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Published on April 24, 2008
April 24,
2008
VIA
EDGAR
Securities
and Exchange Commission
100 F
Street, N.E.
Mail Stop
4561
Washington,
D.C. 20549
Attn: Jessica
Barberich/Daniel L. Gordon
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Re:
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Omega
Healthcare Investors, Inc.
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Form
10-K for the year ended December 31,
2007
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Filed
02/15/08
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File
No. 001-11316
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Ladies
and Gentlemen:
On behalf
of Omega Healthcare Investors, Inc. (“Omega”), I am responding to the comments
received from your office by letter dated April 15, 2008 (the “April Letter”)
with respect to the above-referenced Form 10-K (the “Form 10-K”).
I have
restated and responded to your comment in the April Letter
below. Capitalized terms used in this letter have the meanings
ascribed to them in the Form 10-K. All page references (excluding
those in the headings and the staff’s comment) refer to pages of the Form
10-K.
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Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2007
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Note 5 - Other
Investments, pages F-19 and
F-20
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1.
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Comment: You
disclose that the 5,000 shares of Advocat Series C non-convertible
redeemable preferred stock that you received as a result of the Second
Advocat Restructuring are redeemable at your option after September 30,
2010 and that you classify these securities as
held-to-maturity. However, per review of the disclosure in the
Advocat, Inc. 10-K filed on March 11, 2008, we note that the Advocat
Series C non-convertible redeemable preferred stock is also redeemable at
Advocat’s option after September 30, 2007. In this regard, it
does not appear that you have the ability to hold these securities to
maturity. Please explain. For reference, please see
SFAS 115.
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Response: We
have reviewed our disclosure regarding the 5000 shares of Advocat Series C
non-convertible redeemable preferred stock and believe that we have properly
accounted for and disclosed theses securities as held-to-maturity. For
accounting guidance, we referred to Statement of Accounting Standards No. 115,
Accounting for Certain
Investment in Debt and Equity Securities, (“FAS No. 115”), which
states:
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“Investments
in debt securities shall be classified as held-to-maturity and measured
at amortized cost in the statement of financial position only if the reporting
enterprise has the positive intent and ability to hold those securities to
maturity.” (Paragraph 7)
FAS No.
115 defines a Debt Security as:
“Any
security representing a creditor relationship with an enterprise. It
also includes (a) preferred stock that by its terms either must be redeemed by
the issuing enterprise or is redeemable at the option of the investor…”
(Paragraph 137)
FAS No.
115 also states:
“In some
circumstances it may not be possible to hold a security to its originally stated
maturity, such as when the security is called by the issuer prior to
maturity. The issuer’s exercise of the call option effectively
accelerates the security’s maturity and should not be viewed as inconsistent
with the classification in the held-to-maturity category.”(Paragraph
77)
Further,
the concept in paragraph 77 of FAS No. 115 was repeated in Question 19 of the
FASB staff’s implementation guidance, “A Guide to Implementation of Statement
115 on Accounting for Certain Investments in Debt and Equity Securities:
Questions and Answers” as follows:
19. Q—May
a callable debt security be classified as held-to-maturity?
A—Generally
yes. Paragraph 77 of Statement 115 states, "The issuer's exercise of
the call option effectively accelerates the security's maturity and should not
be viewed as inconsistent with classification in the held-to-maturity category."
However a callable debt security purchased at a significant premium might be
precluded from held-to-maturity classification under paragraph 14 of
Statement 140 if it can be prepaid or otherwise settled in such a way that the
holder of the security would not recover substantially all of its investment.
[Revised 12/98; 9/01.]
We
determined that the Advocat Series C non-convertible redeemable preferred stock
meets the definition of debt securities as noted above, because the securities
are redeemable by Advocat, the issuer of the securities, at our request after
September 30, 2010. Furthermore, we note that Advocat’s ability to
call (i.e., redeem) these securities prior to their stated maturity does not
impact Omega’s ability to classify these securities as held-to-maturity
securities. Rather, as the above guidance notes, the issuer’s ability
to redeem the securities prior to their maturity date is an acceleration of the
maturity date. We also note that we have the positive intent and
ability to hold these securities until the maturity date. Finally, the
securities were not acquired at a premium.
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For your
reference, we have attached as Exhibit A to this letter excerpts from the
Restructuring Stock Issuance and Subscription Agreement dated October 20, 2006,
that covers the redemption of these securities.
2.
