before the payment is made. To obtain an exemption from withholding on the grounds that
the gross proceeds paid pursuant to the Offer are effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United
States, a Non-U.S. Holder must deliver to the Depositary a properly completed IRS Form W-8ECI (or successor form). The applicable
form can be obtained from the Depositary. A Non-U.S. Holder that qualifies for an exemption from withholding on these grounds generally
will be required to file a U.S. federal income tax return and generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on income derived
from the sale of shares pursuant to the Offer in the manner and to the extent described in Section 13 of the Offer to Purchase
as if it were a U.S. Holder, and in the case of a foreign corporation, an additional branch profits tax may be imposed at a rate
of 30% (or a lower rate specified in an applicable income tax treaty), with respect to such income.
A Non-U.S. Holder
may be eligible for a refund of all or a portion of any tax withheld if the Non-U.S. Holder (i) meets the “complete termination,”
“substantially disproportionate” or “not essentially equivalent to a dividend” tests described in Section
13 of the Offer to Purchase that would characterize the exchange as a sale (as opposed to a dividend) with respect to which the
Non-U.S. Holder is not subject to U.S. federal income tax or (ii) is otherwise able to establish that no tax or a reduced amount
of tax is due.
NON-U.S. HOLDERS
ARE URGED TO CONSULT THEIR OWN TAX ADVISORS REGARDING THE APPLICATION OF U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX WITHHOLDING, INCLUDING ELIGIBILITY
FOR A WITHHOLDING TAX REDUCTION OR EXEMPTION, AND THE REFUND PROCEDURES.
10. Requests
for Assistance or Additional Copies. Questions and requests for assistance or additional copies of the Offer to Purchase,
this Letter of Transmittal, the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery and the Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number
on Substitute Form W-9 may be directed to the Information Agent, at its address set forth on the last page of this Letter of Transmittal.
11. Lost,
Destroyed or Stolen Certificates. If your certificate(s) for part or all of your shares has been lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated, you should contact the Depositary at (800) 546-5141 for information regarding replacement of lost securities. You
should also check the box for “Lost Certificates” in the appropriate box on page 1 and promptly send the completed
Letter of Transmittal to the Depositary. Upon receipt of your request by phone or Letter of Transmittal, the Depositary will provide
you with instructions on how to obtain a replacement certificate. You may be asked to post a bond to secure against the risk that
the certificate may be subsequently recirculated. There may be a fee and additional documents may be required to replace lost certificates.
This Letter of Transmittal and related documents cannot be processed until the procedures for replacing lost, stolen, destroyed
or mutilated certificates have been followed. You are urged to send the property completed Letter of Transmittal to the Depositary
immediately to ensure timely processing of documentation.
12. Conditional
Tenders. As described in Sections 1 and 6 of the Offer to Purchase, shareholders may condition their tenders on all or
a minimum number of their tendered shares being purchased.
If you wish to make
a conditional tender, you must indicate this in the box captioned “Conditional Tender” in this Letter of Transmittal
and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery. In the box in this Letter of Transmittal and, if applicable, in the Notice
of Guaranteed Delivery, you must calculate and appropriately indicate the minimum number of shares that must be purchased from
you if any are to be purchased from you.
As discussed in Sections
1 and 5 of the Offer to Purchase, proration may affect whether the Company accepts conditional tenders and may result in shares
tendered pursuant to a conditional tender being deemed withdrawn if the required minimum number of shares would not be purchased.
If, because of proration, the minimum number of shares that you designate will not be purchased, the Company may accept conditional
tenders by random lot, if necessary. However, to be eligible for purchase by random lot, you must have tendered all of your shares
of beneficial interest and checked the box so indicating. Upon selection by lot, if any, the Company will limit its purchase in
each case to the designated minimum number of shares of beneficial interest.
All tendered shares
of beneficial interest will be deemed unconditionally tendered unless the “Conditional Tender” box is completed.
The conditional tender
alternative is made available so that a shareholder may seek to structure the purchase of shares of beneficial interest pursuant
to the Offer in such a manner that the purchase will be treated as a sale of such shares of beneficial interest by the shareholder,
rather than the payment of a dividend to the shareholder, for U.S. federal income tax purposes. If you are an odd lot holder and
you tender all of your shares of beneficial interest, you cannot conditionally tender, since your shares of beneficial interest
will not be subject to proration. It is the tendering shareholder’s responsibility to calculate the minimum number of shares
of beneficial interest that must be purchased from the shareholder in order for the shareholder to qualify for sale (rather than
distribution) treatment for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Each shareholder is urged to consult his or her own tax advisor.
No assurances can be provided that a conditional tender will achieve the intended U.S. federal income tax results in all cases.
See Section 13 of the Offer to Purchase.
13. Odd
Lots. As described in Section 1 of the Offer to Purchase, if the Company is to purchase fewer than all shares properly
tendered before the expiration date and not properly withdrawn, the shares purchased first will consist of all shares properly
tendered by any shareholder who owned, beneficially or of record, an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares, and who tenders all of
the holder’s shareholders. This preference will not be available to you unless you complete the section captioned “Odd
Lots” in this Letter of Transmittal and, if applicable, in the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery.
14. Order
of Purchases in Event of Proration. As described in Section 1 of the Offer to Purchase, shareholders may designate the
order in which their shares are to be purchased in the event of proration. The order of purchase may have an effect on the U.S.
federal income tax classification of any gain or loss on the shares purchased. See Section 1 and Section 13 of the Offer to Purchase.
IMPORTANT.
This Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile hereof), together with any required signature guarantees, or, in the
case of a book-entry transfer, an Agent’s Message, and any other required documents, must be received by the Depositary prior
to the expiration date and either certificates for tendered shares must be received by the Depositary or shares must be delivered
pursuant to the procedures for book-entry transfer, in each case prior to the expiration date, or the tendering shareholder must
comply with the procedures for guaranteed delivery.
IMPORTANT TAX INFORMATION
Under the U.S. federal
income tax law, a shareholder whose tendered shares are accepted for payment is required by law to provide the Depositary (as payer)
with such shareholder’s correct TIN on Substitute Form W-9 below (or otherwise must indicate that such shareholder is awaiting
a TIN). If such shareholder is an individual, the TIN is such shareholder’s social security number. If the Depositary is
not provided with the correct TIN, the shareholder may be subject to a $50 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service, or
IRS, and payments that are made to such shareholder with respect to shares purchased pursuant to the tender offer may be subject
to backup withholding tax of 28%.
Certain shareholders
including, among others, all corporations and certain Non-U.S. Holders, are not subject to these backup withholding requirements.
In order for a Non-U.S. Holder to qualify as an exempt recipient, such Non-U.S. Holder must submit an IRS Form W-8BEN (or other
applicable IRS Form or substitute forms), signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to such shareholder’s exempt status.
An IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable IRS Form) can be obtained from the Depositary. Exempt shareholders (other than Non-U.S.
Holders) should furnish their TIN, write “Exempt” in Part II on the face of the Substitute Form W-9, and sign, date
and return the Substitute Form W-9 to the Depositary. See the accompanying Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification
Number on Substitute Form W-9 for additional instructions. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors as to qualification for
exemption from backup withholding tax and the procedures for obtaining such exemption.
If backup withholding
tax applies, the Depositary is required to withhold 28% of any payments made to the shareholder. Backup withholding is not an additional
tax. Rather, the U.S. federal income tax liability of persons subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax
withheld. If backup withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained, provided the required information
is furnished to the IRS on a timely basis.
Purpose of Substitution
Form W-9
To prevent backup
withholding tax on payments that are made to a shareholder with respect to shares purchased pursuant to the Offer, the shareholder
is required to notify the Depositary of such shareholder’s correct TIN by completing the form below certifying that (a) the
TIN provided on Substitute Form W-9 is correct (or that such shareholder is awaiting a TIN) and (b) that (i) such shareholder has
not been notified by the IRS that such shareholder is subject to backup withholding tax as a result of a failure to report all
interest or dividends or (ii) the IRS has notified such shareholder that such shareholder is no longer subject to backup withholding
tax.
What Number to Give
the Depositary
The shareholder is
required to give the Depositary the social security number or employer identification number of the record holder of the shares
tendered hereby. If the shares are in more than one name or are not in the name of the actual owner, consult the enclosed Guidelines
for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number on Substitute Form W-9 for additional guidance on which number to report. If
the tendering shareholder has not been issued a TIN and has applied for a number or intends to apply for a number in the near future,
the shareholder should write “Applied For” in the space provided for the TIN in Part I, and sign and date the Substitute
Form W-9 and the Certificate of Awaiting Taxpayer Identification Number. If “Applied For” is written in Part I and
the Depositary is not provided with a TIN by the time for payment, the Depositary will withhold 28% of all payments of the purchase
price to such shareholder until a TIN is provided.
PAYER’S NAME: COMPUTERSHARE TRUST COMPANY, N.A. |
Payee’s Name: |
Payee’s Business Name (if different from above): |
Payee’s Address: |
Mark Appropriate Box:
SUBSTITUTE
|
o Limited
Liability Company
Enter appropriate tax classification
o disregarded
entity
o corporation
o partnership |
o Individual/Sole
Proprietor |
o Corporation |
o Partnership |
o Other |
FORM W-9
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
Payor’s Request for Taxpayer
Identification Number (“TIN”)
and Certification
|
Part I – PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR TIN IN THE BOX AT THE RIGHT AND CERTIFY BY SIGNING AND DATING BLOW |
TIN:
Social
Security Number
OR
Employer Identification
Number |
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Part II - For Payees exempt from backing withholding, write “Exempt” here and sign and date below (see the Guidelines for Certification of Taxpayer Identification Number of Substitute Form W-9 and complete as instructed therein). |
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Part III — Certification — Under penalties of perjury, I certify that: |
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(1) |
The number shown on this form is my correct
TIN (or I am waiting for a number to be issued to me), and
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(2) |
I am not subject to backup withholding because: (a) I am exempt from backup withholding, or (b) I have not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that I am subject to backup withholding as a result of a failure to report all interest or dividends, or (c) the IRS has notified me that I am no longer subject to backup withholding, and |
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(3) |
I am a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). |
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Certification Instructions —You must cross out item 2 above if you have been notified by the IRS that you are currently subject to backup withholding because you have failed to report all interest and dividends on. your tax return. For real estate transactions, item 2 does not apply. For mortgage interest paid, acquisition or abandonment of secured property, cancellation of debt, contributions to an individual retirement arrangement (IRA), and generally, payments other than interest and dividends, you arc not required to sign the Certification, but you must provide your correct TIN.
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Signature: |
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Date: |
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| NOTE: | FAILURE TO COMPLETE AND RETURN THIS SUBSTITUTE FORM W-9 MAY RESULT IN BACKUP WITHHOLDING OF
28% OF ANY PAYMENTS MADE TO YOU PURSUANT TO THE OFFER. PLEASE REVIEW THE ENCLOSED GUIDELINES FOR CERTIFICATION OF TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION
NUMBER ON SUBSTITUTE FORM W-9 FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. |
YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING CERTIFICATE
IF YOU WROTE “APPLIED FOR” IN THE SPACE FOR THE TIN PROVIDED ABOVE
IN THIS SUBSTITUTE FORM W-9.
