FRANCHISE FINANCE CORP OF AMERICA
8-K, 1999-01-29
REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K


                                 CURRENT REPORT


                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934

       Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): January 27, 1999


                    FRANCHISE FINANCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)



   Delaware                           1-13116                   86-0736091
- ---------------                    ------------           ----------------------
(State or other                    (Commission               (IRS Employer
jurisdiction of                    File Number)           Identification Number)
incorporation)



                17207 North Perimeter Drive, Scottsdale, AZ 85255
                -------------------------------------------------
               (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)


       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (602) 585-4500

                                      NONE
                                      ----
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Change Since Last Report)
<PAGE>
Item 5.  Other Events.

         On January 27, 1999, the Registrant  entered into a Purchase  Agreement
dated January 27, 1999 with Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith  Incorporated  and Bear,  Stearns & Co. Inc.,  as  representatives  of the
several  underwriters  named therein (the  "Underwriters"),  with respect to the
issue and sale by the Registrant,  and the purchase by the  Underwriters,  of an
aggregate of 6,000,000 shares of the  Registrant's  $.01 par value common stock,
with an option to purchase from the  Registrant an additional  900,000 shares of
common stock to cover  over-allotments,  if any. The  Purchase  Agreement  dated
January 27, 1999 is attached  hereto and referenced as Exhibit 1.01.  Kutak Rock
as counsel to the  Registrant  has issued its  opinion as to the  legality  with
respect to the Common Stock.  The opinion is attached  hereto and  referenced as
Exhibit 5.01

Item 7.   Financial Statements and Exhibits.

         (c)   Exhibits.

                  1.01   Underwriting Agreement
                  5.01   Legal Opinion of Kutak Rock
<PAGE>
                                   SIGNATURES


         Pursuant to the  requirements  of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
the  Registrant  has duly  caused  this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

                                        FRANCHISE FINANCE CORPORATION OF
                                        AMERICA (Registrant)



Dated: January 28, 1999                 By /s/  John Barravecchia
                                           ----------------------
                                        John Barravecchia, 
                                        Executive Vice President
                                        and Chief Financial Officer



                    FRANCHISE FINANCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA

                            (a Delaware corporation)

                        6,000,000 Shares of Common Stock


                               PURCHASE AGREEMENT

                                                                January 27, 1999

Merrill Lynch & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
            Incorporated
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
as Representatives of the several Underwriters
c/o   Merrill Lynch & Co.
      Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                  Incorporated
North Tower
World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-1209

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  Franchise   Finance   Corporation   of  America,   a  Delaware
corporation (the "Company"), confirms its agreement with Merrill Lynch & Co. and
Merrill Lynch,  Pierce,  Fenner & Smith Incorporated  ("Merrill  Lynch"),  Bear,
Stearns & Co. Inc. ("Bear Stearns") and each of the other  Underwriters named in
Schedule  I hereto  (collectively,  the  "Underwriters,"  which  term shall also
include  any  underwriter  substituted  as  hereinafter  provided  in Section 10
hereof),  for whom Merrill Lynch and Bear Stearns are acting as  representatives
(in such capacity,  the  "Representatives")  with respect to (i) the sale by the
Company and the purchase by the Underwriters,  acting severally and not jointly,
of the respective number of shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share, of
the Company  (the "Common  Stock") set forth in Schedule I hereto (the  "Initial
Securities")  and (ii) the  grant by the  Company  to the  Underwriters,  acting
severally  and not  jointly,  of the option  described in Section 2(b) hereof to
purchase  all or any part of  900,000  additional  shares of Common  Stock  (the
"Option Securities" and, together with the Initial Securities, the "Securities")
to cover over-allotments, if any.

                  The  Company  has  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission  (the  "Commission")  a  registration  statement  on  Form  S-3  (No.
333-26437) and  pre-effective  amendment no. 1 thereto  relating to the offering
from  time to time of debt  securities,  common  stock  or  preferred  stock  in
accordance with Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act") and will file such additional  amendments and  supplements  thereto as may
herein be required.  Such registration  statement has been declared effective by
the Commission.  Such  registration  statement (as amended),  and the prospectus
constituting  a part  thereof  and each  prospectus  supplement  relating to the
<PAGE>
offering of the Securities (including in each case all documents incorporated or
deemed to be incorporated by reference  therein,  and the  information,  if any,
deemed to be part thereof  pursuant to Rule 434 of the rules and  regulations of
the Commission under the 1933 Act (the "1933 Act Regulations")), as from time to
time amended or supplemented  pursuant to the 1933 Act, the Securities  Exchange
Act of 1934, as amended (the "1934 Act"), or otherwise, are hereinafter referred
to as the "Registration  Statement" and the "Prospectus,"  respectively,  except
that if any revised  prospectus  shall be provided  to the  Underwriters  by the
Company for use in connection with the offering of the Securities  which differs
from the Prospectus on file (whether or not such revised  prospectus is required
to be filed by the Company pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations),
the term "Prospectus"  shall refer to such revised prospectus from and after the
time it is first  provided to the  Underwriters  for such use. All references in
this Agreement to financial statements and schedules and other information which
is  "described,"   "disclosed,"  "contained,"  "included"  or  "stated"  in  the
Registration  Statement  or the  Prospectus  (and all other  references  of like
import) shall be deemed to mean and include all such  financial  statements  and
schedules  and other  information  which is or is deemed to be  incorporated  by
reference in the Registration  Statement or the Prospectus,  as the case may be;
and all  references  in this  Agreement  to  amendments  or  supplements  to the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus shall be deemed to mean and include the
filing  of  any  document  under  the  1934  Act  which  is or is  deemed  to be
incorporated by reference in the  Registration  Statement or the Prospectus,  as
the case may be.  If the  Company  elects to rely on Rule 434 under the 1933 Act
Regulations,  all  references  to the  Prospectus  shall be deemed  to  include,
without  limitation,  the form of prospectus and the term sheet, taken together,
provided  to the  Underwriters  by the Company in reliance on Rule 434 under the
1933 Act (the  "Rule  434  Prospectus").  If the  Company  files a  registration
statement to register a portion of the  Securities and relies on Rule 462(b) for
such registration  statement to become effective upon filing with the Commission
(the "Rule 462  Registration  Statement"),  then any reference to  "Registration
Statement"  herein  shall be  deemed  to be to both the  registration  statement
referred to above (No.  333-26437) and the Rule 462 Registration  Statement,  as
each such registration statement may be amended pursuant to the 1933 Act.

