FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF CHERRY HILL OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, L.P. DESIGNATION OF 8.20% SERIES A CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED UNITS August 16, 2017

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Exhibit 10.1

 

FIRST AMENDMENT TO THE

AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP OF

CHERRY HILL OPERATING PARTNERSHIP, L.P.

DESIGNATION OF 8.20% SERIES A

CUMULATIVE REDEEMABLE PREFERRED UNITS

August 16, 2017

Pursuant to Sections 4.02 and 11.01 of the Agreement of Limited Partnership of Cherry Hill Operating Partnership, L.P. (the “Partnership Agreement”), the General Partner hereby amends the Partnership Agreement as follows in connection with the issuance of up to 2,530,000 shares of 8.20% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value per share (the “Series A Preferred Stock”) of the General Partner and the issuance to the General Partner of Series A Preferred Units (as defined below) in exchange for the contribution by the General Partner of the net proceeds from the issuance and sale of the Series A Preferred Stock:

 

 

“Alternative Form Consideration” shall have the meaning provided in Section 9(d).

“Alternative Conversion Consideration” shall have the meaning provided in Section 9(d).

“Articles Supplementary” means the Articles Supplementary of the General Partner filed with the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of the State of Maryland, designating the terms, rights and preferences of the Series A Preferred Stock.

“Base Liquidation Preference” shall have the meaning provided in Section 6.

“Change of Control” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Change of Control Conversion Date” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Change of Control Conversion Right” shall have the meaning provided in Section 9(b).

“Common Stock” means shares of the General Partner’s common stock, par value $0.01 per share.

“Common Stock Price” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Common Stock Conversion Consideration” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Common Units” shall have the meaning provided in the Partnership Agreement.

“Common Unit Economic Balance” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(g).

“Conversion Consideration” shall have the meaning provided in Section 9(d).

“Conversion Rate” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Distribution Record Date” shall have the meaning provided in Section 5(a).

“Economic Capital Account Balance” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(g).

“Event” shall have the meaning provided in Section 8(c).

“Junior Units” shall have the meaning provided in Section 4.

“Liquidating Gains” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(g).

“Loss” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(h).

“Net Operating Income” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(f).

“Original Issue Date” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Parity Preferred Units” shall have the meaning provided in Section 4.

“Partnership Agreement” shall have the meaning provided in the recital above.

“Preferred Units” means all Partnership Interests designated as preferred units by the General Partner from time to time in accordance with Section 4.02 of the Partnership Agreement.

“Profit” shall have the meaning provided in Section 10(h).

“Redemption Date” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7(b)(iii).

“Regular Redemption Right” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7(b)(i).

“Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date” shall have the meaning provided in Section 5(a).

“Series A Preferred Return” shall have the meaning provided in Section 5(a).

“Series A Preferred Stock” shall have the meaning provided in the recital above.

“Series A Preferred Units” shall have the meaning provided in Section 1.

“Share Cap” shall have the meaning provided in the Articles Supplementary.

“Special Redemption Price” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7(c)(i).

“Special Redemption Right” shall have the meaning provided in Section 7(c)(i).

3.             Maturity.  The Series A Preferred Units have no stated maturity and will not be subject to any sinking fund or mandatory redemption.

 

4.             Rank.  The Series A Preferred Units will, with respect to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership, rank (a) senior to all classes or series of Common Units and LTIP Units of the Partnership and any class or series of Preferred Units expressly designated as ranking junior to the Series A Preferred Units as to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership (together with the Common Units and the LTIP Units, the “Junior Units”); (b) on a parity with any class or series of Preferred Units issued by the Partnership expressly designated as ranking on a parity with the Series A Preferred Units, as to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership (the “Parity Preferred Units”); and (c) junior to any class or series of Preferred Units issued by the Partnership expressly designated as ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Units with respect to distribution rights and rights upon liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Partnership.  The term “Preferred Units” does not include convertible or exchangeable debt securities of the Partnership, which will rank senior to the Series A Preferred Units prior to conversion or exchange.  The Series A Preferred Units will also rank junior in right or payment to the Partnership’s existing and future indebtedness.

