FINRA Arbitration

Published on: November 21, 2018

Recent Secondary Market Pricing for Cole Credit Property Trust V Suggests Investors May Have Incurred Principal Losses

investing in real estate through a limited partnership Recent pricing on shares of Cole Credit Property Trust V, Inc. (“CCPT V” or, the “Company”) – at reported prices of $17.25-$17.75 – suggests that investors who chose to sell their shares on a limited secondary market may have sustained considerable losses of up to 30% (excluding any distributions received to date). Formed in December 2012, CCPT V is structured as a Maryland corporation. As a publicly registered, non-traded real estate investment trust (“REIT”), CCPT V is focused on the business of acquiring and operating “a diversified portfolio of retail and other income-producing commercial properties.” As of October 31, 2018, the Company’s real estate portfolio consisted of 141 properties across 33 states, with portfolio tenants spanning some 26 industry sectors.

The shares of CCPT V, a publicly registered, non-traded REIT, were offered to retail investors in connection with CCPT V’s initial offering, which was priced at $25 per share. The Company launched its initial offer in March 2014, and as of the second quarter of 2018, had raised $434 million in investor equity through the issuance of common stock.

Some retail investors may have been steered into an investment in CCPT V by a financial advisor, without first being fully informed of the risks associated with investing in non-traded REITs. For example, one initial risk that is often overlooked concerns a non-traded REIT’s characteristic structure as a blind pool. In the case of CCPT V, its blind pool offering means that not only were shares issued to public investors for a REIT lacking any previous operating history, but moreover, CCPT V did not immediately identify any of the properties that it intended to purchase.

Published on: November 13, 2018

Liquidity Options are Limited for FS Energy and Power Fund Investors

by InvestorLawyers

Oil Drilling Rigs Investors in FS Energy and Power Fund (“FSEP” or the “Company”) will likely encounter difficulty in selling out of all or a substantial portion of their FSEP position, in the event they seek to redeem their shares directly with FSEP’s sponsor, Franklin Square. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, FSEP was formed as a Delaware Statutory Trust in September 2010, and subsequently commenced its investment operations on July 18, 2011. Structured as a regulated investment company, or RIC, for federal tax purposes, FSEP qualifies as a business development company (“BDC”) under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

Upon information and belief, as a publicly registered, non-traded BDC, FSEP was marketed and recommended to numerous retail investors nationwide. As set forth in its most recent quarterly 10-Q as filed with the SEC, “The Company’s investment objective is to generate current income and long-term capital appreciation by investing primarily in privately-held U.S. companies in the energy and power industry.”

As we have highlighted in recent blog posts, BDCs have been around since the early 1980’s, when Congress first enacted legislation amending federal securities laws allowing for BDCs — which are simply types of closed-end funds — to make investments in developing companies and firms that would otherwise have difficulty accessing financing. Because they provide financing solutions for smaller, private companies, BDCs have been likened to private equity investment vehicles for retail investors in various marketing pitches by BDC sponsors and the financial advisors who recommend these financial products.

Published on: November 7, 2018

Black Creek Diversified Property Fund Shares Secondary Market Trading Range Reportedly $6.95-$7.05 a Share- Investors May Have Losses

by InvestorLawyers

Money Maze
Investors in Black Creek Diversified Property Fund, Inc. (“Black Creek” or the “Company”) may be able to recover losses on their investment through initiating an arbitration proceeding with FINRA Dispute Resolution, if the recommendation to purchase Black Creek was unsuitable, or if the broker or financial advisor who recommended the investment made a misleading sales presentation. Black Creek changed its name as of September 1, 2017- it was formerly known as Dividend Capital Diversified Property Fund. As of June 2017, Black Creek owned 51 properties worth an estimated $2.3 billion in 19 geographic markets in the United States.

Black Creek was formed in 2005 and is a NAV-based perpetual life REIT primarily focused on investing in and operating a diverse portfolio of real property. As a NAV-based perpetual life REIT, Black Creek states that it intends to conduct ongoing public primary offerings of its common stock on a perpetual basis. The Company states that it also intends to conduct an ongoing distribution reinvestment plan offering for Black Creek stockholders to reinvest distributions in the REIT’s shares.

