proxy.htm
URSTADT
BIDDLE PROPERTIES INC.
321
RAILROAD AVENUE
GREENWICH,
CONNECTICUT 06830
_________________________
NOTICE
OF ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
March
9, 2010
_________________________
Notice is
hereby given that the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of Urstadt Biddle
Properties Inc. will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at Doral
Arrowwood, 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye Brook, New York 10573 for the following
purposes:
1.
|
To
elect three Directors to serve for three
years;
|
2.
|
To
ratify the appointment of PKF as the independent registered public
accounting firm of the Company for one
year;
|
3.
|
To
amend the Company’s Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase
Plan;
|
4.
|
To
amend the Company’s Restricted Stock Award Plan;
and
|
5.
|
To
transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting or
any adjournments thereof.
|
Stockholders
of record as of the close of business on January 25, 2010 are entitled to notice
of and to vote at the Meeting.
WHETHER
OR NOT YOU PLAN TO BE PRESENT AT THE MEETING IN PERSON,
PLEASE
SIGN AND DATE THE ENCLOSED PROXY AND RETURN IT PROMPTLY
IN
THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE.
By Order
of the Directors
THOMAS D.
MYERS
Secretary
February
5, 2010
URSTADT
BIDDLE PROPERTIES INC.
321
RAILROAD AVENUE
GREENWICH,
CONNECTICUT 06830
PROXY
STATEMENT
FOR
ANNUAL
MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
to be held on March 9,
2010
This
proxy statement is furnished to stockholders of Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc.,
a Maryland corporation (hereinafter called the “Company”), in connection with
the solicitation of proxies on behalf of the Directors of the Company for use at
the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company (the “Meeting”) to be held at
2:00 p.m. on March 9, 2010 at Doral Arrowwood, 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye
Brook, New York 10573, for the purposes set forth in the Notice of
Meeting.
Holders
of record of Class A Common Shares and Common Shares of the Company as of the
close of business on the record date, January 25, 2010, are entitled to receive
notice of, and to vote at, the Meeting. The outstanding Class A Common Shares
and Common Shares constitute the only classes of securities entitled to vote at
the Meeting. Each Common Share entitles the holder thereof to one vote and each
Class A Common Share entitles the holder thereof to 1/20 of one vote. At the
close of business on January 25, 2010, there were 18,313,431 Class A Common
Shares issued and outstanding and 8,414,459 Common Shares issued and
outstanding.
Shares
represented by proxies in the form enclosed, if such proxies are properly
executed and returned and not revoked, will be voted as specified, but where no
specification is made, the shares will be voted as follows:
·
|
FOR
the election of the three
Directors;
|
·
|
FOR
the ratification of the appointment of PKF, Certified Public Accountants,
A Professional Corporation, as the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm for the ensuing fiscal
year;
|
·
|
FOR
the amendment of the Company’s Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase
Plan;
|
·
|
FOR
the amendment of the Company’s Restricted Stock Award Plan;
and
|
·
|
as
to any other matter that may properly come before the Meeting, in the
named proxies’ discretion to the extent permitted under relevant laws and
regulations.
|
To be
voted, proxies must be filed with the Secretary of the Company prior to voting.
Proxies may be revoked at any time before exercise by filing a notice of such
revocation, by filing a later dated proxy with the Secretary of the Company or
by voting in person at the Meeting. Persons who hold shares in
“street name” through a broker or other nominee must follow the instructions
provided by the broker or nominee to vote the shares.
The
Annual Report to stockholders for the Company’s fiscal year ended October 31,
2009 has been mailed with or prior to this proxy statement. This proxy statement
and the enclosed proxy were mailed to stockholders on or about February 5, 2010.
The principal executive offices of the Company are located at 321 Railroad
Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 (telephone: 203-863-8200; fax:
203-861-6755).
Important
Notice Regarding Availability of Proxy Materials
for
the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be Held on March 9, 2010
This
Proxy Statement and the Annual Report to Shareholders are available
at
http://www1.snl.com/IRWebLinkX/GenPage.aspx?IID=4078030&gkp=203145
PROPOSAL
1
ELECTION
OF DIRECTORS
Pursuant
to Section 6.2 of the Company’s Articles of Incorporation, the Directors are
divided into three classes designated Class I, Class II and Class III, each
serving three-year terms. Three Directors, comprising Class I, are to be elected
at the Meeting. Messrs. Willing L. Biddle, E. Virgil Conway and Robert J.
Mueller have been nominated by the Board of Directors for election as Directors
to hold office until the year 2013 Annual Meeting and until their successors
have been elected and shall qualify. The continuing Directors
comprising Class II are Messrs. Peter Herrick, Charles D. Urstadt and George J.
Vojta, whose terms expire at the 2011 Annual Meeting. The continuing
Directors comprising Class III are Messrs. Kevin J. Bannon, Robert R. Douglass,
George H.C. Lawrence and Charles J. Urstadt, whose terms expire at the 2012
Annual Meeting.
INFORMATION
REGARDING DIRECTOR NOMINEES
The
following information concerning the principal occupation, other affiliations
and business experience of each of the three nominees during the last five years
has been furnished to the Company by such nominee.
Willing
L. Biddle, age 48, has served as a Director of the Company since 1997 and as
President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company since December 1996.
Previously, Mr. Biddle served the Company in other executive capacities:
Executive Vice President (March 1996–December 1996); Senior Vice President —
Management (1995–1996); and Vice President — Retail (1993–1995). Mr. Biddle
formerly served as an Advisory Director of the Putnam Trust Company
(2002–2008).
E. Virgil
Conway, age 80, has served as a Director of the Company since 1989. Mr. Conway
currently is Chairman of Rittenhouse Advisors, LLC. He also serves as Vice
Chairman of The Academy of Political Science, as Director of License Monitor,
Inc. and as a Member of the New York State Thruway Authority. Previously, Mr.
Conway served as Trustee, Phoenix Mutual Funds (1992–2008); Trustee,
Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc. (1970–2002); Director, Union
Pacific Corporation (1978–2002); Trustee, Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company
(1974–2002); Director, Centennial Insurance Company (1974–2002); Chairman,
Metropolitan Transportation Authority (1995–2001); Chairman, Financial
Accounting Standards Advisory Council (1992–1995); and Chairman and Director of
The Seamen’s Bank for Savings, FSB (1969–1989). Mr. Conway is an Honorary
Trustee of Josiah Macy Foundation, Trustee Emeritus of Pace University and
Trustee Emeritus of Colgate University.
Robert J.
Mueller, age 68, has served as a Director of the Company since 2004. Mr. Mueller
previously served as Senior Executive Vice President of The Bank of New York
(1991–2004) and as Executive Vice President of The Bank of New York (1989–1991).
From 1992 to 1998, Mr. Mueller served as Chief Credit Policy Officer of The Bank
of New York with responsibilities as head of worldwide risk management. From
1998 to 2004, his responsibilities included the bank’s global trading
operations, commercial real estate lending, regional commercial banking,
community development, residential mortgage lending and equipment leasing. He
was a member of the bank’s Senior Planning Committee. Mr. Mueller currently
serves on the Boards of the Community Preservation Corp., the Borough of
Manhattan Community College Fund and Danita Container, Inc. He is an
Advisory Board Member of Neighborhood Housing Services of New York, Inc. and a
member of Battery Park City Authority.
At the
Annual Meeting, the stockholders of the Company will be requested to elect three
Directors, comprising Class I. The affirmative vote of the holders of
not less than a majority of the total combined voting power of all classes of
stock entitled to vote and present at the Annual Meeting, in person or by proxy,
subject to quorum requirements, will be required to elect a
Director.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR
APPROVAL
OF THE NOMINEES FOR ELECTION AS DIRECTORS.
INFORMATION
CONCERNING CONTINUING DIRECTORS AND EXECUTIVE OFFICERS
Class
II Directors with Terms Expiring in 2011
Peter
Herrick, age 82, has been a Director of the Company since 1990. Mr. Herrick
previously served as Vice Chairman of The Bank of New York (1990–1992) and as
President and Chief Operating Officer of The Bank of New York (1982–1991). Mr.
Herrick also served as President and Director of The Bank of New York Company,
Inc. (1984–1992). Mr. Herrick is a former member of the New York State Banking
Board (1990–1993) and served as a Director of MasterCard International
(1985–1992) and BNY Hamilton Funds, Inc. (1992–1999).
Charles
D. Urstadt, age 50, has been a Director of the Company since 1997. Mr. Urstadt
currently is Managing Director of Urstadt Real Estate (a real estate consulting
and brokerage firm) and President and Director of Urstadt Property Company, Inc.
(a real estate investment corporation). He also serves as a Consulting Director
of Halstead Property LLC and Director, Miami Design Preservation
League. Mr. Urstadt previously served as Executive Director of Sales,
Halstead Property LLC (2007–2009); Executive Vice President, Brown Harris
Stevens, LLC (1992–2001); Publisher, New York Construction News (1984–1992);
Member, Board of Consultants of the Company (1991–1997); Director, Friends of
Channel 13 (1992–2001); Board Member, New York State Board for Historic
Preservation (1996–2002); President and Director, East Side Association
(1994–1997); and Director, New York Building Congress (1988–1992).
George J.
Vojta, age 74, has been a Director of the Company since 1999. Mr. Vojta
previously served as Vice Chairman and Director of Bankers Trust Company
(1992–1998) and Executive Vice President of Bankers Trust Company (1984–1992).
Currently, Mr. Vojta maintains the following affiliations: Member, New York
State Banking Board; Director, Private Export Funding Corporation; Chairman,
Wharton Financial Institutions Center; Chairman, The Westchester Group, LLC;
Member, Council on Foreign Relations; Chairman, E Standards Forum/Financial
Standards Foundation; Founding Chairman, Yale Center for Corporate Governance
and Performance; Member, Advisory Board, Yale School of Management; Director,
International Executive Service Corps.; Director, Center for International
Private Enterprise; Director, Cynosure, Inc.; Director, Sumitomo Derivative
Products; Advisor, Anahuac del Sur Business School — Mexico City and Kozminsky
Academy — Poland; Council for Economic Stability — Argentina; Visiting Fellow,
Emory University; and Director, Asur Corporation — Mexico City.
Class
III Directors with Terms Expiring in 2012
Kevin J.
Bannon, age 57, has been a Director of the Company since September 2008. Mr.
Bannon currently is a Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of
Highmount Capital in New York. Between 1993 and 2007, Mr. Bannon served as
Executive Vice President and Chief Investment Officer of The Bank of New York.
Mr. Bannon currently serves as a Director of the Prudential Retail Mutual Funds,
as Chairman of the Investment Committee of the BNY Mezzanine Partners Fund and
as Vice President and a Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Northern
Westchester. Previously, Mr. Bannon served as President, BNY Hamilton Funds
(2003–2007); Trustee, Regis High School (1997–2003); and Director, Shorewood
Packaging Corporation (1992–2000).
Robert R.
Douglass, age 78, is Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and has served as a
Director of the Company since 1991. Currently, Mr. Douglass is of Counsel to
Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy, attorneys. He also serves as Chairman of the
Downtown Lower Manhattan Association; Chairman of the Alliance for Downtown New
York and as a Director of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation. Mr.
Douglass recently served as Chairman and Director of Clearstream International
(2000–2004) and Chairman and Director of Cedel International (1994–2002). Mr.
Douglass served as Vice Chairman and Director of The Chase Manhattan Corporation
(1985–1993) and as Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of
The Chase Manhattan Corporation (1976–1985). Mr. Douglass is a former Trustee of
Dartmouth College (1983–1993).
George
H.C. Lawrence, age 72, has served as a Director of the Company since 1988. Mr.
Lawrence currently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of Lawrence
Properties, Inc. (since 1970). Mr. Lawrence is an Honorary Trustee of Sarah
Lawrence College and serves as a Director of the Westchester County Association,
as Chairman and Director of Kensico Cemetery and as a member of the Board of
Trustees of Indian River Hospital District.
Charles
J. Urstadt, age 81, has served as a Director of the Company since 1975, as
Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1986 and as Chief Executive Officer
since 1989. Mr. Urstadt also serves as Chairman and Director, Urstadt Property
Company, Inc. (a real estate investment corporation); Vice Chairman, Battery
Park City Authority; Trustee, Historic Hudson Valley; and Director, Lawrence
Hospital. He is a Retired Director of Putnam Trust Company, Trustee Emeritus of
Pace University and Retired Trustee of TIAA–CREF. Mr. Urstadt is the
father of Charles D. Urstadt, a Director of the Company, and the father-in-law
of Willing L. Biddle, the Company’s President.
