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We
are pleased to inform you that a Dividend Reinvestment
Plan (DRIP) is now available to you through The Bank of
New York. This plan offers you a simple and convenient
method for shareholders to invest their dividends and distributions
in additional shares of Common Stock. When you enroll in
the DRIP, the Company automatically reinvests your dividends
by purchasing additional shares (or fractional shares)
in your name. The plan is a terrific way to accumulate
additional Gladstone Commercial shares.
Please read the Questions and Answers section to decide
if you would like to participate in the DRIP. If your
shares are held for your account by a Nominee (a broker,
bank, or other designated candidate) and you would like
to participate in the DRIP, you should contact your Nominee
or Broker to enroll on your behalf.
If you hold your shares in certificate form and are
on record with The Bank of New York as a shareholder,
simply complete the attached Authorization
Form, attach
postage and mail it back to The Bank of New York. Click
here for a copy of the Authorization Form that you can
print out.
The following are questions and answers concerning the
provisions of the Gladstone Commercial Corporation's (the "Company")
Dividend Reinvestment Plan (the "Plan").
The plan will be administered through The Bank of New
York (the "Administrator").
To download these question and answers, and application
as a PDF file, please click
here.
PURPOSE
1. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PLAN?
The purpose of the plan is to provide holders of Gladstone
Capital Corporation common stock with a convenient and
economical method of investing their cash dividends and
distributions in additional shares of common stock of
the Company.
ADMINISTRATION
2. WHAT DOES THE PLAN ADMINISTRATOR DO?
The Plan Administrator administers the Plan for Participants,
keeps records, sends statement of accounts to Participants,
and performs other duties relating to the Plan.
ENROLLMENT AND PARTICIPATION
3. HOW DOES A STOCKHOLDER ENROLL?
The Plan is an "opt-in" plan. Upon notifying
the Plan Administrator in writing on an Authorization
Form, and if your shares are registered in your own name,
all or a portion of your dividends and distributions
on your shares will be reinvested automatically in additional
shares by the Plan Administrator. Authorization Forms
may be obtained from the Plan Administrator. To be effective
on any given dividend payment date, the Authorization
Form must be received by the Plan Administrator at least
five business days before the record date for such dividend
payment.
4. WHAT IF THE SHARES ARE HELD BY A BROKER OR NOMINEE?
If your shares are held in the name of a broker or nominee
or if you are transferring such an account to a new broker
or nominee, you should contact the broker or nominee
to determine whether and how you may participate in the
Plan.
5. WHAT IF A STOCKHOLDER WOULD RATHER RECEIVE CASH?
If you would rather receive cash, you should not enroll
in the Plan or terminate participation if you are already
enrolled. You may terminate your participation in the
Plan at any time. The procedure for terminating participation
in the Plan is explained in the answer to Question 16.
6. WHAT IF A STOCKHOLDER WISHES TO RECEIVE CASH ON ONLY
SOME OF HIS OR HER SHARES?
If you wish to receive dividends and distributions in
cash on some of your shares, and have the remaining dividends
and distributions reinvested, you must notify the Plan
Administrator, in writing, to that effect. This can be
done by completing and submitting an Authorization Form.
As a partial participant, you will receive your dividends
and distributions in cash only with respect to the number
of shares that you have specified. With respect to any
other shares registered in your name, and with respect
to the shares credited to your account on the books of
the Plan Administrator, the corresponding dividends and
distributions will be reinvested. The number of shares
on which you receive cash may be changed at any time
simply by writing the Plan Administrator.
7. MAY A STOCKHOLDER ELECT TO RE-ENROLL ONCE THEY HAVE
TERMINATED PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN?
Yes. If you previously elected to receive dividends
and distributions in cash and thus terminated participation
in the Plan, and later wish to participate in the Plan,
you may re-enroll at any time by completing an Authorization
Form and delivering it to the Plan Administrator. To
be effective on any given dividend payment date, such
Authorization Form must be received by the Plan Administrator
at least two business
days prior to the record date.
PURCHASE OF SHARES UNDER THE PLAN
8. HOW DOES THE DIVIDEND REINVESTMENT PLAN WORK AND
HOW ARE SHARES ALLOCATED UNDER THE PLAN?
When the Board of Directors declares a dividend or distribution,
all non-participants will receive such dividend or distribution
by check mailed directly to the record holder by or under
the direction of the Plan Administrator. As a Participant,
the number of shares allocated to your Plan Account (a "Plan
Account") will be arrived at as follows. The Plan
Administrator will buy shares of Common Stock in the
open market, on Nasdaq or elsewhere, beginning on or
before the payment date of the dividend or distribution,
until it has expended for such purchase all of the cash
that would otherwise be payable to the Participants.