CERTIFICATE OF AWAITING
TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
I certify under penalties
of perjury that a taxpayer identification number has not been issued to me and that either (1) I have mailed or delivered an application
to receive a taxpayer identification number to the appropriate Internal Revenue Service Center or Social Security Administration
Office or (2) I intend to mail or deliver an application in the near future. I understand that if I do not provide a taxpayer identification
number to the Depositary by the time of payment, 28% of all reportable payments made to me thereafter will be withheld until I
provide a number.
Signature:______________________________________ Date:___________________________
|
The Letter of Transmittal,
certificates for shares and any other required documents should be sent or delivered by each shareholder of the Company or such
shareholder’s bank, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee to the Depositary at one of its addresses set forth below.
The Depositary for the Offer is:
By Overnight Courier:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
250 Royal Street
Suite V
Canton, Massachusetts 02021 |
By Mail:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
P.O. Box 43011
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3011 |
Delivery of this Letter
of Transmittal to an address other than as set forth above will not constitute a valid delivery to the Depositary.
Questions and requests for
assistance may be directed to the Information Agent at the telephone number set forth below. Requests
for additional copies of the Offer to Purchase, this Letter of Transmittal and the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery should be directed
to the Information Agent. You may also contact your bank, broker, dealer, trust company or other nominee for assistance
concerning the Offer.
The Information Agent for the Offer is:
480 Washington Blvd., 26th
Floor
Jersey City, NJ 07310
Stockholders, Banks and Brokers
Call Toll-Free: (800)
314-4549
Exhibit (a)(1)(iii)
NOTICE OF GUARANTEED DELIVERY
TO TENDER SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
IN
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
OF NEW JERSEY
THE OFFER,
PRORATION PERIOD AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON MARCH 20, 2015, UNLESS THE OFFER IS
EXTENDED OR WITHDRAWN.
This Notice of Guaranteed
Delivery, or a form substantially equivalent hereto, must be used to accept the Offer (as defined below) if you want to tender
your shares but:
| ● | Your certificates for the shares are not immediately available or cannot be delivered to the Depositary
by the Expiration date; |
| ● | You cannot comply with the procedure for book-entry transfer by the Expiration Date; or |
| ● | Your other required documents cannot be delivered to the Depositary by the Expiration Date, |
in which case, you may still tender
shares if you comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures described in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase.
This Notice of Guaranteed
Delivery, properly completed and duly executed, may be delivered to the Depositary by mail, hand delivery, overnight courier or
facsimile transmission (for eligible institutions only) prior to the Expiration Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase). See
Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”).
Deliver to:
By Overnight Courier:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
250 Royal Street
Suite V
Canton, Massachusetts 02021 |
By Mail:
Computershare Trust Company, N.A.
Attention: Corporate Actions
P.O. Box 43011
Providence, Rhode Island 02940-3011 |
Fax line for eligible institutions only:
(617) 360-6810
To confirm fax for eligible institutions
only: (781) 575-2332
For this notice
to be validly delivered, it must be received by the Depositary at one of the addresses listed above before the Expiration Date.
Delivery of this instrument to an address other than as set forth above will not constitute a valid delivery. Deliveries to First
Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey will not be forwarded to the Depositary and therefore will not constitute valid delivery
to the Depositary.
This Notice of
Guaranteed Delivery is not to be used to guarantee signatures. If a signature on the Letter of Transmittal is required to be guaranteed
by an Eligible Institution (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) under the instructions to the Letter of Transmittal, the signature
guarantee must appear on the applicable space provided in the signature box on the Letter of Transmittal.
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The undersigned
hereby tenders to First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (the “Company”) on the terms and subject to the
conditions set forth in the Company’s Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”), and
the related Letter of Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements thereto or hereto, collectively constitute
the “Offer”), receipt of which is hereby acknowledged, the number of shares of beneficial interest in the Company (the
“Shares”) listed below, pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase.
Number of shares to be tendered: ________
Shares.
NOTE: SIGNATURES MUST BE PROVIDED
WHERE INDICATED BELOW
ODD
LOTS
(See Instruction 13)
To be completed
ONLY if Shares are being tendered by or on behalf of a person owning, beneficially or of record, as of the close of business on
the date set forth on the signature page hereto, and who continues to own, beneficially or of record, as of the Expiration Date,
an aggregate of fewer than 100 Shares.