Executive
Officers who are not Directors
Thomas D. Myers, age 58, has served the Company as Executive Vice President,
Chief Legal Officer and Secretary since March 2009. Mr. Myers has
served as Chief Legal Officer since September 2008 and as Secretary since 1999.
Previously, Mr. Myers served the Company as Senior Vice President (2003–2009),
Co-Counsel (2007–2008), Vice President (1995–2003) and as Associate Counsel
(1995–2006).
John T.
Hayes, age 43, has served the Company as Senior Vice President, Chief Financial
Officer and Treasurer since July 2008. Mr. Hayes served the Company as Vice
President and Controller from March 2007 to June 2008. Prior to joining the
Company, he served as Corporate Controller for Laundry Capital, LLC (2003–2007).
Previously, Mr. Hayes practiced public accounting for 10 years.
CORPORATE
GOVERNANCE AND BOARD MATTERS
Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc. is committed to maintaining sound corporate governance
principles. The Board of Directors has approved formal Corporate Governance
Guidelines which are available on the Company’s website at
http://www.ubproperties.com. Together with the bylaws of the Company and the
charters of the Board’s committees, the Corporate Governance Guidelines provide
the framework for the governance of the Company.
Board
Independence
The
Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines include specific Director Independence
Standards that comply with applicable rules of the SEC and the listing standards
of the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”). The Board requires that at least a
majority of its Directors satisfy this definition of independence. The Board of
Directors has considered business and other relationships between the Company
and each of its Directors, including information provided to the Company by the
Directors. Based upon its review, the Board of Directors determined that all of
its Directors, other than Messrs. Charles J. Urstadt, Charles D. Urstadt and
Willing L. Biddle, are independent, consistent with the Corporate Governance
Guidelines.
Committees
of the Board of Directors and Certain Meetings
During
the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Board of Directors held five
meetings. The Board of Directors has four standing committees: an Audit
Committee, a Compensation Committee, an Executive Committee and a Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee. Each Director attended all of the meetings held
during the fiscal year by the Directors and by all committees of which such
Director is a member.
The Audit
Committee consists of four non-employee Directors, each of whom is independent
as defined in the listing standards (as amended from time to time) of the New
York Stock Exchange. The Audit Committee held five meetings during the fiscal
year ended October 31, 2009. The Audit Committee assists the Board of Directors
in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities. The Committee’s primary duties are
to:
·
|
monitor
the integrity of the Company’s financial statements, financial reporting
processes and systems of internal controls over financial
reporting;
|
·
|
monitor
the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements relating
to the foregoing;
|
·
|
monitor
the independence and performance of the Company’s independent auditor and
internal auditing function;
|
·
|
provide
an avenue of communication among the Board, the independent auditor,
management and persons responsible for the internal audit function;
and
|
·
|
prepare
the annual disclosures required of the Committee by Item 407 of Regulation
S-K.
|
The Board
of Directors has approved a written charter for the Audit Committee, the text of
which may be viewed on the Company’s website at http://www.ubproperties.com. The
Audit Committee has sole authority to appoint, retain, oversee and, when
appropriate, terminate the independent auditor of the Company. The Committee
reviews with management and the independent auditor the Company’s quarterly
financial statements and internal accounting procedures and controls, and
reviews with the independent auditor the scope and results of the auditing
engagement. Messrs. Kevin J. Bannon, Peter Herrick, Robert J. Mueller and George
J. Vojta are the current members of the Audit Committee. The Board of Directors
has determined that Mr. Robert J. Mueller, Chair of the Committee, meets the
standards of an “Audit Committee Financial Expert” as that term is defined under
Item 407(d) of Regulation S-K.
The
Compensation Committee consists of three non-employee Directors, each of whom is
independent as defined in the listing standards (as amended from time to time)
of the New York Stock Exchange. The Compensation Committee held one meeting
during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. Key responsibilities
of the Compensation Committee include:
·
|
reviewing
the Company’s overall compensation strategy to assure that it promotes
shareholder interests and supports the Company’s strategic
objectives;
|
·
|
reviewing
and approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to compensation of
the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, evaluating the Chief Executive
Officer’s performance in light of those goals and objectives and
establishing the compensation of the Company’s Chief Executive
Officer;
|
·
|
reviewing
and recommending to the Board compensation for Directors and non-CEO
executive officers;
|
·
|
administering
the Company’s Stock Option Plan and Restricted Stock Plan and approving
bonus or cash incentive plans used to compensate officers and other
employees; and
|
·
|
reviewing
and discussing with management the Compensation Discussion and Analysis
required by Item 402 of Regulation S-K and preparing the disclosures
required of the Committee by Item 407 of Regulation S-K in accordance with
applicable rules and regulations.
|
The Board
of Directors has approved a written charter for the Compensation Committee, the
text of which may be viewed on the Company’s website at
http://www.ubproperties.com. Messrs. E. Virgil Conway (Chair), Robert R.
Douglass and George H.C. Lawrence are the current members of the Compensation
Committee.
The
Executive Committee, consisting of four Directors, held one meeting during the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. In general, the Executive Committee may
exercise such powers of the Directors between meetings of the Directors as may
be delegated to it by the Directors (except for certain powers of the Directors
which may not be delegated). Messrs. Willing L. Biddle, Peter Herrick, Charles
D. Urstadt and Charles J. Urstadt are the current members of the Executive
Committee.
The
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee (“Governance Committee”) consists
of seven non-employee Directors, each of whom is independent as defined in the
listing standards (as amended from time to time) of the New York Stock Exchange.
The Governance Committee held one meeting during the fiscal year ended October
31, 2009. The principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee are
to:
·
|
establish
criteria for Board membership and selection of new
Directors;
|
·
|
recommend
nominees to stand for election to the Board, including incumbent Board
members and candidates for new
Directors;
|
·
|
develop,
recommend and periodically review a set of corporate governance principles
and evaluate compliance by management and the Board with those principles
and the Company’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics;
and
|
·
|
develop
and periodically review succession planning for the Chief Executive
Officer, with the assistance of the Chief Executive Officer and other
members of the Board.
|
The
Corporate Governance Guidelines include the Director Candidate Guidelines
recommended by the Governance Committee and approved by the Board of Directors,
which set forth the minimum qualifications and additional considerations that
the Governance Committee uses in evaluating candidates for election to the
Board. The Director Candidate Guidelines include the following minimum
qualifications:
·
|
a
candidate’s demonstrated integrity and ethics consistent with the
Company’s Code of Business Conduct and
Ethics;
|
·
|
a
candidate’s willingness and ability to participate fully in Board
activities, including active membership and attendance at Board meetings
and participation on at least one committee of the Board;
and
|
·
|
a
candidate’s willingness to represent the best interests of all of the
Company’s shareholders and not just a particular
constituency.
|
The Board
has not adopted a numerical limit on the number of public company boards on
which its Directors may serve; however, the Committee will consider the demands
on a candidate’s time in selecting nominees. In addition, the Committee will
take into consideration such other factors as it deems appropriate,
including:
·
|
a
candidate’s experience in real estate, business, finance, accounting rules
and practices, law and public
relations;
|
·
|
the
appropriate size and diversity of the Company’s Board of
Directors;
|
·
|
the
needs of the Company with respect to the particular talents and experience
of its Directors and the interplay of the candidate’s experience with that
of other Board members; and
|
·
|
a
candidate’s judgment, skill and experience with businesses and
organizations comparable to the
Company.
|
The
Company requires that at least a majority of its Directors satisfy the
independence criteria established by the New York Stock Exchange and any
applicable SEC rules, as they may be amended from time to time. In addition, the
Committee will consider the financial literacy and financial background of
nominees to ensure that the Board has at least one “audit committee financial
expert” on the Audit Committee and that Board members who might serve on the
Audit Committee satisfy the financial literacy requirements of the NYSE. The
Committee believes it appropriate for at least one key member of the Company’s
management to participate as a member of the Board.
Shareholders
can suggest qualified candidates for Director by writing to the Company’s
corporate secretary at 321 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Submissions
timely received (as described under “Other Matters” on page 32) and which comply
with the criteria outlined in the preceding paragraphs, will be forwarded to the
Chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee for review and
consideration. The Committee does not intend to evaluate such nominees any
differently than other nominees to the Board.
The Board
of Directors has approved a written charter for the Governance Committee, the
text of which may be viewed on the Company’s website at
http://www.ubproperties.com. Messrs. Kevin J. Bannon, E. Virgil Conway, Robert
R. Douglass (Chair), Peter Herrick, George H. C. Lawrence, Robert J. Mueller and
George J. Vojta are the current members of the Governance
Committee.
In the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the non-management Directors of the Company
met once in executive session. Mr. Robert Douglass, Chair of the Nominating and
Corporate Governance Committee, presided over the meeting.
PROPOSAL
2
RATIFICATION
OF APPOINTMENT OF THE
INDEPENDENT
REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM OF THE COMPANY
PKF,
Certified Public Accountants, A Professional Corporation (“PKF”) provided
auditing and other professional services to the Company during the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2009.
The Audit
Committee has appointed PKF to audit the financial statements of the Company for
the ensuing fiscal year and recommends to the stockholders that such appointment
be ratified. Representatives of PKF will be present at the Annual Meeting with
the opportunity to make a statement if they so desire. Such representatives also
will be available to respond to appropriate questions.
The
affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and present at
the Annual Meeting, in person or by properly executed proxy, subject to quorum
requirements, will be required to ratify the appointment of PKF as the
independent registered public accounting firm of the Company. If the
stockholders do not ratify the appointment of PKF, the Audit Committee will
reconsider whether or not to retain PKF as the independent registered public
accounting firm of the Company for the fiscal year ending October 31,
2010.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS
A
VOTE FOR RATIFICATION
OF THE APPOINTMENT OF PKF
AS
THE INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM OF THE COMPANY.
PROPOSAL
3
AMENDMENT
OF THE DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT
AND
SHARE PURCHASE PLAN
The
Company first adopted the Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan (the
“DRIP Plan”) in 1982 and registered 500,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance
under the DRIP Plan. The principal purpose of the DRIP Plan is to
provide all holders of Class A Common Shares and Common Shares with a convenient
and economical way to purchase additional Class A Common Shares and Common
Shares, respectively, without the payment of brokerage commissions or service
charges. In 1994, the Board of Directors of the Company approved an
increase in the number of shares to be authorized under the DRIP Plan and
registered an additional 250,000 shares of Common Stock for issuance under the
DRIP Plan. Following the creation of the Class A Common Stock in
1998, the Board approved and registered 250,000 shares of Class A Common Stock
for issuance under the DRIP Plan and in 2004 approved and registered an
additional 400,000 shares each of Class A Common Stock and Common
Stock.
As of
January 8, 2010, there remained 455,163 Class A Common Shares and 74,129 Common
Shares available for issuance under the DRIP Plan.
As a
result of increased demand for participation in the DRIP Plan by holders of
Common Shares, the Board of Directors has approved an amendment to the DRIP
Plan, subject to approval of the stockholders, to increase the number of shares
registered for issuance under the DRIP Plan by an additional 400,000 Common
Shares.
Set forth
below is a summary of the principal provisions of the DRIP Plan.
Summary
of the Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan
Reinvestment of
Dividends. Participants may
reinvest cash dividends on all Class A Common Shares or Common Shares registered
in their names in additional Class A Common Shares or Common Shares, as
applicable. Participants also may reinvest cash dividends on less
than all Class A Common Shares and Common Shares registered in their names in
additional Class A Common Shares and Common Shares, respectively, and continue
to receive cash dividends on the remaining Class A Common Shares and Common
Shares. The reinvestment of dividends is made on the date when the
dividend becomes payable (“Date of Purchase”). Participants become
owners of Class A Common Shares or Common Shares purchased under the DRIP Plan
as of the Date of Purchase. The price of Class A Common Shares or
Common Shares purchased from the Company with participants’ reinvested cash
dividends (the “Purchase Price”) is determined by the higher of (x) 95% of the
closing price of the Class A Common Shares or Common Shares, as applicable, on
the dividend payment date or (y) 100% of the average of the daily high and low
sales prices of the Class A Common Shares or Common Shares, as applicable, for
the period of five trading days ending on the dividend payment date (in each
case as reported on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape). If
there is no trading in the Class A Common Shares or the Common Shares on the
NYSE for a substantial amount of time during any trading day in the five-day
period, or if reporting on the New York Stock Exchange Composite Tape is subject
to reporting error, the applicable Purchase Price will be determined by the
Company on the basis of such market quotations as the Company and the agent who
administers the DRIP Plan deem appropriate. Should daily high and low
prices of the Class A Common Shares or Common Shares no longer be reported for
the New York Stock Exchange-Composite Transactions, then the Company, upon
consultation with the Agent, will identify such other public reports or sources
as the Company deems appropriate to obtain daily trading prices of its Class A
Common Shares and Common Shares. Holders of Class A Common Shares and
Common Shares who do not choose to participate in the DRIP Plan receive cash
dividends, as declared.
