EX-3.3 4 d407906dex33.htm EX-3.3 EX-3.3

EXHIBIT 3.3

EXCHANGERIGHT INCOME FUND

BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

OFFICES

Section 1. PRINCIPAL OFFICE. The principal office of the Trust in the State of Maryland shall be located at such place as the Trustee may designate.

Section 2. ADDITIONAL OFFICES. The Trust may have additional offices, including a principal executive office, at such places as the Trustee may from time to time determine or the business of the Trust may require.

ARTICLE II

MEETINGS OF SHAREHOLDERS

Section 1. PLACE. All meetings of shareholders shall be held at the principal executive office of the Trust or at such other place as shall be set in accordance with these Bylaws and stated in the notice of the meeting.

Section 2. ANNUAL MEETING. There shall be no requirement to hold an annual meeting of the shareholders in any year. The Trustee may cause the Trust to call an annual meeting of shareholders for the transaction of any business within the powers of the Trust, which shall be held on the date and at the time and place set by the Trustee.

Section 3. SPECIAL MEETINGS. The president, chief executive officer or Trustee may call special meetings of the shareholders.

Section 4. NOTICE. Not less than ten nor more than 90 days before each meeting of shareholders, the secretary shall give to each shareholder entitled to vote at such meeting, and to each shareholder not entitled to vote who is entitled to notice of the meeting, notice stating the time and place of the meeting and, in the case of a special meeting or as otherwise may be required by any statute, the purpose for which the meeting is called. Notice may be provided by mail, by presenting it to such shareholder personally, by leaving it at the shareholder’s residence or usual place of business, by electronic transmission or by any other means permitted by Maryland law. If mailed, such notice shall be deemed to be given when deposited in the United States mail addressed to the shareholder at the shareholder’s address as it appears on the records of the Trust, with postage thereon prepaid. If transmitted electronically, such notice shall be deemed to be given when transmitted to the shareholder by an electronic transmission to any address or number of the shareholder at which the shareholder receives electronic transmissions. The Trust may give a single notice to all shareholders who share an address, which single notice shall be effective as to any shareholder at such address, unless such shareholder objects to receiving such single notice or revokes a prior consent to receiving such single notice. Failure to give notice of any meeting to one or more shareholders, or any irregularity in such notice, shall not affect the validity of any meeting fixed in accordance with this Article II or the validity of any proceedings at any such meeting.


Any business of the Trust may be transacted at an annual meeting of shareholders without being specifically designated in the notice, except such business as is required by any statute to be stated in such notice. No business shall be transacted at a special meeting of shareholders except as specifically designated in the notice.

Section 5. ORGANIZATION AND CONDUCT. Every meeting of shareholders shall be conducted by an individual appointed by the Trustee to be chairman of the meeting or, in the absence of such appointment or appointed individual, by one of the following officers present at the meeting in the following order: the chief executive officer, the president, the vice presidents in their order of rank and, within each rank, in their order of seniority, the secretary or, in the absence of such officers, a chairman chosen by the shareholders by the vote of a majority of the votes cast by shareholders present in person or by proxy. The secretary or, in the secretary’s absence, an individual appointed by the Trustee or, in the absence of such appointment, an individual appointed by the chairman of the meeting, shall act as secretary. In the event that the secretary presides at a meeting of shareholders, an individual appointed by the Trustee or the chairman of the meeting shall record the minutes of the meeting. The order of business and all other matters of procedure at any meeting of shareholders shall be determined by the chairman of the meeting. The chairman of the meeting may prescribe such rules, regulations and procedures and take such action as, in the discretion of the chairman and without any action by the shareholders, are appropriate for the proper conduct of the meeting, including, without limitation: (a) restricting admission to the time set for the commencement of the meeting; (b) limiting attendance at the meeting to shareholders of record of the Trust, their duly authorized proxies and such other individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (c) limiting participation at the meeting on any matter to shareholders of record of the Trust entitled to vote on such matter, their duly authorized proxies and other such individuals as the chairman of the meeting may determine; (d) limiting the time allotted to questions or comments; (e) determining when and for how long the polls should be opened and when the polls should be closed and when announcement of the results shall be made ; (f) maintaining order and security at the meeting; (g) removing any shareholder or any other individual who refuses to comply with meeting procedures, rules or guidelines as set forth by the chairman of the meeting; (h) concluding a meeting or recessing or adjourning the meeting to a later date and time and at a place announced at the meeting; and (i) complying with any state and local laws and regulations concerning safety and security. Unless otherwise determined by the chairman of the meeting, meetings of shareholders shall not be required to be held in accordance with the rules of parliamentary procedure.

