Company: ABR-PF
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001628280-25-007183
Chunk: 49

Company: ARBOR REALTY TRUST INC
Filing Date: 2025-02-21
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 1A
Chunk 49
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 request in order to determine the effect of the acquisition on our status as a REIT. 

Our Board of Directors have approved resolutions under our charter allowing our chief executive officer and ACM, in relation to our chief executive officer’s controlling equity interest, a former director, as well as four outside investors, to own more than the ownership interest limit of our common stock stated in our charter. 

Our staggered board and other provisions of our charter and bylaws may prevent a change in our control.

Our Board of Directors is divided into three classes of directors. The current terms of the Class I, Class II and Class III directors will expire in 2025, 2026 and 2027, respectively. Directors of each class are chosen for three-year terms upon the expiration of their current terms, and each year one class of directors is elected by the stockholders. The staggered terms of our directors may reduce the possibility of a tender offer or an attempt at a change in control, even though a tender offer or change in control might be in the best interest of our stockholders. In addition, our charter and bylaws also contain other provisions that may delay or prevent a transaction or a change in control that might involve a premium price for our common stock or otherwise be in the best interest of our stockholders.

Risks Related to Our Status as a REIT

If we fail to remain qualified as a REIT, we will be subject to corporate tax and could face a substantial tax liability.

We conduct our operations to qualify as a REIT under the Internal Revenue Code. However, qualification as a REIT involves the application of highly technical and complex Internal Revenue Code provisions for which only limited judicial and administrative authorities exist. Even a technical or inadvertent mistake could jeopardize our REIT status. Our continued qualification as a REIT will depend on our satisfaction of certain asset, income, organizational, distribution, stockholder ownership and other requirements on a continuing basis. In addition, our ability to satisfy the requirements to qualify as a REIT depends in part on the actions of third parties over which we have no control or only limited influence, including in cases where we own an equity interest in an entity that is classified as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

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Furthermore, new tax legislation, administrative guidance or court decisions, in each instance potentially with retroactive effect, could make it more difficult or impossible for us to qualify as a REIT. If we fail to qualify as a REIT in any tax year, then:

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