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Comment: You
disclose on page 37 that you recorded a $9.1 million fair value adjustment
in 2006 to reflect the change in the fair value of your derivative
instrument, the conversion feature of the redeemable, convertible Advocat
Series B preferred stock that you held prior to the Second Advocat
Restructuring. You also disclose on page F-19 that you recorded
a gain of $1.1 million associated with the exchange of the Advocat Series
B preferred stock for the new Advocat Series C non-convertible, redeemable
preferred stock. Please tell us how you calculated the gain
amount and the accounting literature that you relied upon to determine the
proper accounting treatment for the exchange. Please
specifically address how the removal of the conversion feature of the
preferred stock affected your
calculation.
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Response: As
a result of improved operations of Advocat and the previously disclosed tax
issue with respect to Omega ownership of the Advocat convertible preferred
stock, in 2006 we entered into a restructuring agreement with Advocat whereby we
surrendered shares of Advocat Convertible Preferred Stock (Advocat Series B) and
a subordinated note with fair values of approximately $14.9 million and $2.5
million, respectively, in exchange for: (1) new non-convertible preferred stock
(Advocat Series C) with an estimated value of $4.1 million; (2) a new
subordinated note with a fair value of $2.5 million; (3) provision of
additional collateral; and (4) a revision to the master lease agreement which
extended the lease term by 8 years. Excluding the lease
modifications, the aggregate fair values of the securities surrendered by Omega
was $10.8 million greater than the aggregate fair value of securities received
by Omega.
The
exchange of financial instruments in this transaction was conducted in
connection with a lease modification. In accordance with FAS No. 13
paragraph 9, a revision of an operating lease is classified as a new lease
agreement and accounted for by the lessor based upon the lease classification as
of the date of the extension or renewal, with any deferred rent credit amortized
over the remaining term. Therefore, we believe this restructuring
should be viewed as a new lease and accounted for in accordance with FAS No. 13
and FTB 88-1 with the fair value of assets surrendered in excess of the fair
value of assets received recorded as a lease inducement and amortized over the
remaining lease term.
As
mentioned in the notes to the financial statements, the Advocat Series B
security was a compound financial instrument. During the period of
our ownership of this security, the embedded derivative value of the conversion
feature was recorded separately at fair market value in accordance with FAS No.
133 with changes in fair value recorded in the income statement. The
non-derivative (host) portion of the security was classified as an
available-for-sale investment and was stated at its fair value with unrealized
gains or losses recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income.
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At
December 31, 2005, the fair value of the Advocat Series B preferred stock was
$5.4 million (conversion feature – fair value of $1.1 million; host security –
fair value of $4.3 million, accreted cost of $2.4 million). At
October 20, 2006, the date of the Advocat restructuring, the fair value of the
Advocat Series B preferred stock was $14.9 million (conversion feature – fair
value of $10.2 million; host security – fair value of $4.7 million, accreted
cost of $3.6 million). As noted previously, the fair value of
the conversion feature on October 20, 2006 was valued at $10.2 million compared
to $1.1 million as of December 31, 2005.
At the
time of the restructuring, $1.1 million was recorded in accumulated other
comprehensive income relating to the host contract. The $1.1 million gain
calculated in the restructuring was the amount in accumulated other
comprehensive income, which represents the difference in the accreted value of
the host security and the fair value of the host security and represents
unrealized gain on this host security, excluding the conversion
option. The “removal” of the conversion feature (exchange of a
convertible instrument for a non-convertible instrument) did not factor into the
gain calculation as changes in fair value of the conversion feature were already
recorded through the income statement. In connection with the
exchange of the Advocat Series B security, the $1.1 million amount in
accumulated other comprehensive income was reversed through the income statement
as a gain in order for the lease inducement to be recorded based upon the
difference in fair value of the securities received versus the securities
surrendered. The Advocat Series B and C securities are significantly
different in terms such as these securities are not considered substantially
similar securities.
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Exhibits
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3.
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Comment: We
note that your certifications include the title of the certifying
individuals in the “I, [identify the certifying individual], certify that”
line. Since the certifications must be signed in a personal
capacity, please confirm to us that your officers signed such
certifications in a personal capacity and that you will revise your
certifications in future filings to exclude the title of the certifying
individual.
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Response: The
title of each officer will be deleted from the first sentence of each
certification in all future filings. We confirm that the titles of
our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer were included to better
identify the certifying individual and were not intended to limit the personal
capacity in which such individuals executed the certifications.
