Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS

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SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY AND NONCONTROLLING INTERESTS
12 Months Ended
Dec. 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.
Forward Equity Offering
On September 22, 2020, the Company entered into an underwriting agreement, as well as certain forward sale agreements, with a syndicate of banks acting as underwriters, forward sellers, and/or forward purchasers in connection with an underwritten public offering of 4,500,000 common shares at a public offering price of $33.15 per share (the "forward offering"). The underwriters were granted a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 675,000 common shares at the same price, which they partially exercised for an additional 400,000 common shares on October 6, 2020. Therefore, the forward sellers or their affiliates, at the Company's request, borrowed from third parties and sold to the underwriters an aggregate of 4,900,000 common shares, which the underwriters sold at an offering price of $33.15 per share, for proceeds of approximately $162.4 million. As a result of this forward construct, the Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of such shares at closing. The Company has determined that the forward sale agreements agreements are not considered to be derivative instruments under the guidance within ASC 815.
On December 30, 2020, the Company settled a portion of the forward offering by physically delivering 1,850,510 common shares to the forward purchasers for net proceeds of approximately $60.0 million. As of December 31, 2020, 3,049,490 shares remained outstanding under the forward sale agreements.
Series A Preferred Shares
The 6.000% cumulative redeemable preferred shares of beneficial interest ("Series A Preferred Shares") rank senior to the Company's common shares with respect to rights and rights upon its liquidation, dissolution or winding up. Dividends on the Series A Preferred Shares, which are payable quarterly in arrears, are cumulative from the date of original issuance in the amount of $1.50 per share each year. Generally, the Series A Preferred Shares become redeemable by the Company beginning in October 2022 for a cash redemption price of $25.00 per share, plus accrued but unpaid dividends.
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 shares and 6.000% 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 year ended December 31, 2020, the Company sold 743,915 of its common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $33.01 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $22.9 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses.
During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company sold 2,375,000 of its common shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $30.06 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $70.6 million, after deducting compensation payable by the Company to such agents and offering expenses. In addition, during the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company sold 1,785,680 of its Series A Preferred Shares through the ATM program at an average offering price of $24.84 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of approximately $43.6 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 December 31, 2020 and 2019, units reflecting noncontrolling interests consisted of the following:
December 31,
2020 2019
Series A-1 preferred units 637,382  642,982 
OP units 29,616,809  30,188,305 
Subordinated performance units 9,030,872  11,014,195 
LTIP units 734,196  743,566 
DownREIT units
DownREIT OP units 1,924,918  1,848,261 
DownREIT subordinated performance units 4,337,111  4,371,622 
Total 46,281,288  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 Company's 6.000% Series A Preferred Shares or the issuance of 6.000% Series A Preferred Shares on a one-for-one basis, subject to adjustments. Generally, the Series A-1 preferred units become redeemable by the Company beginning ten years after the initial issuance of each Series A-1 preferred unit at a stated value of $25.00 per unit, plus accrued but unpaid distributions. The decrease in Series A-1 preferred units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to December 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 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 December 31, 2020 was due to the redemption of 892,070 OP units for common shares, 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 and the exchange of 47,328 OP units for an equivalent number of subordinated performance units offset by the following: 445,701 OP units issued upon the conversion of 332,738 subordinated performance units (as discussed further below), 755,007 OP units issued in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties and 246,156 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 December 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 December 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 303,528 subordinated performance units for co-investment by the Company's PROs in connection with the acquisition of self storage properties and 47,328 subordinated performance units issued in exchange for an equivalent number of OP units.
The decrease in DownREIT subordinated performance units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to December 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. LTIP units do not have full parity with OP units with respect to liquidating distributions and may not receive ordinary distributions until such parity is reached pursuant to the terms of the LP Agreement. If such parity is reached under the LP Agreement, upon vesting, vested LTIP units may be converted into an equal number of OP units, and thereafter have all the rights of OP units, including redemption rights. See Note 9 for additional information about the Company's LTIP Units.
The decrease in LTIP units outstanding from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 was due to the conversion of 246,156 LTIP units into an equivalent number of OP units offset by the issuance of 236,786 compensatory LTIP units to employees, trustees and consultants, net of forfeitures.