The undersigned either (check one box) |
o |
is
the beneficial or record owner of an aggregate of fewer than 100 Shares, all of which are being tendered; or |
o |
is a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company, or other nominee that (a) is tendering for the beneficial owner(s), Shares with respect to which it is the record holder, and (b) believes, based upon representations made to it by the beneficial owner(s), that each such person is the beneficial owner of an aggregate of fewer than 100 Shares and is tendering all of the Shares. |
CONDITIONAL TENDER
(See Instruction 12)
A tendering shareholder
may condition his or her tender of Shares upon the Company purchasing a specified minimum number of the Shares tendered, all as
described in Section 6 of the Offer to Purchase. Unless at least the minimum number of Shares indicated below is purchased by the
Company pursuant to the terms of the Offer, none of the Shares tendered will be purchased. It is the tendering shareholder’s
responsibility to calculate the minimum number of Shares that must be purchased if any are purchased, and each shareholder is urged
to consult his or her own tax advisor before completing this section. Unless this box has been checked and a minimum specified,
your tender will be deemed unconditional. |
o |
The minimum number of Shares that must be purchased from me, if any are purchased from me, is: __________ Shares. |
If, because of proration, the minimum number of Shares designated will not be purchased, the Company may accept conditional tenders by random lot, if necessary. However, to be eligible for purchase by random lot, the tendering shareholder must have tendered all of his or her Shares and checked this box. |
o |
The tendered Shares represent all Shares held by the undersigned. |
PLEASE SIGN ON THIS PAGE
Signature(s):
Name(s) of Record Holder(s): |
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(Please print) |
Address(es): |
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(Include Zip Code) |
Certificate Number(s) (If Available): |
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Area Code and Telephone Number(s): |
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Check box if shares will be tendered by book-entry transfer: o |
Name of Tendering Institution: |
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Account Number of Book-Entry Transfer Facility: |
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THE GUARANTEE ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE
MUST BE COMPLETED
GUARANTEE
(NOT TO BE USED FOR SIGNATURE GUARANTEES)
The undersigned,
a bank, broker, dealer, credit union, savings association or other entity which is a member in good standing of the Securities
Transfer Association Medallion Signature Guarantee Program, or an “eligible guarantor institution,” (as such term is
defined in Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), hereby guarantees
(i) that the above-named person(s) has a net long position in the shares being tendered within the meaning of Rule 14e-4 promulgated
under the Exchange Act, (ii) that such tender of shares complies with Rule 14e-4 and (iii) to deliver to the Depositary at one
of its addresses set forth above certificate(s) for the shares tendered hereby, in proper form for transfer, or a confirmation
of the book-entry transfer of the shares into the Depositary’s account at The Depository Trust Company, together with a properly
completed and duly executed Letter of Transmittal (or a manually signed facsimile thereof) and any other required documents, within
three business days after the date of receipt by the Depositary.
Name of Firm: |
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Authorized Signature: |
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Name: |
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(Please Print or Type) |
Title: |
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Address: |
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Zip Code: |
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Area Code and Telephone No.: |
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Date: |
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This form is not to be used to guarantee
signatures. If a signature on a Letter of Transmittal is required to be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution under the Instructions
thereto, such signature guarantee must appear in the applicable space provided in the signature box on the Letter of Transmittal.
| NOTE: | DO NOT SEND CERTIFICATES FOR THE SHARES WITH THIS NOTICE. CERTIFICATES SHOULD BE SENT ONLY WITH
YOUR LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL. |
Exhibit (a)(1)(iv)
LETTER OF INFORMATION
OFFER TO PURCHASE FOR CASH
BY
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
OF NEW JERSEY
OF
UP TO 100,000 SHARES OF BENEFICIAL
INTEREST
AT
$23.00 PER SHARE
THE OFFER, PRORATION
PERIOD AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME, ON MARCH 20, 2015,
UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED
TO BROKERS, DEALERS, COMMERCIAL BANKS,
TRUST COMPANIES
AND OTHER NOMINEES:
Please furnish copies
of the enclosed materials to those of your clients for whom you hold shares registered in your name or in the name of your nominee.
We have been appointed
by First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment trust organized under the laws of the State
of New Jersey (the “Company”), to act as Information Agent in connection with its offer to purchase up to 100,000 shares
of beneficial interest in the Company (the “Shares”), at a price equal to $23.00 per Share (the “Purchase Price”),
net to the seller in cash, less any applicable withholding taxes and without interest, upon the terms and subject to the conditions
set forth in the Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”), and the related Letter of Transmittal
(the “Letter of Transmittal”, which, together with the Offer to Purchase, as they may be amended or supplemented from
time to time, constitute the “Offer”). The description of the Offer in this letter is only a summary and is qualified
by all the terms and conditions of the Offer set forth in the Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal.
For your information
and for forwarding to your clients for whom you hold Shares registered in your name or in the name of your nominee, we are enclosing
the following documents:
| 1. | The Offer to Purchase dated February 17, 2015. |
| 2. | The Letter of Transmittal for your use in accepting the Offer and tendering Shares and for the
information of your clients. |
| 3. | The Notice of Guaranteed Delivery to be used to accept the Offer in the event that you are unable
to deliver the share certificates, together with all other required documents, to the Depositary before the Expiration Date (as
defined in the Offer to Purchase), or if the procedure for book-entry transfer cannot be completed. |
| 4. | A printed form of letter which may be sent to your clients for whose accounts you hold Shares registered
in your name or in the name of your nominee, with space provided for obtaining such clients’ instructions with regard to
the Offer. |
| 5. | A return envelope addressed to the Computershare Trust Company, N.A., as Depositary for the Offer. |
Under no circumstances
will interest be paid on the purchase price of the Shares regardless of any extension of, or amendment of the Offer or any delay
in paying for such Shares.
We urge you to
contact your clients as promptly as possible. Please note that the Offer and withdrawal rights will expire at 12:00 midnight, New
York City time, on March 20, 2015, which date may be extended.
The Company will
not pay any fees or commissions to any broker, dealer or other person for soliciting tenders of shares pursuant to the Offer (other
than the Information Agent and the Depositary as described in the Offer to Purchase). The Company will, however, upon request,
reimburse you for customary mailing and handling expenses incurred by you in forwarding any of the enclosed materials to your clients.
The Company will pay or cause to be paid any transfer taxes with respect to the transfer and sale of purchased Shares to it or
its order pursuant to the Offer, except as otherwise provided in Instruction 6 of the Letter of Transmittal.
Questions and requests
for additional copies, at the Company’s expense, of the enclosed material may be directed to the Information Agent at its
address and telephone number set forth on the back cover of the Offer to Purchase.
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Very truly yours, |
|
GEORGESON INC. |
NOTHING CONTAINED
HEREIN OR IN THE ENCLOSED DOCUMENTS SHALL RENDER YOU THE AGENT OF THE COMPANY, THE INFORMATION AGENT, THE DEPOSITARY OR ANY AFFILIATE
OF ANY OF THE FOREGOING, OR AUTHORIZE YOU OR ANY OTHER PERSON TO USE ANY DOCUMENT OR MAKE ANY STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF ANY OF THEM
IN CONNECTION WITH THE OFFER OTHER THAN THE DOCUMENTS ENCLOSED HEREWITH AND THE STATEMENTS CONTAINED THEREIN.
