UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

SCHEDULE 14A

 

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Filed by Registrant  
     
Filed by Party other than Registrant  
     
Check the appropriate box:    

 

Preliminary Proxy Statement
   
Confidential, For Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2))
   
Definitive Proxy Statement
   
Definitive Additional Materials
   
Soliciting Material Pursuant to §240.14a-12

 

STRAWBERRY FIELDS REIT, INC.

(Name of Registrant as Specified In Its Charter)

 

 

 

(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant)

 

Payment of Filing Fee (Check the appropriate box):
   
No fee required.
   
Fee computed on table below per Exchange Act Rules 14a-6(i)(1) and 0-11.
     
  (1) Title of each class of securities to which transaction applies:
  (2) Aggregate number of securities to which transaction applies:
  (3) Per unit price or other underlying value of transaction computed pursuant to Exchange Act Rule 0-11 (Set forth the amount on which the filing fee is calculated and state how it was determined):
  (4) Proposed maximum aggregate value of transaction:
  (5) Total fee paid:
   
Fee paid previously with preliminary materials.

 

Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Exchange Act Rule 0-11(a)(2) and identify the filing for which the offsetting fee was paid previously. Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form or Schedule and the date of its filing.

 

  (1) Amount previously paid:
  (2) Form, Schedule or Registration Statement No.:
  (3) Filing Party:
  (4) Date Filed:

 

 

 

   

 

 

STRAWBERRY FIELDS REIT, INC.

6101 Nimtz Parkway

South Bend, Indiana 46628

(574) 807-0800

 

NOTICE OF ANNUAL

MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 16, 2023

 

TO OUR STOCKHOLDERS:

 

You are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc., a Maryland corporation (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”), which will be held on May 16, 2023, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Time, at the offices of Infinity Healthcare Management, 2477 E. Commercial Dr., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33308, for the following purposes:

 

1. To elect five directors to hold office for a one-year term and until each of their successors are elected and qualified;
   
2. To approve, in a non-binding advisory vote, the compensation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Investment Officer, our three most highly compensated executive officers (the “Named Executive Officers”);
   
3. To determine, in a non-binding advisory vote, the desired frequency of future non-binding advisory votes on the compensation of our Named Executive Officers every year, every two years or every three years;
   
4. To ratify the appointment of Hacker, Johnson & Smith, P.A. as our independent certified public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023;
   
5. To authorize an adjournment of the Annual Meeting, if necessary, if a quorum is present, to solicit additional proxies if there are not sufficient votes in favor of one or more of the above proposals; and
   
6. To transact such other business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting or any postponement or adjournment thereof.

 

The foregoing items of business are more fully described in the Proxy Statement that is attached and made a part of this Notice. Only holders of record of our common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), on the close of business on April 6, 2023 (the “Record Date”), will be entitled to notice of, and to vote at, the Annual Meeting or any adjournment thereof.

 

All stockholders are cordially invited to attend the Annual Meeting. Your vote is important regardless of the number of shares you own. Only record or beneficial owners of our Common Stock as of the Record Date may attend the Annual Meeting. When you arrive at the Annual Meeting, you will be asked to identify yourself as a stockholder.

 

Whether or not you expect to attend the Annual Meeting, please submit a proxy to vote your shares either via the Internet, by phone or by mail. If you choose to submit your proxy by mail, please complete, sign, date and return the enclosed proxy card in the enclosed postage-paid envelope in order to ensure representation of your shares. It will help in our preparations for the meeting if you will check the box on the form of proxy if you plan on attending the Annual Meeting. Your proxy is revocable in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Proxy Statement.

 

We will be mailing a printed copy of our proxy materials, to each shareholder of record.

 

   

 

 

Accordingly, on or about April 10, 2023 we will begin mailing the proxy materials to all stockholders of record as of the Record Date.

 

  By Order of the Board of Directors
   
  /s/ Moishe Gubin
  Moishe Gubin
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
   
April 10, 2023  
South Bend, Indiana  

 

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT

 

WHETHER OR NOT YOU PLAN TO ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING IN PERSON, TO ASSURE THAT YOUR SHARES WILL BE REPRESENTED, PLEASE COMPLETE, DATE, SIGN AND RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY WITHOUT DELAY IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE, WHICH REQUIRES NO ADDITIONAL POSTAGE IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. YOU MAY ALSO VOTE VIA THE INTERNET OR BY PHONE. IF YOU ATTEND THE ANNUAL MEETING, YOU MAY VOTE IN PERSON IF YOU WISH TO DO SO EVEN IF YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY SENT IN YOUR PROXY.

 

   

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

    Page No.
General Information about the Proxy Statement and Annual Meeting   1
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management   4
Proposal No. 1 - Election of Directors   5
Audit Committee Report   20
Proposal No. 2 - Advisory Vote to Approve Executive Compensation   21
Proposal No. 3 - Advisory Resolution on the Frequency of the Stockholders’ Say-On-Pay   22
Proposal No. 4 - Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm   23
Proposal No. 5 - Adjournment of the Annual Meeting if Necessary to Permit Further Solicitation of Proxies   24
Future Stockholder Proposals   25
Availability of Annual Report on Form 10-K and Householding   26
Additional Information   27

 

   

 

 

STRAWBERRY FIELDS REIT, INC.

6101 Nimtz Parkway

South Bend, Indiana 46628

(574) 807-0800

 

PROXY STATEMENT

 

ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS

TO BE HELD ON MAY 16, 2023

 

PROXY VOTING OPTIONS

 

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT!

 

Whether or not you expect to attend in person, we urge you to vote your shares via the Internet, or by signing, dating, and returning the enclosed proxy card at your earliest convenience. This will ensure the presence of a quorum at the meeting. Promptly voting your shares will save us the expense and extra work of additional solicitation. Submitting your proxy now will not prevent you from voting your stock at the meeting if you want to do so, as your vote by proxy is revocable at your option.

 

Voting by the Internet is fast and convenient, and your vote is immediately confirmed and tabulated. Most important, by using the Internet or telephone, you help us reduce postage and proxy tabulation costs.

 

Or, if you prefer, you can return the enclosed Proxy Card in the envelope provided.

 

PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD IF YOU ARE VOTING OVER THE INTERNET.

 

VOTE BY INTERNET:

 

24 hours a day / 7 days a week

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

 

Read the accompanying Proxy Statement.

 

Go to the following website:

 

http://www.cstproxyvote.com

 

Have your Proxy Card in hand and follow the instructions.

   

 

   

 

 

GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROXY

STATEMENT AND ANNUAL MEETING

 

General

 

This Proxy Statement is being furnished to the stockholders of Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, the “Company,” “we,” “us” or “our”) in connection with the solicitation of proxies by our Board of Directors (the “Board of Directors” or the “Board”) for use at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on May 16, 2023 at 10 a.m., Eastern Time, at 2477 E. Commercial Dr., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33308, and at any and all adjournments or postponements thereof (the “Annual Meeting”), for the purposes set forth in the accompanying Notice of Annual Meeting of Stockholders. Accompanying this Proxy Statement is a proxy/voting instruction form (the “Proxy”) for the Annual Meeting, which you may use to indicate your vote as to the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. It is contemplated that this Proxy Statement and the accompanying form of Proxy will be first mailed to the Company’s stockholders on or about April 10, 2023.

 

The Company will solicit stockholders by mail through its regular employees and will request banks and brokers and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries to solicit their customers who have stock of the Company registered in the names of such persons and will reimburse them for reasonable, out-of-pocket costs. In addition, the Company may use the service of its officers and directors to solicit proxies, personally or by telephone, without additional compensation.

 

The Annual Meeting is the first that the Company will be holding as a public company.

 

Why am I being provided with these proxy materials?

 

We have delivered printed versions of these proxy materials to you by mail in connection with the solicitation by our Board of proxies for the matters to be voted on at our Annual Meeting and at any adjournment or postponement thereof. You held shares of Common Stock on the Record Date and are entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting.

 

What do I do if my shares are held in “street name”?

 

If your shares are held in a brokerage account or by a bank or other holder of record, you are considered the “beneficial owner” of shares held in “street name.” As the beneficial owner, you have the right to direct your broker, bank or other holder of record on how to vote your shares by following their instructions for voting. Please refer to information from your bank, broker or other nominee on how to submit your voting instructions.

 

What if other matters come up at the Annual Meeting?

 

At the date of this Proxy Statement, we did not know of any matters to be properly presented at the Annual Meeting other than those referred to in this Proxy Statement. If other matters are properly presented at the meeting or any adjournment or postponement thereof for consideration, and you are a stockholder of record and have submitted a proxy card, the persons named in your proxy card will have the discretion to vote on those matters for you.