                  The Company understands that the Underwriters  propose to sell
the Securities in a public offering as soon as the  Underwriters  deem advisable
after this Agreement has been executed and delivered.

         SECTION 1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES.

         (a) The Company  represents and warrants to the  Underwriters as of the
date hereof and as of the Closing Time referred to in Section 2(c) hereof and as
of each Date of Delivery (if any) referred to in Section 2(b) hereof, and agrees
with the Underwriters, as follows:

                  (i) The  Company  meets the  requirements  for use of Form S-3
         under  the 1933  Act,  and at the  respective  times  the  Registration
         Statement became effective and any  post-effective  amendments  thereto
         become effective and on the date hereof, the Registration Statement did
         and will comply in all material  respects with the  requirements of the
         1933 Act and the 1933 Act  Regulations  and the Trust  Indenture Act of
         1939, as amended (the "1939 Act"), and the rules and regulations of the

                                       2
<PAGE>
         Commission  under the 1939  Act,  and did not and will not  contain  an
         untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to state a material  fact
         required  to be stated  therein  or  necessary  to make the  statements
         therein not misleading.  The Prospectus, on the date hereof (unless the
         term "Prospectus" refers to a prospectus which has been provided to the
         Underwriters  by the Company for use in connection with the offering of
         the  Securities  which  differs  from  the  Prospectus  on  file at the
         Commission  at  the  time  the  Registration  Statement  first  becomes
         effective,  in  which  case at the  time it is  first  provided  to the
         Underwriters for such use), and at the Closing Time (and, if any Option
         Securities are purchased, at the Date of Delivery), will not include an
         untrue  statement of a material  fact or omit to state a material  fact
         necessary in order to make the statements  therein, in the light of the
         circumstances  under which they were made,  not  misleading;  provided,
         however,  that the  representations  and warranties in this  subsection
         shall not apply to  statements  in or omissions  from the  Registration
         Statement or Prospectus  made in reliance  upon and in conformity  with
         information  furnished  to the  Company in writing by the  Underwriters
         expressly  for use in the  Registration  Statement or  Prospectus.  For
         purposes of this  Section  l(a),  all  references  to the  Registration
         Statement,  any  post-effective  amendments  thereto and the Prospectus
         shall be deemed to  include,  without  limitation,  any  electronically
         transmitted copies thereof,  including,  without  limitation,  any copy
         filed with the Commission  pursuant to its Electronic  Data  Gathering,
         Analysis, and Retrieval system ("EDGAR").

                  (ii) The  accountants  who certified the financial  statements
         and supporting  schedules  included or incorporated by reference in the
         Registration  Statement are independent  public accountants as required
         by the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act Regulations.

                  (iii) The financial  statements  included or  incorporated  by
         reference in the  Registration  Statement and the Prospectus,  together
         with the  related  schedule  and notes,  present  fairly the  financial
         position of the Company and its consolidated  subsidiaries at the dates
         indicated  and the statement of income,  shareholders'  equity and cash
         flows of the Company and its consolidated  subsidiaries for the periods
         specified;  except as otherwise stated in the  Registration  Statement,
         said  financial  statements  have  been  prepared  in  conformity  with
         generally accepted accounting  principles applied on a consistent basis
         ("GAAP") throughout the periods involved. The supporting schedules,  if
         any,   included  in  the  Registration   Statement  present  fairly  in
         accordance with GAAP the information required to be stated therein. The
         selected financial data and the summary financial  information included
         in  the  Prospectus   present  fairly  in  accordance   with  GAAP  the
         information  shown therein and have been compiled on a basis consistent
         with  that  of  the  audited  financial   statements  included  in  the
         Registration Statement. The pro forma financial information included in
         the Prospectus presents fairly the information shown therein,  has been
         prepared in accordance with the Commission's  rules and guidelines with
         respect  to pro  forma  financial  statements  and  has  been  properly
         compiled on the bases described  therein,  and the assumptions  used in
         the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein
         are appropriate to give effect to the  transactions  and  circumstances
         referred to therein.

                                       3
<PAGE>
                  (iv) Since the  respective  dates as of which  information  is
         given in the  Registration  Statement  and the  Prospectus,  except  as
         otherwise stated therein, (A) there has been no material adverse change
         in the condition,  financial or otherwise, or in the earnings, business
         affairs or  business  prospects  of the  Company  and its  subsidiaries
         considered  as one  enterprise,  whether or not arising in the ordinary
         course of business ("Material Adverse Change"),  (B) there have been no
         transactions  entered  into by the Company or any of its  subsidiaries,
         other than those in the ordinary course of business, which are material
         with  respect to the Company  and its  subsidiaries  considered  as one
         enterprise,  and (C)  except for  regular  quarterly  dividends  on the
         Common  Stock in  amounts  per  share  that are  consistent  with  past
         practice,  there  has  been no  dividend  or  distribution  of any kind
         declared,  paid or made by the  Company  on any  class  of its  capital
         stock.

                  (v) The  Company  has been duly  incorporated  and is  validly
         existing as a corporation  in good standing under the laws of the State
         of Delaware and has the corporate power and authority to own, lease and
         operate its  properties and to conduct its business as described in the
         Prospectus  and to enter into and  perform its  obligations  under this
         Agreement;  the Company is duly  qualified as a foreign  corporation to
         transact  business and is in good  standing in the State of Arizona and
         the  Company is duly  qualified  as a foreign  corporation  to transact
         business and is in good  standing in each other  jurisdiction  in which
         such  qualification is required,  whether by reason of the ownership or
         leasing of  property  or the  conduct  of  business,  except  where the
         failure  to so  qualify or to be in good  standing  would  not,  either
         singly  or in the  aggregate,  have a  material  adverse  effect on the
         condition, financial or otherwise, or the earnings, business affairs or
         business  prospects of the Company and its  subsidiaries  considered as
         one enterprise (a "Material Adverse Effect").