Exhibit (a)(1)(v)
LETTER TO CLIENTS
OFFER TO PURCHASE FOR CASH
BY
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW
JERSEY
OF UP TO 100,000 SHARES OF BENEFICIAL INTEREST
AT
$23.00 PER SHARE
THE OFFER AND WITHDRAWAL RIGHTS WILL
EXPIRE AT 12:00 MIDNIGHT, NEW YORK CITY TIME,
ON MARCH 20, 2015, UNLESS THE OFFER IS EXTENDED.
____________
February 17, 2015
TO OUR CLIENTS:
Enclosed for your
consideration is the Offer to Purchase, dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”) and the related Letter of
Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements thereto, collectively constitute the “Offer”) in connection
with the offer by First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey (the “Company”), to purchase up to 100,000 shares
of beneficial interest (the “Shares”) in the Company at a price of $23.00 per Share, in cash, upon the terms and subject
to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal.
All Shares properly
tendered before the Expiration Date (as defined in the Offer to Purchase) and not properly withdrawn will be purchased by the Company
at the purchase price of $23.00 per Share, without interest, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, proration
provisions, “odd lot” provisions and conditional tender provisions. The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion,
to purchase more than 100,000 Shares in the Offer, subject to applicable law. Shares not purchased because of proration provisions
or conditional tenders will be returned to the tendering shareholders at the Company’s expense promptly after the expiration
of the Offer. See Section 1 and Section 3 of the Offer to Purchase.
If the number of
Shares properly tendered is less than or equal to 100,000 Shares (or such greater number of Shares as the Company may elect to
purchase pursuant to the Offer, subject to applicable law), the Company will, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the
Offer, purchase all Shares so tendered.
On the terms and
subject to the conditions of the Offer, if at the expiration of the Offer more than 100,000 Shares (or such greater number of Shares
as the Company may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law) are properly tendered, the Company will buy Shares first,
from all shareholders who own beneficially or of record, an aggregate of fewer than 100 Shares (an “Odd Lot Holder”)
who properly tender all their Shares, second, on a pro rata basis from all other shareholders who properly tender Shares,
subject to any conditional tenders, and third, if necessary to permit the Company to purchase 100,000 Shares (or any such
greater number of Shares as the Company may elect to purchase, subject to applicable law), from holders who have tendered Shares
subject to the condition that a specified minimum number of the holder’s Shares are purchased in the Offer, as described
in Section 6 of the Offer to Purchase (for which the condition was not initially satisfied, and provide the holders tendered all
of their Shares) by random lot, to the extent feasible. See Section 1, Section 3 and Section 6 of the Offer to Purchase.
Accordingly, we
request instructions as to whether you wish us to tender on your behalf any or all of the Shares held by us for your account, upon
the terms and subject to the conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Your attention is directed to the following:
| 1. | You may tender your Shares at a price of $23.00 per Share, as indicated in the attached Instruction
Form, without interest. |
| 2. | You should consult with your broker or other financial or tax advisor on the possibility of
designating the priority in which your Shares will be purchased in the event of proration. |
| 3. | The Offer is subject to certain conditions. See Section 7 of the Offer to Purchase. |
| 4. | The Offer, withdrawal rights and proration period will expire at 12:00 Midnight, New York City
time, on Friday, March 20, 2015, unless the Company extends the Offer. |
| 5. | The Offer is for 100,000 Shares, constituting approximately 1.5% of the total number of outstanding
shares of beneficial interest in the Company. |
| 6. | Tendering holders of Shares whose Shares are registered in their own name and who tender directly
to Computershare Trust Company, N.A. as depositary (the “Depositary”) will not be obligated to pay brokerage fees or
commissions or, except as set forth in the Offer to Purchase and Letter of Transmittal, transfer taxes on the purchase of Shares
by Purchaser pursuant to the Offer. |
| 7. | If you are an Odd Lot Holder and you instruct us to tender on your behalf all of the Shares that
you own before the expiration of the Offer and check the box captioned “Odd Lots” on the attached Instruction Form,
the Company, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer, will accept all such Shares for purchase before proration,
if any, of the purchase of other Shares properly tendered and not properly withdrawn. |
| 8. | If you wish to condition your tender upon the purchase of all Shares tendered or upon the Company’s
purchase of a specified minimum number of the Shares which you tender, you may elect to do so and thereby avoid possible proration
of your tender. The Company’s purchase of Shares from all tenders which are so conditioned, to the extent necessary, will
be determined by random lot. To elect such a condition, complete the section captioned “Conditional Tender” in the
attached Instruction Form. |
If you wish to have
us tender any or all of your Shares, please so instruct us by completing, executing, detaching and returning to us the attached
Instruction Form. If you authorize us to tender your Shares, we will tender all your Shares unless you specify otherwise on the
attached Instruction Form.
Your prompt action
is requested. Your Instruction Form should be forwarded to us in ample time to permit us to submit a tender on your behalf before
the Expiration Date of the Offer. Please note that the Offer, proration period and withdrawal rights will expire at 12:00 Midnight,
New York City time, on Friday, March 20, 2015, unless the Offer is extended.
The Offer is being
made only by the Offer to Purchase and the related Letter of Transmittal and any amendments or supplements thereto, and is being
made to all holders of the Shares. The Offer is not being made to (nor will tenders be accepted from or on behalf of) holders of
Shares in any jurisdiction where the making of the Offer or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the laws of
such jurisdiction.