 

Voting Securities

 

Only stockholders of record as of the close of business on April 6, 2023 (the “Record Date”) will be entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting and any adjournment or postponement thereof. As of the Record Date, there were 6,365,856 shares of Common Stock of the Company issued and outstanding and entitled to vote representing approximately 508 holders of record. Stockholders may vote in person or by proxy.

 

   

 

 

Each holder of shares of Common Stock is entitled to one vote for each share of stock held on the proposals presented in this Proxy Statement. The Company’s Bylaws, as amended, provide that at least a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote, whether present in person or represented by proxy, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at the Annual Meeting. The enclosed Proxy reflects the number of shares that you are entitled to vote. Shares of Common Stock may not be voted cumulatively.

 

Voting of Proxies

 

All valid proxies received prior to the Annual Meeting will be voted. The Board of Directors recommends that you vote by proxy even if you plan to attend the Annual Meeting. You can vote your shares by proxy via the Internet, by phone or by mail. To vote via the Internet, go to http://www.cstproxyvote.com and follow the instructions. To vote by mail, fill out the enclosed Proxy, sign and date it, and return it in the enclosed postage-paid envelope to CONTINENTAL STOCK TRANSFER & TRUST CO. 1 State St. FL. 30 New York City, N.Y. 10275. Voting by proxy will not limit your right to vote at the Annual Meeting if you attend the Annual Meeting and vote in person. However, if your shares are held in the name of a bank, broker or other holder of record, you must obtain a proxy executed in your favor from the holder of record to be able to vote at the Annual Meeting.

 

Revocability of Proxies

 

All Proxies which are properly completed and returned prior to the Annual Meeting, and which have not been revoked, will be voted in favor of the proposals described in this Proxy Statement unless otherwise directed. A stockholder may revoke his or her Proxy at any time before it is voted either by filing with the Secretary of the Company, at its principal executive offices located at 6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628, a written notice of revocation or a duly executed Proxy bearing a later date or by attending the Annual Meeting and voting in person.

 

Voting Procedures and Vote Required

 

The presence, in person or by proxy, of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of stock entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting is necessary to establish a quorum for the transaction of business. Shares represented by proxies which contain an abstention, as well as “broker non-vote” shares (described below) are counted as present for purposes of determining the presence or absence of a quorum for the Annual Meeting.

 

All properly completed proxies delivered pursuant to this solicitation and not revoked will be voted at the Annual Meeting as specified in such proxies.

 

Vote Required for Election of Directors (Proposal No. 1). Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, do not authorize cumulative voting. Directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. This means that the five candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes at the Annual Meeting will be elected as directors. Only shares that are voted in favor of a particular nominee will be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality. Shares present at the Annual Meeting that are not voted for a particular nominee or shares present by proxy where the stockholder properly withheld authority to vote for such nominee will not be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality.

 

Vote Required to Approve Executive Compensation (Proposal No. 2). The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required for approval. Accordingly, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required to improve the Executive Compensation for our Named Executive Officers. This proposal is non-binding on the Company and the Board.

 

Vote Required for the Advisory Resolution on the Frequency of the Stockholders’ Say-on-Pay (Proposal No. 3). The advisory resolution on the frequency of the stockholders’ advisory resolution on the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers is selected by a plurality of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter. Accordingly, the option — every one, two or three years — that receives the largest number of votes cast “FOR” is the option selected by the stockholders. This proposal is non-binding on the Company and the Board.

 

2
 

 

Vote Required to Approve Ratification of Appointment of Accounting Firm (Proposal No. 4). The affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required for approval. Accordingly, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter, will be required to approve Proposal No. 4.

 

If you hold shares beneficially in street name and do not provide your broker with voting instructions, your shares may constitute “broker non-votes.” Generally, broker non-votes occur on a matter when a broker is not permitted to vote on that matter without instructions from the beneficial owner and instructions are not given. Brokers that have not received voting instructions from their clients cannot vote on their clients’ behalf on “non-routine” proposals. Broker non-votes are counted for the purposes of obtaining a quorum for the Annual Meeting, and in tabulating the voting result for any particular proposal, shares that constitute broker non-votes are not considered entitled to vote. The vote on Proposal No. 4 is considered “routine,” and the vote on all other proposals is considered “non-routine”. As a result, if a broker does not receive voting instructions from the beneficial owner, those shares will not be voted and will be considered broker non-votes. Broker non-votes will have no effect on the election of directors, the advisory vote to approve Named Executive Officer compensation or the advisory vote on the frequency of future advisory votes on Named Executive Officer compensation. Abstentions are counted as “shares present” at the Annual Meeting for purposes of determining the presence of a quorum but are not counted in the calculation of the vote.

 

Votes at the Annual Meeting will be tabulated by one or more inspectors of election appointed by the Chairman of the Board or some other officer of the Company.

 

Stockholders will not be entitled to dissenter’s rights with respect to any matter to be considered at the Annual Meeting.

 

Stockholders List

 

For a period of at least ten days prior to the Annual Meeting, a complete list of stockholders entitled to vote at the Annual Meeting will be available at the principal executive offices of the Company located at 6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628.

 

Expenses of Solicitation

 

The Company will pay the cost of preparing, assembling and mailing this proxy-soliciting material, and all costs of solicitation, including certain expenses of brokers and nominees who mail proxy material to their customers or principals.

 

The Company

 

The Company is a Maryland corporation formed in July 2019. The Company commenced operations on June 8, 2021, following the completion of the formation transactions described below. The Company conducts its business through a traditional UPREIT structure in which substantially all of its assets are owned by subsidiaries of Strawberry Fields Realty, LP, a Delaware limited partnership formed in July 2019 (the “Operating Partnership”). The Company is the general partner of the Operating Partnership.

 

The Company completed the formation transactions on June 8, 2021. In connection with the formation transaction, the Company, the Operating Partnership and Strawberry Fields REIT, LLC (the “Predecessor Company”) entered into a contribution agreement, pursuant to which the Predecessor Company contributed all of its assets to the Operating Partnership, and the Operating Partnership assumed all of its liabilities. In exchange, the Operating Partnership issued limited partnership interests designated as common units (the “OP units”) to the Predecessor Company, which immediately distributed them to its members and beneficial owners. The Company offered certain of the holders of these OP units the opportunity to exchange their OP units for shares of Common Stock of the Company on a one-for-one basis. The Company limited the number of OP units that could be exchanged by some of the holders so that such holders would not become beneficial owners of more than 9.8% of the outstanding shares of the Company in violation of the ownership limitations set forth in the Company’s charter. The Company is currently the owner of approximately 12.0 % of the outstanding OP units as of December 31, 2022. The formation transactions were accounted for at historical cost.

 

3
 

 

As the sole general partner of the Operating Partnership, the Company has the exclusive power under the partnership agreement to manage and conduct the business affairs of the Operating Partnership, subject to certain limited approval and voting rights of the limited partners. The Company may cause the Operating Partnership to issue additional OP units in connection with property acquisitions, compensation or otherwise. The Company became a publicly traded entity on September 21, 2022.

 

SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT

 

The following table sets forth, as of March 15, 2023, certain information regarding the beneficial ownership of shares of our Common Stock and shares of Common Stock issuable upon redemption of OP units for (1) each person who is the beneficial owner of 5% or more of our outstanding Common Stock, (2) each of our directors and named executive officers, and (3) all of our directors and executive officers as a group. Each person named in the table has sole voting and investment power with respect to all of the shares of our Common Stock shown as beneficially owned by such person, except as otherwise set forth in the footnotes to the table. The extent to which a person holds shares of Common Stock as opposed to OP units is set forth in the footnotes below.

 

The SEC has defined “beneficial ownership” of a security to mean the possession, directly or indirectly, of voting power and/or investment power over such security. A stockholder is also deemed to be, as of any date, the beneficial owner of all securities that such stockholder has the right to acquire within 60 days after that date through (1) the exercise of any option, warrant or right, (2) the conversion of a security, (3) the power to revoke a trust, discretionary account or similar arrangement or (4) the automatic termination of a trust, discretionary account or similar arrangement. In computing the number of shares beneficially owned by a person and the percentage ownership of that person, shares of our Common Stock subject to options or other rights (as set forth above) held by that person that are exercisable as of March 15, 2022, or will become exercisable within 60 days thereafter, are deemed outstanding, while such shares are not deemed outstanding for purposes of computing percentage ownership of any other person.

 

Unless otherwise indicated, the address of each named person is c/o Strawberry Fields REIT, Inc. at 6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628. No shares beneficially owned by any executive officer or director have been pledged as security for a loan.

