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Filed Pursuant to Rule 424(b)(5)
Registration Number 333-192670

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

(To prospectus dated December 16, 2013)

 

StoneMor Partners L.P.

Common Units Representing Limited Partner Interests

Having an Aggregate Offering Price of Up to $100,000,000

 

 

This prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus relate to the issuance and sale from time to time of common units representing limited partner interests in StoneMor Partners L.P. having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000, through one or more of the sales agents named in this prospectus supplement. These sales, if any, will be made pursuant to the terms of an at the market issuance sales agreement among us and the sales agents, which has been previously filed as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Under the terms of the at the market issuance sales agreement, we also may sell our common units to any sales agent as principal for its own account at a price agreed upon at the time of the sale. If we sell our common units to any sales agent as principal, we will enter into a separate terms agreement with such sales agent, and we will describe that agreement in a separate prospectus supplement or pricing supplement.

Common units are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, or the NYSE, under the symbol “STON.” On November 18, 2015, the last reported sale price of common units on the NYSE was $29.31 per common unit. Sales, if any, of our common units under this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus will be made by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering, including ordinary brokers’ transactions through the facilities of the NYSE, to or through a market maker, or directly on or through an electronic communication network, a “dark pool” or any similar market venue, at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise as agreed upon by us and one or more of the sales agents.

 

 

You should consider the information set forth in “Risk Factors” on page S-6 of this prospectus supplement and on page 5 of the accompanying prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus before buying common units.

The compensation of each of the sales agents for the sales of our common units shall be at a commission rate of up to 3.0% of the gross sales price per common unit. The net proceeds from any sales under this prospectus supplement will be used as described under “Use of Proceeds” in this prospectus supplement.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus supplement or the accompanying prospectus to which it relates is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

FBR		MLV & Co.				JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT

The date of this prospectus supplement is November 19, 2015.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

About This Prospectus Supplement			S-1
Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			S-1
Summary			S-3
Risk Factors			S-6
Use of Proceeds			S-7
U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations			S-8
Plan of Distribution			S-10
Legal Matters			S-12
Experts			S-12
Where You Can Find More Information			S-12

Base Prospectus

 

About This Prospectus			1
Where You Can Find More Information			2
Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements			3
About StoneMor Partners L.P.			4
Risk Factors			5
Use of Proceeds			6
Description of the Common Units			7
Cash Distribution Policy			13
Description of Other Classes of Units			17
Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences			18
Investment by Employee Benefit Plans			31
Plan of Distribution			33
Legal Matters			35
Experts			35

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

We are providing information to you about this offering of common units in two parts. The first part is this prospectus supplement, which provides the specific details regarding this offering. The second part is the accompanying prospectus, which provides general information. Generally, unless the context otherwise requires, when we refer to this “prospectus,” we are referring to both documents combined, as well as to the documents incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus. Some of the information in the accompanying prospectus may not apply to this offering. If information in this prospectus supplement is inconsistent with the accompanying prospectus, you should rely on this prospectus supplement.

Any statement made in this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference into this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated by reference into this prospectus modifies or supersedes that statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus. The sections captioned “Where You Can Find More Information” and “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in the accompanying prospectus are superseded in their entirety by the similarly titled sections included in this prospectus supplement.

You should rely only on the information contained in or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not, and the sales agents have not, authorized anyone to provide you with information that is different from that contained in this prospectus. If anyone provides you with different or inconsistent information, you should not rely on it. We are offering to sell common units and seeking offers to buy common units only in jurisdictions where offers and sales are permitted. You should assume that the information appearing in this prospectus, as well as information we previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, and incorporated herein by reference, is accurate only as of their respective dates or other dates which are specified in those documents, regardless of the time of delivery of this prospectus or of any sale of the common units. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since those dates.

INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including, but not limited to, information regarding the status and progress of our operating activities, the plans and objectives of our management, assumptions regarding our future performance and plans, and any financial guidance provided or guidance related to our future distributions, as well as certain information in our other filings with the SEC and elsewhere, are forward-looking statements.

Generally, the words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend (including, but not limited to our intent to maintain or increase our distributions),” “project,” “expect,” “predict” and similar expressions identify these forward-looking statements.

These forward-looking statements are made subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied. Our major risk is related to uncertainties associated with the cash flow from our pre-need and at-need sales, our trusts, and financings, which may impact our ability to meet our financial projections, our ability to service our debt and pay distributions, and our ability to increase our distributions.

Our additional risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following:

 

•

uncertainties associated with future revenue and revenue growth;

 

•

uncertainties associated with the integration or anticipated benefits of our recent acquisitions or any future acquisitions;

 

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our ability to complete and fund additional acquisitions;

 

•

the effect of economic downturns;

 

•

the impact of our significant leverage on our operating plans;

 

•

the decline in the fair value of certain equity and debt securities held in our trusts;

 

•

our ability to attract, train and retain an adequate number of sales people;

 

•

uncertainties associated with the volume and timing of pre-need sales of cemetery services and products;

 

•

increased use of cremation;

 

•

changes in the death rate;

 

•

changes in the political or regulatory environments, including potential changes in tax accounting and trusting policies;

 

•

our ability to successfully implement a strategic plan relating to achieving operating improvements, strong cash flows and further deleveraging;

 

•

our ability to successfully compete in the cemetery and funeral home industry;

 

•

litigation or legal proceedings that could expose us to significant liabilities and damage our reputation;

 

•

the effects of cyber security attacks due to our significant reliance on information technology;

 

•

uncertainties relating to the financial condition of third-party insurance companies that fund our pre-need funeral contracts; and

 

•

various other uncertainties associated with the death care industry and our operations in particular.

Forward-looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus present our views only as of the date of the applicable document containing such forward-looking statements. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements set forth in “Risk Factors” and other sections in this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed with the SEC on March 16, 2015, or the 2014 Form 10-K, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015 filed with the SEC on May 8, 2015, or the First Quarter 2015 Form 10-Q, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2015 filed with the SEC on August 10, 2015, or the Second Quarter 2015 Form 10-Q, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2015 filed with the SEC on November 9, 2015, or the Third Quarter 2015 Form 10-Q, and our Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 6, 2015, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. Except as required by federal and state securities laws, we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements made by us, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common units is subject to risks and uncertainties. You should carefully consider the risks described in the section titled “Risk Factors” included in Item 1A of Part I of the 2014 Form 10-K, the risk factors described in our Form 8-K filed with the SEC on July 6, 2015 and the risk factors contained in the accompanying prospectus, together with all of the other information included in, or incorporated by reference into, this prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus, before making an investment decision. Realization of these risks could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial may also materially adversely affect our business operations. In such case, you may lose all or part of your original investment. Also, please read “Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” in this prospectus supplement.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

We intend to use the net proceeds from this offering, after deducting the sales agents’ commissions and our offering expenses to pay down outstanding indebtedness under our revolving credit facility.

Amounts to be paid down under our credit facility were incurred for acquisitions and general limited partnership purposes, including for working capital needs and to fund our capital expenditure program. Amounts paid down under our credit facility may be reborrowed from time to time.

Our credit facility will mature on December 19, 2019. As of September 30, 2015, amounts outstanding under our credit facility bore interest at rates of approximately 4.1%. As of September 30, 2015, we had approximately $113.5 million of borrowings outstanding under our credit facility, consisting of approximately $75.0 million of working capital draws and $38.5 million of acquisition draws.

 

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U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS

The tax consequences to you of an investment in our common units will depend in part on your own tax circumstances. Although this section updates information related to certain tax considerations, it should be read in conjunction with “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences” in the accompanying prospectus and “Risk Factors—Tax Risks to Common Unitholders” in our 2014 Form 10-K. You are urged to consult with your tax advisor about the federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences particular to your circumstances.

Partnership Tax Treatment

The anticipated after-tax economic benefit of an investment in our common units depends largely on our being treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. We have not requested, and do not plan to request, a ruling from the IRS with respect to our partnership status. In order to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, at least 90% of our gross income must be from specific qualifying sources, such as income and gains derived from the sale of real property or other passive types of income such as dividends. We estimate that less than 7% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time. For a more complete description of this qualifying income requirement, please read “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Taxation of the Partnership—Partnership Status” in the accompanying prospectus.

If we were treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes, we would pay federal income tax on our taxable income at the corporate tax rate, which is currently a maximum of 35%, and would likely pay state income tax at varying rates. Distributions to you would generally be taxed again as corporate distributions, and no income, gains, losses or deductions would flow through to you. Because a tax would be imposed upon us as a corporation, our cash available for distribution to you would be substantially reduced. Therefore, treatment of us as a corporation would result in a material reduction in the anticipated cash flow and after-tax return to the unitholders, likely causing a substantial reduction in the value of common units.

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the “Allocation Date”). However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets or, in the discretion of the general partner, any other extraordinary item of income, gain, loss or deduction will be allocated among the unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which such income, gain, loss or deduction is recognized. As a result, a unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be specifically authorized or permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued final Treasury Regulations pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee unitholders. The Partnership is currently evaluating these regulations which will apply beginning with our taxable year that begins on January 1, 2016. Nonetheless, the regulations do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted for our 2015 taxable year and may not specifically authorize all aspects of our proration method thereafter. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor unitholders. If our method is not allowed under the final Treasury Regulations, our taxable income or losses could be reallocated among our unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor unitholders, as well as among unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under the final Treasury Regulations.

 

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A unitholder who disposes of units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive a cash distribution for that period.

Nominee Reporting

Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:

 

(1)

the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;

 

(2)

a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

 

a.

a non-U.S. person;

 

b.

a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

 

c.

a tax-exempt entity;

 

(3)

the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

 

(4)

specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. With respect to returns required to be filed before January 1, 2016, a penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. Thereafter, these penalties will increase to $250 per failure, up to a maximum of $3 million. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

Tax-Exempt Organizations & Other Investors

Ownership of common units by tax-exempt entities, including employee benefit plans and individual retirement accounts (known as IRAs), and non-U.S. investors raises issues unique to such persons. Please read “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors” in the accompanying prospectus.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We have entered into an at the market issuance sales agreement with FBR Capital Markets & Co., MLV & Co. LLC and Janney Montgomery Scott LLC, as sales agents, under which we may offer and sell common units having an aggregate offering price of up to $100,000,000 from time to time. We have filed the at the market issuance sales agreement as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which is incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement. The sales, if any, of common units made under the at the market issuance sales agreement will be made by any method permitted by law deemed to be an “at the market” offering, including ordinary brokers’ transactions through the facilities of the NYSE, to or through a market maker, or directly on or through an electronic communication network, a “dark pool” or any similar market venue, at market prices, in block transactions, or as otherwise agreed upon by one or more of the sales agents and us.

Under the terms of the at the market issuance sales agreement, we also may sell common units to one or more of the sales agents as principal for its own account at a price agreed upon at the time of sale. If we sell common units to one or more of the sales agents as principal, we will enter into a separate terms agreement with such sales agent, and we will describe that agreement in a separate prospectus supplement or pricing supplement. The sales agents are not required to sell any specific number or dollar amount of common units but will use their commercially reasonable efforts, as our agents and subject to the terms of the at the market issuance sales agreement, to sell the common units offered, as instructed by us.

We will designate the length of the selling period and the maximum amount of common units to be sold through one of the sales agents on a daily basis or otherwise as we and that sales agent may agree and the minimum price per common unit at which such common units may be sold. Subject to the terms and conditions of the at the market issuance sales agreement, the sales agents will use their commercially reasonable efforts to sell on our behalf all of the designated common units. We may instruct the sales agents not to sell any common units if the sales cannot be effected at or above the price designated by us in any such instruction. We or the sales agents may suspend the offering of common units at any time and from time to time by notifying the other party.

Each sales agent will provide written confirmation to us following the close of trading on the NYSE each day in which common units are sold by it as our sales agent under the at the market issuance sales agreement. Each confirmation provided by one of the sales agents will include the number of common units sold on that day, the aggregate gross sales proceeds from such sales, the compensation payable by us to the sales agent and the net proceeds to us (after deduction of the compensation of such sales agent and regulatory transaction fees, if any, but before other expenses). We will report at least quarterly the number of common units sold through the sales agents under the at the market issuance sales agreement, the net proceeds to us (after deduction of the compensation of such sales agent and regulatory transaction fees, if any, but before other expenses) and the commissions paid by us to the sales agents in connection with the sales of the common units.

We will pay each sales agent a commission of up to 3.0% of the gross sales price per common unit sold through it as our agent under the at the market issuance sales agreement. We have agreed to reimburse the sales agents for certain of their expenses.