                  (vi) Each subsidiary of the Company has been duly incorporated
         and is validly  existing as a corporation  in good  standing  under the
         laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation,  has the corporate power
         and authority to own,  lease and operate its  properties and to conduct
         its business as described in the  Prospectus and is duly qualified as a
         foreign  corporation  to transact  business and is in good  standing in
         each jurisdiction in which such  qualification is required,  whether by
         reason of the  ownership  or  leasing  of  property  or the  conduct of
         business,  except  where the  failure  so to  qualify  or to be in good
         standing would not, either singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material
         Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding capital stock of each
         such subsidiary has been duly  authorized and validly issued,  is fully
         paid and non-assessable and is owned directly by the Company,  free and
         clear of any security interest,  mortgage,  pledge, lien,  encumbrance,
         claim or equity, none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the
         subsidiaries  was  issued in  violation  of the  preemptive  or similar
         rights of any stockholder of such  corporation  arising by operation of
         law,  under the  charter  or  by-laws  of any  subsidiary  or under any
         agreement  to which  the  Company  or any  subsidiary  is a party.  The
         Company does not own, directly or indirectly  through a "qualified REIT
         subsidiary"  (within  the  meaning  of Section  856(i) of the  Internal
         Revenue  Code of 1986,  as  amended  (the  "Code")),  any  partnership,
         limited liability  company,  association or other entity, any shares of
         stock or any other debt or equity securities of, or other interests in,

                                       4
<PAGE>
         any  corporation,   firm,   partnership,   limited  liability  company,
         association  or other entity,  other than (1) stock of a corporation or
         equity of any entity  that the  Company  has been  advised by its legal
         counsel  qualifies as a "qualified REIT subsidiary"  within the meaning
         of  Section  856(i)  of the  Code,  (2)  stock or other  debt or equity
         securities of any issuer (other than a partnership or limited liability
         company, the ownership of which is governed by (3) below) where (i) the
         Company has been advised by legal counsel that such ownership would not
         constitute ownership of more than 9.8% of the voting securities of such
         issuer  (within the meaning of Section  856(c)(5) of the Code) and (ii)
         the Company has  determined in good faith that the fair market value of
         the stock and securities of any one such issuer does not exceed 4.8% of
         the value of the total  assets of the  Company,  or (3)  interests in a
         partnership  or limited  liability  company  where (i) the  Company has
         received a written opinion of its legal counsel that such a partnership
         or limited  liability  company is  properly  treated as a  partnership,
         rather than an association or publicly traded partnership  taxable as a
         corporation,  for federal income tax purposes and (ii) such partnership
         or  limited  liability  company  does not  itself  own  debt or  equity
         securities  of any issuer  that could  cause the Company to violate the
         representation   contained  in  clause  (2)  above.  As  used  in  this
         Agreement,   "subsidiary"  shall  mean  (i)  any  corporation,   trust,
         association  or other  business  entity  of which  more than 50% of the
         total  voting  power of shares  of  capital  stock or other  equivalent
         interests  entitled to vote in the election of  directors,  managers or
         trustees  thereof  is at the time  owned  or  controlled,  directly  or
         indirectly,  by the Company or one or more of the other subsidiaries of
         the Company (or a combination thereof) and (ii) any partnership (a) the
         sole general  partner or the managing  general  partner of which is the
         Company or a subsidiary of the Company or (b) the only general partners
         of which are the Company or one of more subsidiaries of the Company (or
         any combination thereof).

                  (vii) The authorized,  issued and outstanding capital stock of
         the Company is as set forth in the  Prospectus  in the column  entitled
         "Actual"  under  the caption  "Capitalization"  (except  for subsequent
         issuances,  if any,  pursuant to employee  benefit plans referred to in
         the Prospectus,  pursuant to the exercise of options referred to in the
         Prospectus or pursuant to the Company's  dividend  reinvestment  plan),
         and all of such  outstanding  shares of  capital  stock  have been duly
         authorized and validly issued and are fully paid and  nonassessable and
         were not issued in violation of, and, except for the preemptive  rights
         of  Colony  Investors  III,  L.P.,  a  Delaware   limited   partnership
         ("Colony"), are not subject to preemptive rights.

                  (viii) Neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries is (a)
         in  violation  of its  charter  or  bylaws  or (b)  in  default  in the
         performance  or observance of any  obligation,  agreement,  covenant or
         condition  contained  in any  contract,  indenture,  mortgage,  deed of
         trust,  loan or credit  agreement,  note,  lease or other  agreement or
         instrument to which the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party
         or by which any of them may be bound,  or to which any of the  property
         or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject,  except
         for, in the case of (b),  any such  defaults  which  would not,  either
         singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material  Adverse  Effect;  and the
         execution,   delivery  and   performance  of  this  Agreement  and  the
         Securities and the consummation of the transactions contemplated herein
         and  therein  and  compliance  by  the  Company  with  its  obligations

                                       5
<PAGE>
         hereunder and  thereunder  (including  the use of the proceeds from the
         sale of the Securities as described in the Prospectus under the caption
         "Use of Proceeds") have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
         action and do not and will not,  whether  with or without the giving of
         notice or passage of time or both,  (i) conflict  with or  constitute a
         breach of, or default or Repayment  Event (as defined below) under,  or
         result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance
         upon any  property or assets of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries
         pursuant to, any contract, indenture,  mortgage, deed of trust, loan or
         credit agreement, note, lease or other agreement or instrument to which
         the Company or any of its subsidiaries is a party or by which it or any
         of them may be bound,  including the Second Amended and Restated Credit
         Agreement  between the Company and  NationsBank  of Texas,  N.A.  dated
         December 29, 1997 (the "NationsBank Facility"),  or to which any of the
         property or assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries is subject
         except for any such conflict,  breach, default or Repayment Event which
         would not, either singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material  Adverse
         Effect, (ii) violate Section 6.2 of the NationsBank  Facility, or (iii)
         result in any violation of the  provisions of the charter or by-laws of
         the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any applicable law,  statute,
         rule or  regulation,  or any  judgment,  order,  writ or  decree of any
         government,  government  instrumentality or court, domestic or foreign,
         having  jurisdiction  over the Company or any of its  subsidiaries.  As
         used  herein,  a "Repayment  Event" means any event or condition  which
         gives  the  holder  of  any  note,   debenture  or  other  evidence  of
         indebtedness  (or any person acting on such holder's  behalf) the right
         to require the repurchase,  redemption or repayment of all or a portion
         of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its subsidiaries.