Section 6. QUORUM. At any meeting of shareholders, the presence in person or by proxy of shareholders entitled to cast a majority of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting on any matter shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the Declaration of Trust of the Trust (the “Declaration of Trust”) for the vote

 

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necessary for the approval of any matter. If such quorum is not established at any meeting of the shareholders, the chairman of the meeting may adjourn the meeting sine die or from time to time to a date not more than 120 days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

The shareholders present either in person or by proxy, at a meeting which has been duly called and at which a quorum has been established, may continue to transact business until adjournment, notwithstanding the withdrawal from the meeting of enough shareholders to leave fewer than would be required to establish a quorum.

Section 7. VOTING. A plurality of all the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to elect a successor trustee. A majority of the votes cast at a meeting of shareholders duly called and at which a quorum is present shall be sufficient to approve any other matter which may properly come before the meeting, unless more than a majority of the votes cast is required by statute or by the Declaration of Trust. Unless otherwise provided by statute or by the Declaration of Trust, each outstanding share of beneficial interest, regardless of class, shall be entitled to one vote on each matter submitted to a vote at a meeting of shareholders. Voting on any question or in any election may be viva voce unless the chairman of the meeting shall order that voting be by ballot or otherwise.

Section 8. PROXIES. A holder of record of shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may cast votes in person or by proxy executed by the shareholder or by the shareholder’s duly authorized agent in any manner permitted by law. Such proxy or evidence of authorization of such proxy shall be filed with the secretary of the Trust before or at the meeting. No proxy shall be valid more than eleven months after its date, unless otherwise provided in the proxy.

Section 9. VOTING OF SHARES BY CERTAIN HOLDERS. Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust registered in the name of a corporation, partnership, trust, limited liability company or other entity, if entitled to be voted, may be voted by the president or a vice president, general partner, trustee or managing member thereof, as the case may be, or a proxy appointed by any of the foregoing individuals, unless some other person who has been appointed to vote such shares pursuant to a bylaw or a resolution of the governing body of such corporation or other entity or agreement of the partners of a partnership presents a certified copy of such bylaw, resolution or agreement, in which case such person may vote such shares. Any trustee or fiduciary may vote shares of beneficial interest registered in the name of such person in the capacity of such trustee or fiduciary, either in person or by proxy.

Shares of beneficial interest of the Trust directly or indirectly owned by it shall not be voted at any meeting and shall not be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares entitled to be voted at any given time, unless they are held by it in a fiduciary capacity, in which case they may be voted and shall be counted in determining the total number of outstanding shares at any given time.

 

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The Trustee may adopt by resolution a procedure by which a shareholder may certify in writing to the Trust that any shares of beneficial interest registered in the name of the shareholder are held for the account of a specified person other than the shareholder. The resolution shall set forth the class of shareholders who may make the certification, the purpose for which the certification may be made, the form of certification and the information to be contained in it; if the certification is with respect to a record date, the time after the record date within which the certification must be received by the Trust; and any other provisions with respect to the procedure which the Trustee considers necessary or desirable. On receipt by the Trust of such certification, the person specified in the certification shall be regarded as, for the purposes set forth in the certification, the shareholder of record of the specified shares of beneficial interest in place of the shareholder who makes the certification.

Section 10. INSPECTORS. The Trustee or the chairman of the meeting may appoint, before or at the meeting, one or more inspectors for the meeting and any successor to the inspector. Except as otherwise provided by the chairman of the meeting, the inspectors, if any, shall (a) determine the number of shares of beneficial interest represented at the meeting in person or by proxy and the validity and effect of proxies, (b) receive and tabulate all votes, ballots or consents, (c) report such tabulation to the chairman of the meeting, (d) hear and determine all challenges and questions arising in connection with the right to vote, and (e) do such acts as are proper to fairly conduct the election or vote. Each such report shall be in writing and signed by the inspector or by a majority of them if there is more than one inspector acting at such meeting. If there is more than one inspector, the report of a majority shall be the report of the inspectors. The report of the inspector or inspectors on the number of shares represented at the meeting and the results of the voting shall be prima facie evidence thereof.