Settlement for sales of common units will occur on the third trading day following the date on which any sales were made in return for payment of the net proceeds to us. There is no arrangement for funds to be received in an escrow, trust or similar arrangement.

If any of the sales agents or we have reason to believe that our common units are no longer an “actively-traded security” as defined under Rule 101(c)(l) of Regulation M under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that party will promptly notify the other parties and sales of common units pursuant to the at the market issuance sales agreement or any terms agreement will be suspended until Rule 101(c)(1) or another exemptive provision has been satisfied in the judgment of each party.

 

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In connection with the sale of the common units on our behalf, each of the sales agents may be deemed to be an “underwriter” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and the compensation paid to the sales agents may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts. We have agreed to provide indemnification and contribution to the sales agents against certain liabilities, including civil liabilities under the Securities Act.

The offering of common units pursuant to the at the market issuance sales agreement will terminate upon the earlier of (i) the termination of the at the market issuance sales agreement by us as to all the sales agents or by all of the sales agents or (ii) the sale of all common units subject to the at the market issuance sales agreement.

Relationships

The sales agents and certain of their affiliates have engaged in, and may in the future engage in, investment banking and other commercial dealings in the ordinary course of business with us or our affiliates. They have received, or may in the future receive, customary fees and expenses for these transactions.

In addition, in the ordinary course of their business activities, the sales agents and their affiliates may make or hold a broad array of investments and actively trade debt and equity securities (or related derivative securities) and financial instruments (including bank loans) for their own account and for the accounts of their customers. Such investments and securities activities may involve securities and/or instruments of ours or our affiliates. The sales agents or their affiliates may also make investment recommendations and/or publish or express independent research views in respect of such securities or financial instruments and may hold, or recommend to clients that they acquire, long and/or short positions in such securities and instruments.

FINRA

Because the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or FINRA, views the common units offered hereby as interests in a direct participation program, this offering is being made in compliance with Rule 2310 of the FINRA Rules. Investor suitability with respect to the common units should be judged similarly to the suitability with respect to other securities that are listed for trading on a national securities exchange.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the common units will be passed upon for us by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., New York, New York. Certain legal matters relating to the offering of the common units will be passed upon for the sales agents by Andrews Kurth LLP, New York, New York.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements of StoneMor Partners L.P. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013 and for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2014, incorporated herein by reference from StoneMor Partners L.P.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and the effectiveness of StoneMor Partners L.P.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, incorporated from StoneMor Partners L.P.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports which are incorporated herein by reference. Such financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC under the Exchange Act. You may read and copy any reports, statements or other information filed by us at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such materials can be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval services and at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

We “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus supplement, which means that we disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus supplement, except for any information superseded by information contained expressly in this prospectus supplement, and the information we file later with the SEC will automatically supersede this information until the termination of this offering (other than information deemed to have been furnished or not filed in accordance with the SEC rules). You should not assume that the information in this prospectus supplement is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus supplement.

We incorporate by reference the documents listed below filed by us and any future filings made after the date of the initial filing of the registration statement of which this prospectus supplement is a part with the SEC under sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act until the termination of the offering under this prospectus supplement (other than, in each case, information deemed to have been furnished or not filed in accordance with the SEC rules).

 

•

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2014 filed on March 16, 2015;

 

•

Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2015 filed on May 8, 2015, our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2015 filed on August 10, 2015 and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2015 filed on November 9, 2015;

 

•

Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed on May 18, 2015, July 6, 2015, July 10, 2015, September 28, 2015 and November 19, 2015; and

 

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The description of the common units contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, initially filed on August 23, 2004, and any subsequent amendment thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.

You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus supplement and any exhibit specifically incorporated by reference in those documents, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:

StoneMor Partners L.P.

311 Veterans Highway, Suite B

Levittown, PA 19056

(215) 826-2800

Attn: Investor Relations

We also make available free of charge on our website at http://www.stonemor.com our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and Section 16 reports, and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC.

 

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PROSPECTUS

 

$500,000,000

StoneMor Partners L.P.

Common Units

Other Classes of Units Representing

Limited Partner Interests

We may from time to time offer up to $500,000,000 of common units representing limited partner interests and other classes of units representing limited partner interests in StoneMor Partners L.P. We refer to the common units and other classes of units representing limited partner interests in StoneMor Partners L.P. collectively as the “securities.” This prospectus describes the general terms of the securities and the general manner in which we will offer the securities. The specific terms of any securities we offer will be included in a supplement to this prospectus. The prospectus supplement will also describe the specific manner in which we will offer the securities.

Our common units are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) under the symbol “STON.”

We will provide information in the prospectus supplement for the trading market, if any, for any other classes of units representing limited partner interests we may offer.

Investing in our securities involves risks, including those associated with the inherent differences between limited partnerships and corporations. You should carefully consider the risks relating to investing in our securities and each of the other risk factors incorporated by reference under “Risk Factors” beginning on page 5 of this prospectus before you make an investment in our securities.

Neither the Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or determined if this prospectus is truthful or complete. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

 

 

 

The date of this prospectus is December 16, 2013.

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You should rely only on the information contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus. We have not authorized any other person to provide you with different information. You should not assume that the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus is accurate as of any date other than the date on the front of this prospectus.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS			1
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION			2
INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS			3
ABOUT STONEMOR PARTNERS L.P.			4
RISK FACTORS			5
USE OF PROCEEDS			6
DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS			7
Partnership Agreement			7
Issuance of Additional Units			7
Limited Liability			8
Voting Rights			9
Limited Call Right			9
Meetings; Voting			10
Books and Reports			10
Right to Inspect Our Books and Records			11
Listing			11
Transfer Agent and Registrar Duties			11
Transfer of Common Units			12
CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY			13
Quarterly Distributions of Available Cash			13
Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus			13
Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus			15
Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus			15
Adjustment of Target Distribution Levels			16
Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation			16
DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER CLASSES OF UNITS			17
MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES			18
Taxation of the Partnership			18
Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership			20
Tax Treatment of Operations			24
Disposition of Units			25
Uniformity of Units			27
Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors			27
Administrative Matters			28
State, Local, Non-U.S. and Other Tax Considerations			30
INVESTMENT BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS			31
PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION			33
LEGAL MATTERS			35
EXPERTS			35

 

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ABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS

This prospectus is part of a registration statement that we filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) using a “shelf” registration process or continuous offering process. Under this shelf registration process, we may sell up to $500,000,000 in aggregate offering price of the securities described in this prospectus in one or more offerings. Each time we sell securities with this prospectus, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering and the securities being offered. That prospectus supplement may include additional risk factors or other special considerations applicable to those securities. Any prospectus supplement may also add, update, or change information in this prospectus. If there is any inconsistency between the information in this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, you should rely on the information in that prospectus supplement.

Additional information, including our financial statements and the notes thereto, is incorporated in this prospectus by reference to our reports filed with the SEC. See “Where You Can Find More Information.” You are urged to read this prospectus and our SEC reports in their entirety.

Throughout this prospectus, when we use the terms “we,” “us,” or “StoneMor Partners L.P.,” we are referring either to StoneMor Partners L.P., the registrant itself, or to StoneMor Partners L.P. and its operating subsidiaries collectively, as the context requires.

 

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WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

We file annual, quarterly and other reports and other information with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. You may read and copy any reports, statements or other information filed by us at the SEC’s public reference room at 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Copies of such materials can be obtained by mail at prescribed rates from the Public Reference Room of the SEC, 100 F Street, N.E., Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549. Please call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the public reference room. Our filings with the SEC are also available to the public from commercial document retrieval services and at the SEC’s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

We “incorporate by reference” information into this prospectus, which means that we disclose important information to you by referring you to other documents filed separately with the SEC. The information incorporated by reference is deemed to be part of this prospectus, except for any information superseded by information contained expressly in this prospectus, and the information we file later with the SEC will automatically supersede this information until the termination of this offering (other than information furnished and not filed with the SEC). You should not assume that the information in this prospectus is current as of any date other than the date on the front page of this prospectus.

We incorporate by reference in this prospectus the documents listed below:

 

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Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 filed March 15, 2013;

 

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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2013 filed May 7, 2013;

 

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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 filed August 7, 2013;

 

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Our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2013 filed November 7, 2013;

 

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Our Current Reports on Form 8-K filed February 22, 2013, March 1, 2013, March 26, 2013, May 13, 2013 (excluding information furnished pursuant to Item 7.01), May 17, 2013, May 28, 2013, June 11, 2013, June 21, 2013, July 26, 3013, October 2, 2013, October 24, 2013 and December 3, 2013; and

 

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The description of the common units contained in the Registration Statement on Form 8-A, initially filed on August 23, 2004, and any subsequent amendment thereto filed for the purpose of updating such description.

In addition, we incorporate by reference in this prospectus any future filings made by StoneMor Partners L.P. with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14, or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (excluding any information furnished and not filed with the SEC) after the date on which the registration statement that includes this prospectus was initially filed with the SEC (including all such documents we may file with the SEC after the date of the initial registration statement and prior to the effectiveness of the registration statement) and until all offerings under this shelf registration statement are terminated.

You may request a copy of any document incorporated by reference in this prospectus and any exhibit specifically incorporated by reference in those documents, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address or phone number:

StoneMor Partners L.P.
311 Veterans Highway, Suite B
Levittown, PA 19056
(215) 826-2800
Attn: Investor Relations

We also make available free of charge on our internet website at http://www.stonemor.com our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and Section 16 reports, and any amendments to those reports, as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the SEC. Information contained on our website is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus and you should not consider information contained on our website as part of this prospectus.

 

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INFORMATION REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained or incorporated by reference in this prospectus, including, but not limited to, information regarding the status and progress of our operating activities, the plans and objectives of our management, assumptions regarding our future performance and plans, and any financial guidance provided, as well as certain information in our other filings with the SEC and elsewhere are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “project,” “expect,” “predict” and similar expressions identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied, including, but not limited to, the following: uncertainties associated with future revenue and revenue growth; the effect of the current economic downturn; the impact of our significant leverage on our operating plans; our ability to service our debt and pay distributions; the decline in the fair value of certain equity and debt securities held in our trusts; our ability to attract, train and retain an adequate number of sales people; uncertainties associated with the volume and timing of pre-need sales of cemetery services and products; increased use of cremation; changes in the death rate; changes in the political or regulatory environments, including potential changes in tax accounting and trusting policies; our ability to successfully implement a strategic plan relating to achieving operating improvements, strong cash flows and further deleveraging; our ability to successfully compete in the cemetery and funeral home industry; uncertainties associated with the integration or anticipated benefits of our recent acquisitions or any future acquisitions; our ability to complete and fund additional acquisitions; our ability to complete and fund the transaction with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia; litigation or legal proceedings that could expose us to significant liabilities and damage our reputation; our ability to maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting; the effects of cyber security attacks due to our significant reliance on information technology; uncertainties relating to the financial condition of third-party insurance companies that fund our pre-need funeral contracts; and various other uncertainties associated with the death care industry and our operations in particular; and other risks set forth under “Risk Factors” incorporated by reference into this prospectus including, without limitation, in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and, to the extent applicable, in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements set forth in our SEC filings. We assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or any other forward-looking statements by us, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of these factors. In addition, we cannot assess the effect of each such factor on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to be materially different from those contained in any forward-looking statement.

 

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ABOUT STONEMOR PARTNERS L.P.

We are, as of September 30, 2013, the second largest owner and operator of cemeteries in the United States. As of September 30, 2013, we operated 277 cemeteries in 27 states and Puerto Rico. We own 259 of these cemeteries, and we operate the remaining 18 under management or operating agreements with the nonprofit cemetery corporations that own the cemeteries. As of September 30, 2013, we also owned and operated 90 funeral homes in 18 states and Puerto Rico. Forty-one of our funeral homes are located on the grounds of the cemeteries that we own.

We were formed as a Delaware limited partnership in April 2004. Unlike certain of our competitors that are not treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes, our primary business objective is to increase distributable cash flow over time for our unitholders. We aim to set unitholder distributions at a level that can be sustained over time, while maintaining resources sufficient for the ongoing stability and growth of our business.