 

5.             Distributions.

 

(a)          Subject to the preferential rights of holders of any class or series of Preferred Units of the Partnership expressly designated as ranking senior to the Series A Preferred Units as to distributions, the holders of Series A Preferred Units shall be entitled to receive, when, as and if authorized by the General Partner and declared by the Partnership, out of funds of the Partnership legally available for payment of distributions, cumulative cash distributions at the rate of 8.20% per annum of the Base Liquidation Preference (as defined below) per unit (equivalent to a fixed annual amount of $2.05 per unit) (the “Series A Preferred Return”) from and including the Original Issue Date (or the first day following the end of the most recent distribution period for which distributions on the Series A Preferred Units have been paid). Distributions on the Series A Preferred Units shall accrue and be cumulative from (and including) the Original Issue Date, and shall be payable quarterly, in equal amounts, in arrears, on or about the 15^th day of each January, April, July and October of each year (or, if not a Business Day, the immediately preceding Business Day (each a “Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date”) for the period ending on such Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date, commencing on October 15, 2017.  The amount of any distribution payable on the Series A Preferred Units for any partial distribution period will be computed on the basis of twelve 30-day months and a 360-day year (it being understood that the distribution payable on October 15, 2017 will be for less than the full quarterly period).  Distributions will be payable to holders of record of the Series A Preferred Units as they appear on the records of the Partnership which will be no fewer than ten days and no more than 35 days prior to the applicable Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date, as shall be fixed by the General Partner (each, a “Distribution Record Date”). The distributions payable on any Distribution Payment Date shall include distributions accumulated to, but not including, such Distribution Payment Date.

(b)          No distributions on the Series A Preferred Units shall be authorized by the General Partner or declared, paid or set apart for payment by the Partnership at such time as the terms and provisions of any agreement of the General Partner or the Partnership, including any agreement relating to the indebtedness of either of them, prohibits such authorization, declaration, payment or setting apart for payment or provides that such declaration, payment or setting apart for payment would constitute a breach thereof or a default thereunder, or if such declaration or payment shall be restricted or prohibited by law.

 

(c)          Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, distributions on the Series A Preferred Units will accrue whether or not the restrictions referred to in Section 5(b) exist, whether or not the Partnership has earnings, whether or not there are funds legally available for the payment of such distributions and whether or not such distributions are authorized or declared.  No interest, or sum of money in lieu of interest, will be payable in respect of any distribution on the Series A Preferred Units which may be in arrears.  When distributions are not paid in full upon the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Preferred Units (or a sum sufficient for such full payment is not so set apart), all distributions declared upon the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Preferred Units shall be declared pro rata so that the amount of distributions declared per Series A Preferred Unit and such Parity Preferred Units shall in all cases bear to each other the same ratio that accumulated distributions per Series A Preferred Unit and such Parity Preferred Units (which shall not include any accrual in respect of unpaid distributions for prior distributions periods if such Parity Preferred Units do not have a cumulative distribution) bear to each other.

 

(d)          Except as provided in the immediately preceding paragraph, unless full cumulative distributions on the Series A Preferred Units have been or contemporaneously are declared and paid in cash or declared and a sum sufficient for the payment thereof is set apart for payment for all past distribution periods that have ended, no distributions (other than a distribution in Junior Units or in options, warrants or rights to subscribe for or purchase any such Junior Units) shall be declared and paid or declared and set apart for payment nor shall any other distribution be declared and made upon the Junior Units or the Parity Preferred Units, nor shall any Junior Units or Parity Preferred Units be redeemed, purchased or otherwise acquired for any consideration (or any monies be paid to or made available for a sinking fund for the redemption of any such Units) by the Partnership (except (i) by conversion into or exchange for Junior Units, (ii) the purchase of Series A Preferred Units, Junior Units or Parity Preferred Units in connection with a redemption of stock pursuant to the Articles Supplementary to the extent necessary to preserve the General Partner’s qualification as a REIT or (iii) the purchase of Parity Preferred Units pursuant to a purchase or exchange offer made on the same terms to holders of all outstanding Series A Preferred Units).  Holders of the Series A Preferred Units shall not be entitled to any distribution, whether payable in cash, property or units, in excess of full cumulative distributions on the Series A Preferred Units as provided above.  Any distribution made on the Series A Preferred Units shall first be credited against the earliest accrued but unpaid distribution due with respect to such units which remains payable.  Accrued but unpaid distributions on the Series A Preferred Units will accrue as of the Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date on which they first become payable.