 

  

Number of

Shares of
Common Stock

Beneficially

Owned (1)

   Number of Shares of
Common Stock and OP Units Beneficially Owned
   Percentage of All Shares of Common Stock(2)     Percentage of All Shares of Common Stock and OP Units(2)   
                 
Moishe Gubin (3)   385,582    19,124,053    6.1 %   35.9%
Michael Blisko (4)   149,780    19,410,148    2.4%   36.4%
Essel Bailey   45,503    45,503    0.7%   0.1%
Jack Levine   91,005    91,005    1.4%   0.2%
Reid Shapiro                
Nahman Eingal (5)   403,360    403,360    6.3%   0.8%
Jeffrey Bajtner                
All Directors and Executive Officers as a group (six persons)   1,075,230    39,074,069    16.9%   73. 4%
                     
Beneficial Owners of More than Five Percent (5%)                    
B&N Realty Investment LLC   623,864    1,015,870    9.8%   1.9%
Moishe Gubin/Gubin Enterprises LP (3)   385,582    19,124,053    6.1 %   35.9%
Michael Blisko/Blisko Enterprises LP (4)   149,780    19,410,148    2.4%   36.4%
Ted Lerman/A&F Realty LLC (6)   295,610    6,492,960    4.6%   12.2%
Wissati Irrevocable Trust   520,147    520,147    8.2%   1.0%
Hebrew Orthodox Congregation   623,864    750,000    9.8%   1.4%
Nahman Eingal (5)   403,240    403,240    6.3%   0.8%
Congregation Shaarei Halacha of Chestnut Ridge   522,788    522,788    8.2%   1.0%
South Bend Kollel   623,864    750,000    9.8%   1.4%
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago   330,000    330,000    5.2%   0.6%

 

(1) Excludes shares of Common Stock that may be issued upon redemption of OP units.

 

(2) Based on an aggregate of 6,365,855 shares of Common Stock and an aggregate of 46,890,421 OP units (which excludes OP units held by the Company) issued and outstanding on March 15, 2023.

 

(3) Gubin Enterprises LP, a limited partnership indirectly controlled by Mr. Gubin, is the owner of 16,035,535 OP units and 318,842 shares of our Common Stock. In addition, Strawberry Patch Aleph LLC, a limited liability company managed by Mr. Gubin and Michael Blisko, is the owner 54,713 shares of our Common Stock. New York Boys Management LLC, a limited liability company managed by Mr. Gubin and Michael Blisko, is the owner of 102,690 shares of our Common Stock and 3,342,014 OP units. R&Q Quest Insurance Limited for and on behalf of the Empire Indemnity 2 Segregated Account a segregated account that Mr. Blisko and Mr. Gubin have indirect beneficial interests in, is the owner of 2,063,857 OP units.

 

(4) Blisko Enterprises LP, a limited partnership indirectly controlled by Mr. Blisko, is the owner of 16,557,432 OP units and 84,050 shares of our Common Stock. In addition, Strawberry Patch Aleph LLC, a limited liability company managed by Mr. Gubin and Michael Blisko, is the owner of 54,713 shares of our Common Stock. New York Boys Management LLC, a limited liability company managed by Mr. Gubin and Michael Blisko, is the owner of 102,690 shares of our Common Stock and 3,342,014 OP units.. R&Q Quest Insurance Limited for and on behalf of the Empire Indemnity 2 Segregated Account, a segregated account that Mr. Blisko and Mr. Gubin have indirect beneficial interests in, is the owner of 2,063,857 OP units.

 

(5) T&N Realty LLC, a limited liability company managed by Mr. Eingal, is the owner of 403,360 shares of our Common Stock.

 

(6) A&F Realty LLC, a limited liability company that Mr. Lerman is on the Board of Managers, is the direct and indirect owner of 6,197,350 OP units and 281,828 shares of our Common Stock, excluding 2,289 shares held directly by Mr. Lerman.

 

4
 

 

PROPOSAL NO. 1

 

ELECTION OF DIRECTORS

 

The Company’s Board of Directors is currently comprised of five directors. A total of five directors will be elected at the Annual Meeting to serve until the next annual meeting of stockholders to be held in 2024, or until their successors are duly elected and qualified. Each of our current directors has been nominated for election by the Board. The persons named as “Proxies” in the enclosed Proxy will vote the shares represented by all valid returned proxies in accordance with the specifications of the stockholders returning such proxies. If no choice has been specified by a stockholder, the shares will be voted FOR the nominees. If at the time of the Annual Meeting any of the nominees named below should be unable or unwilling to serve, which event is not expected to occur, the discretionary authority provided in the Proxy will be exercised to vote for such substitute nominee or nominees, if any, as shall be designated by the Board of Directors. If a quorum is present and voting, the nominees for directors receiving the highest number of votes will be elected. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the vote.

 

NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTOR

 

Nominees

 

The persons nominated as directors are as follows:

 

Name   Age   Position
Moishe Gubin   46   Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer
Essel Bailey   78   Director
Michael Blisko   47   Director
Jack Levine   72   Director
Reid Shapiro   52   Director

 

The following sets forth certain information about each of the director nominees:

 

Moishe Gubin has served as the Chief Executive Officer and as a director of the Company since its organization. He has served as the Company’s Chairman of the Board since June 2021. He has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Predecessor Company since 2014 and as the Co-Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of the BVI Company since 2015. From 2004 to 2014, Mr. Gubin was the Chief Financial Officer and a manager of Infinity Healthcare Management, LLC, a company engaged in managing skilled nursing facilities and other healthcare facilities. Mr. Gubin graduated from Touro Liberal Arts and Science College, in New York, New York, with a B.S. in Accounting and Information Systems and a Minor in Jewish Studies. Mr. Gubin is the founder of the Midwest Torah Center Inc., a non-profit spiritual outreach center (www.midwesttorah.org). He also attended Yeshiva Bais Israel where he received a B.A. in Talmudic Law. Mr. Gubin is a licensed certified public accountant in the State of New York. He also serves as a director of OptimumBank Holdings, Inc., a bank holding company based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Gubin was named as a director based on his substantial experience in acquiring, owning and operating skilled nursing facility industries and similar healthcare facilities.

 

Essel Bailey has served as a director of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Bailey spent the last 50 years engaged in the public and private capital markets, first as a lawyer specializing in corporate and real estate finance and then as a senior officer or director of several healthcare companies. During the last 15 years, he has been a private investor in healthcare services and finance. From January 1992 to July 2000, he served as the chief executive officer of Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc., a Nasdaq listed REIT engaged in the ownership and leasing of healthcare properties, and from 1996 also at Omega Worldwide, Inc., a Nasdaq company engaged in ownership and leasing of healthcare properties in the United Kingdom and in Australia. He has previously served on the boards of Vitalink Pharmacy, Inc. (Nasdaq), Evergreen Healthcare, Inc. (Nasdaq) and NAREIT, the international trade association of real estate investment trusts. As a private investor, Mr. Bailey has served as an officer, director and stockholder of several private healthcare operating and finance companies, and has served on the boards of charitable organizations related to education and the environment. Mr. Bailey received his B.A. from Wesleyan University and his J.D. from University of Michigan Law School and is a member of the American Bar Association and the Michigan Bar Association. Mr. Bailey was named as a director based on his substantial experience in acquiring, owning and operating skilled nursing facilities and similar healthcare facilities.

 

5
 

 

Michael Blisko has served as a director of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Blisko is the Chief Executive Officer for Infinity Healthcare Management. Mr. Blisko is a veteran of leading healthcare consultancy portfolios, as well as the architect in creating cutting edge leadership teams. Mr. Blisko has served as a board member of Strawberry Fields REIT, LLC, the Predecessor Company. Mr. Blisko is a principal for a myriad of ancillary companies including United Rx, a long-term pharmacy, Heritage Home Health and Hospice, Xcel Med, and Bella Monte Recovery, a behavioral health addiction center. Currently, Mr. Blisko is on the national executive committee for Post-Acute Care for the American Healthcare Association (AHCA) in Washington D.C. Mr. Blisko founded and currently serves on the Board of Directors of The Ambassador Group which represents regional Post-Acute Operators serving over one hundred thousand residents throughout the country. He also serves on the Board of Directors for Optimum Bank (OPHC), a publicly traded bank based in Florida. Mr. Blisko is on the Deans Advisory Board for Hofstra University Graduate School for Health and Applied Sciences. Mr. Blisko is a Licensed Nursing Home Administrator with a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration from Hofstra University and a BA in Talmudic Law from Bais Yisroel, Jerusalem. Mr. Blisko was named as a director based on his substantial experience in acquiring, owning and operating skilled nursing facilities and similar healthcare facilities.

 

Jack Levine is qualified as an SEC financial expert who has served as a director of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Levine is a certified public accountant who has provided financial and consulting services to private and public companies for over 35 years. As of June 2021, Mr. Levine has served as chairman of the Audit Committee for EZFill Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: EZFL), an app-based mobile-fueling company. Since 2019, he has served as Chairman of the Audit Committee and Lead Director for Blink Charging Co. (NASDAQ: BLNK), a leading owner, operator, and supplier of proprietary electric vehicle (“EV”) charging equipment and networked EV charging services. Since 2010, he has served as a board member and chairman of the audit committee of SignPath Pharma, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company. SignPath was a public reporting company prior to 2017. Mr. Levine also served as a chairman of the audit committee for Provista Diagnostics, Inc., a cancer detection and diagnostics company from 2011 to 2018.