The number of shares that will then be credited to your
Plan Account and the Plan Accounts of other Participants
will be based on the average cost of the shares so purchased,
including brokerage commissions. Your Plan Account will
be credited with a number of shares, including fractional
shares, equal to the total amount of cash dividend or
distribution, net of any applicable withholding taxes,
otherwise due to you, divided by the price of the shares.
Neither the Company nor any stockholder has the authority
or power to direct the time or price at which shares
of Common Stock may be purchased or the selection of
the broker or dealer through or from whom purchases are
to be made. The Company will absorb all administrative
expenses connected with the operation of the Plan (except
brokerage commissions, which shall be borne pro rata
by the Participants). The Plan Administrator will hold
the total shares of Common Stock purchased for all Participants
in the name of its nominee and will have no esponsibility
for the value of such shares after their purchase.
9. WHEN WILL SHARES OF COMMON STOCK BE PURCHASED UNDER
THE PLAN?
After the Company declares a dividend or distribution,
the Plan Administrator will, as agent for the Participants,
receive the cash payment and use it to buy common stock
on the Nasdaq National Market or elsewhere for the Participants'
accounts. The price of the shares will be the average
market price at which shares were purchased by the Plan
Administrator.
REPORTS TO PARTICIPANTS
10. WHAT ACCOUNTS ARE MAINTAINED FOR PARTICIPANTS AND
WHAT REPORTS ON THESE ACCOUNTS DO PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE?
The Plan Administrator will maintain a separate Plan
Account for each Participant. All shares issued to you
under the Plan will be credited to your Plan Account.
The Plan Administrator will mail to each Participant
a statement confirming the issuance of shares within
fifteen days after the allocation of shares is made.
The statement will show the amount of the dividend or
distribution, the price at which shares were credited,
the number of full and fractional shares credited, the
number of shares previously credited and the cumulative
total of shares credited. In addition, as a Participant,
you will receive copies of the Company's annual and quarterly
reports to stockholders, proxy statements and dividend
income information for tax
purposes.
VOTING OF SHARES
11. HOW WILL A PARTICIPANT'S SHARES BE VOTED AT MEETINGS
OF STOCKHOLDERS?
You will receive a proxy card covering the total number
of shares held by you of record, including shares credited
to your Plan Account. If a proxy card is returned properly
signed, but without indicating instructions as to the
manner in which shares are to be voted with respect to
any item thereon, the corresponding shares will be voted
in accordance with the recommendation of the Board of
Directors. If the proxy card is not returned, or it is
unexecuted or improperly executed, the corresponding
shares will not be voted unless you or your duly appointed
representative votes in person at the meeting.
CERTIFICATES FOR SHARES
12. WILL CERTIFICATES BE ISSUED FOR SHARES ISSUED UNDER
THE PLAN?
No. Certificates for shares issued under the Plan will
not be furnished to you until your Plan Account is terminated
or unless you request certificates in writing for a specified
number of shares credited to your Plan Account. All written
requests for certificates should be directed to the Plan
Administrator, allowing two weeks for processing. The
issuance of certificates for shares credited to a Plan
Account will not terminate your participation in the
Plan. No certificate for a fractional share will be issued.
If you terminate your participation in the Plan (see
Question 16), the Plan Administrator will sell for your
account any fractional share and send you a check for
the proceeds.
13. IN WHOSE NAME WILL CERTIFICATES BE REGISTERED WHEN
ISSUED?
Plan Accounts are maintained in the name in which your
shares certificates were registered at the time that
you became a Participant in the Plan. Certificates for
whole shares issued at your request from your Plan Account
will be similarly registered.
DIVIDENDS AND STOCK SPLITS
14. WHAT HAPPENS IF THE COMPANY ISSUES A STOCK DIVIDEND
OR DECLARES A STOCK SPLIT?
Any Stock dividends or split shares distributed by the
Company on shares held by the Plan Administrator for
you will be credited to your Plan Account.
FEDERAL TAX CONSEQUENCES
15. WHAT IS THE TAX STATUS OF REINVESTED DIVIDENDS?
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions
will not relieve you of any income tax liability associated
with such dividend or distribution. As a Participant
in the Plan, you will be treated for Federal income tax
purposes as having received, on the dividend payment
date, a dividend or distribution in an equal amount to
the cash that you could have received instead of shares.
The tax basis of such shares
will equal the amount of such cash. As a Participant,
you will not realize any taxable income upon receipt
of a certificate for whole shares credited to your Plan
Account either upon your request for a specified number
of shares or upon termination of enrollment in the Plan.
As a Participant, you will receive a Form 1099 regarding
the Federal income tax status of all dividends and distributions
taxable
during the previous year.
MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION
16. WHAT HAPPENS IF A PARTICIPANT WISHES TO TERMINATE
PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN?
You may terminate your participation in the Plan at
any time by notifying the Plan Administrator in writing.
To be effective for any given dividend payment date,
the notice to terminate must be received by the Plan
Administrator at least two business days before the record
date for the dividend payment. All dividends with a record
date after receipt of your notification will be sent
directly to you. Upon termination of your participation,
you will receive a certificate for the number of full
shares of Common Stock held for you by the Plan Administrator
at no charge. At the same time, you will receive a
check in payment for any fractional shares in your account,
valued at the then current market price of the Company's
Common Stock, less any applicable brokerage commissions
and any other costs of sale. If you prefer, you can request
that your full shares of Common Stock held by the Plan
Administrator be sold, and you will receive a check for
the proceeds, less any applicable brokerage commissions
and any other costs of sale.
17. MAY THE PLAN BE CHANGED OR DISCONTINUED?
The Company and the Plan Administrator may amend, suspend
or terminate the Plan at any
time. Any such amendment, suspension or termination will
be effective upon a designated dividend
record date and notice of such amendment, suspension
or termination will be sent to all Participants
at least sixty days prior to such record date.
18. HOW CAN I SELL MY SHARES?
Under the terms of the Plan, you may instruct the Administrator
to sell any or all shares held in your account. Note:
In no event will your sale order be executed on the day
your order is placed. You should therefore anticipate
a difference between the price of the stock on the date
you place the order and the price at which the shares
are sold.
Sale Orders via IVR System
The recommended method for placing sale orders is via
the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System. To place
a sale order, telephone the Shareholder Service Center
at 1-800-524-4458 and enter your social security number
or Taxpayer ID at the prompt. Select the menu option
for sales. For security purposes, you will be asked
to enter your account number. Daily sale orders are
generally accepted until 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Sale
orders placed via the IVR before 6:00 p.m. will generally
be sold
within two business days and in most cases be sold the
next business day. Sales placed after 6:00 p.m. will
be considered received the next business day.* The IVR
is confidential, secure and provides a unique confirmation
number for each transaction that you execute.
* Sales are subject to stock exchange holidays, early
closings and Company black-out periods
Sale Orders by Mail
You may use the stub from the Plan Statement that you
receive from The Bank of New York to
sell your shares. Complete and sign the stub and mail
the instructions to the Plan Administrator. Be certain
that all listed participants sign the instruction form.
You should retain the top portion of your statement for
your records. Sale orders received by mail will be executed
as promptly as possible after receipt. If you need a
replacement Statement, please contact our Shareholder
Service Center.
19. HOW ARE SHARES SOLD?
The Plan Administrator aggregates all requests to sell
shares then sells the total share amount on the open
market through BNY ESI & Co., Inc., a wholly-owned
subsidiary of The Bank of New York Company, Inc. The
shares are sold daily, on any exchange on which the shares
of Gladstone Capital Corporation are listed. The selling
price will not be known until the sale is completed.
The proceeds of the transaction, less applicable fees
or charges, will be mailed to you by first class mail
within two business days after the trade settlement date.
The trade settlement date is the third business day after
the sale order is executed. The sale check will include
a stub detailing the trade, as well as Form 1099-B, which
should be retained for your tax records. Participants
should be aware that the common stock price may fall
during the period between a request for sale, its receipt
by the Plan Administrator and the ultimate sale on the
open market. Instructions sent to the Plan Administrator
to sell shares may not be rescinded.
PLAN ADMINISTRATOR RESPONSIBILITIES
20. WHAT ARE THE PLAN ADMINISTRATOR'S RESPONSIBILITIES
UNDER THE PLAN?
The Plan Administrator will not be liable under the
Plan for any act done by the Plan Administrator
in good faith or for any good faith omission to act including,
without limitation, any claims for liability (a) arising
out of failure to terminate a Participant's participation
in the Plan upon the Participant's death prior to receipt
of notice in writing of such death; (b) with respect
to the prices at which shares are purchased or sold for
the Participant's account and the time such purchases
or sales are made; and (c) relating to the value of the
shares acquired for the Participant's account.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION
Gladstone Capital Corporation is subject to the informational
requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and
is required to file reports, proxy statements and other
information with the SEC. These documents can be inspected
and copied for a fee at the SEC's Public Reference Room,
450 5th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20549. Call 202-942-8090
for information on the operation of the public reference
room. The SEC also maintains an Internet site at http://www.sec.gov.
This site contains reports, proxy and information statements
and other information regarding issuers that file electronically
with the SEC.
To download the questions and answers, and application
as a PDF file, please click
here.
To download the application as a PDF file, please click
here.
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