 

(e)          For the avoidance of doubt, in determining whether a distribution (other than upon voluntary or involuntary liquidation) by distribution, redemption or other acquisition of the Partnership Units is permitted under Delaware law, no effect shall be given to the amounts that would be needed, if the Partnership were to be dissolved at the time of the distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon distribution of holders of Partnership Units whose preferential rights are superior to those receiving the distribution.

6.             Liquidation Preference.  Upon any voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Partnership, the holders of Series A Preferred Units are entitled to be paid out of the assets of the Partnership legally available for distribution to its partners, after payment of or provision for the Partnership’s debts and other liabilities, a liquidation preference of $25.00 per unit (the “Base Liquidation Preference”), plus an amount equal to any accrued but unpaid distributions (whether or not authorized or declared) thereon to, but not including, the date of payment, but without interest, before any distribution of assets is made to holders of Junior Units.  If the assets of the Partnership legally available for distribution to partners are insufficient to pay in full the liquidation preference on the Series A Preferred Units and the liquidation preference on any Parity Preferred Units, all assets distributed to the holders of the Series A Preferred Units and any Parity Preferred Units shall be distributed pro rata so that the amount of assets distributed per Series A Preferred Units and such Parity Preferred Units shall in all cases bear to each other the same ratio that the liquidation preference per Series A Preferred Unit and such Parity Preferred Units bear to each other.  Notice of any distribution in connection with any such liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Partnership, stating the payment date or dates when, and the place or places where, the amounts distributable in such circumstances shall be payable, shall be given not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the payment date stated therein, to each record holder of the Series A Preferred Units at the respective addresses of such holders as the same shall appear on the records of the Partnership.  After payment of the full amount of the liquidating distributions to which they are entitled, the holders of Series A Preferred Units will have no right or claim to any of the remaining assets of the Partnership.  The consolidation or merger of the Partnership with or into another entity, a merger of another entity with or into the Partnership, a statutory exchange by the Partnership or a sale, lease, transfer or conveyance of all or substantially all of the Partnership’s property or business shall not be deemed to constitute a liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the affairs of the Partnership.

 

7.             Redemption.

 

(a)          The Series A Preferred Units are not redeemable except as otherwise provided in this Section 7.

(b)          In connection with any redemption by the General Partner of any shares of Series A Preferred Stock pursuant to Section 6 of the Articles Supplementary, the Partnership shall redeem, on the date of such redemption, an equal number of Series A Preferred Units held by the General Partner. As consideration for the redemption of such Series A Preferred Units, the Partnership shall deliver to the General Partner an amount of cash equal to the amount of cash  paid by the General Partner to the holder of such shares of Series A Preferred Stock in connection with the redemption thereof.

 

8.             Voting Rights. Holders of the Series A Preferred Units will not have any voting rights.

 

9.             Conversion.

 

(a)          The Series A Preferred Units are not convertible or exchangeable for any other property or securities except as otherwise provided in this Section 9.

 

(b)          In the event that a holder of Series A Preferred Stock of the General Partner exercises its right to convert the Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock of the General Partner in accordance with the terms of the Articles Supplementary, then, concurrently therewith, an equivalent number of Series A Preferred Units of the Partnership held by the General Partner shall be automatically converted into a number of Common Units of the Partnership equal to the number of shares of Common Stock issued upon conversion of such Series A Preferred Shares; provided, however, that if a holder of Series A Preferred Stock of the General Partner receives cash or other consideration in addition to or in lieu of Common Stock in connection with such conversion, then the General Partner, as the holder of the Series A Preferred Units, shall be entitled to receive cash or such other consideration equal (in amount and form) to the cash or other consideration to be paid by the General Partner to such holder of the Series A Preferred Stock. Any such conversion will be effective at the same time the conversion of Series A Preferred Stock into Common Stock is effective.

 

(c)          No fractional units will be issued in connection with the conversion of Series A Preferred Units into Common Units. In lieu of fractional Common Units, the General Partner shall be entitled to receive a cash payment in respect of any fractional unit in an amount equal to the fractional interest multiplied by the Common Stock Price used in determining the Common Stock Conversion Consideration under the Articles Supplementary.