Because Black Creek is registered with the SEC, the REIT was permitted to sell securities to the investing public at large, initially offering shares at $10.00 a share. However, Central Trade & Transfer, a secondary market web site, lists a trading range for Black Greek shares of between $6.95 and $7.05 a share, even though Black Creek lists its estimated net asset value (NAV) per share as $7.49 a share. Based on either figure, it appears that investors at the initial $10.00 a share offering price have incurred significant principal losses.

Published on: October 26, 2018

American Finance Trust (AFIN) Share Price Continues to Languish- Shares Subject to Tender Offer

by InvestorLawyers

As previously reported, American Finance Trust, Inc. (“AFIN” or the “Company”), formerly known as American Realty Capital Trust V, Inc., listed its shares on Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”), under the symbol AFIN effective July 19, 2018.

The former non-traded REIT’s shares are therefore publicly traded, but not all shares are yet saleable. In connection with the listing, the Company’s shares were divided into three classes: Class A, Class B-1 and Class B-2. American Finance Trust has listed its Class A and former Class B-1 shares on NASDAQ, and the remaining Class B-2 shares are expected to list by January 2019. Shares of the non-traded REIT originally sold for $25.00 each, and the company terminated its share repurchase program at the end of June prior to listing on Nasdaq.

Against this backdrop, a private equity fund known as MacKenzie Realty Capital Inc. has offered to purchase up to 400,000 shares of each class of company common stock. MacKenzie is offering $15.00 per Class A share and $14.01 per Class B-1 share, and will purchase up to 400,000 shares of each class. The offer expires on November 16, 2018. Of note, these prices are above the current market price of AFIN shares on NASDAQ. Although most investors paid $25.00 a share for AFIN shares in the Company’s offerings, AFIN shares have consistently traded well below that price level since the Nasdaq listing. AFIN shares have traded as low as $13.15 a share, and closed on October 25, 2018 at $13.85 a share. The performance of the Company since it started trading on July 19 may have caught some investors by surprise, since AFIN published an “estimated per share” net asset value of $23.56 in June 2018.

Published on: September 25, 2018

Hospitality Investors Trust Inc. (Formerly ARC Hospitality Trust) Announces $9/Share Buyback

by InvestorLawyers

Hospitality Investors Trust Inc. (“HIT”, formerly known as ARC Hospitality Trust, Inc.) has announced that it is buying back shares for $9.00 a share, which is a discount of approximately 35% to what it the company claims is the shares’ net asset value (NAV) of $13.87 a share. It is also a far cry from the $25.00 a share price at which most investors initially acquired shares.

Building Demolished
HIT is a non-traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on ownership of hotels and other lodging properties in the United States. As a publicly registered non-traded REIT, Hospitality Investors Trust was permitted to sell shares to the investing public at large, oftentimes upon the recommendation of a broker or financial advisor. The REIT sold shares to the public for $25.00/share. Some investors may not have been properly informed by their financial advisor or broker of the complexities and risks associated with investing in non-traded REITs.

HIT’s board has adopted the share repurchase program, effective October 1, 2018, for shareholders who desire immediate liquidity, and recommends that investors do not sell their shares unless they need immediate liquidity because (according to HIT) the initial repurchase price is well below the current and potential long-term value of the shares. Shares bought at any time are eligible for repurchase under the program, and the first repurchase date under the to the program is scheduled for December 31, 2018.

Published on: September 21, 2018

AFIN Update: Upcoming Conversion of American Finance Trust B-1 Shares May Have Dilutive Effect on AFIN Share Price

by InvestorLawyers

Money Whirlpool
As discussed in a prior blog post, on June 29, 2018, the board of directors of American Finance Trust, Inc. (“AFIN” or the “Company”), formerly known as American Realty Capital Trust V, Inc., announced the approval of a plan to list AFIN common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“NasdaqGS”), under the symbol ‘AFIN’. Pursuant to that plan, half of AFIN’s shares — AFIN Class A shares — were recently listed on NasdaqGS. Specifically, since July 16, 2018, shares of AFIN have been publicly traded and are currently priced around $17.50 per share. Therefore, investors who participated in the IPO and paid $25 per AFIN share and continue to hold their position have incurred substantial unrealized losses on their investment of approximately 30% (exclusive of commissions, as well as distributions paid, to date).