 

Mr. Levine has been a licensed CPA in Florida since 1983 and in New York since 2009. He received an M.A from New York University and B.A from Hunter College of City University of New York. Mr. Levine was named as a director based on his substantial experience on boards of public entities

 

Reid Shapiro has served as a director of the Company since June 2021. Mr. Shapiro has been the owner of Shappy LLC, a company engaged in business consulting since 2014. From 1998 to 2014, he was a partner and co-founder of Elephant Group, Inc., a company engaged in the retail sale of electronic products which grew to approximately 120 locations. Mr. Shapiro was responsible for site selection for new stores, lease negotiations, build-out and retail management. Following the sale of this business to AT&T, Elephant Group transitioned to become DISH Network’s largest reseller of satellite television systems. It further diversified into the cable, telephone and home security businesses. As part of his duties at Elephant Group, Mr. Shapiro also served as the Chief Development Officer of Saveology.com, Inc., which operated a daily deal business on the internet. Mr. Shapiro has also served on the Florida Panthers NHL Advisory Board. Mr. Shapiro graduated from Yeshiva University in New York. Mr. Shapiro was named as a director based on his substantial experience in creating value for investors and entrepreneurial experience.

 

Required Vote

 

Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, do not authorize cumulative voting. Directors are to be elected by a plurality of the votes of the shares present in person or represented by proxy at the Annual Meeting and entitled to vote on the election of directors. This means that the five candidates receiving the highest number of affirmative votes at the Annual Meeting will be elected as directors. Only shares that are voted in favor of a particular nominee will be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality. Shares present at the Annual Meeting that are not voted for a particular nominee or shares present by proxy where the stockholder properly withheld authority to vote for such nominee will not be counted toward that nominee’s achievement of a plurality.

 

6
 

 

At the Annual Meeting a vote will be taken on a proposal to approve the election of the five director nominees.

 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE ELECTION OF (I) MOISHE GUBIN, (II) ESSEL BAILEY, (III) MICHAEL BLISKO, (IV) JACK LEVINE, AND (V) REID SHAPIRO AS DIRECTORS.

 

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

 

Board of Directors

 

Our Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and bylaws provide that our Board of Directors will consist of such number of directors as may from time to time be fixed by our Board of Directors but may not less than the minimum number required under the Maryland General Corporation Law (“MGCL”), which is one, or more than 15. We currently have five directors. We believe that three of these directors meet the requirement to be independent under the standards of NYSE American and the Exchange Act.

 

Corporate Governance

 

We have structured our corporate governance in a manner we believe closely aligns our interests with those of our stockholders. The principal features of our corporate governance structure include the following:

 

● our Board of Directors is not classified, so that each of our directors will be elected annually;

 

● of the five persons who serve on our Board of Directors, our Board of Directors has determined that three of our directors satisfy the independence requirements on the NYSE American and Rule 10A-3 under the Exchange Act;

 

● at least one of our directors qualifies as an “audit committee financial expert” as defined by the SEC;

 

● we believe that we comply with the NYSE American qualification standards, including having board committees comprised solely of independent directors;

 

● we have opted out of the business combination and control share acquisition statutes in the MGCL; and

 

● we do not have a stockholder rights plan.

 

Our directors will stay informed about our business by attending meetings of our Board of Directors and its committees and through supplemental reports and communications. Our independent directors will meet regularly in executive sessions without the presence of our corporate officers or non-independent directors.

 

Role of the Board in Risk Oversight

 

One of the key functions of our Board of Directors is oversight of our risk management process. Our Board of Directors administers this oversight function directly, with support from its three standing committees, the audit committee, the nominating and corporate governance committee and the compensation committee, each of which addresses risks specific to their respective areas of oversight. In particular, our audit committee has the responsibility to consider and discuss financial risk exposure and the steps our management should take to monitor and control these exposures, including guidelines and policies to govern the process by which risk assessment and management is undertaken. The audit committee also monitors compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, in addition to oversight of the performance of our internal audit function. Our nominating and corporate governance committee monitors the effectiveness of our corporate governance guidelines, including whether they are successful in preventing illegal or improper liability-creating conduct. Our compensation committee assesses and monitors whether any of our compensation policies and programs has the potential to encourage excessive risk-taking.

 

The Company has not adopted a policy is to separate the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. At the present time, Moishe Gubin serves as both the Chairman of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer.

 

7
 

 

Board Committees

 

Our Board of Directors has established three standing committees: an audit committee, a nominating and corporate governance committee and a compensation committee. The principal functions of each committee are described below. We intend to comply with the qualification requirements and other rules and regulations of NYSE American, as amended or modified from time to time, and each of these committees is comprised exclusively of independent directors. Additionally, our Board of Directors may from time to time establish other committees to facilitate the management of the Company.

 

Audit Committee

 

The Company has an audit committee that is comprised of three independent directors, consisting of Reid Shapiro, Jack Levine and Essel Bailey. We believe that Mr. Levine is qualified as an “audit committee financial expert” as that term is defined by the applicable SEC regulations and NYSE American corporate governance qualification standards and “financially sophisticated” as that term is defined by NYSE American. Our board has adopted an audit committee charter, which details the principal functions of the audit committee, including oversight related to:

 

● our accounting and financial reporting processes;

 

● the integrity of our consolidated financial statements and financial reporting process;

 

● our systems of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;

 

● our compliance with financial, legal and regulatory requirements;

 

● the evaluation of the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm;

 

● the performance of our internal audit function; and

 

● our overall risk profile.

 

The audit committee is also responsible for engaging an independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the plans and results of the audit engagement, approving professional services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, including all audit and non-audit services, reviewing the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, considering the range of audit and non-audit fees and reviewing the adequacy of our internal accounting controls. The audit committee also prepares the audit committee report required by SEC regulations to be included in our annual proxy statement.

 

Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee

 

The Company has a nominating and corporate governance committee that is comprised of three independent directors, consisting of Reid Shapiro, Jack Levine and Essel Bailey. Our board has adopted a nominating and corporate governance committee charter, which details the principal functions of the nominating and corporate governance committee, including:

 

● identifying and recommending to the full Board of Directors qualified candidates for election as directors and recommending nominees for election as directors at the annual meeting of stockholders;

 

● developing and recommending to the Board of Directors corporate governance guidelines and implementing and monitoring such guidelines;

 

● reviewing and making recommendations on matters involving the general operation of the Board of Directors, including board size and composition, and committee composition and structure;

 

● recommending to the Board of Directors nominees for each committee of the Board of Directors;

 

● annually facilitating the assessment of the Board of Directors’ performance as a whole and of the individual directors, as required by applicable law, regulations and NYSE American corporate governance qualification standards; and

 

8
 

 

● overseeing the Board of Directors’ evaluation of management.

 

In identifying and recommending nominees for directors, the nominating and corporate governance committee may consider diversity of relevant experience, expertise and background

 

Compensation Committee

 

The Company has a compensation committee that is comprised of three independent directors, consisting of Reid Shapiro, Jack Levine and Essel Bailey. Our board has adopted a compensation committee charter, which detailed the principal functions of the compensation committee, including:

 

● reviewing and approving on an annual basis the corporate goals and objectives relevant to our chief executive officer’s compensation, evaluating our chief executive officer’s performance in light of such goals and objectives and determining and approving the remuneration of our chief executive officer based on such evaluation;

 

● reviewing and approving the compensation of all of our other officers;

 

● reviewing our executive compensation policies and plans;

 

● implementing and administering our incentive compensation equity-based remuneration plans;

 

● assisting management in complying with our proxy statement and annual report disclosure requirements;

 

● producing a report on executive compensation to be included in our annual proxy statement; and

 

● reviewing, evaluating and recommending changes, if appropriate, to the remuneration for directors.

 

Code of Business Conduct and Ethics

 

Our Board of Directors has established a code of business conduct and ethics that applies to our officers, directors and employees. Among other matters, our code of business conduct and ethics designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote:

 

● honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and professional relationships;

 

● full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in our SEC reports and other public communications;

 

● compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations;

 

● prompt internal reporting of violations of the code to appropriate persons identified in the code; and

 

● accountability for adherence to the code of business conduct and ethics.

 

Any waiver of the code of business conduct and ethics for our executive officers or directors must be approved by a majority of our independent directors, and any such waiver shall be promptly disclosed as required by law or NYSE American regulations.

 

Board Meetings and Attendance

 

The Board held three in person/virtual meetings in 2022. All Board actions that were not taken at a meeting were approved by the unanimous written consent of the Board as permitted by Maryland law. Each of the current members of the Board of Directors attended at least 75% of the meetings of the Board and committees on which he served, held while he has been a director.