 

10.           Allocation of Profit and Loss.

Section 5.01 of the Partnership Agreement is hereby deleted in its entirety and the following new Section 5.01 is inserted in its place:

(a)          Profit.  After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 5.01(c), (d), and (e) hereof, and subject to Section 5.01(f), Profit of the Partnership for each fiscal year of the Partnership shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.

(b)          Loss.  After giving effect to the special allocations set forth in Section 5.01(c), (d), and (e) hereof, and subject to Section 5.01(f), Loss of the Partnership for each fiscal year of the Partnership shall be allocated to the Partners in accordance with their respective Percentage Interests.

(c)          Minimum Gain Chargeback.  Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary, (i) any expense of the Partnership that is a “nonrecourse deduction” within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.704-2(b)(1) shall be allocated in accordance with the Partners’ respective Percentage Interests, (ii) any expense of the Partnership that is a “partner nonrecourse deduction” within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(2) shall be allocated to the Partner that bears the “economic risk of loss” of such deduction in accordance with Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(1), (iii) if there is a net decrease in Partnership Minimum Gain within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.704-2(f)(1) for any Partnership taxable year, then, subject to the exceptions set forth in Regulations Section 1.704-2(f)(2),(3), (4) and (5), items of gain and income shall be allocated among the Partners in accordance with Regulations Section 1.704-2(f) and the ordering rules contained in Regulations Section 1.704-2(j), and (iv) if there is a net decrease in Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(4) for any Partnership taxable year, then, subject to the exceptions set forth in Regulations Section 1.704(2)(g), items of gain and income shall be allocated among the Partners in accordance with Regulations Section 1.704-2(i)(4) and the ordering rules contained in Regulations Section 1.704-2(j).  The manner in which it is reasonably expected that the deductions attributable to nonrecourse liabilities will be allocated for purposes of determining a Partner’s share of the nonrecourse liabilities of the Partnership within the meaning of Regulations Section 1.752-3(a)(3) shall be in accordance with a Partner’s Percentage Interest.

(d)          Qualified Income Offset.  If a Partner receives in any taxable year an adjustment, allocation or distribution described in subparagraphs (4), (5) or (6) of Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d) that causes or increases a deficit balance in such Partner’s Capital Account that exceeds the sum of such Partner’s shares of Partnership Minimum Gain and Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain, as determined in accordance with Regulations Sections 1.704-2(g) and 1.704-2(i), such Partner shall be allocated specially for such taxable year (and, if necessary, later taxable years) items of income and gain in an amount and manner sufficient to eliminate such deficit Capital Account balance as quickly as possible as provided in Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d).  After the occurrence of an allocation of income or gain to a Partner in accordance with this Section 5.01(d), to the extent permitted by Regulations Section 1.704-1(b), items of expense or loss shall be allocated to such Partner in an amount necessary to offset the income or gain previously allocated to such Partner under this Section 5.01(d).

(e)          Capital Account Deficits.  Loss shall not be allocated to a Limited Partner to the extent that such allocation would cause a deficit in such Partner’s Capital Account (after reduction to reflect the items described in Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6)) to exceed the sum of such Partner’s shares of Partnership Minimum Gain and Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain.  Any Loss in excess of that limitation shall be allocated to the General Partner.  After the occurrence of an allocation of Loss to the General Partner in accordance with this Section 5.01(e), to the extent permitted by Regulations Section 1.704-1(b), Profit shall be allocated to such Partner in an amount necessary to offset the Loss previously allocated to each Partner under this Section 5.01(e).

(f)           Priority Allocations With Respect To Preferred Units. After giving effect to the allocations set forth in Sections 5.01(c), (d), and (e) hereof, but before giving effect to the allocations set forth in Sections 5.01(a) and 5.01(b), Net Operating Income shall be allocated to the General Partner until the aggregate amount of Net Operating Income allocated to the General Partner under this Section 5.01(f) for the current and all prior years equals the aggregate amount of the Series A Preferred Return, and Series A Preferred Return paid to the General Partner for the current and all prior years; provided, however, that the General Partner may, in its discretion, allocate Net Operating Income based on accrued Series A Preferred Return and Series A Preferred Return with respect to the January Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date, or Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date if the General Partner sets the Distribution Record Date for such Series A Preferred Distribution Payment Date on or prior to December 31 of the previous year.   For purposes of this Section 5.01(f), “Net Operating Income” means the excess, if any, of the Partnership’s gross income over its expenses (but not taking into account depreciation, amortization, or any other noncash expenses of the Partnership), calculated in accordance with the principles of Section 5.01(h) hereof.