The cemetery products and services that we sell include the following:

 

Interment Rights		Merchandise		Services
•    burial lots •    lawn crypts •    mausoleum crypts •    cremation niches •    perpetual care rights		•    burial vaults •    caskets •    grave markers and grave marker bases •    memorials		•    installation of burial vaults •    installation of caskets •    installation of other cemetery merchandise •    other service items

We sell cemetery products and services both at the time of death, which we refer to as at-need, and prior to the time of death, which we refer to as pre-need. Our sales of real property, including burial lots (with and without installed vaults), lawn and mausoleum crypts and cremation niches, generate qualifying income sufficient for us to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

Our primary funeral home products are caskets and related items. Our funeral home services include consultation, the removal and preparation of remains and the use of funeral home facilities for visitation and prayer services. We sell these services and merchandise generally at the time of need. Our funeral home operations are conducted through various wholly-owned subsidiaries that are treated as corporations for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

We maintain an Internet website at http://www.stonemor.com, which contains information about us. The information on this website is not, and should not be considered, part of this prospectus and it is not incorporated by reference into this prospectus.

Our principal executive offices are located at 311 Veterans Highway, Suite B, Levittown, Pennsylvania 19056, and our phone number is (215) 826-2800.

 

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RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities involves a significant degree of risk. Before you invest in our securities, you should carefully consider those risk factors included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and any Current Reports on Form 8-K, each of which is incorporated herein by reference and those risk factors that may be included in the applicable prospectus supplement together with all of the other information included in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference in evaluating an investment in our securities.

If any of the risks discussed in the foregoing documents were to occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. In that case, we may be unable to pay distributions to our unitholders, the trading price of our securities could decline and you could lose all or part of your investment.

 

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USE OF PROCEEDS

Except as otherwise provided in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will use the net proceeds we receive from the sale of the securities covered by this prospectus for general partnership purposes, which may include, among other things, funding acquisitions of assets or businesses, working capital, capital expenditures and the repayment or refinancing of all or a portion of our debt. The actual application of proceeds we receive from the sale of any particular offering of securities using this prospectus will be described in the applicable prospectus supplement relating to such offering.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMON UNITS

The holders of our common units are entitled to participate in partnership distributions and exercise the rights or privileges available to limited partners under our partnership agreement. As of November 1, 2013, we had 21,374,037 outstanding common units, representing a 98.17% limited partner interest, a 1.83% general partner interest and incentive distribution rights.

Partnership Agreement

The following is a summary of certain provisions of our partnership agreement. A copy of our partnership agreement is included in our other SEC filings and incorporated by reference in this prospectus.

Issuance of Additional Units

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional common units and other equity securities for the consideration and on the terms and conditions determined by our general partner without the approval of the unitholders.

We may issue an unlimited number of common units without the approval of the unitholders as follows:

 

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in connection with an acquisition or an expansion capital improvement that increases cash flow from operations per unit on an estimated pro forma basis;

 

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if the proceeds of the issuance are used to repay indebtedness, the cost of which to service is greater than the distribution obligations associated with the units issued in connection with its retirement;

 

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the redemption of common units or other equity interests of equal rank with the common units from the net proceeds of an issuance of common units or parity units, but only if the redemption price equals the net proceeds per unit, before expenses, to us;

 

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upon conversion of units of equal rank with the common units into common units under some circumstances;

 

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in the event of a combination or subdivision of common units;

 

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under employee benefit plans; or

 

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upon conversion of the general partner interest and incentive distribution rights as a result of a withdrawal of our general partner.

It is possible that we will fund acquisitions through the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities. Holders of any additional common units we issue will be entitled to share equally with the then-existing holders of common units in our distributions of available cash. In addition, the issuance of additional common units or other partnership securities may dilute the value of the interests of the then-existing holders of common units in our net assets. In accordance with Delaware law and the provisions of our partnership agreement, we may also issue additional partnership securities that, as determined by our general partner, may have special voting rights to which the common units are not entitled.

Upon issuance of additional partnership securities, our general partner will be entitled, but not required, to make additional capital contributions to the extent necessary to maintain its current general partner interest in us. The general partner’s 1.83% interest in our distributions may be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 1.83% general partner interest. Moreover, our general partner will have the right, which it may from time to time assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates, to purchase common units or other partnership securities whenever, and on the same terms that, we issue those securities to persons other than our general partner and its affiliates, to the

 

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extent necessary to maintain the percentage interest of the general partner and its affiliates, including such interest represented by common units, that existed immediately prior to each issuance. The holders of common units will not have preemptive rights to acquire additional common units or other partnership securities.

Limited Liability

Participation in the Control of Our Partnership

Assuming that a limited partner does not participate in the control of our business within the meaning of the Delaware Act and that he otherwise acts in conformity with the provisions of our partnership agreement, his liability under the Delaware Act will be limited, subject to possible exceptions, to the amount of capital he is obligated to contribute to us for his common units plus his share of any undistributed profits and assets. If it were determined, however, that the right or exercise of the right by the limited partners as a group:

 

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to remove or replace the general partner;

 

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to approve some amendments to our partnership agreement; or

 

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to take other action under our partnership agreement;

constituted “participation in the control” of our business for the purposes of the Delaware Act, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under Delaware law to the same extent as our general partner. This liability would extend to persons who transact business with us and who reasonably believe that the limited partner is a general partner. Neither our partnership agreement nor the Delaware Act specifically provides for legal recourse against our general partner if a limited partner were to lose limited liability through any fault of the general partner. While this does not mean that a limited partner could not seek legal recourse, we have found no precedent for this type of claim in Delaware case law.

Unlawful Partnership Distributions

Under the Delaware Act, a limited partnership may not make a distribution to a partner if, after the distribution, all liabilities of the limited partnership, other than liabilities to partners on account of their partnership interests and liabilities for which the recourse of creditors is limited to specific property of the partnership, would exceed the fair value of the assets of the limited partnership. For the purpose of determining the fair value of the assets of a limited partnership, the Delaware Act provides that the fair value of property subject to liability for which recourse of creditors is limited shall be included in the assets of the limited partnership only to the extent that the fair value of that property exceeds the nonrecourse liability. The Delaware Act provides that a limited partner who receives a distribution and knew at the time of the distribution that the distribution was in violation of the Delaware Act shall be liable to the limited partnership for the amount of the distribution for three years. Under the Delaware Act, an assignee who becomes a substituted limited partner of a limited partnership is liable for the obligations of his assignor to make contributions to the partnership, except the assignee is not obligated for liabilities that are unknown to him at the time he became a limited partner and that could not be ascertained from the partnership agreement.

Failure to Comply with the Limited Liability Provisions of Jurisdictions in Which We Do Business

Our subsidiaries conduct business in 28 states and Puerto Rico and may conduct business in other states in the future. Maintenance of our limited liability, as the sole member of the operating company, may require compliance with legal requirements in the jurisdictions in which the operating company and/or our subsidiaries conduct business. Limitations on the liability of members for the obligations of a limited liability company have not been clearly established in many jurisdictions. If it were determined that we were, by virtue of our member interest in the operating company or otherwise, conducting business in any state without compliance with the applicable limited partnership, limited liability company or corporation statute, or that the right or exercise of the right by the limited partners as a group to remove or replace our general partner, to approve some amendments to

 

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our partnership agreement, or to take other action under our partnership agreement constituted “participation in the control” of our business for purposes of the statutes of any relevant jurisdiction, then the limited partners could be held personally liable for our obligations under the laws of that jurisdiction to the same extent as the general partner under the circumstances. We will operate in a manner determined by our general partner to be necessary or appropriate to preserve the limited liability of the limited partners.

Voting Rights

Certain actions require the approval of the holders of a majority of our common units. The actions that require the approval of a unit majority include:

 

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certain amendments to our partnership agreement;

 

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the merger of our partnership or the sale of all or substantially all of our assets;

 

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amendments to the limited liability company agreement of our operating company and other actions taken as sole member of our limited liability company if such amendment or other action would adversely affect our limited partners or any particular class of our limited partners in any material respect; and

 

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the dissolution of our partnership and the reconstitution of our partnership upon dissolution.

Other actions require the unitholder approval described below:

 

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the withdrawal of our general partner prior to September 30, 2014 in a manner that would cause a dissolution of our partnership, in most circumstances requires the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates;

 

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the removal of our general partner requires not less than 66 2/3% of the outstanding units, including units held by our general partner and its affiliates;

 

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the transfer of the general partner interest to a third party prior to September 30, 2014 in most circumstances requires the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates; and

 

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the transfer of incentive distribution rights to a third party prior to September 30, 2014 in most circumstances requires the approval of a majority of the common units, excluding common units held by the general partner and its affiliates.

Limited Call Right

If at any time our general partner and its affiliates own more than 80% of the then-issued and outstanding limited partner interests of any class, our general partner will have the right, but not the obligation, which it may assign in whole or in part to any of its affiliates or to us, to acquire all, but not less than all, of the remaining limited partner interests of the class held by unaffiliated persons as of a record date to be selected by our general partner, on at least 10 but not more than 60 days’ notice. The purchase price in the event of this purchase is the greater of:

 

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the highest cash price paid by either of our general partner or any of its affiliates for any limited partner interests of the class purchased within the 90 days preceding the date on which our general partner first mails notice of its election to purchase those limited partner interests; and

 

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the current market price as of the date three days before the date the notice is mailed.

As a result of our general partner’s right to purchase outstanding limited partner interests, a holder of limited partner interests may have his limited partner interests purchased at an undesirable time or price.

 

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The tax consequences to a unitholder of the exercise of this call right are the same as a sale by that unitholder of his common units in the market. See “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences—Disposition of Units.”

Meetings; Voting

Except as described below regarding a person or group owning 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, unitholders or assignees who are record holders of units on the record date are entitled to notice of, and to vote at, meetings of our limited partners and to act upon matters for which approvals may be solicited. Common units that are owned by an assignee who is a record holder, but who has not yet been admitted as a substituted limited partner, shall be voted by our general partner at the written direction of the record holder. Absent direction of this kind, the common units will not be voted, except that, in the case of common units held by our general partner on behalf of non-citizen assignees, our general partner shall distribute the votes on those common units in the same ratios as the votes of limited partners on other units are cast.

Any action that is required or permitted to be taken by the unitholders may be taken either at a meeting of the unitholders or without a meeting if consents in writing describing the action so taken are signed by holders of the number of units as would be necessary to authorize or take that action at a meeting. Meetings of the unitholders may be called by our general partner or by unitholders owning at least 20% of the outstanding units of the class for which a meeting is proposed. Unitholders may vote either in person or by proxy at meetings. The holders of a majority of the outstanding units of the class or classes for which a meeting has been called represented in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum unless any action by the unitholders requires approval by holders of a greater percentage of the units, in which case the quorum shall be the greater percentage.

Each record holder of a unit has a vote according to his percentage interest in our partnership, although additional limited partner interests having special voting rights could be issued. However, if at any time any person or group, other than our general partner and its affiliates, or a direct or subsequently approved transferee of our general partner or its affiliates or a person or group who acquires the units with the prior approval of the board of directors, acquires, in the aggregate, beneficial ownership of 20% or more of any class of units then outstanding, the person or group will lose voting rights on all of its units and the units may not be voted on any matter and will not be considered to be outstanding when sending notices of a meeting of unitholders, calculating required votes, determining the presence of a quorum or for other similar purposes. Common units held in nominee or street name account will be voted by the broker or other nominee in accordance with the instruction of the beneficial owner unless the arrangement between the beneficial owner and his nominee provides otherwise. Any notice, demand, request, report or proxy material required or permitted to be given or made to record holders of common units under our partnership agreement will be delivered to the record holder by us or by the transfer agent.

Books and Reports

Our general partner is required to keep appropriate books of our business at our principal offices. The books will be maintained for both tax and financial reporting purposes on an accrual basis. For tax and fiscal reporting purposes, our fiscal year is the calendar year.

We will furnish or make available to record holders of common units, within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year, an annual report containing audited financial statements and a report on those financial statements by our independent public accountants. Except for our fourth quarter, we will also furnish or make available summary financial information within 90 days after the close of each quarter.

We will furnish each record holder of a unit with information reasonably required for tax reporting purposes within 90 days after the close of each calendar year. This information is expected to be furnished in summary form so that some complex calculations normally required of partners can be avoided. Our ability to furnish this

 

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summary information to unitholders will depend on the cooperation of unitholders in supplying us with specific information. Every unitholder will receive information to assist him in determining his federal and state tax liability and filing his federal and state income tax returns, regardless of whether he supplies us with information.

Right to Inspect Our Books and Records

Our partnership agreement provides that a limited partner can, for a purpose reasonably related to his interest as a limited partner, upon reasonable demand and at his own expense, have furnished to him:

 

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a current list of the name and last known address of each partner;

 

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a copy of our tax returns;

 

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information as to the amount of cash, and a description and statement of the agreed value of any other property or services, contributed or to be contributed by each partner and the date on which each partner became a partner;

 

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copies of our partnership agreement, the certificate of limited partnership of the partnership, related amendments and powers of attorney under which they have been executed;

 

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information regarding the status of our business and financial condition; and

 

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any other information regarding our affairs as is just and reasonable.