Source of Class A Common Shares and
Common Shares and Use of Funds. Class A Common
Shares and Common Shares purchased under the DRIP Plan come from authorized, but
unissued Class A Common Shares and Common Shares of the
Company. Class A Common Shares and Common Shares will not be
purchased in the open market. Since shares will be purchased from the
Company, the Company will receive additional funds to make investments in real
estate and for other purposes.
Administration of the DRIP
Plan. The Bank of New York
Mellon (the “Agent”) administers the DRIP Plan for participants, keeps records,
sends statements of account to participants after each purchase and performs
other duties relating to the DRIP Plan. The Agent purchases Class A
Common Shares or Common Shares from the Company, as agent for the participants
in the DRIP Plan and credits the shares to the accounts of the individual
participants. All costs of administration of the DRIP Plan are paid
by the Company. There are no brokerage fees for purchase of Class A
Common Shares or Common Shares because shares are purchased directly from the
Company. However, if a participant requests the Agent to sell shares
in the event of the participant’s withdrawal from the DRIP Plan, the Agent
deducts any brokerage commissions and transfer taxes incurred. Also,
brokers and nominees may impose charges or fees in connection with their
handling of participation in the DRIP Plan by nominee and fiduciary
accounts.
Certain Federal Income Tax
Consequences. The
following summary discusses only certain U.S. federal income tax considerations
relating to the ownership of Class A Common or Common Shares and participation
in the DRIP Plan. This summary is based on the provisions of the
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and regulations, rulings and judicial
decisions thereunder, as in effect on the date hereof. The Company
has not and will not seek any rulings from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”)
regarding the matters discussed below. There can be no assurance that
the IRS will not take positions concerning the tax consequences relating to
participation in the DRIP Plan that are different from those discussed
below. This summary is for general information only, and does not
address the tax treatment of holders of Class A Common or Common Shares who are
subject to special tax rules, including, without limitation, dealers in
securities, insurance companies, banks, partnerships or other pass through
entities (or investors in such entities), tax-exempt entities or qualified
pension and profit-sharing plans. Holders of Class A Common or Common
Shares are advised to consult their own tax advisers as to the U.S., state,
local and other tax consequences of the ownership of Class A Common or Common
Shares and participation in the DRIP Plan.
Generally,
for U.S. federal income tax purposes, distributions paid by the Company which
are reinvested in additional Class A Common Shares or Common Shares are treated
in the same manner as cash distributions. Distributions that are
designated as capital gain dividends are taxable as long-term capital gain to
the extent of the Company’s net capital gain for the year, regardless of how
long the participant has held the underlying shares. Distributions
other than capital gain dividends generally are taxable as ordinary income to
the extent of the Company’s current and accumulated earnings and
profits. To the extent that the Company makes distributions in excess
of its current and accumulated earnings and profits, such distributions
constitute nontaxable returns of capital to the extent of the participant’s tax
basis in the shares with respect to which the distributions are paid and the
balance of such distributions constitute taxable gain. The
participant’s tax basis in shares generally will equal the amount that the
participant paid for such shares.
Participants
will recognize gain or loss upon a sale, redemption or other taxable disposition
of Class A Common Shares or Common Shares, as and when shares are sold either by
the participant or by the Agent at the participant’s request when the
participant withdraws from the DRIP Plan or when the participant receives a cash
payment for a fractional share credited to the participant’s account upon
withdrawal from or termination of the DRIP Plan. Such gain or loss
generally is measured by the difference between the amount realized on the
taxable disposition of the shares and the participant’s basis in such
shares. In general, capital gain realized by a U.S. individual on a
taxable disposition of Class A Common Shares or Common Shares that are held (i)
for one year or less will be treated as short-term capital gain taxable at
ordinary income rates, or (ii) for more than one year will be taxable at the
applicable long-term capital gains rate. For corporations, capital
gains are generally taxed at the same rate as ordinary income.
In
general, capital losses realized by a corporate holder of Class A Common or
Common Shares on a taxable disposition of Class A Common or Common Shares are
deductible only against capital gains. A noncorporate holder of Class
A Common or Common Shares is subject to a similar rule, except that he or she
may deduct up to $3,000 of excess capital losses against ordinary income each
year. The net capital losses of a corporate holder of Class A Common
or Common Shares not allowed in the year realized generally may be carried back
three years and carried forward five years from the loss year. The
capital losses of a noncorporate holder of Class A Common or Common Shares may
not be carried back, but such losses may be carried forward
indefinitely.
The
affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and present at
the Annual Meeting, in person or by properly executed proxy, subject to quorum
requirements, will be required to amend the DRIP Plan.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR
THE
AMENDMENT OF THE DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT AND SHARE PURCHASE PLAN
PROPOSAL
4
AMENDMENT
OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD PLAN
The
Company first established a Restricted Stock Award Plan in 1997. In
2002, the shareholders of the Company approved an Amended and Restated
Restricted Stock Award Plan (the "Plan") and approved further amendments to the
Plan in 2004, 2006 and 2008, which amendments, among other things, increased the
maximum number of shares available for issuance under the Plan to 2,350,000
shares of which 350,000 shares are Class A Common Stock, 350,000 shares are
Common Stock, and 1,650,000 shares, at the discretion of the Compensation
Committee administering the Plan, may be any combination of Class A Common Stock
or Common Stock. The principal
purpose of the Plan is to promote the long-term growth of the Company by
attracting, retaining, and motivating Directors and key management personnel
possessing outstanding ability and to further align the interests of such
personnel with those of the Company's stockholders through stock ownership
opportunities. Pursuant to the Plan, Directors and management
personnel of the Company, selected by the Compensation Committee, may be issued
restricted stock awards.
As of
January 8, 2010, restricted stock awards representing 600,300 shares of Class A
Common Stock and 1,650,150 shares of Common Stock had been issued under the Plan
and there remained 99,550 shares which, at the discretion of the Compensation
Committee, may be awarded in any combination of Class A Common Stock and Common
Stock as future restricted stock awards.
To be
able to continue to attract, retain and motivate qualified individuals as
Directors and officers of the Company, the Board of Directors has approved,
subject to stockholder approval, an amendment to the Plan that would further
increase the maximum number of shares of restricted stock available for issuance
thereunder by 300,000 shares from 2,350,000 common shares (as noted above,
350,000 shares each of Class A Common Stock and Common Stock and 1,650,000
shares which, at the discretion of the Compensation Committee administering the
Plan, may be awarded in any combination of Class A Common Stock or Common Stock)
to 2,650,000 common shares, of which 350,000 shares will be Class A Common
Stock, 350,000 shares will be Common Stock and 1,950,000 shares, at the
discretion of the Compensation Committee administering the Plan, will be any
combination of Class A Common Stock or Common Stock.
Set forth
below is a summary of the principal provisions of the Plan.
Summary
of the Restricted Stock Award Plan
Grant of Restricted Stock
Awards. If Proposal 4 is approved, the Compensation Committee
would be authorized to grant an additional 300,000 shares of restricted stock
aggregating 2,650,000 common shares (350,000 shares each of Class A Common Stock
and Common Stock and 1,950,000 shares which, at the discretion of the
Compensation Committee, may be awarded in any combination of Class A Common
Stock or Common Stock). At present, only 99,550 shares remain
available for issuance under the Plan. The participants eligible to
receive the restricted stock awards are management personnel selected by the
Compensation Committee, in its discretion, who are considered to have
significant responsibility for the growth and profitability of the Company, and
Directors.
Principal Terms and Conditions of
Restricted Stock Awards. Each restricted stock award will be
evidenced by a written agreement, executed by both the relevant participant and
the Company, setting forth all the terms and conditions applicable to such award
as determined by the Compensation Committee. These terms and
conditions will include:
·
|
the
length of the restricted period of the
award;
|
·
|
the
restrictions applicable to the award including, without limitation, the
employment or retirement status rules governing forfeiture and
restrictions applicable to any sale, assignment, transfer, pledge or other
encumbrance of the restricted stock during the restricted period;
and
|
·
|
the
eligibility to share in dividends and other distributions paid to the
Company’s shareholders during the restricted
period.
|
Lapse of
Restrictions. If a participant’s status as an employee or
non-employee Director of the Company is terminated by reason of death or
disability, the restrictions will lapse on such date. If such status
as an employee or non-employee Director is terminated prior to the lapse of the
restricted period by reason of retirement, the restricted period will continue
as if the participant had remained in the employment of the Company; provided,
however, that if the retired participant accepts employment or provides services
during the restricted period to any organization other than the Company that is
engaged primarily in the ownership and/or management or brokerage of shopping
centers in the New York, Northern New Jersey, Long Island, NY-NJ-CT Metropolitan
Statistical Area, the participant will forfeit all unvested restricted
shares. If a participant’s status as an employee or Director
terminates for any other reason, the participant will forfeit any outstanding
restricted stock awards. Shares of restricted stock that are
forfeited become available again for issuance under the Plan. The
Compensation Committee has the authority to accelerate the time at which the
restrictions may lapse whenever it considers that such action is in the best
interests of the Company and of its stockholders, whether by reason of changes
in tax laws, a “change in control” as defined in the Plan or
otherwise.
Tax
Consequences. The Company is required to withhold income and
payroll taxes to comply with federal and state laws applicable to the value of
restricted shares when such shares are no longer subject to a substantial
risk of forfeiture. Upon the lapse of the applicable forfeiture
restrictions, the value of the restricted stock will be taxable to the relevant
participant as ordinary income and deductible by the Company.
Adjustments to the
Plan. If the Company subdivides or combines its outstanding
shares of Class A Common Stock or Common Stock into a greater or lesser number
of shares or if the Compensation Committee determines that a stock dividend,
reclassification, business combination, exchange of shares, warrants or rights
offering to purchase shares or other similar event affects the shares of the
Company such that an adjustment is required in order to preserve the benefits or
potential benefits intended to be made available under the Plan, the
Compensation Committee, in its discretion, may make adjustments that it deems to
be equitable and appropriate to the number and class of shares that may be
awarded and the number and class of shares subject to outstanding awards under
the Plan.
Information
about grants made under the Plan to each of the named executive officers in the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 is set forth in the table titled “Grants of
Plan-Based Awards” on page 21. Information concerning the outstanding
equity awards held by each of the named executive officers as of October 31,
2009 can be found in the table titled “Outstanding Equity Awards at Fiscal
Year-End” on page 22. Information for each of the named executive
officers concerning restricted stock awards that vested in the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2009 is set forth in the table titled “Option Exercises and Stock
Vested” on page 23. Information about grants made to date in the
current fiscal year is set forth in the discussion of long-term incentives on
pages 18-19. The amount of specific future awards that may be made
under the Plan and the value of such awards are not determinable at this
time.
The
affirmative vote of the holders of not less than a majority of the total
combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and present at
the Annual Meeting, in person or by properly executed proxy, subject to quorum
requirements, will be required to amend the Restricted Stock Award
Plan.
THE
BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNANIMOUSLY RECOMMENDS A VOTE FOR
THE
AMENDMENT OF THE RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD PLAN
SECURITY
OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT
The
following tables set forth certain information as of January 8, 2010 available
to the Company with respect to the shares of the Company (i) held by those
persons known to the Company to be the beneficial owners (as determined under
the rules of the SEC) of more than 5% of the Class A Common Shares and Common
Shares then outstanding and (ii) held by each of the Directors, each of the
executive officers named in the Summary Compensation Table below, and by all of
the Directors and such executive officers as a group:
5%
BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Name
and Address of Beneficial Owner
|
Common
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
Percent
of
Class
|
Class
A
Common
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
Percent
of
Class
|
Charles
J.
Urstadt
Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc.
321
Railroad Ave.
Greenwich,
CT 06830
|
3,363,286 (1)
|
40.0%
|
298,725 (2)
|
1.6%
|
Willing
L.
Biddle
Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc.
321
Railroad Ave.