(g)          Special Allocations Regarding LTIP Units. Notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 5.01(a) and (b) hereof, Liquidating Gains shall first be allocated to the LTIP Unitholders until their Economic Capital Account Balances, to the extent attributable to their ownership of LTIP Units, are equal to (i) the Common Unit Economic Balance, multiplied by (ii) the number of their LTIP Units. For this purpose, “Liquidating Gains” means net capital gains realized in connection with the actual or hypothetical sale of all or substantially all of the assets of the Partnership, including but not limited to net capital gain realized in connection with an adjustment to the value of Partnership assets under Section 704(b) of the Code. The “Economic Capital Account Balances” of the LTIP Unitholders will be equal to their Capital Account balances plus shares of Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain or Partnership Minimum Gain (after reduction to reflect the items described in Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6)) to the extent attributable to their ownership of LTIP Units. Similarly, the “Common Unit Economic Balance” shall mean (i) the Capital Account balance of the General Partner, plus the amount of the General Partner’s share of any Partner Nonrecourse Debt Minimum Gain or Partnership Minimum Gain (after reduction to reflect the items described in Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(ii)(d)(4), (5) and (6)), in either case to the extent attributable to the General Partner’s direct or indirect ownership of Common Units and computed on a hypothetical basis after taking into account all allocations through the date on which any allocation is made under this Section 5.01(g), divided by (ii) the number of Common Units directly or indirectly owned by the General Partner. Any such allocations shall be made among the LTIP Unitholders in proportion to the amounts required to be allocated to each under this Section 5.01(g). The parties agree that the intent of this Section 5.01(g) is to make the Capital Account balance associated with each LTIP Unit to be economically equivalent to the Capital Account balance associated with Common Units directly or indirectly owned by the General Partner (on a per-Unit basis).

(h)          Definition of Profit and Loss.  “Profit” and “Loss” and any items of income, gain, expense or loss referred to in this Agreement shall be determined in accordance with federal income tax accounting principles, as modified by Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(2)(iv), except that Profit and Loss shall not include items of income, gain and expense that are specially allocated pursuant to Sections 5.01(c), 5.01(d), 5.01(e), or 5.01(f) hereof.  All allocations of income, Profit, gain, Loss and expense (and all items contained therein) for federal income tax purposes shall be identical to all allocations of such items set forth in this Section 5.01, except as otherwise required by Section 704(c) of the Code and Regulations Section 1.704-1(b)(4).  With respect to properties acquired by the Partnership, the General Partner shall have the authority to elect the method to be used by the Partnership for allocating items of income, gain and expense as required by Section 704(c) of the Code with respect to such properties, and such election shall be binding on all Partners.

(i)           Allocations Between Transferor and Transferee.  If a Partner transfers any part or all of its Partnership Interest, the distributive shares of the various items of Profit and Loss allocable among the Partners during such fiscal year of the Partnership shall be allocated between the transferor and the transferee Partner either (i) as if the Partnership’s fiscal year had ended on the date of the transfer, or (ii) based on the number of days of such fiscal year that each was a Partner without regard to the results of Partnership activities in the respective portions of such fiscal year in which the transferor and the transferee were Partners.  The General Partner, in its sole and absolute discretion, shall determine which method shall be used to allocate the distributive shares of the various items of Profit and Loss between the transferor and the transferee Partner.

11.           Except as modified herein, all terms and conditions of the Partnership Agreement shall remain in full force and effect, which terms and conditions the General Partner hereby ratifies and confirms.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has executed this Amendment as of the date first set forth above.

 

	GENERAL PARTNER:
	CHERRY HILL MORTGAGE INVESTMENT CORPORATION,
	a Maryland corporation
	By:	/s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
	Name:	▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
	Title:	Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer

 

 

 

[Signature page for First Amendment to Partnership Agreement – August 2017]

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