SEC Division of Corporation Finance no-action letter: Beazer Homes USA, Inc.

PaulHastinas

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Paul, Hastlnps, Janofsky & Walker LLP
600Peachtree Stmt, N.E. .Twenty-Fourth Floor .Manta,GA 30308 telephone 404 815 2400 facsimile 404 815 2424 ww.paulhastings.com VIA E-MAIL Offiie of &ief Counsel Division of CorporationFinance 100F. Smet,N.E. Washington D.C,20549 : Beazer Homs USA, Inc. - Request forInterpretive Letter Ladies and Gentlemen:
Onbehalf of ow:client, Beam Homes USA, Inc.,a Delaware corporation ("Beazer*),we respectfullyrequest that the Staff of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "Commission")provide interpretative advice that a stock appreciation right ("SAR") that maybe settled in equitysecurities of the registrant would be considered an option for purposes ofGeneral Instruction A1(a) (5)of Form $8. Tlis letter replaces our November 21,2006 letter on behalf of hazer. e -d 1999 StockIncentive Plan Beazer's Amended and Restated 1999 StockIncentive Plan (the "Plan")is an "employee benefit plan", as defined in Rule 405 ofRegulation C,and provides for the issuance of stockbased awards, including incentive stock options, non-qualifiedstock optians, restricted stock and SARs, to Beazeis e loyets, as defined in General InstructionA1(a) of Form S-8. OnJune 17,2004, Beazer "Sf'ed a registmionstatement (the "Registration Statementn)on Form S-8/S-3 (file no.333-116573), whkh included a reoffer prospectus prepmd inaccordance with General Instruction Cof Fonn S- 8, to register the shares of Beazefs common stock ("Shares") to be offered and sold to employees, as wellas resales of those Shares by affiites. The Plan was filed as Exhibit 4,2 to the Registration Statement. The Plan is administeredby the Compensation Committee ofBeazeis Board of Directors. The rnembers of the Compensation Co&e are independentnas defied bythe rules of the New York StockExchange and rn'non-employee directors as defined in Rule 16b-30(3) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the "Exchangekt").

PaulHmtiogs

Office of Chief Counsel
Division of Corporation Finance
Pursuant to the terms of the PIan, SARs confer upon the grantee the right to receive upon exercise, an amount in cash equal to the excess of (9 the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of exercise over (iij the Fair Market Value of one Share on the date of grant of the SARs (such excess being the "Exercise Value"). Under the Plan, on any daythat the Shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") or anyother nationally recognizedstock exchange or automated quotation system, the "Fair Market Value" of a Share is defied as the closing price of a Share as reported by the NYSE or such other exchange or quotation system When the Sharesare not so traded, "FairMarket Value" shall be determined by a valuation method established bythe Compensation Committee from time to the. The Plan provides that the Compensation Committee has the authorityto determine the method of settlement of exercises of SARs. Bear plans to grant SARs under the Plan that will be seded with Shares upon exercise, ie,the bolder will receive &at number of Shares with a Fair Market Value as of the date of exercise equal to the Exercise Value. Beazer dpay cash in lieu of anyfractional Shares. Generally,SARs will vest on the anniversaryof the date of grant and will ceminate on the seventh anniversaryof the date of gmt assuming continued employment. Consistent with Btazer's prior option awards, SARs will generallyterminate upon termination with cause, and the holder dbe given a limixed period of time for exercise upon certain other termhation events. SARs willvest upon a change of control. Although, the Plan does not cuwentlyallow the recipients of SARs to transfer SARs,the Plan does allow the Compensation Committee to grant non-qualifiedstockoptions on tern which ped the transfer of the option to a "FdyMember," provided that the transfer is thmugh a gift or a domestic relations order. Under the Plan, a "Family Member" is defined as anychild, stepchild, grandchild, parent,stepparent, gmndparent, spouse, sibling, mother-in-law, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, brother-in-law or sister-in-law, including adoptive relationships, a trust for the exclusive benefit of these persons and anyother entity owned solelyby these persons. Because the Plan expressly allows wfers pursuant to domestic relations orders,the definition of "FamilyMember" maybe interpreted to also include former spouses. Each person who satisfies the Plan's definition of "FamilyMember" satisfies the definition of "fady member* set forth in General InstructionA. 1(a)(5) of Form S-8. In order to facilitate transfers forestate b g purposes and transfers under domestic rehrions orders, Beazerwishes to amenlf the Plan to allow the Compensation Committee to gram SARs on terms that permit the transfer of SARs to a FamilyMember pursuant to a gift or domestic relations order to the same extent allowed for non-qualtfied stock options.