Greenwich,
CT 06830
|
1,881,992 (3)
|
22.4%
|
179,230 (4)
|
1.0%
|
Barclays
Global Investors, NA
400
Howard Street
San
Francisco, CA 94105
|
—
|
—
|
1,765,041 (5)
|
9.6%
|
The
Vanguard Group,
Inc.
100
Vanguard Blvd.
Malvern,
PA 19355
|
—
|
—
|
1,420,465 (6)
|
7.8%
|
Wellington
Management, LLP
75
State Street
Boston,
MA 02109
|
417,756 (7)
|
5.0%
|
—
|
—
|
______________
(1)
|
Of
these shares, 549,713 are owned by Urstadt Property Company, Inc.
(“UPCO”), a Delaware corporation of which Mr. Urstadt is the chairman, a
director and a principal stockholder, 880,620 are owned by Urstadt Realty
Shares II L.P. (“URS II”), a Delaware limited partnership of which Mr.
Urstadt is the limited partner and UPCO is the general partner, 1,901,006
shares are owned by Urstadt Realty Associates Co LP (“URACO”), a Delaware
limited partnership of which UPCO is the general partner and Mr. Urstadt,
Elinor Urstadt (Mr. Urstadt’s wife), the Catherine U. Biddle Irrevocable
Trust and the Charles D. Urstadt Irrevocable Trust (for each of which
trusts Mr. Urstadt is the sole trustee) are the limited partners, 21,300
shares are owned by Elinor Urstadt and 10,647 shares are held by two
trusts established under the Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. Excess Benefit
and Deferred Compensation Plans of 2000 and 2005 (the “Compensation Plan
Trusts”).
|
(2)
|
Of
these shares, 41,425 shares are owned by URACO, 19,750 shares are owned by
Elinor Urstadt, Mr. Urstadt’s wife, 10,000 shares are owned by UPCO and
100,000 shares are owned by the Urstadt Conservation Foundation (the
“Conservation Foundation”), of which Mr. Urstadt and his wife, Elinor
Urstadt, are the sole trustees. Mr. Urstadt disclaims beneficial ownership
of any shares held by the Conservation
Foundation.
|
(3)
|
Of
these shares, 4,391 shares are held by the Compensation Plan Trusts, 2,307
shares are owned by the Willing L. Biddle IRA, 21,951 shares are owned
beneficially and of record by Catherine U. Biddle, Mr. Biddle’s wife, 555
shares are owned by the Catherine U. Biddle IRA, 1,070 shares are owned by
the Charles and Phoebe Biddle Trust UAD 12/20/93, of which Mr. Biddle and
Charles J. Urstadt are the sole trustees, for the benefit of the issue of
Mr. Biddle, and 5,163 shares are owned by the P.T. Biddle (Deceased) IRA
for the benefit of Mr. Biddle. 1,090,455 of the shares owned directly by
Mr. Biddle are pledged as collateral for a third party
loan.
|
(4)
|
Of
these shares, 4,475 shares are owned beneficially and of record by
Catherine U. Biddle and 555 shares are owned by the Catherine U. Biddle
IRA. 111,700 of the shares owned directly by Mr. Biddle are pledged as
collateral for a third party loan.
|
(5)
|
According
to a Schedule 13G filed with the SEC on February 5, 2009 for the year
ended December 31, 2008, Barclays Global Investors, NA. (“Barclays”),
Barclays Global Fund Advisors (“BGI Fund”), Barclays Global Investors, LTD
(“BGI LTD”), Barclays Global Investors Japan Limited (“BGI Japan”),
Barclays Global Investors Canada Limited (“BGI Canada”), Barclays Global
Investors Australia Limited (“BGI Australia”) and Barclays Global
Investors (Deutschland) AG (“BGI AG”) reported beneficial ownership of the
shares reported in the table. Barclays reported sole voting power with
respect to 743,772 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to
841,495 shares, BGI Fund reported sole voting power with respect to
662,963 shares and sole dispositive power with respect to 897,705 shares,
BGI LTD reported sole voting power with respect to 5,559 shares and sole
dispositive power with respect to 18,801 shares, BGI Japan reported sole
voting and dispositive power with respect to 7,040 shares and BGI Canada,
BGI Australia and BGI AG reported no beneficial ownership of shares. The
address for BGI Fund is 400 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105, the
address for BGI LTD is Murray House, 1 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4HH,
England, the address for BGI Japan is Ebisu Prime Square Tower, 8th Floor,
1-1-39 Hiroo Shibuya-Ku, Tokyo 150-8402 Japan, the address for BGI Canada
is Brookfield Place, 161 Bay Street, Suite 2500, PO Box 614, Toronto,
Canada, Ontario M5J 2S1, the address for BGI Australia is Level 43,
Grosvenor Place, 225 George Street, PO Box N43, Sydney, Australia NSW
1220, and the address for BGI AG is Apianstrasse 6, D-85774, Unterfohring,
Germany. On December 1, 2009, Barclays PLC announced the completion of the
sale of Barclays Global Investors to BlackRock,
Inc.
|
(6)
|
Based
upon information filed with the SEC on February 13, 2009 by The Vanguard
Group, Inc. in a Schedule 13G/A for the year ended December 31,
2008.
|
(7)
|
Based
upon information filed with the SEC on February 17, 2009 by Wellington
Management Company, LLP in a Schedule 13G for the year ended December 31,
2008.
|
DIRECTORS
AND OFFICERS
Name
|
Common
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
Percent
of
Class
|
Class
A
Common
Shares
Beneficially
Owned
|
Percent
of
Class
|
Charles
J.
Urstadt
|
3,363,286 (1)
|
40.0%
|
298,725 (2)
|
1.6%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Willing
L.
Biddle
|
1,881,992
(3)
|
22.4%
|
179,230 (4)
|
1.0%
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kevin
J.
Bannon
|
—
|
*
|
21,550
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
E.
Virgil
Conway
|
7,625
|
*
|
79,746 (5)
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
R.
Douglass
|
7,825
|
*
|
38,893
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Peter
Herrick
|
|
*
|
84,324
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
George
H.C.
Lawrence
|
27,188
|
*
|
44,212
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Robert
J.
Mueller
|
—
|
*
|
37,100
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charles
D.
Urstadt
|
22,826
|
*
|
1,200
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
George
J.
Vojta
|
525
|
*
|
6,175
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
T.
Hayes
|
—
|
*
|
18,530
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
D.
Myers
|
9,000
|
*
|
111,450
|
*
|
|
|
|
|
|
Directors
& Executive Officers as a group
(12
persons)
|
5,320,267
|
63.3%
|
921,135
|
5.0%
|
______________
(1)
|
See
note (1) under the preceding table titled “5% Beneficial
Owners”.
|
(2)
|
See
note (2) under the preceding table titled “5% Beneficial
Owners”.
|
(3)
|
See
note (3) under the preceding table titled “5% Beneficial
Owners”.
|
(4)
|
See
note (4) under the preceding table titled “5% Beneficial
Owners”.
|
(5)
|
This
figure includes 10,000 Class A Common Shares held of record by The Conway
Foundation, of which Mr. Conway and his wife, Elaine Conway, are the sole
directors. Mr. Conway disclaims beneficial ownership of any shares held by
The Conway Foundation.
|
COMPENSATION
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Following
is a discussion of the Company’s compensation programs for its Chief Executive
Officer, Chief Financial Officer and each of the other two most highly
compensated executive officers, constituting the only persons who served as
executive officers during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009 (collectively,
the “named executive officers” or “NEOs”).
Overview
of Compensation for Named Executive Officers
The
Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, which is composed entirely of
independent directors, has primary responsibility for oversight of the Company’s
compensation programs. As more fully described under “Corporate Governance and Board
Matters” above, the Committee’s responsibilities include reviewing the
Company’s overall compensation strategy to assure that it promotes shareholder
interests and supports the Company’s strategic objectives, reviewing and
approving corporate goals and objectives relevant to the compensation of the
Company’s Chief Executive Officer, evaluating the CEO’s performance in light of
those goals and objectives and establishing compensation for the Chief Executive
Officer. With respect to the other NEOs, the Compensation Committee considers
recommendations by the CEO and makes recommendations to the full Board of
Directors regarding their compensation.
Objectives
of Urstadt Biddle Properties Executive Compensation Program
The
Company’s executive compensation program is designed to accomplish the following
key objectives:
1.
|
Attract
individuals of top quality who possess the skills and expertise required
to lead the Company;
|
2.
|
Align
compensation with corporate strategy, business objectives and the
long-term interests of
shareholders;
|
3.
|
Create
an incentive to increase shareholder value by providing a significant
percentage of compensation in the form of equity
awards;
|
4.
|
Offer
the right balance of long-term and short-term compensation and incentives
to retain talented employees.
|
Elements
of the Executive Compensation Program
The
Company’s executive compensation program consists of five key
elements:
1.
|
Competitive
base salaries
|
4.
|
Company
provided benefits
|
5.
|
Termination
benefits in the event of a Change in
Control
|
Base
Salaries
Each of
the named executive officers receives a base salary which is evaluated annually.
The base salaries of the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Operating Officer
are determined by the Compensation Committee. In determining the base salaries
of the other NEOs, the Committee relies heavily on input and recommendations
from the CEO, believing that, since the Chief Executive has daily interaction
with the other NEOs, he is well situated to provide valuable insight regarding
the respective contributions of all members of the executive management team.
The Committee’s recommendations regarding base salaries for all NEOs are
submitted to the Board of Directors for final approval.
Base
salaries constitute an essential element of the Company’s overall compensation
program and represent the minimum amount that a named executive officer will
receive in a particular year. Since the Company places significant
emphasis on long-term equity incentives tied to the long-term performance of the
Company, as described below, base salaries for the NEOs may in some
circumstances represent less than 25% of
total compensation. Base salaries are intended to be competitive with base
salaries of executive positions of comparable responsibility with similarly
sized REITs which the Committee believes are representative of the companies
against which Urstadt Biddle Properties competes for executive talent and to
reflect the current economic climate. Following the end of the fiscal year
and after considering a number of factors, including compensation survey data
for other REITs provided by the National Association of Real Estate Investment
Trusts, the Compensation Committee made its determinations and recommendations
regarding 2010 annual base compensation for the NEOs. Base salaries for 2010 for
Messrs. Urstadt, Hayes, Biddle and Myers were set at $300,000, $203,000,
$313,000, and $207,500, respectively. Mr. Urstadt’s base salary is
unchanged from 2009 and the increases for the other NEOs represent changes from
the prior year equal to or less than 1.5%.
Short-term
Rewards
The
Company believes that short term rewards, in the form of annual cash bonuses,
serve to link pay to performance and provide incentive to selected individuals
to help the Company attain longer term goals. Annual bonuses are considered by
the Compensation Committee following the close of each fiscal year and are paid
during the next quarter. The Committee has not established limits on the amount
of annual cash bonuses, but typically does not award cash bonuses in excess of
15% of an individual’s base compensation. The Committee believes that short-term
rewards in the form of cash bonuses to NEOs generally should reflect short-term
results and should take into consideration both the profitability and
performance of the Company and the performance of the individual, which may
include comparing such individual’s performance to the preceding year, reviewing
the breadth and nature of the NEO’s responsibilities and valuing special
contributions by each such individual. With respect to the Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Operating Officer, greater emphasis is placed on the
performance of the Company. In evaluating performance of the Company annually,
the Committee considers a variety of factors including, among others, Funds From
Operations (FFO), net income, growth in asset size, amount of space under lease
and total return to shareholders. The Company considers FFO to be an important
measure of an equity REIT’s operating performance and has adopted the definition
suggested by the National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT),
which defines FFO to mean net income computed in accordance with generally
accepted accounting principles (GAAP), excluding gains or losses from sales of
property, plus real estate related depreciation and amortization and after
adjustments for unconsolidated joint ventures. The Company considers FFO to be a
meaningful, additional measure of operating performance primarily because it
excludes the assumption that the value of its real estate assets diminishes
predictably over time and because industry analysts have accepted it as a
performance measure. As described in the discussion which follows
concerning long-term incentive compensation, the Committee declines to use
specific performance formulas, believing that with respect to Company
performance, such formulas do not adequately account for many factors including,
among others, the relative performance of the Company compared to its
competitors during variations in the economic cycle, and that with respect to
individual performance, such formulas are not a substitute for the subjective
evaluation by the Committee of a wide range of management and leadership skills
of each of the NEOs.