                  (ix) There is no existing  labor dispute with the employees of
         the Company or any of its subsidiaries  that would have,  either singly
         or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (x)  There  is  no  action,  suit,   proceeding,   inquiry  or
         investigation  before or by any court or  governmental  agency or body,
         domestic or foreign,  now pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company,
         threatened,   against  or   affecting   the   Company  or  any  of  its
         subsidiaries,  which is required to be  disclosed  in the  Registration
         Statement,  or which  might  reasonably  be  expected  to result in any
         Material Adverse Change,  or which might reasonably be expected to have
         a  Material  Adverse  Effect or  materially  and  adversely  affect the
         consummation of this Agreement or the performance by the Company of its
         obligations   hereunder;   the   aggregate  of  all  pending  legal  or
         governmental  proceedings  to which the Company or any  subsidiary is a
         party or of which  any of their  respective  property  or assets is the
         subject  which  are  not  described  in  the  Registration   Statement,
         including ordinary routine litigation incidental to the business, could
         not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

                  (xi) There are no contracts or documents which are required to
         be described  in the  Registration  Statement,  the  Prospectus  or the
         documents  incorporated by reference therein or to be filed as exhibits
         thereto by the 1933 Act, the 1933 Act Regulations,  the 1934 Act or the
         rules and  regulations of the Commission  under the 1934 Act (the "1934
         Act  Regulations")  which  have  not  been so  described  and  filed as
         required.

                                       6
<PAGE>
                  (xii)  To  the  extent   applicable,   the   Company  and  its
         subsidiaries  own or possess,  or can acquire on reasonable  terms, the
         patents,  patent rights,  licenses,  inventions,  copyrights,  know-how
         (including  trade  secrets  and other  unpatented  and/or  unpatentable
         proprietary  or  confidential  information,   systems  or  procedures),
         trademarks,  service marks and trade names  (collectively,  "patent and
         proprietary  rights") presently employed by them in connection with the
         business now  operated by them,  and neither the Company nor any of its
         subsidiaries  has  received  any  notice or is  otherwise  aware of any
         infringement of or conflict with asserted rights of others with respect
         to any patent or  proprietary  rights or of any facts or  circumstances
         which  would  render  any  patent  and  proprietary  rights  invalid or
         inadequate  to  protect  the  interest  of  the  Company  or any of its
         subsidiaries  therein,  and  which  infringement  or  conflict  (if the
         subject of any unfavorable  decision,  ruling or finding) or invalidity
         or inadequacy,  either singly or in the aggregate,  would result in any
         Material Adverse Change.

                  (xiii) No filing with, or  authorization,  approval,  consent,
         license, order, registration,  qualification or decree of, any court or
         governmental authority or agency is necessary or required in connection
         with the offering,  issuance or sale of the Securities hereunder or the
         consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, except
         such as have already been obtained or as may be required under the 1933
         Act or the 1933 Act Regulations or state securities laws.

                  (xiv)  The  Company   and  its   subsidiaries   possess   such
         certificates,  authorities,  permits, licenses, approvals, consents and
         other authorizations (collectively,  "Governmental Licenses") issued by
         the appropriate federal, state, local or foreign regulatory agencies or
         bodies  necessary to conduct the business now operated by them,  except
         where the  failure  to  possess  or comply  with any such  Governmental
         License would not,  either singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material
         Adverse Effect; the Company and its subsidiaries are in compliance with
         the terms and  conditions  of all such  Governmental  Licenses,  except
         where the  failure  so to comply  would  not,  either  singly or in the
         aggregate,  have a Material  Adverse  Effect;  all of the  Governmental
         Licenses  are  valid  and in full  force and  effect,  except  when the
         invalidity  of  such  Governmental  Licenses  or the  failure  of  such
         Governmental  Licenses  to be in full force and effect  would not have,
         either  singly or in the  aggregate,  a Material  Adverse  Effect;  and
         neither the Company nor any of its subsidiaries has received any notice
         of proceedings  relating to the revocation or  modification of any such
         Governmental Licenses which, either singly or in the aggregate,  if the
         subject of an  unfavorable  decision,  ruling or finding,  would have a
         Material Adverse Effect.

                  (xv) This  Agreement  has been duly  authorized,  executed and
         delivered by the Company.

                  (xvi) The  Securities  have been duly  authorized for issuance
         and sale to the  Underwriters  pursuant  to this  Agreement  and,  when
         issued and delivered by the Company pursuant to this Agreement  against
         payment of the consideration set forth herein,  will be validly issued,
         fully paid and  non-assessable  and the Underwriters will receive valid
         title to the  Securities,  free and  clear of all  security  interests,

                                       7
<PAGE>
         mortgages,  pledges, liens,  encumbrances and claims; the capital stock
         conforms to all statements  relating thereto  contained or incorporated
         by reference in the Prospectus and the Registration  Statement and such
         description  conforms  to the  rights  set  forth  in  the  instruments
         defining  the same;  and,  except for the  preemptive  rights of Colony
         which have been waived,  the issuance of the  Securities is not subject
         to preemptive rights arising by operation of law, under contract, under
         the charter and bylaws of the Company or otherwise. The Securities will
         conform in all material respects to the respective  statements  thereto
         contained in the Prospectus.

                  (xvii) Except as set forth in the Prospectus,  the Company and
         its  subsidiaries  are in compliance in all material  respects with all
         applicable  laws,  statutes,  ordinances,  rules  or  regulations,  the
         violation  of  which,  either  singly  or in the  aggregate,  would  be
         reasonably expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

                  (xviii) Except as otherwise  disclosed in the Prospectus:  (i)
         the Company and its subsidiaries  have good and marketable title to all
         properties   and  assets  (or  a  valid  first  lien  as  to  mortgaged
         properties)  described in the  Prospectus as being owned (or mortgaged)
         by them, or reflected in the most recent consolidated  balance sheet of
         the  Company  contained  in the  Prospectus;  (ii) all liens,  charges,
         claims, restrictions or encumbrances on or affecting the properties and
         assets of the Company or any of its subsidiaries  which are required to
         be disclosed in the Prospectus are disclosed  therein;  (iii) no person
         or entity,  other than tenants under the leases or  guarantors  thereof
         pursuant  to which  the  Company  and its  subsidiaries  lease all or a
         portion of their properties, has an option or right of first refusal or
         any other right to  purchase  any of such  properties,  except for such
         options or rights which would not,  either singly or in the  aggregate,
         have a Material  Adverse  Effect;  (iv) each of the  properties  of the
         Company and its subsidiaries, at the time such property was acquired or
         at the time the loan by the Company with  respect to such  property was
         made,  had access to public rights of way,  either  directly or through
         insured easements, except to the extent the failure to have such access
         would not, either singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material  Adverse
         Effect;  (v) each of such  properties,  at the time such  property  was
         acquired  or at the time the loan by the Company  with  respect to such
         property was made, was served by all public utilities necessary for the
         current  operations on such property in sufficient  quantities for such
         operations, except to the extent the failure to have such service would
         not, either singly or in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect;
         (vi) each of such  properties  complies with all  applicable  codes and
         zoning and subdivision laws and  regulations,  except for such failures
         to comply which would not,  either singly or in the  aggregate,  have a
         Material  Adverse Effect;  (vii) the real property leases and equipment
         leases,  if any,  relating to each of such properties are in full force
         and  effect,  except  where the  failure to be in full force and effect
         would not, singly or in the aggregate,  have a Material Adverse Effect;
         and  (viii)  there is no  pending or  threatened  condemnation,  zoning
         change,  or other  proceeding  or action that will in any manner affect
         the size of, use of,  improvements on, construction on or access to the
         properties of the Company and its subsidiaries, except such proceedings
         or actions which would not,  either singly or in the aggregate,  have a
         Material Adverse Effect.