Our general partner may, and intends to, keep confidential from the limited partners trade secrets or other information the disclosure of which our general partner believes in good faith is not in our best interests or that we are required by law or by agreements with third parties to keep confidential.

Listing

Our common units are traded on the NYSE under the symbol “STON.”

Transfer Agent and Registrar Duties

American Stock Transfer and Trust Company, LLC serves as registrar and transfer agent for the common units. We will pay all fees charged by the transfer agent for transfers of common units except the following fees that will be paid by unitholders:

 

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surety bond premiums to replace lost or stolen certificates, taxes and other governmental charges,

 

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special charges for services requested by a holder of a common unit, and

 

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other similar fees or charges.

There will be no charge to unitholders for disbursements of our cash distributions. We will indemnify the transfer agent, its agents and each of their shareholders, directors, officers and employees against all claims and losses that may arise out of acts performed or omitted for its activities in that capacity, except for any liability due to any gross negligence or intentional misconduct of the indemnified person or entity.

The transfer agent may resign, by notice to us, or be removed by us. The resignation or removal of the transfer agent will become effective upon our appointment of a successor transfer agent and registrar and its acceptance of the appointment. If no successor has been appointed and accepted the appointment within 30 days after notice of the resignation or removal, our general partner is authorized to act as the transfer agent and registrar until a successor is appointed.

 

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Transfer of Common Units

Any transfer of a common unit will not be recorded by the transfer agent or recognized by us unless the transferee executes and delivers a transfer application. By executing and delivering a transfer application, the transferee of common units:

 

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becomes the record holder of the common units and is an assignee until admitted into our partnership as a substituted limited partner;

 

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automatically requests admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership;

 

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agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of, and executes, our partnership agreement;

 

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represents that the transferee has the capacity, power and authority to enter into our partnership agreement;

 

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grants powers of attorney to officers of the general partner and any liquidator of our partnership as specified in our partnership agreement; and

 

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gives the consents and approvals contained in the partnership agreement.

An assignee will become a substituted limited partner of our partnership for the transferred common units automatically upon the recording of the transfer on our books and records. The general partner will cause any unrecorded transfer for which a completed and duly executed transfer application has been received to be recorded on our books and records no less frequently than quarterly.

A transferee’s broker, agent or nominee may complete, execute and deliver a transfer application. We may, at our discretion, treat the nominee holder of a common unit as the absolute owner. In that case, the beneficial holders’ rights are limited solely to those that it has against the nominee holder as a result of any agreement between the beneficial owner and the nominee holder.

Common units are securities and are transferable according to the laws governing transfers of securities. In addition to other rights acquired upon transfer, the transferor gives the transferee the right to request admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units. A purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application obtains only:

 

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the right to assign the common unit to a purchaser or other transferee; and

 

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the right to transfer the right to seek admission as a substituted limited partner in our partnership for the transferred common units.

Thus, a purchaser or transferee of common units who does not execute and deliver a transfer application:

 

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will not receive cash distributions or federal income tax allocations, unless the common units are held in a nominee or “street name” account and the nominee or broker has executed and delivered a transfer application and certification with respect to itself and any beneficial holders; and

 

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may not receive some federal income tax information or reports furnished to record holders of common units.

The transferor of common units will have a duty to provide the transferee with all information that may be necessary to transfer the common units. The transferor will not have a duty to insure the execution of the transfer application and certification by the transferee and will have no liability or responsibility if the transferee neglects or chooses not to execute and forward the transfer application and certification to the transfer agent.

Until a common unit has been transferred on our books, we and the transfer agent may treat the record holder of the unit as the absolute owner for all purposes, except as otherwise required by law or stock exchange regulations.

 

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CASH DISTRIBUTION POLICY

Quarterly Distributions of Available Cash

General

Within 45 days after the end of each quarter, we will distribute all of our available cash to unitholders of record on the applicable record date.

Available cash for any quarter consists of cash on hand at the end of that quarter, plus cash on hand from working capital borrowings made after the end of the quarter but before the date of determination of available cash for the quarter, less cash reserves. Cash and other investments held in merchandise trusts and perpetual care trusts are not treated as available cash until they are distributed to us.

We are prohibited from making any distributions to unitholders if the distributions would cause an event of default, or if an event of default is existing, under our debt agreements.

General Partner Interest and Incentive Distribution Rights

Our general partner is entitled to 1.83% of all distributions that we make prior to our liquidation. Our general partner has the right, but not the obligation, to contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its current general partner interest. The general partner’s 1.83% interest in these distributions may be reduced if we issue additional units in the future and our general partner does not contribute a proportionate amount of capital to us to maintain its 1.83% general partner interest.

Our general partner also currently holds incentive distribution rights that entitle it to receive increasing percentages, up to a maximum of 49.83%, of the cash we distribute from operating surplus in excess of $0.5125 per unit. The maximum distribution of 49.83% includes distributions paid to the general partner on its 1.83% general partner interest, and assumes that the general partner maintains its general partner interest at 1.83%, but does not include any distributions that the general partner may receive on units that it owns.

Operating Surplus and Capital Surplus

General

All cash distributed to unitholders is characterized as either “operating surplus” or “capital surplus.” We distribute available cash from operating surplus differently than available cash from capital surplus. We treat all available cash distributed as coming from operating surplus until the sum of all available cash distributed since we began operations equals the operating surplus as of the most recent date of determination of available cash. We will treat any amount distributed in excess of operating surplus, regardless of its source, as capital surplus.

Operating Surplus

Operating surplus consists of:

 

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our cash balance on September 20, 2004; plus

 

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$5.0 million (as described below); plus

 

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cash receipts from our operations, including cash withdrawn from merchandise and perpetual care trusts; plus

 

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working capital borrowings made after the end of a quarter but before the date of determination of operating surplus for that quarter; less

 

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•

operating expenditures, including cash deposited in merchandise and perpetual care trusts, maintenance capital expenditures and the repayment of working capital borrowings; less

 

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the amount of cash reserves for future operating expenditures and maintenance capital expenditures.

As reflected above, operating surplus includes $5.0 million in addition to our cash balance on September 20, 2004, cash receipts from our operations and cash from working capital borrowings. This amount does not reflect actual cash on hand that is available for distribution to our unitholders. Rather, it is a provision that will enable us, if we choose, to distribute as operating surplus up to $5.0 million of cash we receive in the future from non-operating sources, such as asset sales outside the ordinary course of business, sales of our equity and debt securities, and long-term borrowings, that would otherwise be distributed as capital surplus.

As described above, operating surplus is reduced by the amount of our maintenance capital expenditures but not our expansion capital expenditures. For our purposes, maintenance capital expenditures are those capital expenditures required to maintain, over the long term, the operating capacity of our capital assets, and expansion capital expenditures are those capital expenditures that increase, over the long term, the operating capacity of our capital assets.

Examples of maintenance capital expenditures include costs to build roads and install sprinkler systems on our cemetery properties and purchases of equipment for those purposes and, in most instances, costs to develop new areas of our cemeteries. Examples of expansion capital expenditures include costs to identify and complete acquisitions of new cemeteries and funeral homes and to construct new funeral homes. Costs to construct mausoleum crypts and lawn crypts may be considered to be a combination of maintenance capital expenditures and expansion capital expenditures. Our general partner, with the concurrence of its conflicts committee, may allocate capital expenditures between maintenance capital expenditures and expansion capital expenditures and may determine the period over which maintenance capital expenditures will be subtracted from operating surplus.

As described above, operating surplus is reduced by the amount of our operating expenditures. Our partnership agreement specifically excludes certain items from the definition of operating expenditures, such as cash expenditures made for acquisitions or capital improvements, including, without limitation, all cash expenditures, whether or not expensed or capitalized for tax or accounting purposes, incurred during the first four years following an acquisition in order to bring the operating capacity of the acquisition to the level expected to be achieved in the projections forming the basis on which our general partner approved the acquisition. Examples of such cash expenditures include certain maintenance capital expenditures and cash expenditures that we believe are necessary to develop the pre-need sales programs of businesses or assets we acquire. Where cash expenditures are made in part for acquisitions or capital improvements and in part for other purposes, our general partner, with the concurrence of our conflicts committee, will determine the allocation between the amounts paid for each and the period over which cash expenditures made for other purposes will be subtracted from operating surplus.

Capital Surplus

Capital surplus consists of:

 

•

borrowings other than working capital borrowings;

 

•

sales of our equity and debt securities; and

 

•

sales or other dispositions of assets for cash (other than sales or other dispositions of excess cemetery property up to an aggregate amount in any four-quarter period calculated pursuant to our partnership agreement; sales or other dispositions of inventory, accounts receivable and other assets in the ordinary course of business; and sales or other dispositions of assets as a part of normal retirements or replacements).

 

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The exception for sales of excess cemetery property in any four-quarter period generally is calculated by multiplying $1.0 million by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of cemeteries and funeral homes owned and operated by us on the last day of the quarter in which the sale occurs and the denominator of which is 139.

Distributions of Available Cash from Operating Surplus

The following table illustrates the priority of distributions of available cash from operating surplus between the unitholders and our general partner. The amounts set forth in the table in the column titled “Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions” are the percentage interests of our general partner and the unitholders in any available cash from operating surplus we distribute up to and including the corresponding amount in the column titled “Total Quarterly Distribution Target Amount per Common Unit,” until the available cash from operating surplus that we distribute reaches the next target distribution level, if any. The percentage interests shown for our general partner include its 1.83% general partner interest and assume the general partner has contributed any additional capital required to maintain its 1.83% general partner interest and has not transferred the incentive distribution rights.

 

		Total Quarterly Distribution Target Amount per Common Unit		Marginal Percentage Interest in Distributions
				Common Unitholders				General Partner
First Target Distribution		up to $0.5125			98.17	%			1.83	%
Second Target Distribution		above $0.5125 up to $0.5875			85.17	%			14.83	%
Third Target Distribution		above $0.5875 up to $0.7125			75.17	%			24.83	%
Thereafter		above $0.7125			50.17	%			49.83	%

Distributions of Available Cash from Capital Surplus

We do not currently expect to make any distributions of available cash from capital surplus. However, to the extent that we make any distributions of available cash from capital surplus, they will be made in the following manner:

 

•

first, 98.17% to all common unitholders, pro rata, and 1.83% to our general partner, until we have distributed for each common unit an amount of available cash from capital surplus equal to the initial public offering price;

 

•

thereafter, we will make all distributions of available cash from capital surplus as if they were from operating surplus.

The partnership agreement treats a distribution of capital surplus as the repayment of the initial unit price from the initial public offering, which is a return of capital. The initial public offering price less any distributions of capital surplus per unit is referred to as the “unrecovered initial unit price.” Each time a distribution of capital surplus is made the target distribution levels will be reduced in the same proportion as the corresponding reduction in the unrecovered initial unit price. Because distributions of capital surplus will reduce the first target distribution, after any of these distributions are made, it may be easier for the general partner to receive incentive distributions.

If we distribute capital surplus on a unit in an amount equal to the initial unit price and have paid all arrearages on the common units, the target distribution levels will be reduced to zero. Once the target distribution levels are reduced to zero, all subsequent distributions will be from operating surplus, with 50.17% being paid to the holders of units and 49.83% to our general partner.

 

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Adjustment of Target Distribution Levels

In addition to adjusting the target distribution levels to reflect a distribution of capital surplus, if we combine our units into fewer units or subdivide our units into a greater number of units, we will proportionately adjust:

 

•

the target distribution levels; and

 

•

the unrecovered initial unit price.

For example, if a two-for-one split of the common units should occur, the target distribution levels and the unrecovered initial unit price would each be reduced to 50% of its initial level. We will not make any adjustment by reason of the issuance of additional units for cash or property.

In addition, if legislation is enacted or if existing law is modified or interpreted in a manner that causes us to become taxable as a corporation or otherwise subject to taxation as an entity for federal, state or local income tax purposes, we will reduce the target distribution levels for each quarter by multiplying each distribution level by a fraction, the numerator of which is available cash for that quarter and the denominator of which is the sum of available cash for that quarter plus our general partner’s estimate of our aggregate liability for the income taxes payable by reason of that legislation or interpretation. To the extent that the actual tax liability differs from the estimated tax liability for any quarter, the difference will be accounted for in subsequent quarters.