 

9
 

 

Attendance by Directors at Annual Meeting

 

The Company expects each of the directors to attend the Annual Meeting.

 

Stockholder Communications with the Board

 

Stockholders wishing to communicate with the Board, the non-management directors, or an individual Board member may do so by writing to the Board, to the non-management directors, or to the particular Board member, and mailing the correspondence to: Strawberry Fields REIT/Board of Directors, 6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628. The envelope should indicate that it contains a stockholder communication. All such stockholder communications will be forwarded to the director or directors to whom the communications are addressed.

 

Family Relationships

 

There are no family relationships among any of our directors or executive officers.

 

Compliance with Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act

 

Section 16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Company’s directors, executive officers and persons who beneficially own 10% or more of a class of securities registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act to file reports of beneficial ownership and changes in beneficial ownership with the SEC. Directors, executive officers and greater than 10% stockholders are required by the rules and regulations of the SEC to furnish the Company with copies of all reports filed by them in compliance with Section 16(a).

 

During 2022, six initial reports on Form 3 were not filed on a timely basis by the directors (Messrs. Gubin, Bailey, Blisko, Levine and Shapiro) and by Mr. Eingal. Additionally, three Form 4s were not filed on a timely basis by Mr. Gubin.

 

Director Compensation

 

As compensation for serving on our Board of Directors, each of our independent directors receives an annual fee of $25,000 and an additional fee of $1,500 per meeting. Directors who are also officers or employees of the Company do not receive any additional compensation as directors. In addition, we reimburse our directors for the reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in attending Board of Directors and committee meetings. Our Board of Directors may change the compensation of our independent directors in its discretion.

 

Name of Director  Fees Earned or Paid in Cash 
     
Michael Blisko  $29,500 
      
Jack Levine  $29,500 
      
Essel Bailey  $29,500 
      
Reid Shapiro  $29,500 

 

10
 

 

Executive Compensation

 

The annual base salaries of each executive officer for 2022 is set forth in the following table:

 

Name and Principal Position  Base Salary 
     
Moishe Gubin  $300,000 
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer     
      
Nahman Eingal  $80,000 
Chief Financial Officer     
      
Jeffrey Bajtner  $180,000 
Senior Investment Officer     

 

The Company has not adopted any compensation policies with respect to, among other things, setting base salaries, awarding bonuses or making future grants of equity awards to our management team. We expect that our compensation committee will review the current compensation of our executive officers in conjunction with the establishment of compensation policies and objectives for executive compensation. We anticipate that the compensation committee will design a compensation program that rewards, among other things, our operating results, favorable stockholder returns, and individual contributions to our success. We expect compensation incentives designed to further these goals will take the form of annual cash compensation and longer-term equity awards.

 

The table below sets forth a summary of all compensation earned, awarded or paid, as applicable, to our executive officers for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2022.

 

Name and Principal Position   Year     Salary     Bonus     Total  
Moishe Gubin(1)                                
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer     2021     $ 300,000     $ 1,078,000     $ 1,378,000  
      2022     $ 300,000     $ -     $ 300,000  
                                 
Nahman Eingal                                
Chief Financial Officer     2021     $ 80,000      $ -     $ 80,000  
      2022     $ 80,000      $ -     $ 80,000  
                                 
Jeffrey Bajtner     2021     $ 150,000      $ -     $ 150,000  
Senior Investment Officer     2022     $ 180,000      $ -     $ 180,000  

 

(1)During 2021, the Board of Directors approved the payment of a bonus of $1,078,000 to Mr. Gubin for his services for 2021, which was paid in January 2022. Any future bonuses to Mr. Gubin or the other executive officers will be made at the discretion of the Board.

 

11
 

 

Employment Agreements

 

None of the officers of the Company are parties to any employment agreements.

 

Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

 

We have had and currently have relationships and transactions with related parties. Our related parties consist of our directors, executive officers, persons who beneficially own 5% or more of the shares of our Common Stock or 5% or more of the OP units of the Operating Partnership, members of their immediate families and their affiliates, as well as managers of the Predecessor Company, persons who beneficially owned more than 5% of the membership interests in the Predecessor Company, members of their immediate family members and their affiliates.

 

We have described below relationships and transactions since January 1, 2022 with related parties in which the amount involved exceeded $120,000, and all currently proposed transactions which exceed $120,000.

 

The relationships and transactions described below relate to transactions with Moishe Gubin, who is our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Michael Blisko, who is one of our directors, Ted Lerman, who is one of the controlling members of the Predecessor Company, Nahman Eingal, who is our Chief Financial Officer, and Steven Blisko, who is the brother of Michael Blisko, and their affiliated entities. There were no other reportable relationships and transactions with related parties.

 

12
 

 

Lease Agreements with Related Parties

 

As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, each of the Company’s facilities except for two were leased and operated by separate tenants. Each tenant is an entity that leases the facility from one of the Company’s subsidiaries and operates the facility as a healthcare facility. The Company had 41 tenants out of 83 who were related parties as of December 31, 2022 and 47 tenants out of 83 who were related parties as of December 31, 2021. Most of the lease agreements are triple net leases.

 

On April 4, 2022, an affiliated tenant in Illinois notified the Company of its intent to default with respect to two master lease agreements. Each lease included three nursing home facilities with a combined rent of $225,000 per month, or $2.7 million annually. Default occurred on June 30, 2022, and the Company recognized a loss of $1,075,000 due to the write-offs of straight-line rent receivables during the year ended December 31, 2022. On July 1, 2022, the Company entered into new lease agreements with an unaffiliated third-party operator to lease these properties. The new leases have terms of 10 years each and provide for combined average base rent of $180,000 per month, or $2.3 million per year, on average, over the life of the leases. In February 2023 one facility under this master lease was closed. The closure was a result of the tenant request and mainly for efficiency reasons. This facility is under a master lease with 5 other facilities and the rent payment is continuing with no interruption and at the same amount.

 

In April 2021, tenants for 13 of our properties located in Arkansas agreed to assign their leases to a group of unaffiliated third parties. The prior tenants were related parties of the Company. The facilities located on these properties consist of 12 SNFs and 2 ALFs, with one property housing both a SNF and an ALF. There were no changes to the terms of the existing leases. The assignment of the leases was subject to the approval of the State of Arkansas, which was received in December 2021. In connection with the lease assignments, the Company granted the new tenants an option to purchase the properties for an aggregate price of $90 million. These properties are subject to claims by the prior owners of the properties. These claims did not impact the assignment of the leases, but they may interfere with the exercise of the purchase option.

 

13
 

 

The following table sets forth details of the lease agreements in force between the Company and its subsidiaries and lessees that are related parties:

  

          Related Party Ownership in
Tenant/Operator (see notes (1) and (2))
                   
State   Lessor/
Company Subsidiary
  Manager/Tenant/Operator  Moishe Gubin/Gubin Enterprises LP   Michael Blisko/Blisko Enterprises LP   Ted Lerman/A&F Realty LLC (3)   Average annual rent over life of lease   Annual Escalation   % of total rent   Lease maturity  Extension options
    Master Lease Indiana                                    
IN   1020 West Vine Street Realty, LLC  The Waters of Princeton II, LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%  $1,045,506    3.00%   1.45%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   12803 Lenover Street Realty LLC  The Waters of Dillsboro - Ross Manor II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,353,655    3.00%   1.87%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   1350 North Todd Drive Realty, LLC  The Waters of Scottsburg II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,089,527    3.00%   1.51%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   1600 East Liberty Street Realty LLC  The Waters of Covington II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,309,634    3.00%   1.81%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   1601 Hospital Drive Realty LLC  The Waters of Greencastle II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,100,532    3.00%   1.52%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   1712 Leland Drive Realty, LLC  The Waters of Huntingburg II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,045,506    3.00%   1.45%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   2055 Heritage Drive Realty LLC  The Waters of Martinsville II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,133,548    3.00%   1.57%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   3895 South Keystone Avenue Realty LLC  The Waters of Indianapolis II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   891,431    3.00%   1.23%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   405 Rio Vista Lane Realty LLC  The Waters of Rising Sun II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   638,309    3.00%   0.88%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   950 Cross Avenue Realty LLC  The Waters of Clifty Falls II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   1,518,735    3.00%   2.10%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   958 East Highway 46 Realty LLC  The Waters of Batesville II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   946,458    3.00%   1.31%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   2400 Chateau Drive Realty, LLC  The Waters of Muncie II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   792,383    3.00%   1.10%  8/1/2025  2 five year
IN   The Big H2O LLC  The Waters of New Castle II LLC   39.10%   40.14%   20.20%   726,351    3.00%   1.00%  8/1/2025  2 five year

 

14
 

 

Lease Agreements with Related Parties (cont.)