The
Committee’s determination regarding cash bonuses to be awarded to the CEO and
COO and recommendations for cash bonuses to be paid to the other NEOs are
submitted to the Board of Directors for approval. The Summary Compensation table
below includes bonuses paid to the NEOs in fiscal 2009. Such payments
were made in December 2008 and reflect the Committee’s assessment of the
individual’s performance and the Company’s results for fiscal 2008 when, despite
the completion of several acquisitions and certain financing initiatives,
including the successful issuance and sale of 2,400,000 shares of Series E
Senior Cumulative Preferred Stock for net proceeds of approximately $58 million
and entry into a new three year, $50 million, unsecured revolving credit
facility which the Compensation Committee believes will enable the Company to
take advantage of buying opportunities in the economic downturn, FFO, net income
and other important measures of short-term performance remained nearly unchanged
or declined from the preceding year. As a result, and as reflected in
the Summary Compensation Table, no bonuses were awarded to the Chief Executive
Officer or the Chief Operating Officer in the fiscal year ended October 31,
2009.
At its
meeting in December 2009, the Compensation Committee reviewed results for the
year ended October 31, 2009. The Committee recognized the solid
performance of the Company during the year relative to other retail REITs, but
also noted that the short-term measures of performance discussed above continued
mostly unchanged or declined from the preceding year. As a result, no
bonus was awarded to the Chief Executive Officer. To acknowledge
extraordinary contributions by Mr. Biddle and strong individual performances by
the other named executive officers, the Committee awarded a bonus of $11,000 to
the Chief Operating Officer and also recommended bonuses, subsequently approved
by the Board of Directors, for Messrs. Hayes and Myers of $7,700 and $7,900,
respectively. Such bonuses, paid in fiscal 2010, will be reflected in
the Summary Compensation table included in next year’s proxy statement to
shareholders.
Long-term
Incentives
Of the
five elements of the Company’s executive compensation program, the Company
places the greatest emphasis on equity incentives tied to the long-term
performance and profitability of the Company. This is accomplished through
grants under the Company’s Restricted Stock Award Plan (the “Plan”), thus
providing the Company’s key executives with a direct incentive to improve the
Company’s performance and enhance shareholder value. The Restricted Stock Plan
provides that the recipient does not become vested in restricted stock until
after a specified time after it is issued. The Compensation Committee determines
the vesting period which may range between five and ten years after the date of
grant. The Committee recognizes that such time frames may be comparatively long
when measured against similar types of incentive awards for executives of other
companies, but believes that awards that vest after five or more years, and
which become vested only at the end of their terms, and not ratably over their
terms, better reflect the longer term outlook of a real estate oriented company
and also better link the individual rewards to successful development and
implementation of long-term growth strategies that will benefit all
shareholders. Unless an exception is approved by the Committee, if the executive
leaves the Company prior to the end of the vesting period, other than by
retirement, death or disability, unvested stock is forfeited. The Company
believes that the restricted stock awards serve as both a reward for performance
and a retention device for key executives and help to align their interests with
all shareholders.
The
Committee determines the long-term incentive awards for the CEO and COO and,
with input from such officers, makes recommendations to the Board of Directors
regarding similar awards for the other NEOs. In making its decisions, the
Committee does not use an established formula or focus on a specific performance
target. The Committee recognizes that often outside forces beyond the
control of management, such as economic conditions, changing retail and real
estate markets and other factors, may contribute to less favorable near term
results even when sound strategic decisions have been made to position the
Company for longer term profitability. Thus, the Committee also strives to
identify whether the CEO and COO are exercising the kind of judgment and making
the types of decisions that will lead to future growth and enhanced asset value,
even if the same are difficult to measure on a current basis. For example, in
determining appropriate long-term incentive awards, the Committee considers,
among other matters, whether senior management has envisioned and executed
strategies that will provide adequate funding or appropriate borrowing capacity
for future growth, whether acquisition and leasing “pipelines” have been
developed to ensure a future stream of reliable and increasing revenues for the
Company, whether the selection of properties, tenants and tenant mix evidence
appropriate risk management, including risks associated with real estate markets
and tenant credit, and whether the administration of staff size and compensation
appropriately balances the current and projected operating requirements of the
Company with the need to effectively control overhead costs.
The
Summary Compensation table set forth below includes the value of long-term
incentive awards made to the named executive officers during the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2009. With the exception of a grant made to Mr.
Myers in March 2009 in connection with his election as Executive Vice President,
those grants were approved in November and December 2008 (effective January
2009) following the close of the prior fiscal year and reflect deliberations of
the Compensation Committee regarding the factors described above.
At its
meeting in December 2009, the Compensation Committee considered results for the
year ended October 31, 2009 and undertook its annual evaluation and
recommendations for changes in base compensation, annual bonuses and incentive
awards. The Committee awarded restricted stock to Mr. Urstadt in the amount of
75,000 Common shares and 5,000 Class A Common shares, to Mr. Biddle in the
amount of 100,000 Common shares and 5,000 Class A Common shares and made
recommendations to the Board of Directors concerning grants to the other named
executive officers, all of which grants were effective as of January 4,
2010. Mr. Biddle’s award vests after nine years. The awards to Mr.
Urstadt and other NEO’s vest after
five years. All awards are subject to continued employment. In making the
awards, the Committee considered the factors cited above and noted specific
accomplishments, including: the successful leasing or renewal of
leases covering over 600,000 square feet or 15.4% of the Company’s gross
leasable area at competitive rates; strict adherence to a business plan that has
emphasized very low leverage by industry standards and ample liquidity and
credit lines for future growth; and sound risk management by the elimination of
all variable rate long-term debt obligations. Despite perhaps the
most challenging real estate climate in over 70 years, the Committee recognized
that the Company consistently has been among the leaders of all retail REITs in
comparisons of total performance over the last 1, 3 and 5 year
periods.
Employee
Benefit Plans
The
Company maintains a variety of medical, dental, life and disability insurance
programs and a Profit Sharing and Savings Plan (“401(k) Plan”) for all of its
eligible full-time employees. The 401(k) Plan is administered by the
Compensation Committee and provides employees with an opportunity to accumulate
savings in a tax deferred plan through deferral of a portion of their
compensation and through matching Company contributions. For the fiscal year
ended October 31, 2009, the Compensation Committee approved matching
profit-sharing contributions for each participant’s account equal to the amount
of the participant’s elective deferrals that do not exceed five percent (5%) of
compensation (as defined) under the 401(k) Plan. In order to comply
with certain limitations under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the “Code Limitations”), amounts equal to the excess of the 5% matching
contribution that would have been allocated to the accounts for Messrs. Urstadt
and Biddle under the 401(k) Plan for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009
absent the Code Limitations, were credited to an Excess Benefit Account for such
individuals under the Company’s Excess Benefit and Deferred Compensation Plan.
Amounts credited to the respective accounts of each NEO in the 401(k) Plan and
the Excess Benefit and Deferred Compensation Plan appear in the Summary
Compensation Table in the column titled “All Other Compensation.”
Termination
Benefits in the event of a Change in Control
The
Company does not have employment agreements with any of the named executive
officers, but it has entered into change in control agreements with each of the
NEOs pursuant to which each of the NEOs would be entitled to certain termination
benefits in the event that his employment is terminated for Good Reason or by
the Company for any reason other than for Cause, within eighteen months
following a change in control. Each of the Change in Control Agreements has an
indefinite term. Such agreements serve to provide the named executive officers
with an element of financial security and predictability should their employment
be terminated in the circumstances described above. Specific information
concerning the terms of the Change in Control agreements and a description of
benefits payable to the NEOs in the event of a termination following a change in
control can be found in the discussion and table below under the caption Potential Payments on Termination
and Change in Control.
COMPENSATION
COMMITTEE REPORT
The
Compensation Committee has reviewed and discussed the Compensation Discussion
and Analysis of the Company with management. Based on the review and
discussions, the Compensation Committee recommended to the Board of Directors,
and the Board of Directors approved, that the Compensation Discussion and
Analysis be included in this Proxy Statement.
Compensation
Committee:
E. Virgil
Conway, Chairman
Robert R.
Douglass
George
H.C. Lawrence
SUMMARY
COMPENSATION TABLE
The table
below summarizes all of the compensation paid or awarded to the named executive
officers in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009.
Name
and
Principal
Position
|
Year
|
|
Salary
|
|
|
|
Bonus
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
Restricted
Stock
(1)
|
|
|
All
Other
Compensation
(2)
|
|
|
Total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charles
J. Urstadt |
2009 |
|
$ |
300,000 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
1,144,750 |
|
|
$ |
12,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,457,250 |
|
Chairman and
Chief
|
2008
|
|
$ |
299,167 |
|
|
|
$ |
30,000 |
|
|
$ |
329,167 |
|
|
$ |
1,183,750 |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
1,512,917 |
|
Executive
Officer
|
2007
|
|
$ |
295,000 |
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
295,000 |
|
|
$ |
885,200 |
|
|
$ |
14,750 |
|
|
$ |
1,194,950 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
T. Hayes (4)
|
2009
|
|
$ |
195,833 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
|
$ |
205,833 |
|
|
$ |
93,000 |
|
|
$ |
9,792 |
|
|
$ |
308,625 |
|
Senior Vice
President
|
2008
|
|
$ |
173,333 |
|
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
|
$ |
183,333 |
|
|
$ |
91,200 |
|
|
$ |
9,166 |
|
|
$ |
283,699 |
|
and Chief Financial
Officer
|
2007
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
2009
|
|
$ |
308,333 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
308,333 |
|
|
$ |
1,429,350 |
|
|
$ |
15,417 |
|
|
$ |
1,753,100 |
|
President and
Chief
|
2008
|
|
$ |
297,500 |
|
|
|
$ |
35,000 |
|
|
$ |
332,500 |
|
|
$ |
1,479,150 |
|
|
$ |
14,922 |
|
|
$ |
1,826,572 |
|
Operating
Officer
|
2007
|
|
$ |
284,167 |
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
$ |
284,167 |
|
|
$ |
1,148,450 |
|
|
$ |
14,208 |
|
|
$ |
1,446,825 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
D. Myers (5)
|
2009
|
|
$ |
202,500 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
11,000 |
|
|
$ |
213,500 |
|
|
$ |
165,390 |
|
|
$ |
10,125 |
|
|
$ |
389,015 |
|
Executive Vice
President,
|
2008
|
|
$ |
188,500 |
|
|
|
$ |
20,000 |
|
|
$ |
208,500 |
|
|
$ |
182,400 |
|
|
$ |
10,424 |
|
|
$ |
401,324 |
|
Secretary and Chief Legal
Officer
|
2007
|
|
$ |
180,333 |
|
|
|
$ |
13,500 |
|
|
$ |
193,833 |
|
|
$ |
238,625 |
|
|
$ |
9,692 |
|
|
$ |
442,150 |
|
____________________
(1)
|
Amounts
shown represent the dollar value on the date of grant computed in
accordance with ASC Topic 718 disregarding any estimates based on
forfeitures relating to service-based vesting conditions. For information
regarding significant factors and assumptions used in the calculations
pursuant to ASC Topic 718, see note 10 to the consolidated financial
statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009.
|
(2)
|
Consists
of a matching contribution by the Company to the Company’s Profit Sharing
and Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) allocated to an account of the named
executive officer equal to the amount of the NEO’s elective deferrals that
do not exceed 5% of such NEO’s compensation (as defined) under the Plan
and related excess benefit
compensation.
|
(3)
|
Changes
to salaries are made annually and are effective January 1 for the ensuing
calendar year. The Board of Directors has approved 2010 base salaries for
Messrs. Urstadt, Hayes, Biddle and Myers in amounts of $300,000, $203,000,
$313,000 and $207,500,
respectively.
|
(4)
|
Mr.
Hayes’ compensation for 2007 has been omitted since Mr. Hayes first became
an exectuive officer on July 1, 2008 upon his appointment as Senior Vice
President and Chief Financial Officer. Prior to such date, he
served the Company as Vice President and
Controller.
|
(5)
|
Mr.
Myers has served the Company as Executive Vice President, Secretary and
Chief Legal Officer since March 2009. He served as Senior Vice
President, Secretary and Chief Legal Officer from September 2008 to March
2009. Prior to such date, he served as Senior Vice President,
Co-Counsel and Secretary.
|
GRANTS
OF PLAN-BASED AWARDS
The
following table summarizes information concerning restricted stock granted to
the named executive officers in the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. Grants
in fiscal 2009 were based on performance in the preceding year.
|
|
|
All
Other Stock Awards:
Number
of
Shares
of Stock or Units
|
Grant
Date
Fair
Value of Stock Awards
|
Name
|
Grant
Date
|
Approval
Date
(1)
|
Common
Stock
|
Class
A
Common
Stock
|
Common
Stock
$
|
Class
A
Common
Stock
$
|
Charles
J.Urstadt
|
1/2/2009
|
11/12/2008
|
75,000
(2)
|
5,000 (2)
|
$1,067,250
(3)
|
$ 77,500
(4)
|
John
T.
