Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

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SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2020
Equity [Abstract]  
SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
Shareholders' Equity
Internalization and Acquisition of PRO
As discussed in Note 1 and further below, on March 31, 2020, the Company closed on the previously announced mergers of SecurCare and DLAN with and into wholly-owned subsidiaries of the Company. In connection with the mergers, the Company issued 8,105,192 common shares to the owners of SecurCare and DLAN, which represented a 1% discount to an aggregate of 8,187,052 OP units that each of SecurCare and DLAN owned or was entitled to receive immediately prior to the mergers (after rounding up to the next whole number of common shares). Of the total number of common shares issued to the owners of SecurCare, 4,063,571 common shares were issued to Arlen Nordhagen, the Company's executive chairman and former chief executive officer, who owned approximately 53% of SecurCare's outstanding shares, and 1,858,737 common shares were issued to David Cramer, the Company's chief operating officer, who owned approximately 24% of SecurCare's outstanding shares. In connection with the mergers and the issuance of the Company's common shares to Mr. Nordhagen and Mr. Cramer, the Company formed a special committee of independent and disinterested trustees (the "Special Committee") to evaluate the merits and terms of the proposed transaction. In analyzing the proposed transaction, the Special Committee engaged an independent third party financial advisor to assist the Special Committee in analyzing and assessing the transaction, and to opine on the fairness to the Company of the consideration to be paid by the Company in the mergers. The Special Committee approved and recommended that the Company's board of trustees approve the proposed transaction. The transaction was approved unanimously by the disinterested trustees of the Company's board of trustees on February 19, 2020.
At the Market ("ATM") Program
On February 27, 2019, the Company entered into a sales agreement with certain sales agents, pursuant to which the Company may sell from time to time up to $250.0 million of the Company's common of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share ("common shares") and 6.000% Series A cumulative redeemable preferred shares of beneficial interest ("Series A preferred shares") in sales deemed to be "at the market" offerings. The sales agreement contemplates that, in addition to the issuance and sale by the Company of offered shares to or through the sale agents, the Company may enter into separate forward sale agreements with any forward purchaser. Forward sale agreements, if any, will include only the Company's common shares and will not include any Series A preferred shares. If the Company enters into a forward sale agreement with any forward purchaser, such forward purchaser will attempt to borrow from third parties and sell, through the related agent, acting as sales agent for such forward purchaser (each, a "forward seller"), offered shares, in an amount equal to the offered shares subject to such forward sale agreement, to hedge such forward purchaser’s exposure under such forward sale agreement. The Company may offer the common shares and Series A preferred shares through the agents, as the Company's sales agents, or, as applicable, as forward seller, or directly to the agents or forward sellers, acting as principals, by means of, among
others, ordinary brokers’ transactions on the NYSE or otherwise at market prices prevailing at the time of sale or at negotiated prices.
During the three months ended March 31, 2020, the Company sold 125,000 of its common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $36.18 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $4.2 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses.
Noncontrolling Interests
All of the OP equity in the Company's operating partnership not held by the Company are reflected as noncontrolling interests. Noncontrolling interests also include ownership interests in DownREIT partnerships held by entities other than the Company's operating partnership. NSA is the general partner of its operating partnership and is authorized to cause its operating partnership to issue additional partner interests, including OP units and subordinated performance units, at such prices and on such other terms as it determines in its sole discretion.
As of March 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, units reflecting noncontrolling interests consisted of the following:
March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019
Series A-1 preferred units 637,382    642,982   
OP units 29,751,701    30,188,305   
Subordinated performance units 8,693,121    11,014,195   
LTIP units 764,735    743,566   
DownREIT units
DownREIT OP units 1,924,918    1,848,261   
DownREIT subordinated performance units 4,337,111    4,371,622   
Total 46,108,968    48,808,931   
Series A-1 Preferred Units
The 6.000% Series A-1 Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Units ("Series A-1 preferred units") rank senior to OP units and subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership with respect to distributions and liquidation. The Series A-1 preferred units have a stated value of $25.00 per unit and receive distributions at an annual rate of 6.000%. These distributions are cumulative. The Series A-1 preferred units are redeemable at the option of the holder after the first anniversary of the date of issuance, which redemption obligations may be satisfied at the Company’s option in cash in an amount equal to the market value of an equivalent number of the Series A preferred shares or the issuance of Series A preferred shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments. The Series A preferred shares are redeemable by the Company for a cash redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends. The decrease in Series A-1 preferred units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the redemption of 5,600 Series A-1 preferred units for Series A preferred shares.