 

          Related Party Ownership in
Tenant/Operator (see notes (1) and (2))
                   
State   Lessor /
Company Subsidiary
  Tenant /Operator  Moishe Gubin /Gubin Enterprises LP   Michael Blisko /Blisko Enterprises LP   Ted Lerman /A&F Realty LLC (3)   Average annual rent over life of lease   Annual Escalation   % of total rent   Lease maturity  Extension options
    Master Lease Tennessee                                    
TN   115 Woodlawn Drive, LLC  Lakebridge, a Waters Community, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,514,820    3.00%   1.81%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   146 Buck Creek Road, LLC  The Waters of Roan Highlands, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,111,794    3.00%   1.33%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   704 5th Avenue East, LLC  The Waters of Springfield, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   917,230    3.00%   1.09%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   2501 River Road, LLC  The Waters of Cheatham, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,111,794    3.00%   1.33%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   202 Enon Springs Road East, LLC  The Waters of Smyrna, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,264,666    3.00%   1.51%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   140 Technology Lane, LLC  The Waters of Johnson City, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,167,384    3.00%   1.39%  8/1/2031  2 five year
TN   835 Union Street, LLC  The Waters of Shelbyville, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,334,153    3.00%   1.59%  8/1/2031  2 five year

 

15
 

 

Lease Agreements with Related Parties (cont.)

 

        

Related Party Ownership in

Tenant/Operator (see notes (1) and (2))

                   
State  Lessor/
Company Subsidiary
  Tenant/Operator  Moishe Gubin/Gubin Enterprises LP   Michael Blisko/Blisko Enterprises LP   Ted Lerman/A&F Realty LLC (3)   Average annual rent over life of lease   Annual Escalation   % of total rent   Lease maturity  Extension options
                                     
   Master Lease Tennessee 2                                    
TN  505 North Roan, LLC  Agape Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, A Water’s Community LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,628,910    3.00%   1.97%  7/1/2031  2 five year
TN  14510 Highway 79, LLC  Waters of McKenzie, A Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,279,858    3.00%   1.55%  7/1/2031  2 five year
TN  6500 Kirby Gate Boulevard, LLC  Waters of Memphis, A Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,745,261    3.00%   2.11%  7/1/2031  2 five year
TN  978 Highway 11 South, LLC  Waters of Sweetwater, A Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   1,745,261    3.00%   2.11%  7/1/2031  2 five year
TN  2830 Highway 394, LLC  Waters of Bristol, A Rehabilitiation & Nursing Center, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   2,327,014    3.00%   2.81%  7/1/2031  2 five year

 

16
 

 

Lease Agreements with Related Parties (cont.)

 

         Related Party Ownership in
Tenant/Operator (see notes (1) and (2))
                   
State  Lessor/
Company Subsidiary
  Tenant/ Operator  Moishe Gubin/Gubin Enterprises LP   Michael Blisko/Blisko Enterprises LP   Ted Lerman/A&F Realty LLC (3)   Average Annual rent over life of lease   Annual Escalation   % of total rent   Lease maturity  Extension options
IL  516 West Frech Street, LLC Parker Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%  $498,350    Varies between $12,000 and $24,000 annually    0.69%  3/31/2031  None
IN  1316 North Tibbs Avenue Realty, LLC Westpark, a Waters Community, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   549,884    3.00%   0.76%  6/1/2024  2 five year
IL  Ambassador Nursing Realty, LLC Ambassador Nursing and Rehabilitation Center II, LLC   37.50%   37.50%   5.00%   1,005,313    3.00%   1.39%  2/28/2026  2 five year
IL  Momence Meadows Realty, LLC Momence Meadows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%   1,038,000    None    1.44%  12/30/2025  None
IL  Oak Lawn Nursing Realty, LLC Oak Lawn Respiratory and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%   1,083,048    None    1.50%  6/1/2031  None
IL  Forest View Nursing Realty, LLC  Forest View Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%   1,215,483    3.00%   1.68%  12/1/2024  2 five year
IL  Lincoln Park Holdings, LLC Lakeview Rehabilitation and Nursing Center, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   0.00%   1,260,000    None    1.74%  5/31/2031  None
IL  Continental Nursing Realty, LLC Continental Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   37.50%   37.50%   5.00%   1,575,348    None    2.18%  3/1/2031  None
IL  Westshire Nursing Realty, LLC City View Multicare Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%   1,788,365    3.00%   2.47%  9/1/2025  2 five year
IL  Belhaven Realty, LLC Belhaven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   35.00%   35.00%   24.99%   2,134,570    3.00%   2.95%  2/28/2026  2 five year
IL  West Suburban Nursing Realty, LLC West Suburban Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, LLC   37.50%   37.50%   5.00%   1,961,604    None    2.71%  11/1/2027  None

 

17
 

 

Lease Agreements with Related Parties (cont.)

 

         Related Party Ownership in
Tenant/Operator (see notes (1) and (2))
                   
State  Lessor/
Company Subsidiary
  Tenant/ Operator  Moishe Gubin/Gubin Enterprises LP   Michael Blisko/Blisko Enterprises LP   Ted Lerman/A&F Realty LLC (3)   Average Annual rent over life of lease   Annual Escalation   % of total rent   Lease maturity  Extension options
IN  1585 Perry Worth Road, LLC  The Waters of Lebanon, LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%  $116,676    3.00%   0.16%  6/1/2027  2 five year
IL  Niles Nursing Realty LLC  Niles Nursing & Rehabilitation Center LLC   40.00%   40.00%   20.00%   2,409,998    3.00%   3.33%  2/28/2026  2 five year
IL  Parkshore Estates Nursing Realty, LLC  Parkshore Estates Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   30.00%   30.00%   20.00%   2,454,187    3.00%   3.39%  12/1/2024  2 five year
IL  Midway Neurological and Rehabilitation Realty, LLC  Midway Neurological and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   33.39%   33.39%   23.97%   2,547,712    3.00%   3.52%  2/28/2026  2 five year
IL  4343 Kennedy Drive, LLC  Hope Creek Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC   50.00%   50.00%   0.00%   478,958    3.00%   0.58%  10/1/2030  2 five year

 

(1) The interests of the three listed related parties are not held through any commonly owned holding companies. Mr. Gubin’s interests are held through Gubin Enterprises LP. Mr. Blisko’s interests are held individually, and through Blisko Enterprises LP and New York Boys Management, LLC. The interests held by Ted Lerman and A&F Realty LLC are held directly by them.

 

(2) Each of the tenants is a limited liability company. The percentages listed reflect the owners’ percentage ownership of the outstanding membership interests in each tenant. Each tenant is managed by two or three managers, which currently consist of Mr. Gubin, Mr. Blisko and in some cases Mr. Lerman or A&F Realty LLC. Decisions are made by majority vote of the managers, except (in some cases) for certain major items that require the vote of a majority or greater percentage of the members.

 

(3) In January 2023, Gubin Enterprises LP and Blisko Enterprises LP reached an agreement with A&F Realty LLC to purchase their ownership interest in all of the operating entities with a retroactive effective date of January 1, 2022.

 

Guarantees from Related Parties

 

As of December 31, 2022, Mr. Gubin and Mr. Blisko were not parties to any guarantees of any debt of the Company and its subsidiaries. As of December 31, 2021, Mr. Gubin and Mr. Blisko guaranteed $21.9 million in loans made by commercial banks to the Company’s subsidiaries. Mr. Gubin and Mr. Blisko did not received any compensation for providing such guarantees.

 

18
 

 

   December 31, 
   2022   2021 
   (amounts in $000s) 
Straight-line rent receivable  $11,591   $15,261 
Tenant portion of replacement reserve  $10,227   $10,331 
Notes receivable  $7,816   $8,521 

 

Payments from and to Related Parties    
   Years ended December 31, 
   2022   2021 
   (amounts in $000s) 
Rental income received from related parties  $54,386   $61,310 

 

Other Related Party Relationships

 

On December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had approximately $4.7 million and $17.5 million, respectively, on deposit with OptimumBank. Both Mr. Gubin, as Chairman, and Mr. Blisko are members of the Board of Directors of OptimumBank.

 

 On August 25, 2021, the Company acquired five properties located in Tennessee and one in Kentucky (the “Tennessee/Kentucky Properties”) for an aggregate acquisition cost of $81.0 million, which was paid through the issuance of 1,545,217 OP units valued at $16,997,000, including 90,909 of OP units paid to the broker valued at $1 million and a cash payment of $63,990,000. Moishe Gubin, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, agreed to purchase the OP units issued to the sellers either at cost or fair market value (whichever is higher) 12 months after the closing at the option of the sellers. In November 2022 the Board of Directors of the Company approved a resolution to allow the Operating Partnership, instead of Moishe Gubin personally, to repurchase the 1,454,308 OP Units from the seller of the Tennessee/Kentucky Properties. The purchase has not yet been completed as of the date of these consolidated financials.