                                       8
<PAGE>
                  (xix) The Company  has  complied  with,  and is and will be in
         compliance with, the provisions of that certain Florida act relating to
         disclosure of doing business with Cuba,  codified as Section 517.075 of
         the  Florida  statutes,   and  the  rules  and  regulations  thereunder
         (collectively, the "Cuba Act") or is exempt therefrom.

                  (xx) The Company is not, and upon the issuance and sale of the
         Securities  as  herein  contemplated  and  the  application  of the net
         proceeds  therefrom as described  in the  Prospectus  under the caption
         "Use of  Proceeds"  will not be, an  "investment  company" or an entity
         "controlled"  by an  "investment  company" as such terms are defined in
         the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

                  (xxi) Except as described in the Registration  Statement,  (A)
         neither the Company nor any of its  subsidiaries is in violation of any
         federal,  state,  local or  foreign  laws or  regulations  relating  to
         pollution or protection of human health,  the  environment  (including,
         without  limitation,  ambient air,  surface  water,  groundwater,  land
         surface  or  subsurface   strata)  or  wildlife,   including,   without
         limitation,  laws and regulations relating to the release or threatened
         release  of  chemicals,   pollutants,   contaminants,   wastes,   toxic
         substances,  hazardous  substances,  petroleum  or  petroleum  products
         (collectively,   "Hazardous   Materials")   or  to   the   manufacture,
         processing,  distribution, use, treatment, storage, disposal, transport
         or  handling  of  Hazardous  Materials  (collectively,   "Environmental
         Laws"),  except where the Company or its subsidiaries have obtained one
         or more policies of environmental  insurance to cover such risks,  with
         deductible  amounts,  loss limits and aggregate  liability  limitations
         which were  deemed  reasonably  appropriate  by the  Company  under the
         circumstances,  and, except such violations as would not, either singly
         or in the aggregate,  have a Material Adverse Effect, and (B) there are
         no events or  circumstances  that  could form the basis of an order for
         clean-up  or  remediation,  or an  action,  suit or  proceeding  by any
         private party or governmental body or agency,  against or affecting the
         Company or any of its subsidiaries  relating to any Hazardous Materials
         or the violation of any Environmental  Laws, which, either singly or in
         the aggregate,  could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse
         Effect  (after  taking  into  account  any amounts to which the Company
         would  be  entitled  under  its   environmental   liability   insurance
         policies).

                  (xxii) The documents incorporated or deemed to be incorporated
         by reference in the  Prospectus,  when they became  effective or at the
         time they were or hereafter are filed with the Commission, complied and
         will comply in all material  respects with the requirements of the 1933
         Act or the 1934 Act, as  applicable,  and the rules and  regulations of
         the  Commission  thereunder,  and,  when read  together  with the other
         information in the Prospectus,  at the time the Registration  Statement
         and any  post-effective  amendments thereto become effective and at the
         Closing  Time (and,  if any Option  Securities  are  purchased,  at the
         relevant Date of Delivery),  will not contain an untrue  statement of a
         material  fact or omit to state a material  fact  required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein,  in the light of
         the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

                                       9
<PAGE>
                  (xxiii)  The  Company  and its  subsidiaries  have  filed  all
         federal,  state,  local and foreign tax returns that are required to be
         filed or have duly requested extensions thereof and have paid all taxes
         required to be paid by any of them and any related  assessments,  fines
         or penalties, except for any such tax, assessment, fine or penalty that
         is being  contested in good faith and by appropriate  proceedings;  and
         adequate  charges,  accruals and reserves have been provided for in the
         financial  statements referred to in Section 1(a)(iii) above in respect
         of all federal,  state,  local and foreign  taxes for all periods as to
         which the tax liability of the Company or any of its  subsidiaries  has
         not  been  finally   determined  or  remains  open  to  examination  by
         applicable taxing authorities.

                  (xxiv) The Company and its  subsidiaries  maintain a system of
         internal accounting controls sufficient to provide reasonable assurance
         that (i)  transactions  are executed in  accordance  with  management's
         general and specific authorizations;  (ii) transactions are recorded as
         necessary to permit  preparation of financial  statements in conformity
         with GAAP and to maintain  accountability  for assets;  (iii) access to
         assets is permitted  only in accordance  with  management's  general or
         specific  authorizations;  and (iv)  the  recorded  accountability  for
         assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and
         appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences.

                  (xxv) The  Company  and its  subsidiaries  have not (i) taken,
         directly or indirectly,  any action  designed to cause or to result in,
         or that has  constituted  or which  might  reasonably  be  expected  to
         constitute,  the  stabilization  or  manipulation  of the  price of any
         security  of the  Company  to  facilitate  the  sale or  resale  of the
         Securities  or  (ii)  since  the  initial  filing  of the  Registration
         Statement (A) sold,  bid for,  purchased or paid anyone (other than, to
         the extent  applicable,  payments  made by the Company  pursuant to the
         terms of, and in accordance with, the Company's  dividend  reinvestment
         plan) any compensation for soliciting purchases of, the Securities,  or
         (B) paid or agreed to pay to any person any compensation for soliciting
         another to purchase any other securities of the Company.

                  (xxvi) No relationship,  direct or indirect, exists between or
         among any of the Company or any  affiliate of the  Company,  on the one
         hand, and any director, officer,  stockholder,  customer or supplier of
         any of them, on the other hand, which is required by the 1933 Act or by
         the 1933 Act Regulations to be described in the Registration  Statement
         or the  Prospectus  which is not so  described  or is not  described as
         required.

