Attached files
file | filename |
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8-K - FORM 8-K - UDR, Inc. | d81052e8vk.htm |
EX-99.1 - EX-99.1 - UDR, Inc. | d81052exv99w1.htm |
EX-5.1 - EX-5.1 - UDR, Inc. | d81052exv5w1.htm |
EX-8.1 - EX-8.1 - UDR, Inc. | d81052exv8w1.htm |
EX-1.1 - EX-1.1 - UDR, Inc. | d81052exv1w1.htm |
Exhibit 8.2
[Letterhead
of Kutak Rock LLP]
March 31, 2011
UDR, Inc.
1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200
Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129
1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 200
Highlands Ranch, Colorado 80129
Re:
|
Certain United States Federal Income Tax Matters |
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have acted as special tax counsel to UDR, Inc., a Maryland corporation (the Company), in
connection with the offering from time to time by the Company of up
to 20,000,000 shares (the
Shares) of its common stock, $0.01 par value per share (the Common Stock) pursuant to that ATM
Equity
OfferingSM
sales agreement (the Sales Agreement), dated March 31, 2011 by the
Company on the one hand, and Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Citigroup Global
Markets, Inc, Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC as sales agents and/or principals,
on the other hand. The Common Stock is the subject of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed
by the Company with the Securities Exchange Commission
(SEC) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
(the Securities Act), on December 8, 2008 (the Original Registration Statement), as amended by
Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 thereto filed with the SEC on October 15, 2010 (the Original
Registration Statement as so amended is referred to herein as the Registration Statement), the
Prospectus dated December 8, 2008 contained in the Registration Statement (the Prospectus), and
the related Prospectus Supplement dated March 31, 2011 (the Prospectus Supplement).
Capitalized terms not defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to them in the certificate
(or incorporated therein by reference), dated of even date herewith (the Officers Certificate),
delivered to Kutak Rock LLP by the Company which provides certain representations by it relevant to
this opinion.
You have requested our opinion as to the status of the Company as a REIT for U.S. federal
income tax purposes. In connection with this opinion, we have examined and relied upon the
following, with your consent: (i) the Officers Certificate, (ii) the Registration Statement, the
Prospectus and the Prospectus Supplement, and (iii) such other documents as we have considered
relevant to our analysis. In our review of such documents in connection with our opinion as
expressed below, we have assumed the legal capacity of all natural persons, the genuineness of all
signatures, the authenticity of all documents submitted to us as originals, the conformity to
original documents of all documents submitted to us as certified, conformed, photostatic, or
UDR, Inc.
March 31, 2011
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March 31, 2011
Page 2
electronic copies, and the authenticity of the originals of such copies. Where documents have been
provided to us in draft form, we have assumed that the final executed versions of such documents
will not differ materially from such drafts.
The Officers Certificate relates to, among other things, the actual and proposed operations
of the Company and the entities in which it holds, or has held, a direct or indirect interest.
These representations and covenants relate, in some cases, to transactions and investments for
which we did not act as the Companys primary counsel. For purposes of our opinion, we have not
independently verified all of the statements, representations and covenants set forth in the
Officers Certificate, the Registration Statement, or in any other document. We have,
consequently, assumed and relied on your representation that the statements, representations and
covenants contained in the Officers Certificate, the Registration Statement, and other documents,
or otherwise furnished to us, accurately and completely describe all material facts relevant to our
opinion. We have assumed that such statements, representations and covenants are true without
regard to any qualification as to knowledge, belief, intent, or materiality. Our opinion is
conditioned on the continuing accuracy and completeness of such statements, representations and
covenants. We are not aware of any facts inconsistent with such statements, representations and
covenants. We have, at the Companys request, also assumed for purposes of our opinion that any
legal opinion received by the Company on or before December 8, 2008, to the effect that the Company
was taxable as a REIT, is correct. Any material change or inaccuracy in the facts referred to, set
forth, or assumed herein or in the Officers Certificate, including the correctness of any such
prior legal opinion, may affect our conclusions set forth herein.
Our
opinion is also based on the correctness of the following
assumptions: (i) each of the Company and
the entities comprising the Company has been and will continue to be operated in accordance
with the laws of the jurisdiction in which it was formed and in the manner described in the
relevant organizational documents, (ii) there will be no changes in the applicable laws of the
State of Maryland or of any other jurisdiction under the laws of which any of the entities
comprising the Company have been formed, and (iii) each of the written agreements to which the
Company is a party has been and will be implemented, construed and enforced in accordance with its
terms.
In rendering our opinion, we have considered and relied upon the Internal Revenue Code of
1986, as amended (the Code), the regulations promulgated thereunder
(Regulations), administrative rulings and other Treasury interpretations of the Code and
the Regulations by the courts and the Internal Revenue Service (the IRS), all as they exist
at the date hereof. It should be noted that the Code, Regulations, judicial decisions, and
administrative interpretations are subject to change at any time and, in some circumstances, with
retroactive effect. A material change that is made after the date hereof in any of the foregoing
bases for our opinion could affect our conclusions set forth herein. In this regard, an opinion
of counsel with respect to an issue represents counsels best judgment as to the outcome on the
merits with respect to such
UDR, Inc.
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Page 3
issue, is not binding on the IRS or the courts, and is not a guarantee that the IRS will not
assert a contrary position with respect to such issue or that a court will not sustain such a
position if asserted by the IRS.
We express no opinion as to the laws of any jurisdiction other than the federal laws of
the United States. We express no opinion on any issue relating to the Company or any
investment therein, other than as expressly stated herein.
Based on and subject to the foregoing, we are of the opinion that commencing with the
Companys taxable year that ended on December 31, 2007, the Company has been organized and
operated in conformity with the requirements for qualification as a REIT under the Code, and its
actual method of operation through the date of this letter has enabled, and its proposed method of
operation will enable, it to meet the requirements for qualification and taxation as a REIT under
the Code thereafter. As noted in the Registration Statement, the Companys qualification and
taxation as a REIT depend upon its ability to meet, through actual operating results, certain
requirements relating to the sources of its income, the nature of its assets, distribution levels
and diversity of stock ownership, and various other qualification tests imposed under the Code,
the results of which are not reviewed by us. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that the
actual results of the Companys operation for any one taxable year will satisfy the requirements
for taxation as a REIT under the Code.
This opinion is furnished to you solely in connection with the Prospectus Supplement. This
opinion is solely for your benefit, and may not be relied upon by, nor may copies be delivered to,
any other person without our prior written consent. This opinion is expressed as of the date
hereof, and we disclaim any undertaking to advise you or any other party of any subsequent changes
of the matters stated, represented, or assumed herein or any subsequent changes in applicable law.
We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Companys filings with
the SEC in connection with the offering of the Shares, and to the reference to our firm under the
heading Legal Matters in the Prospectus Supplement related to the Shares. In giving our
consent, we do not thereby admit that we are in the category of persons whose consent is required
under Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the SEC thereunder.
Very truly yours,
/s/
Kutak Rock LLP