The Company’s
Board of Trustees has approved making the Offer. However, neither the Company nor any member of its Board of Trustees nor the Information
Agent or the Depositary makes any recommendation to shareholders as to whether they should tender or refrain from tendering their
Shares. Shareholders must make their own decisions as to whether to tender their Shares and, if so, how many Shares to tender.
In doing so, shareholders should read carefully the information in the Offer to Purchase and in the related Letter of Transmittal,
including the Company’s reasons for making the Offer. See Section 2 of the Offer to Purchase. Shareholders should discuss
whether to tender their Shares with their broker or other financial or tax advisor.
If you wish to have
us tender any or all of the Shares held by us for your account, please so instruct us by completing, executing, detaching and returning
to us the instruction form set forth herein. If you authorize the tender of your Shares, all such Shares will be tendered unless
otherwise specified below. An envelope to return your instructions to us is enclosed.
YOUR INSTRUCTIONS
SHOULD BE FORWARDED TO US IN AMPLE TIME TO PERMIT US TO SUBMIT A TENDER ON YOUR BEHALF PRIOR TO THE EXPIRATION DATE.
INSTRUCTION FORM WITH RESPECT TO
Offer to Purchase for Cash
by
BY FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST
OF NEW JERSEY
of
Up to 100,000 Shares of its Beneficial Interest
at a Purchase Price of $23.00 Per
Share
The undersigned
acknowledge(s) receipt of your letter and the enclosed Offer to Purchase, dated February 17, 2015 (the “Offer to Purchase”),
and the related Letter of Transmittal (which, together with any amendments or supplements thereto, collectively constitute the
“Offer”), in connection with the offer by First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey, an equity real estate investment
trust organized under the laws of the State of New Jersey (the “Company”), to purchase for cash up to 100,000 of its
shares of beneficial interest in the Company at a price of $23.00 per share, without interest, on the terms and subject to the
conditions of the Offer. Unless the context otherwise requires, all references to the shares shall refer to the shares of beneficial
interest in the Company.
The undersigned
hereby instruct(s) you to tender to the Company the number of shares indicated below or, if no number is indicated, all Shares
you hold for the account of the undersigned, on the terms and subject to the conditions of the Offer.
Number of
shares to be tendered by you for the account of the undersigned: _______ shares*
*Unless otherwise indicated, it will
be assumed that all shares held by us for your account are to be tendered.
ODD LOTS
(See
Instruction 13 of the Letter of Transmittal)
To be completed ONLY if shares are being
tendered by or on behalf of a person owning, beneficially or of record, an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares. |
o |
By checking this box, the undersigned represents that the undersigned owns, beneficially or of record, an aggregate of fewer than 100 shares and is tendering all of those shares. |
CONDITIONAL TENDER
(See Instruction 12)
A tendering stockholder may condition
his or her tender of shares upon the Company purchasing a specified minimum number of the shares tendered, all as described in
Section 6 of the Offer to Purchase. Unless at least the minimum number of shares you indicate below is purchased by the Company
pursuant to the terms of the Offer, none of the shares tendered by you will be purchased. It is the tendering shareholder’s
responsibility to calculate the minimum number of shares that must be purchased if any are purchased, and you are urged to consult
with your own tax advisor before completing this section. Unless this box has been checked and a minimum specified, your tender
will be deemed unconditional. |
o |
The minimum number of shares that must be purchased from me, if any are purchased from me, is: __________ shares. |
If, because of proration, the minimum
number of shares designated will not be purchased, the Company may accept conditional tenders by random lot, if necessary. However,
to be eligible for purchase by random lot, the tendering shareholder must have tendered all of his or her shares and checked this
box.
|
o |
The tendered shares represent all shares held by the undersigned. |
The method of
delivery of this document is at the election and risk of the tendering shareholder. If delivery is by mail, then registered mail
with return receipt requested, properly insured, is recommended. In all cases, sufficient time should be allowed to ensure timely
delivery.
Signature(s): |
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Name(s): |
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(Please Print) |
Taxpayer Identification or Social Security Number: |
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Addresses: |
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(Including Zip Code) |
Area Code/Phone Number: |
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Date: |
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Exhibit (a)(5)(i)
PRESS RELEASE
February 17, 2015
FREIT announces commencement of tender
offer to purchase up to 100,000 shares of beneficial interest.
HACKENSACK, NJ …… FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NJ (“FREIT”) announced today that it has commenced a tender offer to purchase up
to 100,000 shares of beneficial interest in the Company at a price of $23.00 per share. The number of shares proposed to be purchased
in the tender offer represents approximately 1.5% of FREIT’s currently outstanding shares. The closing price of FREIT’s
shares on February 13, 2015 was $19.20 per share.
As of February 17, 2015, FREIT
has approximately $22 million in cash and cash equivalents (unaudited), a portion of which will be used to fund the tender offer. The
Board of Trustees of FREIT has determined to commence the tender offer in order to provide liquidity to its shareholders
by permitting them the opportunity to tender shares of beneficial interest for cash in accordance with the terms of the Offer
to Purchase that has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Georgeson
Inc. is the Information Agent for the tender offer and any questions concerning the tender offer or requests for copies of the
Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and related documents should be directed to Georgeson Inc. by calling (800)
314-4549. Computershare Trust Company, N.A., is the depositary
for the tender offer. The Offer to Purchase, Letter of Transmittal and related documents are being mailed to registered shareholders
and also will be made available for distribution to beneficial owners of shares of beneficial interest in FREIT.
FREIT’s Trustees and executive
officers have advised FREIT that they do not intend to tender their shares of beneficial interest in FREIT in the tender offer.