 

Leases with Affiliates of Steven Blisko

 

Prior to June 30, 2022, we leased six facilities to entities that are affiliates of Steven Blisko Steven Blisko is the brother of Michael Blisko, who is one of our directors. Steven Blisko does not own, either directly or indirectly, any interest in the Predecessor Company, does not serve as a manager, director or officer of the Predecessor Company and does not serve as a director or officer of the Company. Steven Blisko owns 300 of shares of our Common Stock.

 

On April 4, 2022, we were notified that the tenants under the master leases for 6 facilities located in central Illinois intended to default with respect to their lease agreements due to operating losses. The tenants indicated that their operating losses were partially due to decreased occupancy caused by COVID-19. The tenants are affiliates of Steven Blisko, who is the brother of Michael Blisko, one of our directors. These leases provided for a combined rent of $225,000 per month, or $2.7 million per year. All payments due under these leases were paid through mid-June 2022. Default occurred on June 30, 2022, and the Company recognized a loss of $1,075,000 in the second quarter of 2022 due to write-offs of straight-line receivables. On July 1, 2022, the Company entered into new lease agreements with an unaffiliated third-party operator to lease these properties. The new leases have terms of 10 years each and provide for combined average base rent of $180,000 per month, or $2.3 million per year over the life of the leases.

 

Purchase of Note from Related Party

 

As noted above, in December 2021, tenants for 13 of our properties located in Arkansas transferred their leasehold interests in these properties to a group of unaffiliated third parties. The prior tenants were affiliates of Infinity Healthcare Management, a company owned and controlled by Mr. Blisko and Mr. Gubin, directors of the Company. As consideration for the transfer of the leasehold interests, the new tenants issued a promissory note in the amount of $8.0 million to an affiliate of Infinity Healthcare Management. In June 2022, the Company purchased the note from this affiliate for a purchase price of $8.0 million, which was equal to the outstanding balance of the note at the time of purchase. In connection with the lease assignments, the Company granted the new tenants an option to purchase the 13 properties for an aggregate price of $90 million. The option may be exercised following the release of the lien filed against the properties by the prior owners in connection with litigation against Infinity Healthcare Management, the Company and certain of their affiliates. The note bears interest at 7% per annum payable monthly. The principal amount of the note becomes 120 days after the date on which tenants are first able to exercise the purchase option. If the tenants do not exercise the option within this period, then the outstanding balance of the note will thereafter be payable in thirty-six (36) equal monthly installments of principal and interest.

 

Issuance of Shares in Exchange for OP Units

 

In June and November 2022, the Company issued 29,410 and 60,450 shares, respectively, of common stock in exchange for an equal number of OP Units held by entities controlled by Michael Blisko, Moishe Gubin and Ted Lerman.

 

 Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

 

During 2022, affiliates of the Company purchased 3,220 shares of our common stock in the open market at an average price per share of $8.62 and an aggregate repurchase cost of $27,772.

 

19
 

 

AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT

 

The following Report of the Audit Committee (the “Audit Report”) does not constitute soliciting material and should not be deemed filed or incorporated by reference into any other Company filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act, except to the extent the Company specifically incorporates this Audit Report by reference therein.

 

Role of the Audit Committee

 

The Audit Committee oversees our accounting and financial reporting processes and oversees the audit of our financial statements and the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting. The board has adopted an Audit Committee charter, which details the principal functions of the Audit Committee, including oversight related to:

 

● our accounting and financial reporting processes;

 

● the integrity of our consolidated financial statements and financial reporting process;

 

● our systems of disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting;

 

● our compliance with financial, legal and regulatory requirements;

 

● the evaluation of the qualifications, independence and performance of our independent registered public accounting firm;

 

● the performance of our internal audit function; and

 

our overall risk profile.

 

The audit committee is also responsible for engaging an independent registered public accounting firm, reviewing with the independent registered public accounting firm the plans and results of the audit engagement, approving professional services provided by the independent registered public accounting firm, including all audit and non-audit services, reviewing the independence of the independent registered public accounting firm, considering the range of audit and non-audit fees and reviewing the adequacy of our internal accounting controls. The audit committee also prepares the audit committee report required by SEC regulations to be included in our annual proxy statement.

 

With respect to the Company’s outside auditors, the Audit Committee, among other things, discussed with Hacker, Johnson & Smith, P.A. matters relating to its independence, including the disclosures made to the Audit Committee as required by the Independence Standards Board Standard No. 1 (Independence Discussions with Audit Committees).

 

Recommendations of the Audit Committee. In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board that the Board approve the inclusion of the Company’s audited financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, for filing with the SEC.

 

This report has been furnished by the Audit Committee of the Board.

 

Jack Levine-Chairman

Reid Shapiro

Essel Bailey

 

20
 

 

PROPOSAL NO. 2

 

ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

 

Section 14A of the Exchange Act, and related rules of the SEC, enable our stockholders to vote to approve, on an advisory, non-binding basis, the compensation of our Named Executive Officers as disclosed in this Proxy Statement. This vote is advisory, and, therefore, not binding on the Company, the Compensation Committee, or the Board. However, the Board and the Compensation Committee value the opinions of our stockholders and to the extent there is a significant vote against the compensation of the Named Executive Officers, we will consider our stockholders’ concerns, and the Compensation Committee will evaluate whether any actions are necessary to address those concerns.

 

As described in detail in the section of this Proxy Statement entitled, “Executive Compensation,” our executive compensation program is designed to attract, motivate, and retain executive officers, while aligning their interests with those of our stockholders. Under this program, our executive officers are rewarded for the achievement of strategic and operational objectives and the realization of increased stockholder value. Please read the Executive Compensation section and the accompanying compensation tables of this Proxy Statement for additional information about our executive compensation program, including information about the compensation of the Named Executive Officers for fiscal year 2022.

 

By way of this proposal, commonly known as a “Say-on-Pay” proposal, we are asking our stockholders to indicate their support for the compensation of the Named Executive Officers as described in this Proxy Statement. Please note that this vote is not intended to address any specific item of compensation, but rather the overall compensation of the Named Executive Officers and the philosophy, policies, and practices described in this Proxy Statement.

 

The stockholders are being asked to approve the following resolution at the Annual Meeting:

 

“RESOLVED, that the compensation paid to the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to Item 402 of Regulation S-K, including the compensation tables and narrative discussion, is hereby APPROVED.”

 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

A VOTE “FOR” THE APPROVAL OF PROPOSAL NO. 2

 

21
 

 

PROPOSAL NO. 3

 

ADVISORY RESOLUTION ON THE FREQUENCY OF THE STOCKHOLDERS’ SAY-ON-PAY

 

Summary

 

Section 14A of the Exchange Act and the SEC’s rules thereunder require that we include in this Proxy Statement a separate non-binding stockholder vote to advise on whether the Say-on-Pay vote should occur every one, two or three years. You have the option to vote for any one of the three options, or to abstain on the matter.

 

The Board has determined that a stockholder advisory vote on executive compensation every three years is the best approach for the Company based on a number of considerations, including the following:

 

Our compensation program is designed to induce performance over a multi-year period. A vote held every three years would be more consistent with and provide better input on, our long-term compensation, which constitutes a significant portion of the compensation of our Named Executive Officers;

 

A three-year vote cycle gives the Board sufficient time to thoughtfully consider the results of the advisory vote and to implement any desired changes to our executive compensation policies and procedures; and

 

A three-year vote cycle will provide stockholders sufficient time to evaluate the effectiveness of our short- and long-term compensation strategies and the related business outcomes of the Company.

 

Vote Required and Recommendation

 

The advisory resolution on the frequency of the stockholders’ advisory resolution on the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers is selected by a plurality of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting on the matter. Accordingly, the option — every one, two or three years — that receives the largest number of votes cast “FOR” is the option selected by the stockholders. This proposal is non-binding on the Company and the Board.

 

Although the advisory vote is non-binding, our Board and the Compensation Committee will consider the outcome of the vote when making future decisions about the Company’s executive compensation policies and procedures. The Company’s stockholders also have the opportunity to provide additional feedback on important matters involving executive compensation even in years when Say-on-Pay votes do not occur. For example, as discussed under “Shareholder Communications with the Board”, the Company provides stockholders an opportunity to communicate directly with the Board, including on issues of executive compensation.

 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

A VOTE “FOR” THREE YEARS.

 

22
 

 

PROPOSAL NO. 4

 

RATIFICATION OF APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

 

The Board has appointed Hacker, Johnson & Smith, P.A. (“Hacker”), as our independent registered public accounting firm to examine the consolidated financial statements of the Company for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. The Board seeks an indication from stockholders of their approval or disapproval of the appointment.

 

Hacker will audit our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2023. We anticipate that a representative of Hacker will be present at the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire to do so, and will be available to respond to appropriate questions.