Section 11. TELEPHONE MEETINGS. The Trustee or chairman of the meeting may permit one or more shareholders to participate in a meeting by means of a conference telephone or other communications equipment if all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other at the same time. Participation in a meeting by these means constitutes presence in person at the meeting.

Section 12. SHAREHOLDERS’ CONSENT IN LIEU OF MEETING. Any action required or permitted to be taken at any meeting of shareholders may be taken without a meeting (a) if a unanimous consent setting forth the action is given in writing or by electronic transmission by each shareholder entitled to vote on the matter and filed with the minutes of proceedings of the shareholders or (b) if the action is advised, and submitted to the shareholders for approval, by the Trustee and a consent in writing or by electronic transmission of shareholders entitled to cast not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take the action at a meeting of shareholders at which all shareholders entitled to vote were present and voted is delivered to the Trust in accordance with the Maryland Statutory Trust Act. The Trust shall give notice of any action taken by less than unanimous consent to each shareholder not later than ten days after the effective time of such action.

 

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ARTICLE III

OFFICERS

Section 1. GENERAL PROVISIONS. The Trustee may, from time to time, appoint and remove officers, employees and other agents of the Trust, to serve at the pleasure of the Trustee, with such powers and duties as the Trustee may determine. The officers of the Trust may include a chief executive officer, a president, one or more vice presidents, a chief operating officer, a chief financial officer, a treasurer, a secretary, and such other officers with such powers and duties as it shall deem necessary or desirable. The officers of the Trust, if any, shall be appointed by the Trustee, except that the chief executive officer or president may from time to time appoint one or more vice presidents or other subordinate officers and remove any officer so appointed. The duties of the officers of the Trust shall be as set forth in these Bylaws and as from time to time prescribed by the Trustee or, in the case of any officer other than the chief executive officer or president, the chief executive officer or president. Each officer shall serve until his or her successor is appointed and qualifies or until his or her death or his or her resignation or removal in the manner hereinafter provided. Any two or more offices except president and vice president may be held by the same person. Appointment of an officer or agent shall not of itself create contract rights between the Trust and such officer or agent. In the absence of any other appointment of such officers, solely for the purpose of executing and attesting any amendment to the Certificate or any other document required by law to be executed and/or attested by one or more officers of the Trust, the managing member of the Trustee shall be the chief executive officer and president of the Trust and any individual signing as such at the direction of the Trustee shall be the secretary of the Trust.

Section 2. REMOVAL AND RESIGNATION. Any officer or agent of the Trust may be removed, with or without cause, by the Trustee, and any subordinate officer or agent of the Trust may be removed, with or without cause, by the chief executive officer or the president of the Trust, but any such removal shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the person so removed. Any officer of the Trust may resign at any time by delivering his or her resignation to the Trustee, or to the chief executive officer, president or secretary of the Trust, if one is then appointed. Any resignation shall take effect immediately upon its receipt or at such later time specified in the resignation. The acceptance of a resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective unless otherwise stated in the resignation. Such resignation shall be without prejudice to the contract rights, if any, of the Trust.

Section 3. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER. The Trustee may designate a chief executive officer. The chief executive officer shall have general responsibility for implementation of the policies of the Trust, as determined by the Trustee, and for the management of the business and affairs of the Trust. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Trustee or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all responsibilities and duties incident to the office of chief executive officer and such other responsibilities and duties as may be prescribed by the Trustee from time to time.

 

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Section 4. CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER. The Trustee may designate a chief operating officer. The chief operating officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Trustee or the chief executive officer.

Section 5. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. The Trustee may designate a chief financial officer. The chief financial officer shall have the responsibilities and duties as determined by the Trustee or the chief executive officer.

Section 6. PRESIDENT. In the absence of a chief executive officer, the president shall in general supervise and control all of the business and affairs of the Trust. In the absence of a designation of a chief operating officer by the Trustee, the president shall be the chief operating officer. He or she may execute any deed, mortgage, bond, contract or other instrument, except in cases where the execution thereof shall be expressly delegated by the Trustee or by these Bylaws to some other officer or agent of the Trust or shall be required by law to be otherwise executed; and in general shall perform all responsibilities and duties incident to the office of president and such other responsibilities and duties as may be prescribed by the Trustee from time to time.

