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Management Agreement with Tremont
 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]  
Management Agreement with Tremont Management Agreement with Tremont
We have no employees. Effective January 5, 2021, upon receipt of the Deregistration Order, we entered into a management agreement with Tremont. The personnel and various services we require to operate our business are provided to us by Tremont, pursuant to the management agreement, which provides for the day to day management of our operations by Tremont, subject to the oversight and direction of our Board of Trustees.
Prior to the Merger, Tremont also provided management services to TRMT. In connection with the Merger, TRMT terminated its management agreement with Tremont, and Tremont waived its right to receive payment of the termination fees that would have otherwise resulted due to the Merger. In consideration of this waiver, we agreed that, effective upon consummation of the Merger and the termination of TRMT’s management agreement with Tremont, certain of the expenses Tremont had paid pursuant to TRMT’s management agreement will be included in the “Termination Fee” under and as defined in our existing management agreement with Tremont.
Our management agreement with Tremont provides for an annual base management fee and an incentive fee, payable in cash, among other terms:
•Base Management Fee. We are required to pay Tremont the annual base management fee equal to 1.5% of our “Equity”, payable in cash quarterly (0.375% per quarter) in arrears. Under our management agreement, “Equity” means (a) the sum of (i) our net asset value as of January 5, 2021, plus (ii) the net proceeds received by us from any future sale or issuance of shares of beneficial interest, plus (iii) our cumulative “Distributable Earnings,” as defined below, for the period commencing on January 5, 2021 to the end of the applicable most recent completed calendar quarter, less (b) (i) any distributions previously paid to holders of our common shares, (ii) any incentive fee previously paid to Tremont and (iii) any amount that we may have paid to repurchase our common shares. All items in the foregoing sentence (other than clause (a)(iii)) are calculated on a daily weighted average basis. As a result of the Merger, as of September 30, 2021, the net book value of TRMT was included as “Equity” under the management agreement.
•Incentive Fee. We are required to pay Tremont quarterly an incentive fee in arrears in cash equal to the difference between:
•The product of (i) 20% and (ii) the difference between (A) our Distributable Earnings for the most recent 12 month period (or such lesser number of completed calendar quarters, if applicable), including the calendar quarter (or part thereof) for which the calculation of the incentive fee is being made, and (B) the product of (1) our Equity in the most recent 12 month period (or such lesser number of completed calendar quarters, if applicable), including the calendar quarter (or part thereof) for which the calculation of the incentive fee is being made, and (2) 7% per year, and
•The sum of any incentive fees paid to Tremont with respect to the first three calendar quarters of the most recent 12 month period (or such lesser number of completed calendar quarters, if applicable).
No incentive fee shall be payable with respect to any calendar quarter unless Distributable Earnings for the 12 most recently completed calendar quarters (or such lesser number of completed calendar quarters, if applicable) in the aggregate is greater than zero. Pursuant to the terms of our management agreement, no management incentive fees were payable until after the quarter ended March 31, 2021 and, thereafter, any management incentive fees are subject to Tremont earning those fees in accordance with the management agreement.
For purposes of the calculation of base management fees and incentive fees payable to Tremont under our management agreement, “Distributable Earnings” is defined as net income (or loss) attributable to our common shareholders, computed in accordance with GAAP, including realized losses not otherwise included in GAAP net income (loss), and excluding: (a) the incentive fees earned by Tremont; (b) depreciation and amortization (if any); (c) non-cash equity compensation expense (if any); (d) unrealized gains, losses and other similar non-cash items that are included in net income for the period of the calculation (regardless of whether such items are included in or deducted from net income or in other comprehensive income or loss under GAAP); and (e) one-time events pursuant to changes in GAAP and certain material non-cash income or expense items, in each case after discussion between Tremont and our Independent Trustees and approved by a majority of our Independent Trustees. Distributable Earnings are reduced for realized losses on loan investments when amounts are deemed uncollectable. Pursuant to the terms of our management agreement, the exclusion of depreciation and amortization from the calculation of Distributable Earnings shall only apply with respect to real property we own.