Hayes
|
1/2/2009
|
12/10/2008
|
—
|
6,000 (2)
|
—
|
$ 93,000
(4)
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
1/2/2009
|
11/12/2008
|
95,000
(5)
|
5,000 (5)
|
$1,351,850
(3)
|
$ 77,500
(4)
|
Thomas
D. Myers
|
1/2/2009
|
12/10/2008
|
—
|
10,000
(2)
|
—
|
$155,000
(4)
|
|
3/5/2009
|
03/05/2009
|
—
|
1,000 (2)
|
—
|
$ 10,390
(6)
|
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
(6)
|
As
discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis”, the Compensation
Committee determines the awards for the CEO and COO. For other
executive officers, the Compensation Committee makes recommendations to
the Board of Directors for final action.
Stock
subject to this award is scheduled to vest five years after the date of
grant.
Calculated
in accordance with ASC Topic 718, the grant date per share price was
$14.23.
Calculated
in accordance with ASC Topic 718, the grant date per share price was
$15.50.
Stock
subject to this award is scheduled to vest ten years after the date of
grant.
Calculated
in accordance with ASC Topic 718, the grant date per share price was
$10.39.
|
A summary
of the Restricted Stock Award Plan can be found in Proposal 4 on pages 11-12
describing a proposed amendment to the Restricted Stock Award
Plan.
OUTSTANDING
EQUITY AWARDS AT FISCAL YEAR END
The
following table presents information concerning the outstanding equity awards
held by each of the named executive officers as of October 31,
2009.
|
|
|
Number
of
Shares
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
|
|
|
|
Market
Value
of
Shares
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
$ (1)
|
|
Number
of
Shares
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
|
|
|
|
Market
Value
of
Shares
of
Stock
That
Have
Not
Vested
$ (2)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Name
|
Grant
Date
|
|
Common
Stock
|
|
|
|
Common
Stock
|
|
Class
A
Common Stock
|
|
|
|
Class
A
Common
Stock
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Charles
J. Urstadt
|
1/4/2000
|
|
|
15,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
208,050 |
|
|
15,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
221,550 |
|
1/2/2004
|
|
|
81,250 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,126,938 |
|
|
6,250 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
92,313 |
|
1/3/2005
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,040,250 |
|
|
6,250 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
92,313 |
|
1/3/2006
|
|
|
65,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
901,550 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2007
|
|
|
45,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
624,150 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2008
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
1,040,250 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2009
|
|
|
75,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
1,040,250 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
T. Hayes
|
1/2/2008
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
6,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
88,620 |
|
1/2/2009
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
6,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
88,620 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
1/4/2000
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
277,400 |
|
|
20,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
295,400 |
|
1/2/2003
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,300,313 |
|
|
6,250 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
92,313 |
|
1/2/2004
|
|
|
93,750 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,300,313 |
|
|
6,250 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
92,313 |
|
1/3/2005
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,387,000 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/3/2006
|
|
|
100,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,387,000 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2007
|
|
|
60,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
832,200 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2008
|
|
|
95,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,317,650 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
1/2/2009
|
|
|
95,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
1,317,650 |
|
|
5,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
73,850 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
D. Myers
|
1/4/2000
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
27,740 |
|
|
2,000 |
|
(3 |
) |
|
$ |
29,540 |
|
1/2/2003
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
7,200 |
|
(6 |
) |
|
$ |
106,344 |
|
1/2/2004
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
7,500 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
110,775 |
|
1/3/2005
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
12,500 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
184,625 |
|
1/3/2006
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
15,000 |
|
(4 |
) |
|
$ |
221,550 |
|
1/2/2007
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
12,500 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
184,625 |
|
1/2/2008
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
12,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
177,240 |
|
1/2/2009
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
10,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
147,700 |
|
3/5/2009
|
|
|
- |
|
|
|
|
$ |
- |
|
|
1,000 |
|
(5 |
) |
|
$ |
14,770 |
(1)
|
Market
value based on closing price of Common Stock on October 31, 2009 of $13.87
per share.
|
(2)
|
Market
value based on closing price of Class A Common Stock on October 31, 2009
of $14.77 per share.
|
(3)
|
Restricted
Stock that vested on January 4,
2010
|
(4)
|
Stock
scheduled to vest ten years after the grant
date
|
(5)
|
Stock
scheduled to vest five years after the grant
date
|
(6)
|
Stock
scheduled to vest nine years after the grant
date
|
OPTION
EXERCISES AND STOCK VESTED
The
following table sets forth certain information for each of the named executive
officers concerning restricted stock awards that vested in the fiscal year ended
October 31, 2009. The value realized is based on the closing price of $14.23 per
Common share and $15.50 per Class A Common share on the vesting
date.
|
|
Stock
Awards
Common
Stock (1)
|
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
Class
A Common Stock (1)
|
|
Name
|
|
Number
of Shares
Acquired
on Vesting
|
|
|
|
Value
Realized
on
Vesting ($)
|
|
|
|
Number
of Shares
Acquired
on Vesting
|
|
|
|
Value
Realized
on
Vesting ($)
|
|
Charles
J. Urstadt
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
|
$ |
213,450 |
|
|
|
15,000
|
|
|
|
$ |
232,500 |
|
John
T.
Hayes
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
|
|
|
— |
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
$ |
284,600 |
|
|
|
|
20,000 |
|
|
|
$ |
310,000 |
|
Thomas
D. Myers
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
$ |
28,460 |
|
|
|
|
2,000 |
|
|
|
$ |
31,000 |
|
______________
(1)
|
All
stock awards shown were granted on January 4, 1999 and vested on January
4, 2009.
|
OTHER
EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION
In
addition to the Restricted Stock Award Plan described above, the Company
previously maintained a Stock Option Plan pursuant to which certain shares of
the Company’s authorized but unissued Common Stock and Class A Common Stock were
reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options that had been granted under
the Plan. Both the Restricted Stock Award Plan and the Stock Option Plan have
been approved by the Company’s shareholders. The persons eligible to participate
in the Stock Option Plan were key employees of the Company, selected from time
to time by the Compensation Committee in its discretion, and Directors. The
Stock Option Plan was administered by the Compensation Committee.
No grants
of stock options have been made under the Stock Option Plan since 2000. At its
quarterly meeting on December 13, 2006, the Board of Directors approved the
termination of the Plan, subject to the rights of holders of options that had
been issued, but which remained outstanding. There no longer are any options
outstanding under the Stock Option Plan.
NON-QUALIFIED
DEFERRED COMPENSATION
Effective
since November 1996, the Company has maintained the Urstadt Biddle Properties
Inc. Excess Benefit and Deferred Compensation Plan (as amended, the “Original
Plan”). In response to changes required by the American Jobs Creation Act of
2004, in December 2004 the Directors voted to freeze the Original Plan and
adopted a new Excess Benefit and Deferred Compensation Plan, effective January
1, 2005 (the “Revised Plan”, and collectively, the “Deferred Compensation
Plan”). The Deferred Compensation Plan is intended to provide eligible employees
with benefits in excess of the amounts that may be provided under the Company’s
401(k) Plan and to provide such employees with the opportunity to defer receipt
of a portion of their compensation. Participation is limited to those employees
who earn above a certain limit, currently $200,000. The Deferred Compensation
Plan provides that a participant is credited with an amount equal to the
contributions that would have been credited to the participant if the applicable
compensation limitation under the 401(k) Plan did not apply.
Amounts
credited under the Deferred Compensation Plan vest under the same rules as under
the 401(k) Plan. In addition, each Participant may elect to defer the receipt of
a portion of his or her compensation until a later date. Amounts credited under
the Deferred Compensation Plan are increased with interest at a rate set from
time to time by the Compensation Committee. For the fiscal year ended October
31, 2009, the Company paid interest on deferred compensation accounts at a rate
based upon the rate of interest applicable to United States Five Year Treasury
Notes. Following a participant’s retirement or severance of employment with the
Company, amounts in the Deferred Compensation Plan attributable to such
participant are paid either in a lump sum or over a period of up to ten years,
based upon a previously made election by the participant. In the event of a
change in control (as defined in each Plan), the Compensation Committee may in
its discretion accelerate the vesting of benefits under either
Plan.
Each of
the Original Plan and the Revised Plan provide for a trust to hold funds
allocated under the respective Plan. Members of the Compensation Committee act
as trustees of each trust. Eligible participants in the Deferred Compensation
Plan may elect to have all or a portion of their deferred compensation accounts
in the applicable Plan invested in the Company’s Class A Common Stock, Common
Stock or such other securities as may be purchased by the trustees in their
discretion.
The table
below provides information on the non-qualified deferred compensation of each of
the named executive officers.
NON-QUALIFIED
DEFERRED COMPENSATION
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Executive
|
|
Registrant
|
|
Aggregate
|
|
Aggregate
|
|
Aggregate
|
|
|
Contributions
|
|
Contributions
|
|
Earnings
|
|
Withdrawals/
|
|
Balances
|
|
|
in
Last FY
|
|
in
Last FY
|
|
in
Last FY
|
|
in
Last FY
|
|
at
Last FYE
|
Name
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
|
($)
|
Charles
J. Urstadt
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$12,687
|
|
$0
|
|
$257,814
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
T. Hayes
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$0
|
|
$ 0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$3,673
|
|
$ 4,174
|
|
$0
|
|
$ 81,212
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
D. Myers
|
|
$8,542
|
|
$ 0
|
|
$ 68
|
|
$0
|
|
$ 8,610
|
POTENTIAL
PAYMENTS ON TERMINATION AND CHANGE IN CONTROL
Termination
Absent a Change in Control
The
Company does not have employment agreements with any of the named executive
officers. Employment is “at will” and generally upon termination of employment,
except in the event of death or disability, the employee is not entitled to any
severance, cash compensation, medical or other benefits, whether termination is
with or without cause. In the event of termination of employment due to death or
disability, any unvested restricted stock would become fully vested. For Messrs.
Urstadt, Hayes, Biddle and Myers the value of their unvested restricted stock as
of October 31, 2009 was $6,683,014, $177,240, $9,968,802 and $1,204,909,
respectively (see table at page 22). In addition, with respect to Mr. Urstadt
only, since he has attained the age of 65, some of his unvested restricted stock
would continue to vest following his voluntary retirement, as if retirement had
not occurred. Such grants are contingent upon his agreement, for the balance of
the applicable vesting period, not to accept employment or provide services to
any organization other than the Company that is engaged primarily in the
ownership and/or management or brokerage of shopping centers in the Company’s
Metropolitan Statistical Area. The value of unvested restricted stock that Mr.
Urstadt would be eligible to receive, had retirement occurred as of October 31,
2009, is $4,454,814.
Termination
following a Change in Control
The
Company has entered into Change in Control Agreements (“Agreements”) with each
of the NEOs. Under their respective Agreements, each of the NEOs would be
entitled to certain termination benefits in the event that his employment is
terminated for Good Reason or by the Company for any reason other than for
Cause, within eighteen months following a Change in Control. Each of the Change
in Control Agreements has an indefinite term. Generally, termination for Good
Reason includes, but is not limited to, voluntary termination of employment by
the named executive officer within 180 days following the occurrence of any of
the following: (i) a change in the NEO’s authority, duties or responsibilities
which represent a material diminution in his authority, duties or
responsibilities prior to the Change in Control; (ii) a material reduction in
the NEO’s base salary below the level that existed preceding the Change in
Control; (iii) a relocation of the NEO outside a 50 mile radius of the NEO’s
work site at the date such agreement was signed; (iv) the sale or other
disposition by the Company of more than 50% of the assets of the Company over
which the NEO has authority to any “person” as that term is used in Section
13(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended; or (v) other material
breach by the Company of the terms of the Change in Control Agreement.
Termination for Cause means termination of employment by the Company because of
dishonesty, conviction of a felony, gross neglect of duties or conflict of
interest which, in the case of gross neglect or conflict of interest, continues
for thirty days after written notice by the Company to the employee requesting
cessation of such gross neglect or conflict.