Section 7. VICE PRESIDENTS. In the absence of the president or in the event of a vacancy in such office, the vice president (or in the event there be more than one vice president, the vice presidents in the order designated at the time of their election or, in the absence of any designation, then in the order of their election) shall perform the responsibilities and duties of the president and when so acting shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the president; and shall perform such other responsibilities and duties as from time to time may be assigned to such vice president by the chief executive officer, the president or the Trustee. The Trustee may designate one or more vice presidents as executive vice president, senior vice president, or vice president for particular areas of responsibility.

Section 8. SECRETARY. The secretary shall (a) keep the minutes of the proceedings of the shareholders, the Trustee and committees of the Trustee, if any, in one or more books provided for that purpose; (b) see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws or as required by law; (c) be custodian of the trust records and of the seal of the Trust; (d) keep a register of the post office address of each shareholder which shall be furnished to the secretary by such shareholder; (e) have general charge of the share transfer books of the Trust; and (f) in general perform such other responsibilities and duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Trustee.

Section 9. TREASURER. The treasurer shall have the custody of the funds and securities of the Trust, shall keep full and accurate accounts of receipts and disbursements in books belonging to the Trust, shall deposit all moneys and other valuable effects in the name and to the credit of the Trust in such depositories as may be designated by the Trustee and in general perform such other responsibilities and duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the chief executive officer, the president or the Trustee. In the absence of a designation of a chief financial officer by the Trustee, the treasurer shall be the chief financial officer of the Trust.

 

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The treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Trust as may be ordered by the Trustee, taking proper vouchers for such disbursements, and shall render to the president and Trustee, at the regular meetings of the Trustee or whenever it may so require, an account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and of the financial condition of the Trust.

Section 10. COMPENSATION. The compensation of the officers shall be fixed from time to time by or under the authority of the Trustee, except that the chief executive officer or president may, from time to time, set the compensation for any vice president or other subordinate officer. No officer shall be prevented from receiving such compensation by reason of the fact that he or she is also the Trustee.

ARTICLE IV

CONTRACTS, CHECKS AND DEPOSITS

Section 1. CONTRACTS. The Trustee may authorize any officer or agent of the Trust or the Trustee to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Trust and such authority may be general or confined to specific instances. Any agreement, deed, mortgage, lease or other document shall be valid and binding upon the Trust when duly authorized or ratified by action of the Trustee and executed by an authorized person.

Section 2. CHECKS AND DRAFTS. All checks, drafts or other orders for the payment of money, notes or other evidences of indebtedness issued in the name of the Trust shall be signed by such officer or agent of the Trust or the Trustee in such manner as shall from time to time be determined by the Trustee.

Section 3. DEPOSITS. All funds of the Trust not otherwise employed shall be deposited or invested from time to time to the credit of the Trust as the Trustee, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief financial officer, or any other officer or agent of the Trust or the Trustee designated by the Trustee may determine.

ARTICLE V

SHARES

Section 1. CERTIFICATES. Except as may be otherwise provided by the Trustee, shareholders of the Trust are not entitled to certificates evidencing the shares of beneficial interest held by them. In the event that the Trust issues shares of beneficial interest evidenced by certificates, such certificates shall be in such form as prescribed by the Trustee or a duly authorized officer. There shall be no differences in the rights and obligations of shareholders based on whether or not their shares are evidenced by certificates.

 

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Section 2. TRANSFERS. All transfers of shares shall be made on the books of the Trust, by the holder of the shares, in person or by his or her attorney, in such manner as the Trustee or any officer of the Trust may prescribe and, if such shares are certificated, upon surrender of certificates duly endorsed. The issuance of a new certificate upon the transfer of certificated shares is subject to the determination of the Trustee that such shares shall no longer be evidenced by certificates.

The Trust shall be entitled to treat the holder of record of any share of beneficial interest as the holder in fact thereof and, accordingly, shall not be bound to recognize any equitable or other claim to or interest in such share or on the part of any other person, whether or not it shall have express or other notice thereof, except as otherwise expressly provided by the laws of the State of Maryland.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, transfers of shares of any class or series of beneficial interest will be subject in all respects to the Declaration of Trust and all of the terms and conditions contained therein.