Most recently, the AFIN board of directors announced that in connection with their public listing, the former non-traded REIT now intends to convert its Class B-1 shares, which represent approximately 25% of AFIN shares outstanding, into Class A shares one week earlier than previously planned, on October 10, 2018. At this time, Class B-2 shares are still scheduled to convert to AFIN Class A shares on January 15, 2019, as previously planned.

AFIN shareholders have expressed concern that the Company’s plan to list its shares on NasdaqGS in such an incremental, phased manner will likely serve to dilute the value of the AFIN Class A shares, thus creating downward selling pressure on a stock that has already suffered considerable decline from its IPO pricing. In addition, some shareholders have expressed concern over the fact that AFIN recently cut its dividend from approximately $1.30 to $1.10, effective July 1, 2018. This amounts to a reduction in distribution of approximately 15% and is of particular concern to the many retail investors who initially purchased AFIN shares for their income component.

Published on: September 20, 2018

Tamara Steele, Indiana Financial Advisor, Sued by SEC for Sales of Behavioral Recogition Systems, Inc. Stock

by InvestorLawyers

Piggy Bank in a Cage
On September 14, 2018, the SEC initiated a civil action (the “Complaint”) in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana against Ms. Tamara Rae Steele (CRD# 3227494) (“Steele”), as well as her eponymous investment advisory firm, Steele Financial, Inc. (“Steele Financial”), alleging that Ms. Steele had defrauded a number of her advisory clients through recommendations to invest in certain high-risk securities issued by Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. (“BRS”), in a scheme that purportedly generated $2.5 million in commissions for Ms. Steele’s benefit. According to publicly available information through FINRA, Ms. Steele, a former middle school math teacher, first began working as a financial in or around 1999. Most recently, she was affiliated with broker-dealer Comprehensive Asset Management and Servicing, Inc. (CRD# 43814) (“CAMAS”) from January 2009 – July 2017. Ms. Steele’s CRD record showing her employment history and customer claims filed with FINRA is accessible below.

tamara rae steele

As alleged by the SEC in its Complaint, Ms. Steele was terminated by her former employer, CAMAS, when the “broker-dealer learned that [she] was selling BRS securities outside the scope of her employment with the firm and without the firm’s knowledge and approval, a practice called ‘selling away’ from the firm.” Specifically, the SEC has alleged that Ms. Steele fraudulently recommended “over $13 million in extremely risky securities issued by a private company, Behavioral Recognition Systems, Inc. (‘BRS’).” Further, the SEC has alleged that Ms. Steele violated her fiduciary duty to her clients — many of whom were unaccredited retail investors who were either current or former teachers and public-school employees — by purportedly failing to disclose that she was earning “[c]omissions ranging from 8% to 18% of the funds raised for BRS.” The SEC Complaint is accessible below:

Published on: September 14, 2018

SII Investments Non-Traded REIT Sales Targeted By Massachusetts Securities Regulator

by InvestorLawyers

Brokerage firm SII Investments, Inc. has been ordered by Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to refund money back to clients who were sold non-traded REITs by SII.

money backing hard money real estate deal
Galvin charges that SII failed to adequately supervise the sale of nontraded REITs to customers. As a result of the settlement, any Massachusetts investor who was identified by Mr. Galvin’s office as having been improperly sold the REITs by SII will be offered their money back. While this conduct may have occurred in other states, only Massachusetts investors are affected by the action by Galvin’s office (and other investors will not receive a refund as a result of this action).

Of note, the Massachusetts action focused on SII treating clients’ annuities as liquid assets rather than nonliquid assets for purposes of calculating the amount of the client’s assets that could be invested in non-traded REITs: “SII’s suitability and disclosure form for nontraded REITs stated that no more than 10% of an investor’s liquid net worth may be invested in any particular nontraded REIT… While SII’s own internal policies made clear that annuities are illiquid products, SII nevertheless included annuities with substantial pending surrender fees as liquid for nontraded REIT liquid net-worth calculations.”