                  (xxvii)  The  Company has not  distributed  and,  prior to the
         later to  occur of (i) the  Closing  Time  and (ii)  completion  of the
         distribution of the Securities,  will not distribute any prospectus (as
         such term is defined in the 1933 Act and the 1933 Act  Regulations)  in
         connection with the offering and sale of the Securities  other than the
         Registration Statement,  any preliminary prospectus,  the Prospectus or
         other materials,  if any,  permitted by the 1933 Act or by the 1933 Act
         Regulations and approved by the Underwriters.

                  (xxviii) The Company has been and is  organized in  conformity
         with the requirements for  qualification  and taxation as a real estate
         investment  trust ("REIT") under the Internal  Revenue Code of 1986, as
         amended  (the  "Code"),  and its method of  operation  has at all times

                                       10
<PAGE>
         enabled,  and its proposed method of operation will enable, the Company
         to qualify as a REIT under the Code.

                  (xxix)  The  Company  and each of its  subsidiaries  has title
         insurance on all real  property  described in the  Prospectus  as being
         owned (or held under a ground  lease) or  financed by any of them in an
         amount at least equal to the cost of  acquisition  of such  property or
         the original  principal  amount of the loan provided by any of them, as
         the case may be, and each such property is insured by extended coverage
         hazard  and  casualty  insurance  in an amount not less than 90% of the
         full replacement cost of the improvements located thereon (exclusive of
         excavation  and  foundations),  except  for such  properties  which are
         covered  by  insurance  in an amount  less than 90%,  the total loss of
         which would not have,  either  singly or in the  aggregate,  a Material
         Adverse Effect,  and there are in effect for such properties and assets
         insurance  policies covering risks and in amounts that are commercially
         reasonable  for  such  types  of  properties  and  assets  and that are
         consistent with the types and amounts of insurance typically maintained
         by  prudent  owners of  similar  properties  or assets or  required  by
         commercial lenders with respect to similar properties or assets and all
         such insurance is in full force and effect.

         (b) Any  certificate  signed by any senior  officer of the  Company and
delivered to the  Representatives  or to counsel for the  Underwriters  shall be
deemed a  representation  and warranty by the Company to the  Underwriters as to
the matters covered thereby.

         SECTION 2. SALE AND DELIVERY TO UNDERWRITER; CLOSING.

         (a) On the basis of the representations and warranties herein contained
and subject to the terms and conditions  herein set forth, the Company agrees to
sell to each of the  Underwriters,  severally  and not jointly,  and each of the
Underwriters, severally and not jointly, agrees to purchase from the Company, at
the prices set forth on Schedule II hereto (which is a part hereof),  the number
of Initial  Securities set forth in Schedule I hereto  opposite the name of such
Underwriter. The initial public offering price and the purchase price to be paid
by the Underwriters for the Securities are set forth on Schedule II hereto and a
prospectus  supplement  will be filed in accordance with Rule 424(b) of the 1933
Act.

         (b) In addition,  on the basis of the  representations  and  warranties
herein  contained and subject to the terms and conditions  herein set forth, the
Company hereby grants an option to the Underwriters,  severally and not jointly,
to purchase up to an additional  900,000 shares of Common Stock at the price per
share set forth in Schedule II, less an amount per share equal to any  dividends
or distributions  declared by the Company and payable on the Initial  Securities
but not payable on the Option Securities.  The option hereby granted will expire
30 days after the date hereof and may be exercised in whole or in part from time
to time  only  for the  purpose  of  covering  over-allotments  which  may be in
connection  with the offering and  distribution  of the Initial  Securities upon
notice by the  Representatives to the Company setting forth the number of Option
Securities as to which the  Underwriters  are then exercising the option and the
time and date of payment and delivery for such Option Securities.  Any such time
and  date of  delivery  (a  "Date  of  Delivery")  shall  be  determined  by the
Representatives,  but shall not be later than seven full business days after the
exercise  of such  option,  nor in any  event  prior  to the  Closing  Time,  as

                                       11
<PAGE>
hereinafter  defined. If the option is exercised as to all or any portion of the
Option Securities,  each of the Underwriters,  acting severally and not jointly,
will purchase  that  proportion  of the total number of Option  Securities  then
being purchased  which the number of Initial  Securities set forth in Schedule I
opposite  the name of such  Underwriter  bears to the total  number  of  Initial
Securities,  subject in each case to such adjustments as the  Representatives in
their  discretion  shall make to eliminate  any sales or purchase of  fractional
shares.

         (c) Payment of the purchase  price for,  and  delivery of  certificates
for, the Initial  Securities  shall be made at the office of  Franchise  Finance
Corporation of America, 17207 North Perimeter Drive, Scottsdale,  Arizona, or at
such other place as shall be agreed upon by the Representatives and the Company,
at 9:00 A.M. on the third business day (unless  postponed in accordance with the
provisions of Section 10) following the date after  execution of this Agreement,
or such other time not later than ten business  days after such date as shall be
agreed  upon by the  Representatives  and the  Company  (such  time  and date of
payment and delivery being herein called "Closing Time").

         In addition,  in the event that any or all of the Option Securities are
purchased by the  Underwriters,  payment of the purchase price for, and delivery
of certificates for, such Option Securities shall be made at the above-mentioned
offices,  or at such other place as shall be agreed upon by the  Representatives
and the  Company,  on each Date of Delivery as  specified in the notice from the
Representatives to the Company.

         Payment  shall be made to the Company in  immediately  available  funds
against  delivery  to the  Representatives  for the  respective  accounts of the
Underwriters  of  certificates  for the  Securities  to be  purchased  by  them.
Certificates for the Securities shall be in such denominations and registered in
such names as the  Underwriters may request in writing at least one business day
before the Closing  Time or the relevant  Date of Delivery,  as the case may be.
The  certificates  for the Securities will be made available for examination and
packaging by the  Underwriters  in The City of New York not later than 3:00 P.M.
on the last  business  day prior to the  Closing  Time or the  relevant  Date of
Delivery, as the case may be.

         Section 3.  COVENANTS OF THE COMPANY.  The Company  covenants  with the
Underwriters as follows:

                  (a) Promptly  following the execution of this  Agreement,  the
         Company will prepare a prospectus supplement setting forth the terms of
         such Securities not otherwise specified in the Prospectus, the price at
         which the Securities are to be purchased by the  Underwriters  from the
         Company,  the initial public offering price, the selling concession and
         reallowances, if any, and such other information as the Representatives
         and the Company deem appropriate in connection with the offering of the
         Securities. The Company will promptly transmit copies of the prospectus
         supplement to the Commission for filing  pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the
         1933 Act  Regulations  and will  furnish  to the  Underwriters  as many
         copies  of  the  Prospectus  and  such  prospectus  supplement  as  the
         Underwriters shall reasonably request.