Section 3. REPLACEMENT CERTIFICATE. The Trustee or any officer or agent of the Trust may direct a new certificate or certificates to be issued in place of any certificate or certificates theretofore issued by the Trust alleged to have been lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated, upon the making of an affidavit of that fact by the person claiming the certificate to be lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated; provided, however, if such shares have ceased to be certificated, no new certificate shall be issued unless requested in writing by such shareholder and the Trustee has determined that such certificates may be issued. Unless otherwise determined by the Trustee or an officer or agent of the Trust, the owner of such lost, destroyed, stolen or mutilated certificate or certificates, or his or her legal representative, shall be required, as a condition precedent to the issuance of a new certificate or certificates, to give the Trust a bond in such sums as it may direct as indemnity against any claim that may be made against the Trust.

Section 4. FIXING OF RECORD DATE. The Trustee may set, in advance, a record date for the purpose of determining shareholders entitled to notice of or to vote at any meeting of shareholders or determining shareholders entitled to receive payment of any dividend or the allotment of any other rights, or in order to make a determination of shareholders for any other proper purpose. Such date, in any case, shall not be prior to the close of business on the day the record date is fixed and shall be not more than 90 days and, in the case of a meeting of shareholders, not less than ten days, before the date on which the meeting or particular action requiring such determination of shareholders of record is to be held or taken.

When a record date for the determination of shareholders entitled to notice of and to vote at any meeting of shareholders has been set as provided in this section, such record date shall continue to apply to the meeting if adjourned or postponed, except if the meeting is adjourned or postponed to a date more than 120 days after the record date originally fixed for the meeting, in which case a new record date for such meeting may be determined as set forth herein.

 

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Section 5. SHARE LEDGER. The Trust shall maintain at its principal office or at the office of its counsel, accountants or transfer agent, an original or duplicate share ledger containing the name and address of each shareholder and the number of shares of each class held by such shareholder.

Section 6. FRACTIONAL SHARES; ISSUANCE OF UNITS. The Trustee may authorize the Trust to issue fractional shares or authorize the issuance of scrip, all on such terms and under such conditions as it may determine. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws, the Trustee may issue units consisting of different securities of the Trust. Any security issued in a unit shall have the same characteristics as any identical securities issued by the Trust, except that the Trustee may provide that for a specified period securities of the Trust issued in such unit may be transferred on the books of the Trust only in such unit.

ARTICLE VI

ACCOUNTING

YEAR

The Trustee shall have the power, from time to time, to fix the fiscal year of the Trust.

ARTICLE VII

DISTRIBUTIONS

Section 1. AUTHORIZATION. Dividends and other distributions upon the shares of beneficial interest of the Trust may be authorized by the Trustee, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust. Dividends and other distributions may be paid in cash, property or shares of beneficial interest of the Trust, subject to the provisions of law and the Declaration of Trust.

Section 2. CONTINGENCIES. Before payment of any dividends or other distributions, there may be set aside out of any assets of the Trust available for dividends or other distributions such sum or sums as the Trustee may from time to time, in its absolute discretion, think proper as a reserve fund for contingencies, for equalizing dividends, for repairing or maintaining any property of the Trust or for such other purpose as the Trustee shall determine, and the Trustee may modify or abolish any such reserve.

ARTICLE

VIII SEAL

Section 1. SEAL. The Trustee may authorize the adoption of a seal by the Trust. The seal shall contain the name of the Trust and the year of its formation and the words “Formed Maryland.” The Trustee may authorize one or more duplicate seals and provide for the custody thereof.

 

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Section 2. AFFIXING SEAL. Whenever the Trust is permitted or required to affix its seal to a document, it shall be sufficient to meet the requirements of any law, rule or regulation relating to a seal to place the word “(SEAL)” adjacent to the signature of the person authorized to execute the document on behalf of the Trust.

ARTICLE IX

WAIVER OF

NOTICE

Whenever any notice of a meeting is required to be given pursuant to the Declaration of Trust or these Bylaws or pursuant to applicable law, a waiver thereof in writing or by electronic transmission, given by the person or persons entitled to such notice, whether before or after the time stated therein, shall be deemed equivalent to the giving of such notice. Neither the business to be transacted at nor the purpose of any meeting need be set forth in the waiver of notice of such meeting, unless specifically required by statute. The attendance of any person at any meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting, except where such person attends a meeting for the express purpose of objecting to the transaction of any business on the ground that the meeting has not been lawfully called or convened.

ARTICLE X

AMENDMENT OF BYLAWS

The Trustee shall have the exclusive power to adopt, alter or repeal any provision of these Bylaws and to make new Bylaws.

ARTICLE XI

MISCELLANEOUS

All references to the Declaration of Trust shall include all amendments and supplements thereto.

 

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