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|                                                                                                                                     |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
|                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                | Year ended |   | Year ended |   | Year ended |   | Year ended |   | Year ended |   | Year ended |
|                                                                                                                                | December 31, |   | December 31, |   | December 31, |   | December 31, |   | December 31, |   | December 31, |
|                                                                                                                                | 2013 |   | 2012 |   | 2011 |   | 2010 |   | 2009 |   | 2008 |
| Earnings:                                                                                                                           |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|    Pretax income before preferred shares       from continuing operations              | $ | 45,411,712 |  |   | $ | 79,045,303 |  |   | $ | 49,752,614 |  |   | $ | 25,167,380 |  |   | $ | 6,336,588 |  |   | $ | (3,314,694 | ) |
|    Fixed charges                                                                                                     | 61,038,847 |  |   | 42,809,788 |  |   | 30,450,471 |  |   | 36,486,361 |  |   | 45,450,398 |  |   | 79,640,808 |  |
|         Total                                                                               | $ | 106,450,559 |  |   | $ | 121,855,091 |  |   | $ | 80,203,085 |  |   | $ | 61,653,741 |  |   | $ | 51,786,986 |  |   | $ | 76,326,114 |  |
|                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Fixed Charges:                                                                                                                      |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
|    Interest (expensed and capitalized)                                                                               | $ | 52,518,198 |  |   | $ | 38,027,275 |  |   | $ | 27,043,926 |  |   | $ | 31,876,054 |  |   | $ | 41,369,137 |  |   | $ | 76,490,096 |  |
|    Amortized premiums, discounts      and capitalized expenses related      to indebtedness | 8,491,437 |  |   | 4,765,109 |  |   | 3,387,123 |  |   | 4,590,397 |  |   | 4,058,255 |  |   | 3,128,657 |  |
|    Estimate of interest within      rental expenses                                         | 29,212 |  |   | 17,404 |  |   | 19,422 |  |   | 19,910 |  |   | 23,006 |  |   | 22,055 |  |
|       Total                                                                                           | $ | 61,038,847 |  |   | $ | 42,809,788 |  |   | $ | 30,450,471 |  |   | $ | 36,486,361 |  |   | $ | 45,450,398 |  |   | $ | 79,640,808 |  |
|                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Preferred stock dividend                                                                                                            | $ | 7,221,041 |  |   | $ | 1,243,971 |  |   | $ | — |  |   | $ | — |  |   | $ | — |  |   | $ | — |  |
|                                                                                                                                |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
| Ratio of earnings to combined  fixed charges (1)                                                                          | 1.74 |  |   | 2.85 |  |   | 2.63 |  |   | 1.69 |  |   | 1.14 |  |   | 0.96 |  |
| Ratio of earnings to combined fixed   charges and preferred stock   dividends (1)                               | 1.56 |  |   | 2.77 |  |   | 2.63 |  |   | 1.69 |  |   | 1.14 |  |   | 0.96 |  |

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| (1) | The Company did not have any shares of preferred stock outstanding until June 2012 and paid its first preferred stock dividend in July 2012. |