Exhibit 5.1

 

		mwe.com   Tracy A. Bacigalupo Attorney at Law tbacigalupo@mwe.com +1 212 547 5656

July 14, 2021

ACRES COMMERCIAL REALTY CORP.

865 Merrick Avenue, Suite 200 S

Westbury, New York 11590

 

Re:

Registration Statement on Form S-8 (ACRES Commercial Realty Corp. Third

Amended and Restated Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan)

Ladies and Gentlemen:

We serve as special Maryland counsel to ACRES Commercial Realty Corp., a Maryland corporation (the “Company”), in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), of 2,691,666 shares (the “Shares”) of Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share, of the Company (“Common Stock”) under the ACRES Commercial Realty Corp. Third Amended and Restated Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan (the “Plan”), covered by the Registration Statement on Form S-8 (the “Registration Statement”) to be filed on the date hereof by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”).

In connection with our representation of the Company, and as a basis for the opinion hereinafter set forth, we have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise identified to our satisfaction, of the following documents (collectively, the “Documents”):

1. The Registration Statement in the form in which it was transmitted to the Commission for filing under the Securities Act;

2. The charter of the Company (the “Charter”), certified as of a recent date by the State Department of Assessments and Taxation of Maryland (the “SDAT”);

3. The Bylaws of the Company (the “Bylaws”), certified as of the date hereof by the Secretary of the Company;

4. Resolutions adopted by the Board of Directors of the Company (the “Resolutions”) relating to (a) the registration and issuance of the Shares and (b) the approval of the Plan, certified as of the date hereof by the Secretary of the Company;

 

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ACRES COMMERCIAL REALTY CORP.

July 14, 2021

Page  2

 

5. The Plan, certified as of the date hereof by the Secretary of the Company;

6. A certificate of the SDAT as to the good standing of the Company, dated as of the date hereof; and

7. A certificate executed by the Secretary of the Company, dated as of the date hereof.

In expressing the opinion set forth below, we have assumed the following:

1. Each individual executing any of the Documents, whether on behalf of such individual or another person, is legally competent to do so.

2. Each individual executing any of the Documents on behalf of a party (other than the Company) is duly authorized to do so.

3. Each of the parties executing any of the Documents (other than the Company) has duly and validly executed and delivered each of the Documents to which such party is a signatory, and such party’s obligations (including the Company’s) set forth therein are legal, valid and binding.

4. All Documents submitted to us as originals are authentic. All Documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies conform to the original documents. All signatures on all such Documents are genuine. All public records reviewed or relied upon by us or on our behalf are true and complete. All statements and information contained in the Documents are true and complete. There has been no oral or written modification or amendment to the Documents, or waiver of any provision of the Documents, by action or omission of the parties or otherwise.

5. The Company does not intend to issue certificates representing the Shares. The Company will send in writing to any stockholder of the Company the information required by the Charter and the Bylaws and the information as contemplated by Section 2-210(c) of the Maryland General Corporation Law for any such shares to be issued, upon request by such stockholder of the Company.

6. Prior to the issuance of any of the Shares, the Company will have available for issuance, under the Charter, the requisite number of authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock.

Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the assumptions, limitations and qualifications stated herein, it is our opinion that:

1. The Company is a corporation duly incorporated and existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Maryland and is in good standing with the SDAT.

 

ACRES COMMERCIAL REALTY CORP.

July 14, 2021

Page  3

 

2. The Shares have been duly authorized and, when issued and delivered in accordance with the Charter, the Resolutions, the Plan and the applicable grant agreements utilized under the Plan, will be validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

The foregoing opinion is limited to the substantive laws of the State of Maryland and we do not express any opinion herein concerning any other law. We express no opinion as to compliance with the securities (or “blue sky”) laws of the State of Maryland. The opinion expressed herein is subject to the effect of judicial decisions which may permit the introduction of parol evidence to modify the terms or the interpretation of agreements.

We assume no obligation to supplement this opinion if any applicable law changes after the date hereof or if we become aware of any fact that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date hereof. This opinion is limited to the matters set forth herein, and no other opinion should be inferred beyond the matters expressly stated.

This opinion is being furnished to you for submission to the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion with the Commission as an exhibit to the Registration Statement and to the use of the name of our firm therein. In giving this consent, we do not admit that we are within the category of persons whose consent is required by Section 7 of the Securities Act or the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.