8.    UNSECURED TERM LOAN



On January 7, 2016, the Company obtained a new $350 million unsecured term loan, which matures in January 2019 with two one-year extension options.  The interest rate for the new term loan is currently 140 basis points over LIBOR, subject to adjustment on a sliding scale based on the Operating Partnership’s unsecured debt ratings, or at the Company's option, a defined leverage ratio.  The Company entered into interest rate swap arrangements to fix LIBOR for the duration of the term loan. Including costs, the current all-in fixed rate is 3.13 percent.  The proceeds from the loan were used primarily to repay outstanding borrowings on the Company’s unsecured revolving credit facility and to repay the Company's $200 million, 5.8 percent senior unsecured notes that matured on January 15, 2016. 



The interest rate on the unsecured term loan is based upon the Operating Partnership’s unsecured debt ratings, as follows: 





If the Company elected to use a defined leverage ratio, the interest rate under the unsecured term loan would be based on the following total leverage ratio grid:





The terms of the unsecured term loan include certain restrictions and covenants which limit, among other things the incurrence of additional indebtedness, the incurrence of liens and the disposition of real estate properties (to the extent that: (i) such property dispositions cause the Company to default on any of the financial ratios of the term loan described below, or (ii) the property dispositions are completed while the Company is under an event of default under the term loan, unless, under certain circumstances, such disposition is being carried out to cure such default), and which require compliance with financial ratios relating to the maximum leverage ratio (60 percent), the maximum amount of secured indebtedness (40 percent), the minimum amount of fixed charge coverage (1.5 times), the maximum amount of unsecured indebtedness (60 percent), the minimum amount of unencumbered property interest coverage (2.0 times) and certain investment limitations (generally 15 percent of total capitalization).    If an event of default has occurred and is continuing, the Company will not make any excess distributions except to enable the Company to continue to qualify as a REIT under the Code.  The Company was in compliance with its debt covenants under its unsecured term loan as of March 31, 2016.