SOHOO Sotherly Hotels Inc

 

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 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): July 31, 2023

SOTHERLY HOTELS INC.

SOTHERLY HOTELS LP

(Exact name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Maryland (Sotherly Hotels Inc.) Delaware (Sotherly Hotels LP)	001-32379 (Sotherly Hotels Inc.) 001-36091 (Sotherly Hotels LP)	20-1531029 (Sotherly Hotels Inc.) 20-1965427 (Sotherly Hotels LP)
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
306 South Henry Street, Suite 100 Williamsburg, Virginia		23185
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (757) 229-5648

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:

☐	Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
☐	Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
☐	Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
☐	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).

Sotherly Hotels Inc. ☐ Sotherly Hotels LP ☐

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.

Sotherly Hotels Inc. ☐ Sotherly Hotels LP ☐

 

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Securities registered or to be registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, $0.01 par value	SOHO	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
8.0% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value	SOHOB	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value	SOHOO	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
8.25% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value	SOHON	The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

 

Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

 

On July 31, 2023, the Board of Directors (the "Board") of Sotherly Hotels Inc., a Maryland corporation (the "Company") and the sole general partner of Sotherly Hotels LP, a Delaware limited partnership, adopted an Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy (the "Clawback Policy") that provides for the recovery of certain incentive-based compensation provided to the Company's executive officers, as determined pursuant to Rule 16a-1(f) promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, in the event that the Company is required to prepare an accounting restatement.

 

The foregoing summary of the Clawback Policy is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the Clawback Policy, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

 

Item 5.03 Amendments to Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws; Change in Fiscal Year.

 

On July 31, 2023, the Board of the Company approved an amendment to the Company's Second Amended and Restated Bylaws (the "Bylaws"), effective as of July 31, 2023. The amendment to the Bylaws provides that the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast at least thirty-three and one-third percent, rather than a majority, of all the votes entitled to be cast shall constitute a quorum at all meetings of the stockholders of the Company.

 

The foregoing summary of the amendment to the Bylaws is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such amendment, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 3.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

 

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit Number		Description
3.1		Amendment to the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company, effective as of July 31, 2023.
10.1		Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy.
104		Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrants have duly caused this report to be signed on their behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

 

Date: August 4, 2023		SOTHERLY HOTELS INC.
		By:	/s/ Anthony E. Domalski
			Anthony E. Domalski
			Chief Financial Officer
		SOTHERLY HOTELS LP
			by its General Partner,
			SOTHERLY HOTELS INC.
		By:	/s/ Anthony E. Domalski
			Anthony E. Domalski
			Chief Financial Officer

 

 

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Exhibit 3.1

 

AMENDMENT

TO

SECOND AMENDED AND RESTATED BYLAWS

OF

SOTHERLY HOTELS INC.

(the “Company”)

The first paragraph of Section 6 of Article II of the Second Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Company is hereby amended and replaced in its entirety with the following:

Section 6. QUORUM. At any meeting of stockholders, the presence in person or by proxy of stockholders entitled to cast at least thirty-three and one-third percent (33⅓%) of all the votes entitled to be cast at such meeting shall constitute a quorum; but this section shall not affect any requirement under any statute or the Articles of Incorporation (the “Charter”) of the Corporation for the vote necessary for the adoption of any measure. If, however, such quorum shall not be present at any meeting of the stockholders, the chairman of the meeting shall have the power to adjourn the meeting from time to time to a date not more than one hundred twenty (120) days after the original record date without notice other than announcement at the meeting. At such adjourned meeting at which a quorum shall be present, any business may be transacted which might have been transacted at the meeting as originally notified.

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Exhibit 10.1

Sotherly Hotels Inc.

Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy

 

The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Sotherly Hotels Inc., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), has adopted this policy (this “Policy”) which requires the recovery of certain executive incentive compensation in the event that the Company is required to prepare an Accounting Restatement (as defined below). Incentive-based compensation subject to a recovery obligation is compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based on any measure presented in the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s stock price or total shareholder return, as described in greater detail below. References herein to the Company also include all of its consolidated direct and indirect subsidiaries. This Policy is designed to comply with Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), Rule 10D-1 thereunder, and The Nasdaq Stock Market (“Nasdaq”) Listing Rule 5608 (“Rule 5608”) and will be interpreted and applied accordingly.

This Policy will be administered by the Nominating, Corporate Governance and Compensation Committee (the “Committee”). The Committee is authorized to interpret and construe this Policy and to make all determinations necessary, appropriate, or advisable for the administration of this Policy. Any determinations made by the Committee will be final and binding on all affected individuals.

This Policy applies to the Company’s current and former executive officers, as determined pursuant to Rule 16a-1(f) promulgated under the Exchange Act and including executive officers identified under Item 401(b) of Regulation S-K (“Executive Officers,” and together with any former Executive Officer, the “Covered Persons”). Each Executive Officer shall be required to sign and return to the Company the Acknowledgement Form attached hereto as Exhibit A pursuant to which such Executive Officer will agree to be bound by the terms and comply with this Policy.

If the Company is required to prepare an Accounting Restatement, the Company will recover reasonably promptly all Erroneously Awarded Compensation from each Covered Person, unless the Committee determines in accordance with Section VI below that such recovery is impracticable.