Neither FREIT nor its Board of Trustees
nor the Information Agent or the Depositary will make any recommendations to shareholders as to whether to tender or refrain from
tendering their shares into the tender offer. Shareholders must decide how many shares they will tender, if any.
Tender Offer Statement
This
press release is for informational purposes only and is neither an offer to buy nor the solicitation of an offer to sell any
shares of beneficial interest in FREIT. The tender offer is being made only pursuant to the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of
Transmittal and related materials that FREIT will be distributing to its shareholders and filing with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. Shareholders should read carefully the Offer to Purchase, the Letter of Transmittal and related
materials because they contain important information, including the various terms of, and conditions to, the tender offer.
Shareholders are urged to carefully read these materials prior to making any decision with respect to the tender offer.
Shareholders may obtain free copies of the Offer to Purchase and other related materials when filed with the Securities and
Exchange Commission at the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov or at the Investor Relations section of FREIT’s
website at www.freitnj.com. In addition, shareholders may also obtain copies of these documents, when available, free of
charge, by contacting Georgeson Inc., the Information Agent for the Offer, at (800)
314-4549 or in writing to 480 Washington Blvd.,
26th Floor, Jersey City, New Jersey 07310.
Forward-Looking Statement
This
release contains forward-looking statements, including those regarding the timing of closing the tender offer and terms and conditions
of the tender offer. The actual success of the planned tender offer is subject to a number of factors, including (1) developments
or changes in economic or market conditions, (2) developments or changes in the securities markets, (3) developments or changes
in the business or condition of FREIT or in its cash flows, including longer
than anticipated lease-up periods or the inability of tenants to pay increased rents and (4) the factors identified under “Risk
Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2014, and in other reports
filed by FREIT with the SEC. FREIT disclaims any intent or obligations to update these forward-looking statements.
Exhibit (d)(1)(ii)
stock
Option Agreement
under
the
FIRST
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY
Equity
Incentive Plan
THIS STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (this
“Agreement”) is made as of the 4th day of September, 2014, between First Real Estate Investment Trust of
New Jersey (the “Trust”) and __________ (the “Optionee”). Capitalized terms used herein that are not otherwise
defined shall have the meanings given to them in the First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey Equity Incentive Plan, as
amended (the “Plan”).
WHEREAS, the Trust maintains the
Plan for the benefit of its employees, Trustees and consultants; and
WHEREAS, the Plan permits the
award of Options to purchase shares of beneficial interest of the Trust (the “Shares”), subject to the terms of the
Plan; Exhibit (d)(i)(2)
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration
of these premises and the agreements set forth herein, the parties, intending to be legally bound hereby, agree as follows:
1. Award
of Option. The Trust hereby grants to the Optionee the option (the “Option”) to purchase __________ (__________)
Shares (the “Option Shares”). The Option is subject to the terms set forth herein, and in all respects is subject to
the terms, definitions and provisions of the Plan applicable to non-qualified stock options, which terms and provisions are incorporated
herein by this reference. Except as otherwise specified herein or unless the context herein requires otherwise, the terms defined
in the Plan will have the same meanings herein.
2. Nature
of the Option. The Option is intended to be a Non-Qualified Stock Option. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust makes no
representation as to the taxation of the Option and the Trust has not advised the Optionee on such matters. The Option is not intended
to qualify for any special tax benefits to the Optionee and is not intended to be an “incentive stock option” as defined
in Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
3. Date
of Grant; Expiration of Option. The Option is granted on September 4, 2014 (the “Effective Date”), and may not
be exercised later than September 3, 2024.
4. Option
Exercise Price. The total cost to the Optionee to purchase, pursuant to this Agreement, one Option Share is $18.45, which is
equal to the Fair Market Value (as such term is defined in the Plan) of one Share on the Effective Date.
5. Exercise
of Option. The Option will be exercisable during its term only in accordance with the terms and provisions of the Plan and
this Agreement, as follows:
(a) Right
to Exercise. The Option Shares underlying the Option shall vest and become exercisable in equal installments over a period
of five (5) years from the Effective Date based upon the following schedule:
Number of Option Shares |
Date Exercisable |
__________________ |
September 4, 2015 |
__________________ |
September 4, 2016 |
__________________ |
September 4, 2017 |
__________________ |
September 4, 2018 |
__________________ |
September 4, 2019 |
(b) Method
of Exercise. The Optionee may exercise the Option by providing written notice to the Trust in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A stating the election to exercise the Option, and making such additional representations and agreements as to the Optionee’s
investment intent with respect to the Option Shares as may be required by the Trust hereunder or pursuant to the provisions of
the Plan. Such written notice shall be signed by the Optionee and shall be delivered in person or by certified mail to the Secretary
of the Trust or such other person as may be designated by the Trust. The written notice shall be accompanied by payment of the
purchase price, which shall be either (x) by check, (y) upon the election of the Optionee and the approval and acceptance of such
election by the Board of Trustees, through the delivery of Shares owned by the Optionee, duly endorsed for transfer to the Trust,
with a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price of the Options or exercised portion thereof,
or (z) such other consideration and method of payment as may be authorized by the Trust’s Board of Trustees pursuant to the
Plan. The certificate(s) for the Option Shares as to which the Option shall be exercised shall be registered in the name of the
Optionee and shall be legended as required under the Plan and/or applicable law.
(c) Partial
Exercise. The Option may be exercised in whole or in part; provided, however, that any exercise may apply only
with respect to whole numbers of Option Shares.
(d) Restrictions
on Exercise. The Option may not be exercised if the issuance of the Option Shares upon such exercise would constitute a violation
of any applicable federal or state securities laws or other laws or regulations. The Trust shall have the right to condition the
exercise of the Option upon the registration of the Option Shares under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities
Act”). As a further condition to the exercise of the Option, the Trust may require the Optionee to make any representation
or warranty to the Trust as may be required by or advisable under any applicable law or regulation.