Our shares of beneficial interest that are entitled to a specific periodic distribution or have other debt characteristics will not be included in “Equity” for the purpose of calculating incentive fees payable to Tremont. Instead, the aggregate distribution amount that accrues to such shares during the calendar quarter of such calculation will be subtracted from Distributable Earnings for purposes of calculating incentive fees, unless such distribution is otherwise already excluded from Distributable Earnings. Equity and Distributable Earnings as defined in our management agreement are non-GAAP financial measures and may be different from our shareholders’ equity and our net income calculated according to GAAP.
We recognized base management fees of $4,260 and $3,221 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. No incentive fee was earned for the year ended December 31, 2022 or 2021.
Term. The initial term of our management agreement ends on December 31, 2023, and the agreement will automatically renew for successive one year terms beginning January 1, 2024, and each January 1 thereafter, unless it is sooner terminated as detailed below.
Termination Rights. We have the right to terminate our management agreement with Tremont upon written notice delivered no later than 180 days prior to a renewal date by the affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (2/3) of our Independent Trustees based upon a determination that: (a) Tremont’s performance is unsatisfactory and materially detrimental to us or (b) the base management fee and incentive fee, taken as a whole, payable to Tremont under our management agreement are not fair to us (provided that, in the instance of (b), Tremont will be afforded the opportunity to renegotiate the base management fee and incentive fee prior to termination). Our management agreement may be terminated by Tremont before each annual renewal upon written notice delivered to our Board of Trustees no later than 180 days prior to an annual renewal date. We may also terminate our management agreement at any time without the payment of any termination fee, with at least 30 days’ prior written notice from us upon the occurrence of a “cause event,” as defined in the management agreement. Tremont may terminate our management agreement in certain other circumstances, including if we become required to register as an investment company under the 1940 Act for our uncured “material breach,” as defined in our management agreement, we materially reduce Tremont’s duties and responsibilities or scope of its authority under our management agreement or we cease or take steps to cease to conduct the business of originating or investing in CRE loans.
Termination Fee. In the event our management agreement is terminated by us without a cause event or by Tremont for a material breach, we will be required to pay Tremont a termination fee equal to: (a) three times the sum of (i) the average annual base management fee and (ii) the average annual incentive fee, in each case paid or payable to Tremont during the 24 month period immediately preceding the most recently completed calendar quarter prior to the date of termination or, if such termination occurs within 24 months of its initial commencement, the base management fee and the incentive fee will be annualized for such two year period based on such fees earned by Tremont from January 5, 2021, through the most recently completed calendar quarter prior to the termination date, plus (b) $1,600. No termination fee will be payable if our management agreement is terminated by us for a cause event or by Tremont without our material breach. In addition, as described above, in connection with the Merger and the termination of TRMT’s management agreement with Tremont, the initial organizational costs related to TRMT’s formation and the costs of its initial public offering and the concurrent private placement that Tremont had paid pursuant to that management agreement of $6,680 will be included in the “Termination Fee” under and as defined in our management agreement with Tremont.
Expense Reimbursement. Tremont, and not us, is responsible for the costs of its employees who provide services to us, including the cost of Tremont’s personnel who originate our loans, unless any such payment or reimbursement is specifically approved by a majority of our Independent Trustees, is a shared services cost or relates to awards made under any equity compensation plan adopted by us. Generally, it is the practice of Tremont and RMR to treat individuals who spend 50% or more of their business time providing services to Tremont as employees of Tremont. We are required to pay or to reimburse Tremont and its affiliates for all other costs and expenses of our operations, including but not limited to, the cost of rent, utilities, office furniture, equipment, machinery and other overhead type expenses, the costs of legal, accounting, auditing, tax planning and tax return preparation, consulting services, diligence costs related to our investments, investor relations expenses and other professional services, and other costs and expenses not specifically required under our management agreement to be borne by Tremont. Some of these overhead, professional and other services are provided by RMR pursuant to a shared services agreement between Tremont and RMR. We reimburse Tremont for shared services costs Tremont pays to RMR and its affiliates, and these reimbursements include an allocation of the cost of applicable personnel employed by RMR and our share of RMR’s costs of providing our internal audit function, with such shared services costs being subject to approval by a majority of our Independent Trustees at least annually. We incurred shared services costs of $2,232 and $1,565 for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, payable to Tremont as reimbursement for shared services costs it paid to RMR. We include these amounts in reimbursement of shared services expenses in our consolidated statements of operations.