Distributions of Cash Upon Liquidation

If we dissolve in accordance with the partnership agreement, we will sell or otherwise dispose of our assets in a process called liquidation. We will first apply the proceeds of liquidation to the payment of our creditors. We will distribute any remaining proceeds to the unitholders and our general partner, in accordance with their respective capital account balances, as adjusted to reflect any taxable gain or loss upon the sale or other disposition of our assets in liquidation.

The allocations of taxable gain upon liquidation are intended, to the extent possible, to allow the holders of common units to receive proceeds equal to their unrecovered initial unit price for the quarter during which liquidation occurs prior to any allocation of gain to the common units. There may not be sufficient taxable gain upon our liquidation to enable the holders of common units to fully recover all of these amounts. Any additional taxable gain will be allocated in a manner intended to allow our general partner to receive proceeds in respect of its incentive distribution rights.

If there are losses upon liquidation, they will first be allocated to the general partner and then to the common units and the general partner interest until the capital accounts of the common units have been reduced to zero. Any remaining loss will be allocated to the general partner interest.

 

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DESCRIPTION OF THE OTHER CLASSES OF UNITS

Our partnership agreement authorizes us to issue an unlimited number of additional limited partner interests and other equity securities for the consideration and with the rights, preferences, and privileges established by our general partner without the approval of any of our limited partners. A copy of our partnership agreement is filed as an exhibit to the registration statement of which this prospectus is a part. A summary of the important provisions of our partnership agreement and the rights and privileges of our limited partners is included in our registration statement on Form 8-A as filed with the SEC on August 23, 2004, including any subsequent amendments or reports filed for the purpose of updating such description. Please read “Where You Can Find More Information.”

Should we offer other classes of units under this prospectus, a prospectus supplement relating to the particular class or series of units offered will include the specific terms of those units, including, among other things, the following:

 

•

the designation, stated value, and liquidation preference of the units and the maximum number of units to constitute the class or series;

 

•

the number of units to be offered;

 

•

the public offering price at which the units will be issued;

 

•

any sinking fund provisions of the units;

 

•

the voting rights, if any, of the units;

 

•

the distribution rights of the units, if any;

 

•

whether the units will be redeemable and, if so, the price and the terms and conditions on which the units may be redeemed, including the time during which the units may be redeemed and any accumulated distributions thereof, if any, that the holders of the units will be entitled to receive upon the redemption thereof;

 

•

the terms and conditions, if any, on which the units will be convertible into, or exchangeable for, the units of any other class or series of units representing limited partner interests, including the price or prices or the rate or rates of conversion or exchange and the method, if any, of adjusting the same;

 

•

a discussion of any additional material federal income tax considerations (other than as discussed in this prospectus), if any, regarding the units; and

 

•

any additional rights, preferences, privileges, limitations, and restrictions of the units.

The particular terms of any class or series of units will also be described in the amendment to our partnership agreement relating to that class or series of units, which will be filed as an exhibit to or incorporated by reference in this prospectus at or before the time of issuance of any such class or series of units.

Such units will be fully paid and non-assessable when issued upon full payment of the purchase price therefor. The transfer agent, registrar, and distributions disbursement agent for the units will be designated in the applicable prospectus supplement.

 

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MATERIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES

This section summarizes the material U.S. federal income tax consequences that may be relevant to prospective common unitholders and is based upon current provisions of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”), existing and proposed U.S. Treasury regulations thereunder (the “Treasury Regulations”), and current administrative rulings and court decisions, all of which are subject to change. Changes in these authorities may cause the federal income tax consequences to a prospective common unitholder to vary substantially from those described below, possibly on a retroactive basis. Unless the context otherwise requires, references in this section to “we” or “us” are references to StoneMor Partners L.P.

Legal conclusions contained in this section, unless otherwise noted, are the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. insofar as they related to matters of U.S. federal income tax law and are based on the accuracy of representations made by us to them for this purpose. However, this section does not address all federal income tax matters that affect us or our common unitholders and does not describe the application of the alternative minimum tax that may be applicable to certain unitholders. Furthermore, this section focuses on common unitholders who are individual citizens or residents of the United States (for federal income tax purposes), who have the U.S. dollar as their functional currency, who use the calendar year as their taxable year, and who hold common units as capital assets (generally, property that is held for investment). This section has limited applicability to corporations, partnerships, entities treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes, estates, trusts, non-resident aliens or other common unitholders subject to specialized tax treatment, such as tax-exempt institutions, non-U.S. persons, individual retirement accounts (“IRAs”), employee benefit plans, real estate investment trusts or mutual funds. Accordingly, we encourage each common unitholder to consult such unitholder’s own tax advisor in analyzing the federal, state, local and non-U.S. tax consequences that are particular to that unitholder resulting from ownership or disposition of its units and potential changes in applicable tax laws.

No ruling has been or will be requested from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) regarding any matter affecting us. Instead, we are relying on opinions and advice of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. with respect to the matters described herein. Unlike a ruling, an opinion of counsel represents only that counsel’s best legal judgment and does not bind the IRS or a court. Accordingly, the opinions and statements made herein may not be sustained by a court if contested by the IRS. Any such contest of the matters described herein may materially and adversely impact the market for our units and the prices at which such units trade. In addition, our costs of any contest with the IRS will be borne indirectly by our common unitholders because the costs will reduce our cash available for distribution. Furthermore, the tax consequences of an investment in us may be significantly modified by future legislative or administrative changes or court decisions, which may be retroactively applied.

For the reasons described below, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion with respect to the following federal income tax issues: (1) the treatment of a common unitholder whose units are the subject of a securities loan (e.g., a loan to a short seller to cover a short sale of units) (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Treatment of Securities Loans”); (2) whether our monthly convention for allocating taxable income and losses is permitted by existing Treasury Regulations (please read “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees”); and (3) whether our method for taking into account Section 743 adjustments is sustainable in certain cases (please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” and “—Uniformity of Units”).

Taxation of the Partnership

Partnership Status

We expect to be treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes and, therefore, generally will not be liable for entity-level federal income taxes. Instead, as described below, each of our common unitholders will take into account its respective share of our items of income, gain, loss and deduction in computing its

 

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federal income tax liability as if the common unitholder had earned such income directly, even if we make no cash distributions to the common unitholder.

Section 7704 of the Code generally provides that publicly traded partnerships will be treated as corporations for federal income tax purposes. However, if 90% or more of a partnership’s gross income for every taxable year it is publicly traded consists of “qualifying income,” the partnership may continue to be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes (the “Qualifying Income Exception”). Qualifying income includes income and gains from the sale of real property, whether unimproved or improved with installed burial vaults and marker foundations, including burial lots, lawn crypts and mausoleum crypts conveyed by perpetual easements. Other types of qualifying income include interest (other than from a financial business) and dividends. We estimate that approximately 8% of our current gross income is not qualifying income; however, this estimate could change from time to time.

Based upon the factual representations made by us and our general partner, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that we will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes. The representations made by us and our general partner upon which Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has relied in rendering its opinion include, without limitation:

(a) Neither we nor any of our partnership or limited liability company subsidiaries has elected to be treated as a corporation for federal income tax purposes;

(b) For each taxable year, more than 90% of our gross income has been and will be income of a character that Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has opined is “qualifying income” within the meaning of Section 7704(d) of the Code;

(c) All sales of burial lots, whether improved or unimproved, will be pursuant to contracts substantially in the form reviewed by Vinson & Elkins L.L.P.; and

(d) Burial vaults, marker foundations and mausoleum crypts are effectively permanently attached to the ground, are not intended to be moved and would likely sustain not insubstantial damage if moved.

We believe that these representations are true and will be true in the future.

If we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, other than a failure that is determined by the IRS to be inadvertent and that is cured within a reasonable time after discovery (in which case the IRS may also require us to make adjustments with respect to our common unitholders or pay other amounts), we will be treated as transferring all of our assets, subject to liabilities, to a newly formed corporation, on the first day of the year in which we fail to meet the Qualifying Income Exception, in return for stock in that corporation and then as distributing that stock to our common unitholders in liquidation. This deemed contribution and liquidation should not result in the recognition of taxable income by our common unitholders or us so long as our liabilities do not exceed the tax basis of our assets. Thereafter, we would be treated as an association taxable as a corporation for federal income tax purposes.

The present federal income tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships, including us, or an investment in our common units may be modified by administrative or legislative action or judicial interpretation at any time. For example, from time to time, members of the U.S. Congress propose and consider substantive changes to the existing federal income tax laws that affect publicly traded partnerships. One such legislative proposal would have eliminated the Qualifying Income Exception upon which we rely for our treatment as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes. We are unable to predict whether any such changes will ultimately be enacted. However, it is possible that a change in law could affect us and may be applied retroactively. Any such changes could negatively impact the value of an investment in our units.

 

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If for any reason we are taxable as a corporation in any taxable year, our items of income, gain, loss and deduction would be taken into account by us in determining the amount of our liability for federal income tax, rather than being passed through to our common unitholders. Our taxation as a corporation would materially reduce the cash available for distribution to unitholders and thus would likely substantially reduce the value of our units. Any distribution made to a unitholder at a time we are treated as a corporation would be (i) a taxable dividend to the extent of our current or accumulated earnings and profits, then (ii) a nontaxable return of capital to the extent of the unitholder’s tax basis in its units, and thereafter (iii) taxable capital gain.

The remainder of this discussion is based on the opinion of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. that we will be treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes.

Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership

Limited Partner Status

Common unitholders who are admitted as limited partners of the partnership as well as common unitholders whose units are held in street name or by a nominee and who have the right to direct the nominee in the exercise of all substantive rights attendant to the ownership of units, will be treated as partners of the partnership for federal income tax purposes. For a discussion related to the risks of losing partner status as a result of securities loans, please read “—Treatment of Securities Loans.” Unitholders who are not treated as partners of the partnership as described above are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax consequences applicable to them under their particular circumstances.

Flow-Through of Taxable Income

Subject to the discussion below under “—Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes” with respect to payments we may be required to make on behalf of our common unitholders, we will not pay any federal income tax. Rather, each common unitholder will be required to report on its federal income tax return each year its share of our income, gains, losses and deductions for our taxable year or years ending with or within its taxable year. Consequently, we may allocate income to a common unitholder even if that unitholder has not received a cash distribution.

Basis of Units

A common unitholder’s tax basis in its units initially will be the amount paid for those units increased by the unitholder’s initial allocable share of our liabilities. That basis generally will be (i) increased by the unitholder’s share of our income and any increases in such unitholder’s share of our liabilities, and (ii) decreased, but not below zero, by the amount of all distributions to the unitholder, the unitholder’s share of our losses, and any decreases in the unitholder’s share of our liabilities. The IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests.

Treatment of Distributions

Distributions by us to a common unitholder generally will not be taxable to the common unitholder, unless such distributions exceed the unitholder’s tax basis in its common units, in which case the unitholder generally will recognize gain taxable in the manner described below under “—Disposition of Units.”

Any reduction in a unitholder’s share of our “liabilities” will be treated as a distribution by us of cash to that unitholder. A decrease in a unitholder’s percentage interest in us because of our issuance of additional units may decrease the unitholder’s share of our liabilities. For purposes of the foregoing, a unitholder’s share of our nonrecourse liabilities (liabilities for which no partner bears the economic risk of loss) generally will be based upon that unitholder’s share of the unrealized appreciation (or depreciation) in our assets, to the extent thereof, with any excess liabilities allocated based on the unitholder’s share of our profits. Please read “—Disposition of Units.”

 

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A non-pro rata distribution of money or property (including a deemed distribution as a result of the reallocation of our liabilities described above) may cause a unitholder to recognize ordinary income, if the distribution reduces the unitholder’s share of our “unrealized receivables,” including depreciation and depletion recapture and substantially appreciated “inventory items,” both as defined in Section 751 of the Code (“Section 751 Assets”). To the extent of such reduction, the unitholder would be deemed to receive its proportionate share of the Section 751 Assets and exchange such assets with us in return for a portion of the non-pro rata distribution. This deemed exchange generally will result in the unitholder’s recognition of ordinary income in an amount equal to the excess of (1) the non-pro rata portion of that distribution over (2) the unitholder’s tax basis (generally zero) in the Section 751 Assets deemed to be relinquished in the exchange.