Published on: August 29, 2018

StockCross Charged With Improper UIT Transactions by Massachusetts Securities Regulators

by InvestorLawyers

On August 14, 2018, the Enforcement Section of the Massachusetts Securities Division (the “Division”) filed a Complaint against StockCross Financial Services, Inc. (“StockCross”) (CRD# 6670), as well as one of its registered representatives, Mr. Peter E. Cunningham (“Cunningham”) (CRD# 2400211). Through its administrative action, the Division has alleged that Cunningham engaged in “[i]mproper buys and sells of an investment known as a unit investment trust (“UIT”) throughout Cunningham’s Massachusetts client accounts.” The Division also alleges that StockCross failed to properly supervise Cunningham, and even promoted him, despite its awareness of Mr. Cunningham’s previous checkered regulatory history — including six customer complaints resulting in approx. $330,000 in settlement payments to investors.

Piggybank in a Cage
A UIT is a type of security that shares some similarities to mutual funds and closed-end funds (CEFs), insofar as a UIT consists of a basket of different investments. Historically, most UITs were structured as vehicles in which to purchase a basket of municipal bonds. Over time, UITs have evolved to the point where today, retail investors might invest in a variety of UITs offering exposure to various asset classes and economic sectors. However, unlike traditional mutual funds or CEFs, UITs are structured with a finite lifespan, and thus cease upon a given predetermined date. Additionally, UITs generally charge investors high fees, as high as 3-5% of the initial investment. Unfortunately, as a result of their fee structure, some brokers and investment advisers will encourage their clients to actively trade in and out of UITs, a practice commonly referred to as “switching” and akin to churning an investment portfolio, in an effort to generate excessive commissions for the benefit of the broker, and to the detriment of the uninformed investor. Switching transactions that appear to be fee-motivated may give rise to investor claims against advisors.

As alleged by the Division, since as early as 2012, “[C]unningham has engaged in short-term UIT trading in the accounts of his Massachusetts clients. Of [his] approximate 180 clients, nearly 60, or approximately 30%, are Massachusetts residents. Statements from [his] Massachusetts client accounts reflect sales of UITs as soon as 26 days after purchase and sometimes years before the UIT is predetermined to reach its maturity date. Cunningham often used proceeds of the sales to buy other UITs.”

Published on: July 30, 2018

American Finance Trust (AFIN) Shares Subject to Tender Offer

by InvestorLawyers

stock market chart As previously reported, on June 29, 2018, the board of directors of American Finance Trust, Inc. (“AFIN” or the “Company”), formerly known as American Realty Capital Trust V, Inc., announced the approval of a plan to list AFIN common stock on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”), under the symbol ‘AFIN’. The company listed its shares effective July 19, 2018. Although most investors paid $25.00 a share for AFIN shares in the Company’s offerings, AFIN shares have consistently traded well below that price level since the Nasdaq listing. AFIN shares have traded as low as $13.15 a share, and closed on July 30, 2018 at $14.93 a share.

As of July 26, 2018, an investor known as MacKenzie Realty Capital, Inc. has now announced a tender offer for shares of AFIN, offering $15.00 per Class A Share (AFIN), $11.27 per Class B-1 Share, and $10.00 per Class B-2 Share. The performance of the Company since it started trading on July 19 and the relatively low tender offer price may have caught some investors by surprise, since AFIN published an estimated net asset value of $23.56 in June 2018.

Because AFIN was registered with the SEC, the non-traded REIT was permitted to sell securities to the investing public at large, including numerous unsophisticated investors who bought shares through the initial public offering (“IPO”) upon the recommendation of a broker or money manager. AFIN commenced its initial public offering in April 2013, which closed approximately six months later, raising $1.6 billion in investor equity. Investors who participated in the IPO paid $25 per share. AFIN later merged with another REIT known as American Realty Capital Retail Centers of America in a controversial 2017 transaction.