For purposes of the foregoing:

 

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Recoupment of Erroneously Awarded Compensation pursuant to this Policy is made on a “no fault” basis, without regard to whether any misconduct occurred or whether any Covered Person has responsibility for the noncompliance that resulted in the Accounting Restatement.

 

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The Committee will determine, in its sole discretion, the method for recouping Erroneously Awarded Compensation hereunder, which may include, without limitation, any of the following:

 

The Committee will consider Section 409A of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, prior to offsetting recouped amounts against future payments of deferred compensation. In addition, the Committee may, in its sole discretion, determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the circumstances surrounding the noncompliance so as to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence.

The Committee will recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation in accordance with this Policy unless the Committee determines that such recovery would be impracticable because (i) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing the Policy would exceed the amount to be recovered or (ii) recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified, broad-based retirement plan of the Company to fail to meet the requirements of 26 U.S.C. 401(a)(13) or 26 U.S.C. 411(a) and regulations thereunder. Before concluding that it would be impracticable to recover any Erroneously Awarded Compensation based on the expense of enforcement, the Company shall make a reasonable attempt to recover such Erroneously Awarded Compensation, and the Company Secretary, on behalf of the Committee, shall document such reasonable attempt(s) to recover and provide that documentation to Nasdaq when required.

 

Neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates shall indemnify any Covered Person against the loss of any Erroneously Awarded Compensation. Further, neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries or affiliates shall pay or reimburse any Covered Person for any insurance policy entered into by a Covered Person that provides for full or partial coverage of any recoupment obligation under this Policy.

The Board or the Committee may amend this Policy from time to time in its discretion in any manner consistent with applicable law and regulation. The Board or Committee may terminate this Policy at any

 

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time when the Company does not have a class of securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association.

The Board intends that this Policy will be applied to the fullest extent of the law. Any right of recoupment under this Policy is in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other remedies or rights of recoupment that may be available to the Company (a) under applicable law, regulation or rule, (b) pursuant to the terms of any similar policy or recoupment provision in any employment agreement, severance agreement, equity award agreement, bonus plan, or similar agreement or plan, and (c) any other legal remedies available to the Company. Further, the provisions of this Policy are in addition to (and not in lieu of) any rights to repayment the Company may have under Section 304 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

This Policy shall be binding and enforceable against all Covered Persons and their beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives.

The circumstances of any recoupment pursuant to this Policy will be publicly disclosed where required by Rule 10D-1, Item 402 of Regulation S-K and Rule 5608. In accordance with Rule 10D-1, the Policy shall be filed with the SEC as an exhibit to the Company’s Form 10-K, as provided in Item 601(b) of Regulation S-K.

 

 

In the event that the Company lists its securities on any national securities exchange or national securities association other than Nasdaq, all references to “Nasdaq” in this Policy shall mean each national securities exchange or national securities association upon which the Company has a class of securities then listed.

 

 

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Exhibit A

 

Sotherly Hotels Inc.

Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy Acknowledgment Form

 

By signing below, the undersigned acknowledges and confirms that the undersigned has received and reviewed a copy of the Sotherly Hotels Inc. Executive Officer Incentive Compensation Recovery Policy (the “Policy”). Capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined in this Acknowledgement Form (this “Acknowledgement Form”) shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Policy. By signing this Acknowledgement Form, the undersigned acknowledges and agrees that the undersigned is and will continue to be subject to the Policy and that the Policy will apply both during and after the undersigned’s employment with the Company. Further, by signing below, the undersigned agrees to abide by the terms of the Policy, including, without limitation, by returning any Erroneously Awarded Compensation to the Company to the extent required by, and in a manner permitted by, the Policy.

 

 

________________________________ Signature

 

________________________________

Print Name

 

________________________________

Date

 

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v3.23.2

Document and Entity Information	Jul. 31, 2023
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jul. 31, 2023
Entity Registrant Name	SOTHERLY HOTELS INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001301236
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity File Number	001-32379
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	MD
Entity Tax Identification Number	20-1531029
Entity Address, Address Line One	306 South Henry Street, Suite 100
Entity Address, City or Town	Williamsburg
Entity Address, State or Province	VA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	23185
City Area Code	757
Local Phone Number	229-5648
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Common Stock [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of each class	Common Stock, $0.01 par value
Trading Symbol	SOHO
Name of each exchange on which registered	NASDAQ
8.0% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of each class	8.0% Series B Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value
Trading Symbol	SOHOB
Name of each exchange on which registered	NASDAQ
7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of each class	7.875% Series C Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value
Trading Symbol	SOHOO
Name of each exchange on which registered	NASDAQ
8.25% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Title of each class	8.25% Series D Cumulative Redeemable Perpetual Preferred Stock, $0.01 par value
Trading Symbol	SOHON
Name of each exchange on which registered	NASDAQ
Sotherly Hotels LP [Member]
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	8-K
Amendment Flag	false
Document Period End Date	Jul. 31, 2023
Entity Registrant Name	SOTHERLY HOTELS LP
Entity Central Index Key	0001301236
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity File Number	001-36091
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity Tax Identification Number	20-1965427
Entity Address, Address Line One	306 South Henry Street, Suite 100
Entity Address, City or Town	Williamsburg
Entity Address, State or Province	VA
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	23185
City Area Code	757
Local Phone Number	229-5648
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31

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