Limitations on Deductibility of Losses

A common unitholder may not be entitled to deduct the full amount of loss we allocate to it because its share of our losses will be limited to the lesser of (i) the unitholder’s tax basis in its units, and (ii) in the case of a unitholder that is an individual, estate, trust or certain types of closely-held corporations, the amount for which the unitholder is considered to be “at risk” with respect to our activities. In general, a unitholder will be at risk to the extent of its tax basis in its units, reduced by (1) any portion of that basis attributable to the unitholder’s share of our liabilities, (2) any portion of that basis representing amounts otherwise protected against loss because of a guarantee, stop loss agreement or similar arrangement and (3) any amount of money the unitholder borrows to acquire or hold its units, if the lender of those borrowed funds owns an interest in us, is related to another unitholder or can look only to the units for repayment. A unitholder subject to the at risk limitation must recapture losses deducted in previous years to the extent that distributions (including distributions deemed to result from a reduction in a unitholder’s share of nonrecourse liabilities) cause the unitholder’s at risk amount to be less than zero at the end of any taxable year.

Losses disallowed to a common unitholder or recaptured as a result of the basis or at risk limitations will carry forward and will be allowable as a deduction in a later year to the extent that the unitholder’s tax basis or at risk amount, whichever is the limiting factor, is subsequently increased. Upon a taxable disposition of units, any gain recognized by a unitholder can be offset by losses that were previously suspended by the at risk limitation but not losses suspended by the basis limitation. Any loss previously suspended by the at risk limitation in excess of that gain can no longer be used, and will not be available to offset a unitholder’s salary or active business income.

In addition to the basis and at risk limitations, a passive activity loss limitation generally limits the deductibility of losses incurred by individuals, estates, trusts, some closely-held corporations and personal service corporations from “passive activities” (generally, trade or business activities in which the taxpayer does not materially participate). The passive loss limitations are applied separately with respect to each publicly-traded partnership. Consequently, any passive losses we generate will be available to offset only passive income generated by us. Passive losses that exceed a unitholder’s share of passive income we generate may be deducted in full when the unitholder disposes of all of its units in a fully taxable transaction with an unrelated party. The passive loss rules generally are applied after other applicable limitations on deductions, including the at risk and basis limitations.

Limitations on Interest Deductions

The deductibility of a non-corporate taxpayer’s “investment interest expense” generally is limited to the amount of that taxpayer’s “net investment income.” Investment interest expense includes:

 

•

interest on indebtedness allocable to property held for investment;

 

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interest expense allocated against portfolio income; and

 

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the portion of interest expense incurred to purchase or carry an interest in a passive activity to the extent allocated against portfolio income.

 

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The computation of a common unitholder’s investment interest expense will take into account interest on any margin account borrowing or other loan incurred to purchase or carry a unit. Net investment income includes gross income from property held for investment and amounts treated as portfolio income under the passive loss rules, less deductible expenses other than interest directly connected with the production of investment income. Net investment income generally does not include qualified dividend income (if applicable) or gains attributable to the disposition of property held for investment. A common unitholder’s share of a publicly traded partnership’s portfolio income and, according to the IRS, net passive income will be treated as investment income for purposes of the investment interest expense limitation.

Entity-Level Collections of Unitholder Taxes

If we are required or elect under applicable law to pay any federal, state, local or non-U.S. tax on behalf of any current or former common unitholder, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution of cash to the relevant unitholder. Where the tax is payable on behalf of all unitholders or we cannot determine the specific unitholder on whose behalf the tax is payable, we are authorized to treat the payment as a distribution to all current unitholders. We are authorized to amend our partnership agreement in the manner necessary to maintain uniformity of intrinsic tax characteristics of units and to adjust later distributions, so that after giving effect to these distributions, the priority and characterization of distributions otherwise applicable under our partnership agreement is maintained as nearly as is practicable. Payments by us as described above could give rise to an overpayment of tax on behalf of a common unitholder, in which event the common unitholder may be entitled to claim a refund of the overpayment amount. Common unitholders are urged to consult their tax advisors to determine the consequences to them of any tax payment we make on their behalf.

Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction

Our items of income, gain, loss and deduction generally will be allocated among our common unitholders in accordance with their percentage interests in us. At any time that incentive distributions are made to our general partner, gross income will be allocated to the recipients to the extent of these distributions

Specified items of our income, gain, loss and deduction will be allocated under Section 704(c) of the Code (or the principles of Section 704(c) of the Code) to account for any difference between the tax basis and fair market value of our assets at the time such assets are contributed to us and at the time of any subsequent offering of our units (a “Book-Tax Disparity”). As a result, the federal income tax burden associated with any Book-Tax Disparity immediately prior to an offering generally will be borne by our partners holding interests in us prior to such offering. In addition, items of recapture income will be specially allocated to the extent possible to the unitholder who was allocated the deduction giving rise to that recapture income in order to minimize the recognition of ordinary income by other unitholders.

An allocation of items of our income, gain, loss or deduction, other than an allocation required by the Code to eliminate a Book-Tax Disparity, will generally be given effect for federal income tax purposes in determining a partner’s share of an item of income, gain, loss or deduction only if the allocation has “substantial economic effect.” In any other case, a partner’s share of an item will be determined on the basis of the partner’s interest in us, which will be determined by taking into account all the facts and circumstances, including (i) the partner’s relative contributions to us, (ii) the interests of all the partners in profits and losses, (iii) the interest of all the partners in cash flow and (iv) the rights of all the partners to distributions of capital upon liquidation. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is of the opinion that, with the exception of the issues described in “—Section 754 Election” and “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees,” allocations of income, gain, loss or deduction under our partnership agreement will be given effect for federal income tax purposes.

Treatment of Securities Loans

A unitholder whose units are loaned (for example, a loan to a “short seller” to cover a short sale of units) may be treated as having disposed of those units. If so, such unitholder would no longer be treated for tax

 

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purposes as a partner with respect to those units during the period of the loan and may recognize gain or loss from the disposition. As a result, during this period (i) any of our income, gain, loss or deduction allocated to those units would not be reportable by the lending unitholder and (ii) any cash distributions received by the unitholder as to those units may be treated as ordinary taxable income.

Due to a lack of controlling authority, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion regarding the tax treatment of a unitholder that enters into a securities loan with respect to its units. Unitholders desiring to assure their status as partners and avoid the risk of income recognition from a loan of their units are urged to modify any applicable brokerage account agreements to prohibit their brokers from borrowing and lending their units. The IRS has announced that it is studying issues relating to the tax treatment of short sales of partnership interests. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Tax Rates

Under current law, the highest marginal federal income tax rates for individuals applicable to ordinary income and long-term capital gains (generally, gains from the sale or exchange of certain investment assets held for more than one year) are 39.6% and 20%, respectively. These rates are subject to change by new legislation at any time.

In addition, a 3.8% net investment income tax (“NIIT”) applies to certain net investment income earned by individuals, estates, and trusts. For these purposes, net investment income generally includes a common unitholder’s allocable share of our income and gain realized by a common unitholder from a sale of units. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) the common unitholder’s net investment income from all investments, or (ii) the amount by which the common unitholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the common unitholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if married filing separately) or $200,000 (if the unitholder is unmarried or in any other case). In the case of an estate or trust, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (i) undistributed net investment income, or (ii) the excess adjusted gross income over the dollar amount at which the highest income tax bracket applicable to an estate or trust begins.

Section 754 Election

We have made the election permitted by Section 754 of the Code that permits us to adjust the tax bases in our assets as to specific purchasers of our units under Section 743(b) of the Code. That election is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. The Section 743(b) adjustment separately applies to each purchaser of common units based upon the values and bases of our assets at the time of the relevant purchase, and the adjustment will reflect the purchase price paid. The Section 743(b) adjustment does not apply to a person who purchases units directly from us.

Under our partnership agreement, we are authorized to take a position to preserve the uniformity of units even if that position is not consistent with applicable Treasury Regulations. A literal application of Treasury Regulations governing a 743(b) adjustment attributable to properties depreciable under Section 167 of the Code may give rise to differences in the taxation of unitholders purchasing units from us and unitholders purchasing from other unitholders. If we have any such properties, we intend to adopt methods employed by other publicly traded partnerships to preserve the uniformity of units, even if inconsistent with existing Treasury Regulations, and Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not opined on the validity of this approach. Please read “—Uniformity of Units.”

The IRS may challenge the positions we adopt with respect to depreciating or amortizing the Section 743(b) adjustment we take to preserve the uniformity of units due to lack of controlling authority. Because a unitholder’s tax basis for its units is reduced by its share of our items of deduction or loss, any position we take that understates deductions will overstate a unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or

 

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Loss.” If a challenge to such treatment were sustained, the gain from the sale of units may be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

The calculations involved in the Section 754 election are complex and are made on the basis of assumptions as to the value of our assets and other matters. The IRS could seek to reallocate some or all of any Section 743(b) adjustment we allocated to our assets subject to depreciation to goodwill or non-depreciable assets. Goodwill, as an intangible asset, is generally amortizable over a longer period of time or under a less accelerated method than our tangible assets. We cannot assure any unitholder that the determinations we make will not be successfully challenged by the IRS or that the resulting deductions will not be reduced or disallowed altogether. Should the IRS require a different tax basis adjustment to be made, and should, in our opinion, the expense of compliance exceed the benefit of the election, we may seek permission from the IRS to revoke our Section 754 election. If permission is granted, a subsequent purchaser of units may be allocated more income than it would have been allocated had the election not been revoked.

Tax Treatment of Operations

Accounting Method and Taxable Year

We use the year ending December 31 as our taxable year and the accrual method of accounting for federal income tax purposes. Each common unitholder will be required to include in its tax return its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for each taxable year ending within or with its taxable year. In addition, a common unitholder who has a taxable year ending on a date other than December 31 and who disposes of all of its units following the close of our taxable year but before the close of its taxable year must include its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction in income for its taxable year, with the result that it will be required to include in income for its taxable year its share of more than twelve months of our income, gain, loss and deduction. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees.”

Tax Basis, Depreciation and Amortization

The tax basis of our assets will be used for purposes of computing depreciation and cost recovery deductions and, ultimately, gain or loss on the disposition of those assets. If we dispose of depreciable property by sale, foreclosure or otherwise, all or a portion of any gain, determined by reference to the amount of depreciation and depletion deductions previously taken, may be subject to the recapture rules and taxed as ordinary income rather than capital gain. Similarly, a unitholder who has taken cost recovery or depreciation deductions with respect to property we own will likely be required to recapture some or all of those deductions as ordinary income upon a sale of its interest in us. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Allocation of Income, Gain, Loss and Deduction.”

The costs we incur in offering and selling our units (called “syndication expenses”) must be capitalized and cannot be deducted currently, ratably or upon our termination. While there are uncertainties regarding the classification of costs as organization expenses, which may be amortized by us, and as syndication expenses, which may not be amortized by us, the underwriting discounts and commissions we incur will be treated as syndication expenses. Please read “Disposition of Units – Recognition of Gain or Loss.”

Valuation and Tax Basis of Our Properties

The federal income tax consequences of the ownership and disposition of units will depend in part on our estimates of the relative fair market values and the tax bases of our assets. Although we may from time to time consult with professional appraisers regarding valuation matters, we will make many of the relative fair market value estimates ourselves. These estimates and determinations of tax basis are subject to challenge and will not be binding on the IRS or the courts. If the estimates of fair market value or basis are later found to be incorrect, the character and amount of items of income, gain, loss or deduction previously reported by common unitholders

 

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could change, and common unitholders could be required to adjust their tax liability for prior years and incur interest and penalties with respect to those adjustments.

Disposition of Units

Recognition of Gain or Loss

A common unitholder will be required to recognize gain or loss on a sale of units equal to the difference between the unitholder’s amount realized and tax basis in the units sold. A common unitholder’s amount realized generally will equal the sum of the cash and the fair market value of other property it receives plus its share of our liabilities with respect to the units sold. Because the amount realized includes a unitholder’s share of our liabilities, the gain recognized on the sale of units could result in a tax liability in excess of any cash received from the sale.

Except as noted below, gain or loss recognized by a common unitholder on the sale or exchange of a unit held for more than one year generally will be taxable as long-term capital gain or loss. However, gain or loss recognized on the disposition of units will be separately computed and taxed as ordinary income or loss under Section 751 of the Code to the extent attributable to Section 751 Assets, such as depreciation or depletion recapture and our “inventory items,” regardless of whether such inventory item is substantially appreciated in value. Ordinary income attributable to Section 751 Assets may exceed net taxable gain realized on the sale of a unit and may be recognized even if there is a net taxable loss realized on the sale of a unit. Thus, a unitholder may recognize both ordinary income and capital gain or loss upon a sale of units. Net capital loss may offset capital gains and, in the case of individuals, up to $3,000 of ordinary income per year.