                                       12
<PAGE>
                  (b) The Company will notify each Underwriter immediately,  and
         confirm  the  notice  in  writing,  (i)  of  the  effectiveness  of any
         amendment to the Registration  Statement, or when any supplement to the
         Prospectus or any amended Prospectus shall have been filed, (ii) of the
         receipt of any comments  from the  Commission,  (iii) of any request by
         the Commission for any amendment to the  Registration  Statement or any
         amendment  or   supplement  to  the   Prospectus   or  for   additional
         information,  and (iv) of the  issuance by the  Commission  of any stop
         order suspending the effectiveness of the Registration  Statement or of
         any  order   preventing  or  suspending  the  use  of  any  preliminary
         prospectus supplement, or of the suspension of the qualification of the
         Securities  for  offering  or  sale  in  any  jurisdiction,  or of  the
         initiation or threatening of any  proceedings for any of such purposes.
         The Company will make every  reasonable  effort to prevent the issuance
         of any stop  order  and,  if any stop  order is  issued,  to obtain the
         lifting thereof at the earliest  possible moment. If the Company elects
         to rely on Rule 434, the Company will  provide  each  Underwriter  with
         copies  of the  form of Rule 434  Prospectus,  in such  number  as each
         Underwriter  may  reasonably  request,  and file or transmit for filing
         with  the  Commission  the  form  of  Prospectus  complying  with  Rule
         434(c)(2)  of the 1933 Act in  accordance  with Rule 424(b) of the 1933
         Act by  the  close  of  business  in  New  York  on  the  business  day
         immediately succeeding the date of this Agreement.

                  (c)  At  any  time  when  the  Prospectus  is  required  to be
         delivered  under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act in connection  with sales
         of the Securities, the Company will give each Underwriter notice of its
         intention  to  file  or  prepare  any  amendment  to  the  Registration
         Statement (including any post-effective  amendment) or any amendment or
         supplement  to the  Prospectus,  whether  pursuant to the 1933 Act, the
         1934 Act or  otherwise  (including  any  revised  prospectus  which the
         Company  proposes for use by the  Underwriters  in connection  with the
         offering of the Securities which differs from the prospectus on file at
         the  Commission at the time the  Registration  Statement  first becomes
         effective,  whether or not such  revised  prospectus  is required to be
         filed  pursuant to Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act  Regulations or any term
         sheet  prepared in  reliance on Rule 434 of the 1933 Act  Regulations),
         will  furnish  each  Underwriter  with copies of any such  amendment or
         supplement a reasonable amount of time prior to such proposed filing or
         use,  as the case may be,  and  will  not  file any such  amendment  or
         supplement  or use any such  prospectus  to which the  Underwriters  or
         counsel for the Underwriters shall reasonably object.

                  (d)  The  Company  has  furnished  or  will  deliver  to  each
         Underwriter and counsel for the  Underwriters,  without charge,  signed
         copies of the  Registration  Statement as originally  filed and of each
         amendment thereto  (including  exhibits filed therewith or incorporated
         by  reference  therein  and  documents  incorporated  or  deemed  to be
         incorporated  by reference  therein) and signed  copies of all consents
         and certificates of experts,  and will also deliver to each Underwriter
         a conformed copy of the Registration  Statement as originally filed and
         of each amendment thereto (without exhibits).

                  (e) The  Company  will  furnish to each  Underwriter,  without
         charge,  from time to time  during the period  when the  Prospectus  is
         required  to be  delivered  under  the 1933 Act or the 1934  Act,  such
         number of copies of the Prospectus (as amended or supplemented) as each

                                       13
<PAGE>
         Underwriter may reasonably request for the purposes contemplated by the
         1933  Act  or the  1934  Act or the  respective  applicable  rules  and
         regulations of the Commission thereunder.

                  (f) If any event  shall  occur or  condition  shall exist as a
         result of which it is  necessary,  in the  opinion of  counsel  for the
         Underwriters or for the Company, to amend the Registration Statement or
         amend or supplement the  Prospectus in order that the  Prospectus  will
         not include any untrue statements of a material fact or omit to state a
         material  fact  necessary in order to make the  statements  therein not
         misleading in the light of the circumstances existing at the time it is
         delivered to a purchaser,  or if it shall be necessary,  in the opinion
         of such counsel,  at any such time to amend the Registration  Statement
         or amend or  supplement  the  Prospectus  in order to  comply  with the
         requirements of the 1933 Act or the 1933 Act  Regulations,  the Company
         will promptly prepare and file with the Commission,  subject to Section
         3(b),  such amendment or supplement as may be necessary to correct such
         statement  or omission  or to make the  Registration  Statement  or the
         Prospectus comply with such requirements,  and the Company will furnish
         to  each  Underwriter  such  number  of  copies  of such  amendment  or
         supplement as each Underwriter may reasonably request.

                  (g) The Company will use its best efforts, in cooperation with
         the Underwriters, to qualify the Securities for offering and sale under
         the applicable  securities laws of such states and other  jurisdictions
         of the United States as the  Underwriters may designate and to maintain
         such  qualifications  in effect  for a period of not less than one year
         from  the  effective  date  of the  Registration  Statement;  provided,
         however,  that the Company  shall not be  obligated to file any general
         consent to service of process or to qualify as a foreign corporation or
         as a dealer in  securities  in any  jurisdiction  in which it is not so
         qualified or to subject itself to taxation in respect of doing business
         in any  jurisdiction  in which it is not otherwise so subject.  In each
         jurisdiction  in which  the  Securities  have  been so  qualified,  the
         Company will file such statements and reports as may be required by the
         laws of such jurisdiction to continue such  qualification in effect for
         a period  of not less  than one  year  from the  effective  date of the
         Registration Statement.

                  (h) The Company will make generally  available to its security
         holders  as soon as  practicable,  but not later than 90 days after the
         close of the period  covered  thereby,  an earnings  statement (in form
         complying with the provisions of Rule 158 of the 1933 Act  Regulations)
         covering a twelve month period  beginning  not later than the first day
         of the Company's fiscal quarter next following the "effective date" (as
         defined in said Rule 158) of the Registration Statement.

                  (i) The Company will use the net proceeds  received by it from
         the sale of the  Securities in the manner  specified in the  Prospectus
         under "Use of Proceeds."

