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<section article="gca" article_name="Corporations and Associations" number="8-202" title_number="8" title_name="Real Estate Investment Trusts" subtitle_number="2" subtitle_name="Formation and Qualification">
  <level label="a">
    <text>A real estate investment trust shall file its declaration of trust for record with the Department.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The declaration of trust shall:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Indicate clearly that the trust is a real estate investment trust;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>State the name of the trust;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>State the total number of shares which the real estate investment trust has authority to issue;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iv">
        <text>Provide for an annual meeting of shareholders at a convenient location and on proper notice;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="v">
        <text>Provide for the election of trustees at least every third year at an annual meeting of shareholders;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vi">
        <text>State the number of trustees and the names of those persons who will serve as trustees until the first meeting of shareholders and until their successors are elected and qualify or such later time as may be specified in the declaration of trust;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="vii">
        <text>State the name and address of a resident agent of the real estate investment trust in the State; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="viii">
        <text>If the shares are divided into classes as permitted by § 8–203 of this subtitle, provide a description of each class, including any preferences, conversion and other rights, voting powers, restrictions, limitations as to dividends or distributions, qualifications, and terms and conditions of redemption.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>A declaration of trust may include a provision that allows the trustees, in considering a potential acquisition of control of the real estate investment trust, to consider the effect of the potential acquisition of control on:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>Shareholders, employees, suppliers, customers, and creditors of the trust; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Communities in which offices or other establishments of the trust are located.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>The inclusion or omission of a provision in a declaration of trust that allows the board of trustees to consider the effect of a potential acquisition of control on persons specified in paragraph (2) of this subsection does not create an inference concerning factors that may be considered by the board of trustees regarding a potential acquisition of control.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>Notwithstanding any provision of this title which requires for any action the concurrence of a greater proportion of the votes than a majority of the votes entitled to be cast, a real estate investment trust may provide by its declaration of trust that the action may be taken or authorized on the concurrence of a greater or smaller proportion, but not less than a majority of the number of votes entitled to be cast on the matter.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The declaration of trust shall be signed and acknowledged by each trustee.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <level label="1">
      <text>In this subsection, “facts ascertainable outside the bylaws” include:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>An action or determination by any person, including the real estate investment trust, its board of trustees, an officer or agent of the real estate investment trust, and any other person affiliated with the real estate investment trust;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>Any agreement or other document; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>Any other event.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Any provision of the bylaws may be made dependent upon facts ascertainable outside the bylaws.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