OP Units and DownREIT OP units
OP units in the Company's operating partnership are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for the Company's common shares on a one-for-one basis, and DownREIT OP units are redeemable for cash or, at the Company's option, exchangeable for OP units in its operating partnership on a one-for-one basis, subject to certain adjustments in each case. The holders of OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until one year after the issuance of the OP units. The holders of DownREIT OP units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
The decrease in OP units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the redemption of 118,961 OP units for common shares and the exchange of 368,500 DownREIT OP units in redemption of an equivalent number of outstanding OP units, which were subsequently retired by the operating partnership, offset by the following: 445,701 OP units issued upon the conversion of 332,738 subordinated performance units (as discussed further below), 181,981 OP units issued in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties and 133,637 LTIP units which were converted into an equivalent number of OP units. In addition, in connection with the completion of the SecurCare and DLAN mergers, the Company's operating partnership retired 710,462 OP Units.
The increase in DownREIT OP units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the exchange of 368,500 DownREIT OP units held by the operating partnership in redemption of an equivalent number of outstanding OP Units, which were subsequently retired by the operating partnership, and the issuance of 115,888 DownREIT OP units related to the conversion of 34,511 DownREIT subordinated performance units (as discussed further below) partially offset by the contribution of 407,731 DownREIT OP units (which were previously included in the above table because they were not held by the Company) to the operating partnership in connection with the SecurCare and DLAN mergers.
Subordinated Performance Units and DownREIT Subordinated Performance Units
Subordinated performance units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units which are exchangeable for common shares as described above, and DownREIT subordinated performance units may, under certain circumstances, be exchangeable for subordinated performance units on a one-for-one basis. Subordinated performance units are only convertible into OP units after a two year lock-out period and then generally (i) at the holder’s election only upon the achievement of certain performance thresholds relating to the properties to which such subordinated performance units relate or (ii) at the Company's election upon a retirement event of a PRO that holds such subordinated performance units or upon certain qualifying terminations. The holders of DownREIT subordinated performance units are generally not entitled to elect redemption until at least five years after the date of the contributor's initial contribution.
Following such lock-out period, a holder of subordinated performance units in the Company's operating partnership may elect a voluntary conversion one time each year on or prior to December 1st to convert a pre-determined portion of such subordinated performance units into OP units in the Company's operating partnership, with such conversion effective January 1st of the following year, with each subordinated performance unit being converted into the number of OP units determined by dividing the average cash available for distribution, or CAD, per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units over the one-year period prior to conversion by 110% of the CAD per unit on the OP units determined over the same period. CAD per unit on the series of specific subordinated performance units and OP units is determined by the Company based generally upon the application of the provisions of the LP Agreement applicable to the distributions of operating cash flow and capital transactions proceeds.
The decrease in subordinated performance units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the retirement of 2,001,441 subordinated performance units in connection with the SecurCare merger and the voluntary conversion of 332,738 subordinated performance units into 445,701 OP units, partially offset by the issuance of 13,105 subordinated performance units for co-investment by one of the Company's PROs in connection with the acquisition of a self storage property.
The decrease in DownREIT subordinated performance units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the conversion of 34,511 DownREIT subordinated performance units into 115,888 DownREIT OP units.
LTIP Units
LTIP units are a special class of partnership interest in the Company's operating partnership that allow the holder to participate in the ordinary and liquidating distributions received by holders of the OP units (subject to the achievement of specified levels of profitability by the Company's operating partnership or the achievement of certain events). LTIP units may also, under certain circumstances, be convertible into OP units on a one-for-one basis, which are then exchangeable for common shares as described above.
The increase in LTIP units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to March 31, 2020 was due to the conversion of 133,637 LTIP units into an equivalent number of OP units partially offset by the issuance of 154,806 compensatory LTIP units to employees, trustees and consultants, net of forfeitures.