For purposes of calculating gain or loss on the sale of units, the unitholder’s adjusted tax basis will be adjusted by its allocable share of our income or loss in respect of its units for the year of the sale. Furthermore, as described above, the IRS has ruled that a partner who acquires interests in a partnership in separate transactions must combine those interests and maintain a single adjusted tax basis for all of those interests. Upon a sale or other disposition of less than all of those interests, a portion of that tax basis must be allocated to the interests sold using an “equitable apportionment” method, which generally means that the tax basis allocated to the interest sold equals an amount that bears the same relation to the partner’s tax basis in its entire interest in the partnership as the value of the interest sold bears to the value of the partner’s entire interest in the partnership.

Treasury Regulations under Section 1223 of the Code allow a selling common unitholder who can identify units transferred with an ascertainable holding period to elect to use the actual holding period of the units transferred. Thus, according to the ruling discussed in the paragraph above, a unitholder will be unable to select high or low basis units to sell as would be the case with corporate stock, but, according to the Treasury Regulations, it may designate specific units sold for purposes of determining the holding period of the units transferred. A unitholder electing to use the actual holding period of units transferred must consistently use that identification method for all subsequent sales or exchanges of our units. A unitholder considering the purchase of additional units or a sale of units purchased in separate transactions is urged to consult its tax advisor as to the possible consequences of this ruling and application of the Treasury Regulations.

Specific provisions of the Code affect the taxation of some financial products and securities, including partnership interests, by treating a taxpayer as having sold an “appreciated” financial position, including a partnership interest with respect to which gain would be recognized if it were sold, assigned or terminated at its fair market value, in the event the taxpayer or a related person enters into:

 

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a short sale;

 

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an offsetting notional principal contract; or

 

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a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest or substantially identical property.

 

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Moreover, if a taxpayer has previously entered into a short sale, an offsetting notional principal contract or a futures or forward contract with respect to the partnership interest, the taxpayer will be treated as having sold that position if the taxpayer or a related person then acquires the partnership interest or substantially identical property. The Secretary of the Treasury is authorized to issue Treasury Regulations that treat a taxpayer that enters into transactions or positions that have substantially the same effect as the preceding transactions as having constructively sold the financial position.

Allocations Between Transferors and Transferees

In general, our taxable income or loss will be determined annually, will be prorated on a monthly basis and will be subsequently apportioned among the common unitholders in proportion to the number of units owned by each of them as of the opening of the applicable exchange on the first business day of the month (the “Allocation Date”). However, gain or loss realized on a sale or other disposition of our assets or, in the discretion of the general partner, any other extraordinary item of income, gain, loss or deduction will be allocated among the common unitholders on the Allocation Date in the month in which such income, gain, loss or deduction is recognized. As a result, a common unitholder transferring units may be allocated income, gain, loss and deduction realized after the date of transfer.

Although simplifying conventions are contemplated by the Code and most publicly traded partnerships use similar simplifying conventions, the use of this method may not be permitted under existing Treasury Regulations. Recently, however, the Department of the Treasury and the IRS issued proposed Treasury Regulations that provide a safe harbor pursuant to which a publicly traded partnership may use a similar monthly simplifying convention to allocate tax items among transferor and transferee common unitholders, although such tax items must be prorated on a daily basis. Nonetheless, the proposed regulations do not specifically authorize the use of the proration method we have adopted. Accordingly, Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine on the validity of this method of allocating income and deductions between transferee and transferor common unitholders. If this method is not allowed under the final Treasury Regulations, or only applies to transfers of less than all of the common unitholder’s interest, our taxable income or losses might be reallocated among the common unitholders. We are authorized to revise our method of allocation between transferee and transferor common unitholders, as well as among common unitholders whose interests vary during a taxable year, to conform to a method permitted under future Treasury Regulations.

A common unitholder who disposes of units prior to the record date set for a cash distribution for that quarter will be allocated items of our income, gain, loss and deduction attributable to the month of disposition but will not be entitled to receive a cash distribution for that period.

Notification Requirements

A common unitholder who sells or purchases any units is generally required to notify us in writing of that transaction within 30 days after the transaction (or, if earlier, January 15 of the year following the transaction in the case of a seller). Upon receiving such notifications, we are required to notify the IRS of that transaction and to furnish specified information to the transferor and transferee. Failure to notify us of a transfer of units may, in some cases, lead to the imposition of penalties. However, these reporting requirements do not apply to a sale by an individual who is a citizen of the United States and who effects the sale through a broker who will satisfy such requirements.

Constructive Termination

We will be considered to have “constructively” terminated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes upon the sale or exchange of 50% or more of the total interests in our capital and profits within a twelve-month period. For such purposes, multiple sales of the same unit are counted only once. A constructive termination results in the closing of our taxable year for all unitholders. In the case of a unitholder reporting on a taxable year

 

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other than the calendar year, the closing of our taxable year may result in more than twelve months of our taxable income or loss being includable in such unitholder’s taxable income for the year of termination.

A constructive termination occurring on a date other than December 31 generally would require that we file two tax returns for one fiscal year thereby increasing our administration and tax preparation costs. However, pursuant to an IRS relief procedure the IRS may allow a constructively terminated partnership to provide a single Schedule K-1 for the calendar year in which a termination occurs. Following a constructive termination, we would be required to make new tax elections, including a new election under Section 754 of the Code, and the termination would result in a deferral of our deductions for depreciation. A termination could also result in penalties if we were unable to determine that the termination had occurred. Moreover, a termination may either accelerate the application of, or subject us to, any tax legislation enacted before the termination that would not otherwise have been applied to us as a continuing as opposed to a terminating partnership.

Uniformity of Units

Because we cannot match transferors and transferees of units and other reasons, we must maintain uniformity of the economic and tax characteristics of the units to a purchaser of these units. In the absence of uniformity, we may be unable to completely comply with a number of federal income tax requirements. Any non-uniformity could have a negative impact on the value of the units. Please read “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election.”

Our partnership agreement permits our general partner to take positions in filing our tax returns that preserve the uniformity of our units. These positions may include reducing the depreciation, amortization or loss deductions to which a unitholder would otherwise be entitled or reporting a slower amortization of Section 743(b) adjustments for some unitholders than that to which they would otherwise be entitled. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. is unable to opine as to the validity of such filing positions.

A common unitholder’s basis in units is reduced by its share of our deductions (whether or not such deductions were claimed on an individual income tax return) so that any position that we take that understates deductions will overstate the unitholder’s basis in its units, and may cause the unitholder to understate gain or overstate loss on any sale of such units. Please read “—Disposition of Units—Recognition of Gain or Loss” above and “—Tax Consequences of Unit Ownership—Section 754 Election” above. The IRS may challenge one or more of any positions we take to preserve the uniformity of units. If such a challenge were sustained, the uniformity of units might be affected, and, under some circumstances, the gain from the sale of units might be increased without the benefit of additional deductions.

Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors

Ownership of units by employee benefit plans and other tax-exempt organizations as well as by non-resident alien individuals, non-U.S. corporations and other non-U.S. persons (collectively, “Non-U.S. Unitholders”) raises issues unique to those investors and, as described below, may have substantially adverse tax consequences to them. Prospective unitholders that are tax-exempt entities or non-U.S. unitholders should consult their tax advisors before investing in our units. Employee benefit plans and most other tax-exempt organizations, including IRAs and other retirement plans, are subject to federal income tax on unrelated business taxable income. Virtually all of our income will be unrelated business taxable income and will be taxable to a tax-exempt unitholder.

Non-U.S. unitholders are taxed by the United States on income effectively connected with the conduct of a U.S. trade or business (“effectively connected income”) and on certain types of U.S.-source non-effectively connected income (such as dividends), unless exempted or further limited by an income tax treaty will be considered to be engaged in business in the United States because of their ownership of our units. Furthermore, is it probable that they will be deemed to conduct such activities through permanent establishments in the

 

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United States within the meaning of applicable tax treaties. Consequently, they will be required to file federal tax returns to report their share of our income, gain, loss or deduction and pay federal income tax on their share of our net income or gain in a manner similar to a taxable U.S. unitholder. Moreover, under rules applicable to publicly traded partnerships, distributions to non-U.S. unitholders are subject to withholding at the highest applicable effective tax rate. Each non-U.S. unitholder must obtain a taxpayer identification number from the IRS and submit that number to our transfer agent on a Form W-8BEN or applicable substitute form in order to obtain credit for these withholding taxes.

In addition, because a non-U.S. unitholder classified as a corporation will be treated as engaged in a United States trade or business, that corporation may be subject to the U.S. branch profits tax at a rate of 30%, in addition to regular federal income tax, on its share of our income and gain as adjusted for changes in the foreign corporation’s “U.S. net equity” to the extent reflected in the corporation’s effectively connected earnings and profits. That tax may be reduced or eliminated by an income tax treaty between the United States and the country in which the foreign corporate unitholder is a “qualified resident.” In addition, this type of unitholder is subject to special information reporting requirements under Section 6038C of the Code.

A non-U.S. unitholder who sells or otherwise disposes of a unit will be subject to federal income tax on gain realized from the sale or disposition of that unit to the extent the gain is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business of the non-U.S. unitholder. Under a ruling published by the IRS interpreting the scope of “effectively connected income,” gain recognized by a non-U.S. person from the sale of its interest in a partnership that is engaged in a trade or business in the United States will be considered to be effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business. Thus, part or all of a non-U.S. unitholder’s gain from the sale or other disposition of its units may be treated as effectively connected with a unitholder’s indirect U.S. trade or business constituted by its investment in us. Moreover, under the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act, a non-U.S. unitholder generally will be subject to federal income tax upon the sale or disposition of a unit if (i) it owned (directly or indirectly constructively applying certain attribution rules) more than 5% of our units at any time during the five-year period ending on the date of such disposition and (ii) 50% or more of the fair market value of our worldwide real property interests and our other assets used or held for use in a trade or business consisted of U.S. real property interests (which include U.S. real estate (including land, improvements, and certain associated personal property) and interests in certain entities holding U.S. real estate) at any time during the shorter of the period during which such unitholder held the units or the 5-year period ending on the date of disposition. Currently, more than 50% of our assets consist of U.S. real property interests and we do not expect that to change in the foreseeable future. Therefore, non-U.S. unitholders may be subject to federal income tax on gain from the sale or disposition of their units.

Administrative Matters

Information Returns and Audit Procedures

We intend to furnish to each common unitholder, within 90 days after the close of each taxable year, specific tax information, including a Schedule K-1, which describes its share of our income, gain, loss and deduction for our preceding taxable year. In preparing this information, which will not be reviewed by counsel, we will take various accounting and reporting positions, some of which have been mentioned earlier, to determine each common unitholder’s share of income, gain, loss and deduction. We cannot assure our common unitholders that those positions will yield a result that conforms to all of the requirements of the Code, Treasury Regulations or administrative interpretations of the IRS.

The IRS may audit our federal income tax information returns. Neither we nor Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. can assure prospective common unitholders that the IRS will not successfully challenge the positions we adopt, and such a challenge could adversely affect the value of the units. Adjustments resulting from an IRS audit may require each common unitholder to adjust a prior year’s tax liability and may result in an audit of the unitholder’s own return. Any audit of a common unitholder’s return could result in adjustments unrelated to our returns.

 

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Publicly traded partnerships generally are treated as entities separate from their owners for purposes of federal income tax audits, judicial review of administrative adjustments by the IRS and tax settlement proceedings. The tax treatment of partnership items of income, gain, loss and deduction are determined in a partnership proceeding rather than in separate proceedings of the partners. The Code requires that one partner be designated as the “Tax Matters Partner” for these purposes, and our partnership agreement designates our general partner.

The Tax Matters Partner has made and will make some elections on our behalf and on behalf of common unitholders. The Tax Matters Partner can extend the statute of limitations for assessment of tax deficiencies against common unitholders for items in our returns. The Tax Matters Partner may bind a common unitholder with less than a 1% profits interest in us to a settlement with the IRS unless that common unitholder elects, by filing a statement with the IRS, not to give that authority to the Tax Matters Partner. The Tax Matters Partner may seek judicial review, by which all the common unitholders are bound, of a final partnership administrative adjustment and, if the Tax Matters Partner fails to seek judicial review, judicial review may be sought by any common unitholder having at least a 1% interest in profits or by any group of common unitholders having in the aggregate at least a 5% interest in profits. However, only one action for judicial review may go forward, and each common unitholder with an interest in the outcome may participate in that action.

A common unitholder must file a statement with the IRS identifying the treatment of any item on its federal income tax return that is not consistent with the treatment of the item on our return. Intentional or negligent disregard of this consistency requirement may subject a common unitholder to substantial penalties.