Business Opportunities. Under our management agreement, we and Tremont have agreed that for so long as Tremont is managing us, neither Tremont nor any of its affiliates, including RMR, will sponsor or manage any other publicly traded REIT that invests primarily in first mortgage loans secured by middle market and transitional CRE located in the United States, unless such activity is approved by our Independent Trustees. However, our management agreement does not prohibit Tremont or its affiliates (including RMR) or their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents from competing or providing services to other persons, funds and investment vehicles, private REITs or other entities that may compete with us, including, among other things, with respect to the origination, acquisition, making, arranging or managing of first mortgage loans secured by middle market or transitional CRE or other investments like those we intend to make.
Because Tremont and RMR will not be prohibited from competing with us in all circumstances, and RMR provides management services to other companies, conflicts of interest exist with regard to the allocation of investment opportunities and for the time and attention of Tremont, RMR and their personnel. Our management agreement acknowledges these conflicts of interest and, in that agreement, we agree that Tremont, RMR and their subsidiaries may resolve such conflicts in good faith in their fair and reasonable discretion. In the case of such a conflict, Tremont, RMR and their subsidiaries will endeavor to allocate such investment opportunities in a fair and reasonable manner, taking into account such factors as they deem appropriate.
Our management agreement also provides that if Tremont, its affiliates (including RMR) or any of their respective directors, trustees, officers, employees or agents acquires knowledge of a potential business opportunity, we renounce any potential interest or expectation in, or right to be offered or to participate in, such business opportunity to the maximum extent permitted by Maryland law.
Liability and Indemnification. Tremont maintains a contractual as opposed to a fiduciary relationship with us. Pursuant to our management agreement, Tremont does not assume any responsibility other than to render the services called for thereunder in good faith and is not responsible for any action of our Board of Trustees in following or declining to follow its advice or recommendations. Under the terms of our management agreement, Tremont and its affiliates, including RMR, and their respective directors, trustees, officers, shareholders, owners, members, managers, employees and personnel will not be liable to us or any of our Trustees, shareholders or subsidiaries, or any of the trustees, directors or shareholders of any of our subsidiaries, for any acts or omissions related to the provision of services to us under our management agreement, except by reason of acts or omissions that have been determined in a final, non-appealable adjudication to have constituted bad faith, fraud, intentional misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties of Tremont under our management agreement. In addition, under the terms of our management agreement, we agree to indemnify, hold harmless and advance expenses to Tremont and its affiliates, including RMR, and their respective directors, trustees, officers, shareholders, owners, members, managers, employees and personnel from and against any and all expenses, losses, damages, liabilities, demands, charges and claims of any nature whatsoever, including all reasonable attorneys’, accountants’ and experts’ fees and expenses, arising from any acts or omissions related to the provision of services to us or the performance of any matters pursuant to an instruction by our Board of Trustees, except to the extent there is a final, non-appealable adjudication that such acts or omissions constituted bad faith, fraud, intentional misconduct, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties of Tremont under our management agreement. Such persons will also not be liable for trade errors that may result from ordinary negligence, including errors in the investment decision making or trade process.
Other. In addition to the fees and expense reimbursements payable to Tremont under our management agreement, Tremont and its affiliates may benefit from other fees paid to them in respect of our investments. For example, if we seek to securitize some of our CRE loans, Tremont or its affiliates may act as collateral manager. In any of these or other capacities, Tremont and its affiliates may receive fees for their services if approved by a majority of our Independent Trustees.