Investors Who Sustained Losses as a Result of Retail Property of America Inc. REIT May Have Claim

According to securities arbitration lawyers, investors who sustained losses as a result of Retail Properties of America Inc. Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) may be able to recover losses through Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) arbitration. Formerly known as Inland Western REIT, Retail Properties of America is the third-largest shopping center REIT in the nation. The investment’s recent IPO offering had some disastrous results for investors.

Recent reports show that the $8 offering price of Retail Properties came only as a result of reverse-stock-split engineering. Furthermore, this price is significantly less than the $10 to $12 expected pre-offering price. Investors who originally paid $10 per share for the REIT are actually receiving a split-adjusted value of $3 per share. Investment fraud lawyers say this 70 percent decline may result in significant losses that could be recovered through securities arbitration.

Retail Properties is a non-traded REIT. According to investment fraud lawyers, REITs typically carry a high commission, which motivates some brokers to make the recommendation to investors despite the investment’s unsuitability. The commission on a non-traded REIT is often as high as 15 percent. Non-traded REITs like this one carry a relatively high dividend or high interest, which also helps make them attractive to investors. However, they are inherently risky and illiquid, which limits access of funds to investors. This becomes a major problem for investors, especially retired individuals, who may need to access their funds when the need arises. In addition, frequent updates of the investment’s current price are not required of broker-dealers, causing misunderstandings about the financial condition of the investment. Because frequent updates are not required, investors may believe the REIT is doing much better than it actually is. For more information on REITs, see the previous blog post, “FINRA Investor Alert: Public Non-Traded REITs.”

If you suffered losses as a result of your investment in the Retail Properties of America Inc. REIT, formerly known as Inland Western REIT, you may have a valid securities arbitration claim. To find out more about your legal rights and options, contact a securities arbitration lawyer at The Law Office of Christopher J. Gray at (866) 966-9598 for a no-cost, confidential consultation.