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In
connection with the foregoing responses, we hereby acknowledge
that:
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the
company is responsible for the adequacy and accuracy of the disclosure in
the filing;
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staff
comments or changes to disclosure in response to staff comments do not
foreclose the Commission from taking any action with respect to the
filings; and
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the
company may not assert staff comments as a defense in any proceeding
initiated by the Commission or any person under the federal securities
laws of the United States.
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Thank you
for your consideration of our responses to your comments. We
sincerely hope that the staff views our responses as complete and would very
much appreciate the staff contacting us as soon as practicable to inform us if
any further information is required in connection with its review.
If you
have any questions, or if we can be of further assistance to you in the review
process, please call me at (410) 427-1722. Our fax number is (410)
427-8822.
Omega
Healthcare Investors, Inc.
By: /s/ Robert O.
Stephenson
Robert O.
Stephenson
Chief
Financial Officer
Enclosures
cc: Taylor
Pickett
Michael
Ritz
Rick
Miller, Esq.
Eliot Robinson, Esq.
Clint Bowes
David Flynn
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EXHIBIT
A
Excerpts
from the Restructuring Stock Issuance and Subscription Agreement Relating to
Redemption
Section
11. Redemption.
a. Redemption at Option of
Holder. At any time on or after the earlier to occur of (1) an
Event of Default, (2) a Redemption Event, and (3) September 30, 2010, holder of
the Series C Preferred Stock may require the Corporation (i.e., Advocat) to
redeem all or a portion of the shares of the Series C Preferred Stock held by
such holders (to the extent that such redemption shall not violate any
applicable provisions of the laws of the state of Delaware) at a price in cash
equal to the lesser of (i) the Stated Value per share, plus an amount equal to
any dividends accrued but unpaid thereon and (ii) the REIT Maximum Value (such
amount us hereinafter referred to as the “Redemption Price”). If the
Corporation is unable on the date the holders of the series C Preferred Stock
require the Corporation to redeem such shares of Series C Preferred Stock (the
“Redemption Date”) to redeem any shares of Preferred Stock then to be redeemed
because such redemption would violate the applicable laws of the state of
Delaware, then the Corporation shall redeem such shares as soon thereafter as
redemption would not violate such laws.
b. Redemption by the
Corporation. If at any time of such redemption, the REIT
Maximum Value is greater than or equal to the Stated Value, then the
Corporation, at its option, may at any time on or after September 30, 2007
redeem, in whole or in part, shares of Series C Preferred Stock on any
Redemption Date set by the Board of Directors, upon ninety (90) days written
notice to each record holder of Series C Preferred Stock at a price in cash
equal to the Redemption Price. The Corporation shall pay the
Redemption Price in cash, out of funds legally available thereof.
c. On or
prior to the Redemption date, each holder of Series C Preferred Stock to be
redeemed shall surrender its certificate or certificates representing such
shares to the Corporation, and thereupon the Redemption Price of such shares
shall be payable to the order of the person whose name appears on such
certificate or certificates as the owner thereof and each surrendered
certificate shall be cancelled. In the event less than all the shares
represented by any such Certificate are redeemed, a new certificate shall be
issued representing the unredeemed shares. From and after the
Redemption Date, unless there shall have been a default in payment of the
Redemption Price, all rights of the holders of the Series C Preferred Stock
redeemed (except the right to receive the Redemption Price upon surrender of
their certificate or certificates) shall cease with respect to such shares, and
such shares shall not thereafter be transferred on the books of the Corporation
or be deemed to be outstanding for any purpose whatsoever.
. .
..
“Redemption Event”
means (i) the entry by the Corporation into any agreement, which if consummated,
would result in the consolidation, merger, share exchange, combination or other
transaction in which all or substantially all of the shares of the Corporation
are exchanged for or changed into other stock or securities, cash, and/or any
other property, (ii) the issuance by the Corporation of any Common Stock other
than (A) the issuance pursuant to the exercise of any stock options granted to
any employees, directors, or officers of, or bono fide consultants to, the
Corporation and its subsidiaries pursuant to stock plans or options or
agreements adopted or approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors or (B)
shares of Common Stock issued in connection with a bona fide acquisition by the
Corporation whether by merger, consolidation, purchase of assets, purchase or
exchange of stock or other similar transactions with a non-financing purpose
approved by the Corporation’s Board of Directors; provided that the Corporation
is the surviving entity of such transaction or series of
transactions.