UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, DC 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 18, 2019
Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT
(Exact name of registrant specified in its charter)
Maryland | 001-35896 | 46-0687599 | ||
(State or Other Jurisdiction Of Incorporation) | (Commission File Number) | (IRS Employer Identification No.) | ||
53 Forest Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
(Address of principal executive offices, zip code)
Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (203) 698-1200
Not applicable
(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:
o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
Emerging growth company ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Item 8.01 Other Events.
In connection with the existing at-the-market equity offering program (the “ATM Program”) of Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT (the “Company”) and a prospectus supplement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 28, 2017 (File No. 333-220923) with respect to the issuance and sale from time to time of shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Shares”), the Company is filing as Exhibit 5.1 hereto an opinion of its Maryland counsel, Venable LLP, with respect to the legality of the Shares.
This Current Report on Form 8-K shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.
(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is being furnished herewith this Current Report on Form 8-K.
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
ELLINGTON RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE REIT | |||
Dated: March 18, 2019 | By: | /s/ Christopher Smernoff | |
Christopher Smernoff | |||
Chief Financial Officer | |||
[LETTERHEAD OF VENABLE LLP]
March 18, 2019
Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT
53 Forest Avenue
Old Greenwich, CT 06870
Re: Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-220923)
Ladies and Gentlemen:
We have served as Maryland counsel to Ellington Residential Mortgage REIT, a Maryland real estate investment trust (the “Company”), in connection with certain matters of Maryland law relating to the registration and issuance by the Company of common shares of beneficial interest, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (the “Common Shares”) having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000 (the “Shares”), including an available $85,841,137 of the original $100,000,000 aggregate offering price. The Shares are covered by the above-referenced Registration Statement, and all amendments thereto (the “Registration Statement”), filed by the Company with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).
In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Documents”):
1.The Registration Statement and the related form of prospectus included therein, in the form in which it was transmitted to the Commission under the 1933 Act;
2.The Prospectus Supplement, dated December 28, 2017;
3.The declaration of trust of the Company (the “Declaration”), certified by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);
4.The Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
5.A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of a recent date;
6.Resolutions adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Company (the “Board”) relating to, among other matters, the authorization of the sale, issuance and registration of the Shares (the “Resolutions”), certified as of the date hereof by an officer of the Company;
7.The Equity Distribution Agreement, dated June 26, 2017, by and between the Company and Ladenburg Thalmann & Co. Inc.;
8.The Equity Distribution Agreement, dated June 26, 2017, by and between the Company and JMP Securities LLC;
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9.A certificate executed by an officer of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and
10.Such other documents and matters as we have deemed necessary or appropriate to express the opinion set forth below, subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein.
In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:
1.Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.
2.Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.
3.Each of the parties (other than the Company) executing any of the Documents has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations set forth therein are legal, valid and binding and are enforceable in accordance with all stated terms.
4.All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. The form and content of all Documents submitted to us as unexecuted drafts do not differ in any respect relevant to this opinion from the form and content of such Documents as executed and delivered. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All representations, warranties, statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification of or amendment to any of the Documents, and there has been no waiver of any provision of any of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.
5.Upon the issuance of any of the Shares, the total number of shares of Common Shares issued and outstanding will not exceed the total number of shares of Common Shares that the Company is then authorized to issue under the Declaration.
6.The Shares will not be issued or transferred in violation of the restrictions on transfer and ownership contained in Article VII of the Declaration.
7.Prior to the issuance of any of the Shares, the Board or a duly authorized pricing committee of the Board will determine the price and certain other terms of issuance of such Shares in accordance with the Resolutions (the “Corporate Proceedings”).
Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:
1.The Company is a real estate investment trust duly formed and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.
2. The issuance of the Shares has been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered by the Company in accordance with the Resolutions, the Corporate Proceedings and the Registration
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Statement against payment of the consideration set forth therein, the Shares will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.
The foregoing opinion is limited to the substantive laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning federal law or the laws of any other state. We express no opinion as to the applicability or effect of federal or state securities laws, including the securities laws of the State of Maryland, or as to federal or state laws regarding fraudulent transfers. To the extent that any matter as to which our opinion is expressed herein would be governed by the laws of any jurisdiction other than the State of Maryland, we do not express any opinion on such matter. The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of any judicial decision which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.
The opinion expressed herein is limited to the matters specifically set forth herein and no other opinion shall be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated. We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof.
This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K (the “Current Report”), which is incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement. We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the Current Report and the said incorporation by reference and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the 1933 Act.
Very truly yours,
/s/ Venable LLP
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