Office of Chief Counsel
Division of Corporation Finance
Form S-8
InRelease No. 33-7646 (February26,1999) (the "Release"),the Commission adopted amendments to Form S-8 to make Form S-8 available for (i)the exercise of employee benefit plan stockoptions by an employee's familymember who acquires the options from the employeethrough a gift or domestic relations order and (iu) the subsequent resale of the underlying securities. These amendmentswere codified in General Instruction Al(a)(5) to Form S-8. As set fonh in Section I of the Release, the Commission's rationale for the amendments to Form S-8 was that the As governing the use of Form S- 8 should not "impede legitimate inm-familyuransfen of o tions by employees," and it was the Commission's belief that the amendments would "Pacilitate transfers forestate planning purposes and transfers under domestic relations orders." Section II1.A1 of the Release goes on to state that "theamendments reflect the view that streandined registrution on Form S-8 shodd be available for [transfers of options by gift or domestic relations order toa family rnembed, as well as transactions with employees, because of the compensato~character and access to information about the issuer flowing from the employment relationship."
Section IIIAl of the Release &a states that "theamendmentsare consistent with the
1996 amendments to the rules under Section 16of the Exchange Act: which "elhiwed the requirement of former Rule 16b3that a derivative securiry issued under an employee benefit lan be non-transferable." According to Section I11.A1 of the Release, the remov$'ofdmrequirement "made the issuance of mferable options more attractive and more common." In addition to m;tkl-ig Form S-8 avadable for the exercise of emplo~ebenefit plan stock options and the resale of the securities received upon exercise by an employee's family member who acquires the options from the employee through a gift or domestic relations order, GeneralInstruction A1(a)(5) defies who constitutes a fady member for purposes of the instruction. For purposes of General Instruction A1(a)(5), a "family rnembef includes "any child, stepchild, grandchild,parent, stepparent, grandparent, spouse, former sruse, sibhg, niece, nephew, mother-in- hw, father-in-law, son-in-law, daughter-in-law, rother-in-law, or sister-in-law,including adoptive reiationships, any person sharing the employee's household (otherthan a tenant or employee), a tm in which these persons have more than fiftypercent of the beneficial interest, a foundation in which these persons (orthe employee) controlthe management of assets, and anyother entity in which these persons (orthe employee) own more than fii percent of the voting interests."

PaulHustings

mice of Chief Counsel
Division of Corporation Finance
We believe that the rationale set forthin the Release formaking Form S-8 available to the fadymember transferees of options is equallyapplicable to famdymember nrrnsferees of SARs exercisable forShs, The issuance of Shares upon the exercise of SARs is economicallyequivalentto the issuance of Shares upon the cashless exercise of stock options for the same number of Shares because in both cases Shares are being issued,and the number of Shares the holder willreceive is dependent on the difference between the Fair Market Value on the date of exercise and the Fair Makt Value on the date of grant. In fact, the grant and exercise of non-qualified stock options and stock-settled SARs ax treated the same for federal income tax purposes, including the recently enacted Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code, Further lending credence to ourconclusion is the fact that under Section 16 of the Exchange Act and the rules promulgated thereunder, the grant of a stock option and a SAR exercisable for Shares are reported in the same manner, and both grants may be exempted from Section 16@) of the Exchange Act byRde 16b-3(cf).The reporting of the cashless exercise of a stock option is substantiallysimilarto the reporting ofthe exercise of a stock-settled SAR. The acquisition of Shares in both exercises maybe exempted fromSection 16(b) of the Exchange Act by RuIe 16b-6@),and the disposirion of Shares in both exercises maybe exempted by Rule 16b-3(e). Because the issuance of Shares upon the exercise of stock-settled SARs is economically equivalent to the issuance of Shares upon the cashless exercise of stock options for the same number of Shares,the Commission's rationale for allowing Form S- 8 to be wed in conjunction with a stock option transferredto a familymember pursuant to a gift or domestic relations order should be equally applicable to stock-settled SARs transferred to a familymember pursuant to a gift or domestic relations order. Allowing the use of Form S-8 for such purposes is consistent with the amendments discussed in the Release, because not dowing the use of Form S- 8 for such purposes would impede legitimate intra-fandytransfem of SARs for estate phnq purposes and transfers under domestic relations orders. Further, it is not likelythat at the tine of the Release a conscious decision was made not to extend the transfer provisions to SAZlr. At that time, there was a difference in accounting treatment for stockoptions versus stock-settled SARs, and the accounting treatment for options was more favorable. As a result,the vast majority of companies issued stock options as opposed to granting stock-settled SARs to their employees. Therefore,at the time the tmsfer issue was raised, it was likelythat proponents for the change were advocating on behalf of stock options only. Now that the accounting treatment for stock options and stock-settled SARs has been equalized, the use of SARs has become much more popular.

Uffiie ofChief Counsel
Division of Corporation Fhce
Based onthe foregoing,we respectfully request thar the Staff provide interpdve advice that a SARthat my be settled in equitysecuritiesof the registrant would be considered an option for purposes of General Instruction A1(a) (5) of Form S-8. If you have anyquestions regarding the foregoing, phase call the undersignedat 404-815-2287orJaywz at 404.8152283. Sincerely, /s/Elizabeth HardyNoe Elizabeth HardyNoe of PAUL, WTINGS,JANOFSKY&WALKER LLP