6. Non-Transferability
of Option. The Option may not be sold, pledged, assigned, hypothecated, gifted, transferred or disposed of in any manner either
voluntarily or involuntarily by operation of law, other than by will or by the laws of descent or distribution. During the Optionee’s
lifetime, the Option is exercisable only the Optionee. Subject to the foregoing and the terms of the Plan, the terms of this Option
will be binding upon the executors, administrators, legal guardians, representatives and heirs of the Optionee, meaning for purposes
of this Agreement, both testamentary heirs and heirs by intestacy.
7. No
Continuation of Service. Neither the Plan nor the Option will confer upon the Optionee any right to continue in the service
of the Trust (whether as an officer, trustee, employee or consultant) or any affiliate of the Trust, or limit, in any respect,
the right of the Trust to discharge the Optionee at any time, with or without Just Cause and with or without notice.
8. Withholding.
The Trust reserves the right to withhold, in accordance with any applicable laws, from any consideration payable or property transferable
to the Optionee any taxes required to be withheld by federal, state or local law as a result of the grant or exercise of this Option
or the sale or other disposition of the Option Shares. If the amount of any consideration payable to the Optionee is insufficient
to pay such taxes or if no consideration is payable to the Optionee, upon the request of the Trust, the Optionee (or such other
person entitled to exercise this Option pursuant to the Plan) will pay to the Trust an amount sufficient for the Trust to satisfy
any federal, state or local tax withholding requirements applicable to and as a condition to the grant or exercise of this Option
or the sale or other disposition of the Option Shares issued upon the exercise of this Option. The minimum required withholding
obligations may be settled with Shares, including Option Shares.
9. The
Plan. The Optionee has received a copy of the Plan, has read the Plan and is familiar with its terms, and hereby accepts the
Option subject to all of the terms and provisions of the Plan, as amended from time to time. Pursuant to the Plan, the Board is
authorized to interpret the Plan and to adopt rules and regulations not inconsistent with the Plan as it deems appropriate. The
Optionee hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Board upon any questions
arising under the Plan with respect to the Option Shares or any agreement related to such Shares.
10. Optionee
Acknowledgement. The Optionee acknowledges that in the event that the Optionee utilizes the cashless exercise method described
above, the Optionee will be deemed to have (a) exercised the Option with respect to shares effectively being surrendered in satisfaction
of the exercise price and (b) sold the shares that are deemed to be surrendered in satisfaction of the exercise price. As a result,
the Optionee would recognize ordinary income on the deemed exercise price in an amount measured by the difference between the exercise
price of the Option and the fair market value of the shares at the time of exercise. Accordingly, if the Optionee utilizes the
cashless exercise method, the Optionee will be subject to tax at ordinary income rates with respect to the deemed sale of shares
that are not actually issued to the Optionee.
11. Governing
Law. This Option Agreement will be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey, without regard to its
conflict of law principles.
12. Amendment.
Subject to the provisions of the Plan, this Agreement may only be amended by a writing signed by each of the parties hereto.
13. Entire
Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Plan and the other exhibits attached thereto or hereto, represents the entire
agreement between the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof, and merges and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous
discussions, agreements and understandings of every nature relating to the award of Options to the Optionee by the Trust.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has
been executed by the parties effective as of the 4th day of September, 2014.
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FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST |
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OF NEW JERSEY |
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Name: |
Robert S. Hekemian |
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Title: |
Chief Executive Officer |
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Address: |
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EXHIBIT
A
NOTICE OF EXERCISE
OF OPTIONS UNDER THE
FIRST REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST OF NEW JERSEY
EQUITY INCENTIVE PLAN
Date:______________________
First Real Estate Investment Trust of New Jersey
505 Main Street
P.O. Box 667
Hackensack, New Jersey 07602
Attention:_______________
Dear ________:
I hereby exercise _____ nonqualified
options (the “Options”) to acquire _______ shares (the “Shares”) of First Real Estate Investment Trust
of New Jersey (the “Company”), representing beneficial interest in the Company. I was granted the Options on September
4, 2014 pursuant to the First Real Estate Investment Trust Equity Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) and a Notice of Grant
of Options.
The exercise price is $18.45 per Option and
the aggregate exercise price is $______. Regarding payment of the exercise price, please check one of the following:
I acknowledge, understand and agree that the
Board of Trustees, in its sole discretion, may accept or reject my election to pay the aggregate purchase price of the options
exercised hereby with a number of Shares which I currently own. If the Board of Trustees accepts my election to pay the purchase
price with Shares which I currently own, I agree to deliver to the Company certificate(s) representing the number of Shares required
as full payment of the purchase price as set forth in the Company’s notice within two (2) business days of my receipt of
the Company’s notice. If the Board of Trustees rejects my election to pay the option exercise price with Shares which I currently
own, I agree to deliver to the Company payment in full in cash for the options exercised hereby within two (2) business days of
my receipt from the Company of written notice advising me that the Board of Trustees has rejected my election.
Upon exercise of the Options, I understand
that Federal and state income and certain other taxes may be payable on any income attributed to an increase in the fair market
value of the Shares over the exercise price of the Options, which has occurred between the grant date and the exercise date of
the Options, and that any such income may be subject to withholding under applicable Federal and state laws. I agree hereby that
the Company is not required to issue me the Shares to be acquired pursuant to the exercise of the Options as provided for in this
Notice of Exercise, until I have remitted to the Company the aggregate amount of any applicable withholding taxes which the Company
has notified me shall be withheld in connection with the exercise of the Options.
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entity, please include your title) |
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Taxpayer Identification Number |
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