 

Our consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2022, were audited by Hacker.

 

In the event stockholders fail to ratify the appointment of Hacker, the Board of Directors will reconsider this appointment. Even if the appointment is ratified, the Board of Directors, in its discretion, may direct the appointment of a different independent registered public accounting firm at any time during the year if the Board of Directors determines that such a change would be in the interests of the Company and its shareholders.

  

The following table presents for each of the last two fiscal years the aggregate fees billed in connection with the audits of our financial statements and other professional services rendered by our independent registered public accounting firm Hacker, Johnson & Smith, P.A.

 

   2022   2021 
         
         
Audit Fees (1)  $110,000   $117,500 
Audit-Related Fees (2)   -    - 
Tax Fees (3)   -    - 
All Other Fees (4)   25,000    5,000 
Total Accounting fees and Services  $135,000   $122,500 

 

 

(1) Audit Fees. These are fees for professional services for the audit of our annual financial statements, and for the review of the financial statements included in our filings on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and for services that are normally provided in connection with statutory and regulatory filings or engagements.

(2) Audit-Related Fees. These are fees for assurance and related services by the principal accountant that are reasonably related to the performance of the audit or review of the registrant’s financial statements.

(3) Tax Fees. These are fees for professional services rendered by the principal accountant with respect to tax compliance, tax advice, and tax planning.

(4) All Other Fees. These are fees for products and services provided by the principal accountant, other than the services reported above.

 

Audit Committee Pre-Approval Policies and Procedures

 

The Company’s Audit Committee has adopted policies and procedures that shall require the pre-approval by the Audit Committee of all fees paid to, and all services performed by, the Company’s independent accounting firms. At the beginning of each year, the Audit Committee shall approve the proposed services, including the nature, type and scope of services contemplated and the related fees, to be rendered by these firms during the year. In addition, Audit Committee pre-approval is also required for those engagements that may arise during the course of the year that are outside the scope of the initial services and fees pre-approved by the Audit Committee.

 

The affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares present, in person or by proxy, and voting at the Annual Meeting will be required for approval of this proposal. Neither abstentions nor broker non-votes shall have any effect on the outcome of this vote.

 

RECOMMENDATION OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

 

THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE “FOR” THE RATIFICATION OF HACKER AS THE COMPANY’S INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM.

 

23
 

 

PROPOSAL NO. 5

ADJOURNMENT OF THE ANNUAL MEETING IF NECESSARY TO PERMIT FURTHER SOLICITATION OF PROXIES

 

Our stockholders are being asked to approve a proposal that will give us authority to adjourn the Annual Meeting, if necessary for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies in favor of the above proposals, if there are not sufficient votes at the time of the Annual Meeting to approve and adopt one or more of such proposals. If this adjournment proposal is approved, our board of directors could adjourn the Annual Meeting to any date it chooses. In addition, our board of directors could postpone the Annual Meeting before it commences, whether for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies or for other reasons. If the Annual Meeting is adjourned for the purpose of soliciting additional proxies, stockholders who have already submitted their proxies at any time before their use do not need to submit new proxies unless they desire to change their voting instructions. The Company does not intend to call a vote on this proposal if Proposals 1, 2, and 4 have been approved at the Annual Meeting.

 

Approval of this Proposal No. 5 requires the affirmative vote of a majority of the votes represented by the holders of our Common Stock at the Annual Meeting. Abstentions and broker non-votes will have no effect on the outcome of this proposal. Unless instructions to the contrary are specified in a properly executed and returned proxy, the proxy holder will vote the proxies received by them “FOR” this Proposal No. 5.

 

THE BOARD UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS THAT STOCKHOLDERS VOTE “FOR” PROPOSAL NO. 5.

 

Interest of Certain Persons in Opposition to Matters to be Acted Upon

 

No officer or director has any substantial interest in any of the proposals scheduled to be considered at the Annual Meeting other than in their roles as an officer or director.

 

24
 

 

FUTURE STOCKHOLDER PROPOSALS

 

Proposals of stockholders of the Company that are intended to be presented by such stockholders at the Company’s 2024 annual meeting of stockholders and that stockholders desire to have included in the Company’s proxy materials relating to such meeting must be received by the Company at its corporate offices no later than December 11, 2023, which is 120 calendar days prior to the anniversary of this year’s mailing date. Upon timely receipt of any such proposal, the Company will determine whether or not to include such proposal in the proxy statement and proxy in accordance with applicable regulations governing the solicitation of proxies. In order for stockholders to give timely notice of nominations for directors for inclusion on a universal proxy card in connection with the 2024 annual meeting, notice must be submitted by the same deadline as disclosed above and must include the information in the notice required by our Bylaws and by Rule 14a-19(b)(2) and Rule 14a-19(b)(3) under the Exchange Act.

 

If a stockholder wishes to present a proposal at the Company’s 2024 annual meeting or to nominate one or more directors and the proposal is not intended to be included in the Company’s proxy statement relating to that meeting, the stockholder must give advance written notice to the Company by February 24, 2024, as required by SEC Rule 14a-4(c)(1).

 

Our bylaws provide that, with respect to an annual meeting of stockholders, nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors and the proposal of other business to be considered by our stockholders at an annual meeting of stockholders may be made only (1) pursuant to our notice of the meeting, (2) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (3) by any stockholder who was a stockholder of record at the record date set by our board of directors for the purposes of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, at the time of giving of notice and at the time of the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting on the election of the individual so nominated or such other business and who has complied with the advance notice procedures set forth in our bylaws, including a requirement to provide certain information about the stockholder and its affiliates and the nominee or business proposal, as applicable.

 

With respect to special meetings of stockholders, only the business specified in our notice of meeting may be brought before the meeting. Nominations of individuals for election to our board of directors may be made at a special meeting of stockholders at which directors are to be elected only (1) by or at the direction of our board of directors or (2) provided that the special meeting has been properly called in accordance with our bylaws for the purpose of electing directors, by any stockholder who was a stockholder of record at the record date set by our board of directors for the purposes of determining stockholders entitled to vote at the meeting, at the time of giving of notice and at the time of the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting on the election of each individual so nominated and who has complied with the advance notice provisions set forth in our bylaws, including a requirement to provide certain information about the stockholder and its affiliates and the nominee.

 

Any stockholder filing a written notice of nomination for director must describe various matters regarding the nominee and the stockholder, including such information as name, address, occupation and shares held. Any stockholder filing a notice to bring other business before a stockholder meeting must include in such notice, among other things, a brief description of the proposed business and the reasons for the business, and other specified matters. Copies of those requirements will be forwarded to any stockholder upon written request.

 

25
 

 

AVAILABILITY OF ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K AND HOUSEHOLDING

 

A copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC is available upon written request and without charge to stockholders by writing to the Company at 6101 Nimtz Parkway, South Bend, Indiana 46628 or by calling telephone number (574) 807-0800. Additionally, a copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the SEC is available on the Company’s website at http://strawberryfieldsreit.com/.

 

In certain cases, only one Proxy Statement may be delivered to multiple stockholders sharing an address unless the Company has received contrary instructions from one or more of the stockholders at that address. The Company will undertake to deliver promptly upon written or oral request a separate copy of the Proxy Statement, as applicable, to a stockholder at a shared address to which a single copy of such documents was delivered. Such request should also be directed to Jeffrey Bajtner, at the address or telephone number indicated in the previous paragraph. In addition, stockholders sharing an address can request delivery of a single copy of Proxy Statements if they are receiving multiple copies of Proxy Statements by directing such request to the same mailing address.

 

26
 

 

OTHER BUSINESS

 

We have not received notice of and do not expect any matters to be presented for vote at the Annual Meeting, other than the proposals described in this Proxy Statement. If you grant a proxy, the person named as proxy holder, Moishe Gubin, or his nominees or substitutes, will have the discretion to vote your shares on any additional matters properly presented for a vote at the Annual Meeting. If for any unforeseen reason, any of our nominees are not available as a candidate for director, the proxy holder will vote your proxy for such other candidate or candidates nominated by our Board.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

 

We are subject to the information and reporting requirements of the Exchange Act, and in accordance therewith, we file periodic reports, documents and other information with the SEC relating to our business, financial statements, and other matters. Such reports and other information may be inspected and are available for copying at the offices of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549 or may be accessed at www.sec.gov. Information regarding the operation of the public reference rooms may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. You are encouraged to review our Annual Report on Form 10-K, together with any subsequent information we filed or will file with the SEC and other publicly available information.

 

*************

 

It is important that the proxies be returned promptly and that your shares be represented. Stockholders are urged to mark, date, execute and promptly return the accompanying proxy card.

 

April 10, 2023 By Order of the Board of Directors,
   
  /s/ Moishe Gubin
  Moishe Gubin
  Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer

 

27
 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

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