Termination
Benefits
In the
event a named executive officer becomes eligible for termination benefits as
provided above, such benefits would include the following: (i) a cash payment,
to be made within forty-five days after such termination, equal to 12 months of
the NEO’s base salary (exclusive of any bonus or other benefit) in effect at the
date of the Change in Control; and (ii) the Company would be obligated to
maintain, for a period of twelve months after termination (the “Benefits
Period”), all life insurance, disability, medical and other benefit programs to
which the NEO and his family were entitled at the date of the Change in Control
or, in the event the continued participation of the NEO and his family in such
programs is not possible, to arrange for similar benefits. The termination
benefits also would include a lump sum cash payment to the NEO within forty-five
days of such termination in lieu of Company contributions on behalf of the NEO
to which the NEO otherwise would be entitled during the Benefits Period under
the Company’s Profit Sharing and Savings Plan. In the event of a named executive
officer’s termination of employment following a Change in Control, the
Compensation Committee has the authority to accelerate the time at which
restrictions will lapse or to remove any restrictions applicable to awards of
restricted stock under the Company’s Restricted Stock Award
Plan.
The table
below sets forth the compensation payable to each of the named executive
officers in the event of termination following a Change in Control. The amounts
are estimates only and assume that a Change in Control occurred on October 31,
2009. Actual amounts to which the NEO would be entitled would depend upon his
actual compensation, value of benefits and restricted stock outstanding as of
the date of the Change in Control.
Termination
of Employment in Connection with Change in Control
|
|
|
|
Name
|
|
Cash
Compensation
|
|
|
Continuation
of
Medical
and
Insurance
Benefits
(1)
|
|
|
Other
Benefits
(2)
|
|
|
Acceleration
of
Equity
Awards
(3)
|
|
|
Total
Termination
Benefits
|
|
Charles
J. Urstadt
|
|
$ |
300,000 |
|
|
$ |
18,802 |
|
|
$ |
15,000 |
|
|
$ |
6,683,013 |
|
|
$ |
7,016,815 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John
T. Hayes
|
|
$ |
200,000 |
|
|
$ |
12,443 |
|
|
$ |
10,000 |
|
|
$ |
177,240 |
|
|
$ |
399,683 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Willing
L. Biddle
|
|
$ |
310,000 |
|
|
$ |
15,102 |
|
|
$ |
15,500 |
|
|
$ |
9,968,800 |
|
|
$ |
10,309,402 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Thomas
D. Myers
|
|
$ |
205,000 |
|
|
$ |
15,116 |
|
|
$ |
10,250 |
|
|
$ |
1,204,909 |
|
|
$ |
1,435,275 |
|
__
_________________
(1) Represents an estimate
of the cost to provide for one year continued life insurance, disability,
medical and other benefit programs in which the named officer is participating
or to which he is entitled.
(2) Represents a
cash payment to the named executive officer in lieu of Company contributions on
behalf of the NEO under the Company's Profit Sharing and Savings
Plan.
(3) Under the Company's
Restricted Stock Award Plan the Compensation Committee administers the Plan and
has the authority to accelerate the time at which the restrictions will lapse or
to remove any such restrictions
upon the occurrence of a Change in Control. Amounts in the table
assume that any restrictions upon vesting have been removed.
DIRECTOR
COMPENSATION
For the
year ended October 31,
2009, other than Messrs. C.J. Urstadt and Biddle, each Director received an
annual retainer of $22,000, compensation of $1,700 for each Board of Directors
meeting and each committee meeting attended in person and compensation of $850
for each Board of Directors meeting and each committee meeting attended
telephonically. The Chairmen of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and
the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee each received an additional
annual retainer of $3,300. The Compensation Committee also awarded each
non-employee Director 900 restricted shares of common stock which, at the
election of each Director, could be any combination of Class A Common Stock and
Common Stock. At its meeting in December 2009, the Compensation Committee voted
to increase the foregoing fees for the ensuing fiscal year as follows: annual
retainer, $23,000; additional retainer for committee Chairs, $3,500; meeting
attendance fees, $1,800 in person and $900 via teleconference. Messrs. C.J.
Urstadt and Biddle, who are officers and full-time employees of the Company, do
not receive separate compensation for service as Directors or committee
members.
The
compensation table below summarizes the compensation paid to members of the
Board of Directors during the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009.
Name
|
|
Fees
Earned
or
Paid
in
Cash
($)
|
|
|
|
Stock
Awards
($)
(1)
|
|
|
All
Other
Compensation
($)
|
|
|
Total
($)
|
Kevin
J.
Bannon
|
|
$ |
30,500 |
|
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
44,450 |
E.
Virgil
Conway
|
|
$ |
36,350 |
(2) |
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
50,300 |
Robert
R.
Douglass
|
|
$ |
36,350 |
(3) |
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
50,300 |
Peter
Herrick
|
|
$ |
40,350 |
(4) |
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
54,300 |
George
H.C.
Lawrence
|
|
$ |
32,200 |
|
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
46,150 |
Robert
J.
Mueller
|
|
$ |
43,150 |
(5) |
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
57,100 |
Charles
D.
Urstadt
|
|
$ |
30,500 |
|
|
|
$ |
12,807 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
43,307 |
George
J. Vojta
|
|
$ |
35,600 |
|
|
|
$ |
13,950 |
|
|
|
— |
|
|
$ |
49,550 |
______________
(1)
|
As
described under Director Compensation above, the Compensation Committee
awarded each non-employee Director 900 restricted shares of common stock
which, at the election of each Director, could be any combination of Class
A Common Stock and Common Stock. Except for Charles D. Urstadt, who
elected to receive such award in restricted Common Stock, all of the
Directors elected to receive such award in restricted Class A Common
Stock. The value of each award was computed in accordance with ASC Topic
718 and is based upon the closing price of the applicable stock on the
grant date ($14.23 per share for Common Stock and $15.50 per share for
Class A Common Stock).
|
(2)
|
Includes
additional retainer of $3,300 that Mr. Conway received as Chair of the
Compensation Committee.
|
(3)
|
Includes
additional retainer of $3,300 that Mr. Douglass received as Chair of the
Nominating and Corporate Governance
Committee.
|
(4)
|
Includes
$500 for property tour and analysis of proposed shopping center
acquisition.
|
(5)
|
Includes
additional retainer of $3,300 that Mr. Mueller received as Chair of the
Audit Committee.
|
REPORT
OF AUDIT COMMITTEE
The Audit
Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors consists of the four non-employee
directors listed below. Each of the members of the Audit Committee is
independent, as such term is defined by the listing standards of the New York
Stock Exchange (as amended from time to time). The Company’s Board of Directors
has adopted a written charter for the Audit Committee, a copy of which may be
viewed on the Company’s website at http://www.ubproperties.com under “Investor
Relations” and “Governance Documents”. The duties of the Audit Committee are
summarized in this proxy statement on pages 5-6 and are more specifically set
forth in the charter. During the last fiscal year, the Audit Committee reviewed
the adequacy of the Audit Committee Charter and, after appropriate consideration
and discussion, determined that the Committee Charter is adequate under
applicable SEC and NYSE rules and that the Committee had fulfilled its
responsibilities as described in the Committee Charter.
During
the last year, the Audit Committee met regularly with, and received periodic
updates from, management, PKF, the Company’s independent registered public
accounting firm, and Berdon, LLP, which provided internal audit services to the
Company, to ensure management’s maintenance of an effective system of internal
controls over financial reporting. The Audit Committee reviewed PKF’s “Report of
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” included in the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K related to its audit of (i) the Company’s consolidated
financial statements, and (ii) the effectiveness of the Company’s internal
control over financial reporting.
The Audit
Committee also reviewed and discussed with management and the independent
registered public accounting firm the disclosures made in “Management’s
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and
the audited financial statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form
10-K for the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009. This review included a
discussion with the independent registered public accounting firm of the matters
required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61,
Communications with Audit Committees, as amended, by the Auditing Standards
Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
The Audit
Committee has received and reviewed the written disclosures and the letter from
the independent registered public accounting firm according to applicable
requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the
independent registered public accounting firm’s communications with the Audit
Committee concerning independence, and has discussed with the independent
registered public accounting firm their independence from the Company and its
management. The Audit Committee considered whether (and determined that) the
provision by PKF of the services described below under “Fees Billed by
Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” is compatible with PKF’s
independence from both management and the Company.
In
reliance upon the review and discussions referred to above and the report of
PKF, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board of Directors that the
financial statements referred to above be included in the Company’s Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended October 31, 2009, for filing with the
SEC.
Among its
responsibilities, the Audit Committee has sole authority to retain, set the
terms of engagement of, evaluate and, when appropriate, replace the independent
registered public accounting firm and persons responsible for the Company’s
internal audit function. As described in Proposal 2 in this proxy statement, the
Audit Committee has appointed PKF to audit the financial statements of the
Company for the ensuing fiscal year and recommends to the stockholders that such
appointment be ratified. During the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the
Audit Committee also engaged Berdon LLP, certified public accountants and
advisors, to provide internal audit services for the Company. The Committee has
not yet engaged anyone to provide internal audit services in 2010.
Audit
Committee:
Robert J.
Mueller, Chairman
Kevin J.
Bannon
Peter
Herrick
George J.
Vojta
This
report shall not be deemed incorporated by reference by any general statement
incorporating by reference this proxy statement into any filing under the
Securities Act of 1933 or under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to
the extent the Company specifically incorporates this report by reference, and
shall not otherwise be deemed filed under such Acts.
FEES
BILLED BY INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
The SEC
requires disclosure of the fees billed by the Company’s independent registered
public accounting firm for certain services. For the fiscal year ended October
31, 2009 PKF served as the Company’s independent registered public accounting
firm. The following table sets forth the aggregate fees billed by PKF during the
fiscal years ended October 31, 2009 and 2008 respectively.
|
|
FY
Ended 10/31/09
|
|
FY
Ended 10/31/08
|
Fees
Billed:
|
|
|
|
|
Audit
Fees
|
|
$ |
327,000 |
|
$ |
319,000 |
Audit-Related
Fees
|
|
$ |
4,800 |
|
$ |
7,500 |
Tax
Fees
|
|
$ |
23,490 |
|
$ |
13,090 |
All
Other
Fees
|
|
$ |
0 |
|
$ |
0 |
Total
|
|
$ |
355,290 |
|
$ |
339,590 |
Audit Fees include amounts
billed to the Company related to the audit of the consolidated financial
statements of the Company and for quarterly reviews for that year. For the
fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, this amount included $251,000 for the audit
and quarterly reviews of the Company’s financial statements and $76,000 for the
audit of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial
reporting.
Audit-Related Fees include
amounts billed to the Company for services rendered in connection with required
audits of registration statements during the year.
Tax Fees include amounts
billed to the Company primarily for tax planning and consulting, tax compliance
and a review of federal and state income tax returns for the Company and its
consolidated joint ventures.
All Other Fees — there were
no fees billed or incurred related to other fees or financial information
systems design and implementation.
Audit
Committee Pre-Approval Policy
During
the fiscal year ended October 31, 2009, the Audit Committee approved, prior to
engagement, all audit and non-audit services provided by the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm and all fees to be paid for such
services. The Audit Committee has pre-approved all audit services to be provided
by the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm related to
reviews of the Company’s quarterly financial reports on Form 10-Q for the year
ending October 31, 2010. All other services are considered and approved on an
individual basis.
Fees
Paid in Connection with Internal Audit Services
In
addition to the fees enumerated above which were paid to the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm during the year ended October 31,
2009, the Company incurred fees of approximately $156,000 to Berdon, LLP for
internal audit services.
CERTAIN
RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
Annually,
the Company’s Secretary obtains written statements from each of the Directors
and all officers of the Company to determine if any Directors, officers or their
immediate family members have a direct or indirect material interest in
relationships and transactions in which the Company and any such persons are
participants. All responses from the Directors are forwarded to the Governance
Committee for review. Responses from officers of the Company are reviewed by the
Secretary and forwarded to the Governance Committee if related party
transactions are disclosed or suspected. Related party transactions means
transactions involving at least $120,000 in which the Company is a participant
and in which a related party has a direct or indirect material interest. While
the Company does not have specific written standards for approving related party
transactions, such transactions are only approved by the Governance Committee if
the Committee believes the transaction is in the best interests of the Company
and its shareholders. As of the date two
weeks prior to the date of this proxy statement (the most recent practicable
date), the Company was not aware of any related party transactions, except as
follows: Willing L. Biddle, the Company’s President, is the son-in-law of
Charles J. Urstadt, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Charles D. Urstadt, a
director of the Company, is the son of Charles J. Urstadt and the brother-in-law
of Willing L. Biddle.