Nominee Reporting

Persons who hold an interest in us as a nominee for another person are required to furnish to us:

(1) the name, address and taxpayer identification number of the beneficial owner and the nominee;

(2) a statement regarding whether the beneficial owner is:

(a) a non-U.S. person;

(b) a non-U.S. government, an international organization or any wholly owned agency or instrumentality of either of the foregoing; or

(c) a tax-exempt entity;

(3) the amount and description of units held, acquired or transferred for the beneficial owner; and

(4) specific information including the dates of acquisitions and transfers, means of acquisitions and transfers, and acquisition cost for purchases, as well as the amount of net proceeds from sales.

Brokers and financial institutions are required to furnish additional information, including whether they are U.S. persons and specific information on units they acquire, hold or transfer for their own account. A penalty of $100 per failure, up to a maximum of $1.5 million per calendar year, is imposed by the Code for failure to report that information to us. The nominee is required to supply the beneficial owner of the units with the information furnished to us.

Accuracy-Related Penalties

Certain penalties may be imposed on taxpayers as a result of an underpayment of tax that is attributable to one or more specified causes, including negligence or disregard of rules or regulations, substantial understatements of income tax and substantial valuation misstatements. No penalty will be imposed, however,

 

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for any portion of any such underpayment if it is shown that there was a reasonable cause for the underpayment of that portion and that the taxpayer acted in good faith regarding the underpayment of that portion. Penalties may also be imposed for engaging in transactions without economic substance. We do not anticipate engaging in transactions without economic substance or otherwise participating in transactions that would subject our unitholders to accuracy-related penalties.

State, Local, Non-U.S. and Other Tax Considerations

In addition to federal income taxes, common unitholders may be subject to other taxes, including state and local and non-U.S. income taxes, unincorporated business taxes, and estate, inheritance or intangibles taxes that may be imposed by the various jurisdictions in which we conduct business or own property or in which the common unitholder is a resident. Moreover, we may also own property or do business in other states in the future that impose income or similar taxes on nonresident individuals. Although an analysis of those various taxes is not presented here, each prospective common unitholder should consider their potential impact on its investment in us.

Although you may not be required to file a return and pay taxes in some jurisdictions because your income from that jurisdiction falls below the filing and payment requirement, you will be required to file income tax returns and to pay income taxes in many of these jurisdictions in which we do business or own property and may be subject to penalties for failure to comply with those requirements. Some of the jurisdictions may require us, or we may elect, to withhold a percentage of income from amounts to be distributed to a unitholder who is not a resident of the jurisdiction. Withholding, the amount of which may be greater or less than a particular unitholder’s income tax liability to the jurisdiction, generally does not relieve a nonresident unitholder from the obligation to file an income tax return.

It is the responsibility of each common unitholder to investigate the legal and tax consequences, under the laws of pertinent jurisdictions, of its investment in us. We strongly recommend that each prospective common unitholder consult, and depend on, its own tax counsel or other advisor with regard to those matters. Further, it is the responsibility of each common unitholder to file all state, local, and non-U.S., as well as U.S. federal tax returns that may be required of it. Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. has not rendered an opinion on the state, local, alternative minimum tax or non-U.S. tax consequences of an investment in us.

 

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INVESTMENT BY EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS

An investment in our common units or other classes of units representing limited partner interests by an employee benefit plan is subject to additional considerations because the investments of these plans are subject to the fiduciary responsibility and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and restrictions imposed by Section 4975 of the Code and may also be subject to other provisions under certain federal, state, local, non-U.S., or other laws or regulations that are similar to such provisions of the Code or ERISA (collectively, “Similar Laws”). For these purposes, the term “employee benefit plan” includes, but is not limited to, qualified pension, profit-sharing and stock bonus plans, Keogh plans, simplified employee pension plans and tax deferred annuities or IRAs established or maintained by an employer or employee organization, and any entity deemed to hold the assets of such plans. Among other things, consideration should be given to:

 

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whether the investment is prudent under Section 404(a)(1)(B) of ERISA and any other applicable Similar Laws;

 

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whether, in making the investment, that plan will satisfy the diversification requirements of Section 404(a)(1)(C) of ERISA and any other applicable Similar Laws;

 

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whether the investment in our common units or other classes of units will result in recognition of unrelated business taxable income by the plan and, if so, the potential after-tax investment return (please read “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences – Tax-Exempt Organizations and Other Investors”);

 

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whether making such an investment will comply with the delegation of control and prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA, the Code, and any other applicable Similar Laws (see discussion below);

 

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whether the investment is made solely in the interests of the plan participants; and

 

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whether the investment would create any problems for the plan’s need for liquidity.

The person with investment discretion with respect to the assets of an employee benefit plan, often called a fiduciary, should determine whether an investment in our common units or other classes of units representing limited partner interests is authorized by the appropriate governing plan instruments and is a proper investment for the plan. In addition, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan may not deal with the plan’s assets in his own interest, represent a person whose interests are adverse to the plan’s in a transaction involving plan assets, or receive any consideration from a third party in connection with a transaction involving plan assets. A violation of fiduciary requirements could result in liability for breach of fiduciary duty, disqualification from future fiduciary service, excise taxes, and other adverse consequences to the plan fiduciaries.

Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit employee benefit plans, and Section 4975 of the Code also prohibits IRAs that are not considered part of an employee benefit plan, from engaging in specified transactions involving “plan assets” with parties that are “parties in interest” under ERISA or that are “disqualified persons” under the Code with respect to the plan unless an exemption is available. A party in interest or disqualified person who engages in a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to excise taxes and other penalties and liabilities under ERISA, the Code, and other applicable Similar Laws. In addition, the fiduciary of the plan that engaged in such a non-exempt prohibited transaction may be subject to penalties and liabilities under ERISA, the Code, and other applicable Similar Laws.

In addition to considering whether the purchase of our securities is a prohibited transaction, a fiduciary of an employee benefit plan should consider whether the plan will, by investing in us, be deemed to own an undivided interest in our assets, with the result that our operations would be subject to the regulatory restrictions of ERISA, including its prohibited transaction rules, as well as the prohibited transaction rules of the Code or any other applicable Similar Laws.

 

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The Department of Labor regulations provide guidance with respect to whether the assets of an entity in which employee benefit plans acquire equity interests would be deemed “plan assets” under some circumstances. Under these regulations, an entity’s assets would not be considered to be “plan assets” if, among other things:

 

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the equity interests acquired by employee benefit plans are publicly offered securities—i.e., the equity interests are widely held by 100 or more investors independent of the issuer and each other, freely transferable and registered under some provisions of the federal securities laws;

 

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the entity is an “operating company,” meaning it is primarily engaged in the production or sale of a product or service other than the investment of capital either directly or through a majority-owned subsidiary or subsidiaries; or

 

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there is no significant investment by benefit plan investors, which is defined to mean that less than 25% of the value of each class of equity interest, disregarding some interests held by the general partner, its affiliates, and some other persons, is held by the employee benefit plans referred to above, IRAs and other employee benefit plans not subject to ERISA, including governmental plans.

Our assets should not be considered “plan assets” under these regulations because it is expected that the investment will satisfy the requirements in the first bullet. However, although we do not intend for our assets to be deemed “plan assets” under these regulations, we cannot provide assurances regarding this issue to any investor.

The foregoing discussion of issues arising for employee benefit plan investments under ERISA, the Code, and applicable Similar Laws is general in nature and is not intended to be all-inclusive, nor should it be construed as legal advice. In light of the complexity of these rules and the excise taxes, penalties, and liabilities that may be imposed on persons involved in non-exempt prohibited transactions or other violations, plan fiduciaries (or other persons considering purchasing the securities on behalf of, or with the assets of, any employee benefit plan) should consult with their own counsel regarding the consequences under ERISA, the Code and other Similar Laws. Accordingly, by acceptance of our securities, each buyer and subsequent transferee of the securities will be deemed to have represented and warranted that either (A) no portion of the assets used by the buyer or transferee to acquire and hold the securities constitutes assets of any employee benefit plan, or (B) the purchase and holding (and any conversion, if applicable) of the securities by such buyer or transferee will not constitute a non-exempt prohibited transaction under ERISA or the Code or a similar violation of any applicable Similar Laws.

 

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PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell securities described in this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement through underwriters, through broker-dealers, through agents or directly to one or more investors.

We will prepare a prospectus supplement for each offering that will disclose the terms of the offering, including the name or names of any underwriters, dealers or agents, the purchase price of the securities and the proceeds to us from the sale, any underwriting discounts and other items constituting compensation to underwriters, dealers or agents.

We will fix a price or prices of our securities at:

 

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market prices prevailing at the time of any sale under this registration statement;

 

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prices related to market prices; or

 

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negotiated prices.

We may change the price of the securities offered from time to time.

If we use underwriters or dealers in the sale, they will acquire the securities for their own account, and they may resell these securities from time to time in one or more transactions, including negotiated transactions, at a fixed public offering price or at varying prices determined at the time of sale. The securities may be offered to the public either through underwriting syndicates represented by one or more managing underwriters or directly by one or more of such firms. Unless otherwise disclosed in the prospectus supplement, the obligations of the underwriters to purchase securities will be subject to certain conditions precedent, and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities offered by the prospectus supplement if any of the securities are purchased. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions allowed or re-allowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

We may sell the securities through agents designated by us from time to time. We will name any agent involved in the offering and sale of the securities for which this prospectus is delivered, and disclose any commissions payable by us to the agent or the method by which the commissions can be determined, in the prospectus supplement. Unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement, any agent will be acting on a best efforts basis for the period of its appointment.

Offers to purchase securities may be solicited directly by us and the sale thereof may be made by us directly to institutional investors or others, who may be deemed to be underwriters within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) with respect to any resale thereof. The terms of any such sales will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto. We may use electronic media, including the Internet, to sell offered securities directly.

We may offer our common units into an existing trading market on the terms described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto. Underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in any at-the-market offerings will be described in the prospectus supplement relating thereto.

We may agree to indemnify underwriters, dealers and agents who participate in the distribution of securities against certain liabilities to which they may become subject in connection with the sale of the securities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act.

Certain of the underwriters and their affiliates may be customers of, may engage in transactions with and may perform services for us or our affiliates in the ordinary course of business.

 

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A prospectus and accompanying prospectus supplement in electronic form may be made available on the web sites maintained by the underwriters. The underwriters may agree to allocate a number of securities for sale to their online brokerage account holders. Such allocations of securities for internet distributions will be made on the same basis as other allocations. In addition, securities may be sold by the underwriters to securities dealers who resell securities to online brokerage account holders.

The aggregate maximum compensation the underwriters will receive in connection with the sale of any securities under this prospectus and the registration statement of which it forms a part will not exceed 10% of the gross proceeds from the sale.

Because FINRA views our common units as interests in a direct participation program, any offering of common units under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part will be made in compliance with FINRA Rule 2310.

To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplemented from time to time to describe a specific plan of distribution. The place and time of delivery for the securities in respect of which this prospectus is delivered will be set forth in the accompanying prospectus supplement.

In connection with offerings of securities under the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part and in compliance with applicable law, underwriters, brokers or dealers may engage in transactions that stabilize or maintain the market price of the securities at levels above those that might otherwise prevail in the open market. Specifically, underwriters, brokers or dealers may over-allot in connection with offerings, creating a short position in the securities for their own accounts. For the purpose of covering a syndicate short position or stabilizing the price of the securities, the underwriters, brokers or dealers may place bids for the securities or effect purchases of the securities in the open market. Finally, the underwriters may impose a penalty whereby selling concessions allowed to syndicate members or other brokers or dealers for distribution of the securities in offerings may be reclaimed by the syndicate if the syndicate repurchases previously distributed securities in transactions to cover short positions, in stabilization transactions or otherwise. These activities may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the market price of the securities, which may be higher than the price that might otherwise prevail in the open market, and, if commenced, may be discontinued at any time.

 

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LEGAL MATTERS

Vinson & Elkins L.L.P. will pass upon the validity of the securities covered by this prospectus. If certain legal matters in connection with an offering of the securities covered by this prospectus and a related prospectus supplement are passed upon by counsel for the underwriters, if any, of such offering, that counsel will be named in the related prospectus supplement for such offering.

EXPERTS

The consolidated financial statements, incorporated in this Prospectus by reference from StoneMor Partners L.P.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and the effectiveness of StoneMor Partners L.P.’s internal control over financial reporting have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports, which are incorporated herein by reference. Such consolidated financial statements have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.

 

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Common Units

Representing Limited Partner Interests

Having an Aggregate Offering Price of Up to

$100,000,000

 

StoneMor Partners L.P.

 

 

PROSPECTUS SUPPLEMENT

 

 

 

FBR		MLV & Co.		JANNEY MONTGOMERY SCOTT

 

 

November 19, 2015