SECTION
16(a) BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP REPORTING COMPLIANCE
Section
16(a) of the Exchange Act requires the Directors and officers, and persons who
own more than 10% of a registered class of the Company’s equity securities, to
file initial reports of ownership and reports of changes in ownership of such
equity securities with the SEC. Such persons also are required by SEC
regulations to furnish the Company with copies of all Section 16(a) forms they
file. Based solely on a review of the copies of such forms furnished to the
Company, or written representations that no Forms 5 were required, the Company
believes that, with respect to the period from November 1, 2008 through October
31, 2009, its Directors, officers and greater than 10% beneficial owners
complied with all Section 16(a) filing requirements, except that Kevin J. Bannon
inadvertently did not file a Form 5 for fiscal 2008 relating to the distribution
of 500 shares of Class A Common Stock to a beneficiary of a trust of which Mr.
Bannon is a co-trustee, but later reported the distribution in a Form 5
filing.
SOLICITATION
OF PROXIES AND VOTING PROCEDURES
The cost
of soliciting proxies will be borne by the Company. In addition to solicitation
by mail, Directors, officers and employees of the Company and its affiliates may
solicit proxies by personal interview, facsimile transmission or telephone and
will not receive additional compensation for such services. Arrangements will be
made with banks, brokerage firms and other custodians, nominees and fiduciaries
for forwarding of proxy solicitation material to beneficial owners of Class A
Common Shares and Common Shares and the Company will reimburse such parties for
reasonable expenses incurred in connection therewith.
The
presence, either in person or by properly executed proxy, of a majority of the
Company’s outstanding Class A Common Shares and Common Shares is necessary to
constitute a quorum at the Annual Meeting. Each Common Share outstanding on the
Record Date entitles the holder thereof to one vote and each Class A Common
Share outstanding on the Record Date entitles the holder thereof to 1/20 of one
vote. An automated system administered by the Company’s transfer agent tabulates
the votes.
The
election of the Directors, the ratification of the appointment of the Company’s
independent registered public accounting firm, the amendment of the Company’s
Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan and the amendment of the Company’s
Restricted Stock Award Plan each requires the affirmative vote of a majority of
the total combined voting power of all classes of stock entitled to vote and
present, in person or by properly executed proxy, at the Annual Meeting.
Abstentions will thus be the equivalent of negative votes and broker non-votes
will have no effect with respect to such proposals, as any Class A Common Shares
or Common Shares subject to broker non-votes will not be present and entitled to
vote with respect to any proposal to which the broker non-vote
applies.
Each of
the Proposals presented to the stockholders at the Annual Meeting is being
presented as a separate and independent Proposal and no Proposal is conditioned
upon adoption or approval of any other Proposal.
AVAILABLE
INFORMATION
The
Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and, in
accordance therewith, files reports, proxy statements and other information with
the SEC. Such reports, proxy statements and other information may be inspected
without charge at the principal office of the SEC, 100 F Street, N. E.,
Washington, D.C. 20549, and copies of all or any part thereof may be obtained at
prescribed rates from the SEC’s Public Reference Section at such address.
Information on the operation of the Public Reference Section may be obtained by
calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains a World Wide Web site on
the Internet at http://www.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information
statements and other information regarding registrants that file electronically
with the SEC. Such reports, proxy and information statements and other
information also can be inspected at the office of the New York Stock Exchange,
Inc., 20 Broad Street, New York, NY 10005.
The
Company’s Annual Report to Stockholders for the fiscal year ended October 31,
2009 (which is not part of the Company’s proxy soliciting materials) has been
mailed to the Company’s stockholders with or prior to this proxy statement. A
copy of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, without exhibits, will be
furnished without charge to stockholders upon request to:
Thomas
D. Myers, Secretary
Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc.
321
Railroad Avenue
Greenwich,
CT 06830
The
Company’s Corporate Governance Guidelines, Code of Business Conduct and Ethics
and the Charters for each of the Audit Committee, Compensation Committee and the
Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee are available on the Company’s
website at http://www.ubproperties.com.
CONTACTING
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Shareholders
and other interested parties who desire to contact the Company’s Board of
Directors may do so by writing to: Board of Directors, c/o Secretary, Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc., 321 Railroad Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830. Communications
received will be distributed to the Chairperson of the appropriate committee of
the Board depending on the facts and circumstances outlined in the
communication. Shareholders and other interested parties also may direct
communications solely to the non-management Directors of the Company by
addressing such communications to the Non-Management Directors, c/o Secretary,
at the address set forth above. In addition, the Board of Directors maintains
special procedures for the receipt, retention and treatment of complaints
received by the Company regarding accounting, internal accounting controls or
auditing matters and for the submission by employees of the Company, on a
confidential and anonymous basis, of concerns regarding questionable accounting
or auditing matters. Such communications may be made by writing to the Audit
Committee of the Board of Directors, c/o Secretary, at the address set forth
above. Any such communication marked “confidential” will be forwarded by the
Secretary, unopened, to the Chairman of the Audit Committee.
OTHER
MATTERS
The
Directors know of no other business to be presented at the Annual Meeting. If
other matters properly come before the Meeting in accordance with the Articles
of Incorporation, the persons named as proxies will vote on them in accordance
with their best judgment to the extent permitted by applicable laws and
regulations.
The
Company encourages, but does not require, that members of its Board of Directors
attend the Annual Meeting of Stockholders. All of the Company’s Directors
attended the Annual Meeting of Stockholders held March 5, 2009.
Any
stockholder who intends to present a stockholder proposal for consideration at
the Company’s 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders by utilizing Rule 14a-8 under
the Exchange Act must comply with the requirements as to form and substance
established by the SEC for such proposals to be included in the Company’s proxy
statement for such Annual Meeting and such proposals must be received by the
Company by October 5, 2010.
Any
stockholder who intends to present a stockholder proposal for consideration at
the Company’s 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders without complying with Rule
14a-8 or who intends to make a nomination for election to the Company’s Board of
Directors at the 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders must comply with certain
advance notification requirements set forth in the Company’s bylaws. The
Company’s bylaws provide, in part, that any proposal for stockholder action, or
nomination to the Board of Directors, proposed other than by the Board of
Directors, must be received by the Company in writing, together with specified
accompanying information, at least 75 days prior to an annual meeting in order
for such action to be considered at the meeting. The year 2011 Annual Meeting of
Stockholders is currently anticipated to be held on March 8, 2011. Any notice of
intent to consider other matters and/or nominees, and related information,
therefore must be received by the Company by December 23, 2010. The purpose of
the bylaw is to assure adequate notice of, and information regarding, any such
matter as to which shareholder action may be sought.
You are
urged to complete, date, sign and return your proxy card promptly to make
certain your Shares will be voted at the Annual Meeting, even if you plan to
attend the meeting in person. If you desire to vote your Shares in person at the
meeting, your proxy may be revoked. For your convenience in returning the proxy
card, a pre-addressed and postage paid envelope has been enclosed.
YOUR
PROXY IS IMPORTANT
WHETHER
YOU OWN FEW OR MANY SHARES.
PLEASE
DATE, SIGN AND MAIL THE ENCLOSED PROXY CARD TODAY.
URSTADT
BIDDLE PROPERTIES INC.
PROXY
FOR ANNUAL MEETING OF STOCKHOLDERS
To
be held on March 9, 2010
THIS
PROXY IS SOLICITED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF URSTADT BIDDLE PROPERTIES
INC.
The
undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints Willing L. Biddle and Thomas D.
Myers, and each of them, as Proxies of the undersigned, with full power to
appoint his substitute, and authorizes each of them to represent and vote all
Class A Common Stock or Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, as applicable,
of Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. (the “Company”) held of record as of the close
of business on January 25, 2010, at the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the
Company (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, 2010
at Doral Arrowwood, 975 Anderson Hill Road, Rye Brook, New York 10573, and at
any adjournments or postponements thereof.
When
properly executed, this proxy will be voted in the manner directed herein by the
undersigned stockholder(s). If no direction is given, this proxy will be voted
(i) FOR the election of three Directors of the Company to serve for three years,
as set forth in Proposal 1; (ii) FOR the ratification of the appointment of PKF
as the independent registered public accounting firm of the Company for the
ensuing fiscal year, as set forth in Proposal 2; (iii) FOR the amendment of the
Company's Dividend Reinvestment and Share Purchase Plan, as set forth in
Proposal 3; and (iv) FOR the amendment of the Company's Restricted Stock
Award Plan, as set forth in Proposal 4. In
their discretion, the Proxies are each authorized to vote upon such other
business as may properly come before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or
postponements thereof. A stockholder wishing to vote in accordance with
the Board of Directors’ recommendations need only sign and date this proxy and
return it in the enclosed envelope.
The
undersigned hereby acknowledge(s) receipt of a copy of the accompanying Notice
of Annual Meeting of Stockholders, the Proxy Statement and the Company’s Annual
Report to Stockholders and hereby revoke(s) any proxy or proxies heretofore
given. This proxy may be revoked at any time before it is exercised by filing a
notice of such revocation, by filing a later dated proxy with the Secretary of
the Company or by voting in person at the Annual Meeting.
Address
Change/Comments
(Mark
the corresponding box on the reverse side)
|
|
BNY
MELLON SHAREOWERNER SERVICES
P.O.
BOX 3550
SOUTH
HACKENSACK, NJ 07606-9250
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(Continued
and to be marked, dated and signed, on the other side)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please mark your
votes as
indicated
in this
examples
|
x |
|
THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS RECOMMENDS A
VOTE “FOR” EACH OF THESE PROPOSALS
|
|
FOR
ALL
|
WITHHELD
FOR
ALL
|
*EXCEPTIONS
|
|
|
|
FOR
|
AGAINST
|
ABSTAIN
|
Proposal
1.
|
To
elect three Directors to serve for three years
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
|
Proposal
2.
|
To
ratify the appointment of PKF as the
independent registered public accounting firm of the Company
for one year.
|
o
|
o
|
o
|
Nominees:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
01 Willing
L. Biddle
02 E.
Virgil Conway
03
Robert J. Mueller
|
|
|
|
|
Proposal
3.
|
To
amend the Company's Dividend
Reinvestment
and Share Purchase Plan
|
o
|
o |
o |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(INSTRUCTIONS: To
withhold authority to vote for any individual nominee, mark the
“Exceptions” box and write that nominee’s name in the space provided
below.) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
*Exceptions _________________________________________________________
|
|
Proposal 4. |
To
amend the Company's Restricted Stock Award Plan. |
o
|
o |
o
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Please
sign name exactly as shown. When there is more than one holder, each
should sign. When signing as an attorney, administrator, guardian or
trustee, please add your title as such. If executed by a corporation
or partnership, the proxy should be signed by a duly authorized person,
stating his or her title or authority. |
|
|
|
|
|
Mark Here
for
Address Change
or Comments
SEE REVERSE
|
o
|
|
|
|
Signature
_________________________________________________________ |
Signature _______________________________________________________ |
Date ___________________ |
NOTE:
Please sign exactly as your name appears hereon. When signing in a
representative capacity, please give full title.
|
|
|
|
You can now access your Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. account online.
Access
your Urstadt Biddle Properties Inc. account online via Investor ServiceDirect®
(ISD).
BNY
Mellon Shareowner Services, the transfer agent for Urstadt Biddle Properties
Inc., now makes it easy and convenient to get current information on your
shareholder account.
|
•
View account status
•
View certificate history
•
View book-entry information
|
|
•
View payment history for dividends
•
Make address changes
•
Obtain a duplicate 1099 tax form
|
Visit us
on the web at http://www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd
For
Technical Assistance Call 1-877-978-7778 between 9am-7pm
Monday-Friday
Eastern Time
Investor
ServiceDirect®
Available
24 hours per day, 7 days per week
TOLL
FREE NUMBER: 1-800-370-1163
Choose
MLinkSM for fast,
easy and secure 24/7 online access to your future
proxy
materials, investment plan statements, tax documents and more. Simply
log
on to Investor
ServiceDirect® at www.bnymellon.com/shareowner/isd
where
step-by-step instructions will prompt you through
enrollment.
|
Important
notice regarding the Internet availability of proxy materials for the Annual
Meeting of shareholders.
The
Proxy Statement and the 2009 Annual Report to Stockholders are available at:
http://www1.snl.com/IRWebLinkX/GenPage.aspx?IID=4078030&gkp=203145
Urstadt
Biddle Properties Inc.
|