                  (j) In accordance with the Cuba Act and without  limitation to
         the  provisions  of  Sections  6 and 7 hereof,  the  Company  agrees to
         indemnify and hold harmless each  Underwriter  from and against any and
         all loss,  liability,  claim, damage and expense whatsoever  (including

                                       14
<PAGE>
         fees and  disbursements  of counsel),  as incurred,  arising out of any
         violation by the Company of the Cuba Act.

                  (k) The  Company,  during the period when the  Prospectus,  is
         required to be delivered  under the 1933 Act or the 1934 Act, will file
         all documents required to be filed with the Commission  pursuant to the
         1934 Act within the time periods  required by the 1934 Act and the 1934
         Act Regulations.

                  (l)  During  a  period  of  90  days  from  the  date  of  the
         Prospectus,  the Company will not, without the prior written consent of
         Merrill  Lynch,  (i)  directly  or  indirectly,  offer,  pledge,  sell,
         contract to sell, sell any option or contract to purchase, purchase any
         option or  contract  to sell,  grant any  option,  right or  warrant to
         purchase or otherwise  transfer or dispose of any share of Common Stock
         or any securities  convertible  into or exercisable or exchangeable for
         Common Stock or file any registration statement under the 1933 Act with
         respect  to any of the  foregoing  or (ii)  enter  into any swap or any
         other agreement or any transaction that transfers, in whole or in part,
         directly or  indirectly,  the economic  consequence of ownership of the
         Common Stock, whether any such swap or transaction  described in clause
         (i) or (ii) above is to be settled by delivery of Common  Stock of such
         other securities,  in cash or otherwise.  The foregoing  sentence shall
         not apply to (A) the Securities to be sold hereunder, (B) any shares of
         Common  Stock  issued by the Company  upon the exercise of an option or
         warrant or the conversion of a security  outstanding on the date hereof
         and  referred  to in the  Prospectus,  (C) any  shares of Common  Stock
         issued or options to purchase Common Stock granted pursuant to existing
         employee  benefit plans of the Company  referred to in the  Prospectus,
         (D) any shares of Common  Stock  issued  pursuant  to any  non-employee
         director stock plan or dividend reinvestment plan, or (E) any shares of
         Common  Stock  issued  by the  Company  for use as  consideration  in a
         financing  transaction,  provided  that the  recipient of the Company's
         Common Stock  pursuant to such a financing  transaction  complies  with
         this Section 3(l).

                  (m) The Company  will not take,  directly or  indirectly,  any
         action designed to or which has  constituted or which might  reasonably
         be expected  to cause or result,  under the 1934 Act or  otherwise,  in
         stabilization  or  manipulation  of the  price of any  security  of the
         Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Securities.

                  (n) The Company  will use its best  efforts to have the shares
         of Common  Stock which it agrees to sell under this  Agreement  listed,
         subject to notice of  issuance,  on the New York Stock  Exchange  on or
         before Closing Time.

         SECTION 4.  PAYMENT OF  EXPENSES.  The  Company  will pay all  expenses
incident to the performance of its obligations  under this Agreement,  including
(i) the printing and filing of the  Registration  Statement as originally  filed
and of each amendment  thereto,  (ii) the preparation,  printing and delivery to
the  Underwriters  of this Agreement and such other documents as may be required
in connection with the offering,  purchase, sale and delivery of the Securities,
(iii)  the  preparation,  issuance  and  delivery  of the  certificates  for the
Securities to the Underwriters, (iv) the fees and disbursements of the Company's
counsel, accountants and other advisors, (v) the qualification of the Securities
under  securities laws in accordance with the provisions of Section 3(g) hereof,

                                       15
<PAGE>
including  filing fees and the reasonable fees and  disbursements of counsel for
the Underwriters in connection  therewith and in connection with the preparation
of the Blue Sky Survey,  any supplement thereto and any Legal Investment Survey,
(vi) the printing and delivery to the  Underwriters  of copies of the Prospectus
and any amendments or supplements  thereto including any term sheet delivered by
the  Company  pursuant  to Rule  434 of the  1933  Act  Regulations,  (vii)  the
preparation, printing and delivery to the Underwriters of copies of the Blue Sky
Survey, any supplement thereto and any Legal Investment Survey,  (viii) the fees
and expenses of any transfer agent or registrar for the Securities, (xi) the fee
of any  filing for  review of the  offering  with the  National  Association  of
Securities Dealers,  Inc., if any, including the reasonable fees and expenses of
counsel for the  Underwriters  in  connection  therewith  and (xii) the fees and
expenses  incurred in connection  with the listing of the  Securities on the New
York Stock Exchange.

         If this  Agreement is terminated by the  Representatives  in accordance
with the provisions of Section 5 or Section  9(a)(i)  hereof,  the Company shall
reimburse the Underwriters for all of their  out-of-pocket  expenses,  including
the reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel for the Underwriters.

         SECTION 5. CONDITIONS OF UNDERWRITER'S OBLIGATIONS.  The obligations of
the  Underwriters  hereunder are subject to the accuracy of the  representations
and  warranties  of the Company  herein  contained,  to the  performance  by the
Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following further conditions:

                  (a) The Registration Statement shall be effective prior to the
         date  hereof,  and at the  Closing  Time no stop order  suspending  the
         effectiveness  of the  Registration  Statement  shall have been  issued
         under the 1933 Act or proceedings  therefor  initiated or threatened by
         the  Commission,  and any  request  on the part of the  Commission  for
         additional  information shall have been complied with to the reasonable
         satisfaction of counsel to the  Underwriters.  A prospectus  supplement
         shall have been  transmitted to the Commission for filing in accordance
         with Rule 424(b) of the 1933 Act Regulations within the prescribed time
         period  and prior to  Closing  Time the  Company  shall  have  provided
         evidence  satisfactory to the Representatives of such timely filing, or
         a post-effective  amendment  providing such information shall have been
         promptly   filed  and  declared   effective  in  accordance   with  the
         requirements of the 1933 Act Regulations.

                  (b)  At  the  Closing  Time  the  Representatives  shall  have
         received:

                           (1) The  favorable  opinion,  dated as of the Closing
                  Time,  of Kutak  Rock,  counsel for the  Company,  in form and
                  substance satisfactory to counsel for the Underwriters, to the
                  effect that:

                                    (i) The Company  has been duly  incorporated
                           and is  validly  existing  as a  corporation  in good
                           standing under the laws of the State of Delaware.

                                       16
<PAGE>
                                    (ii) The Company has the corporate power and
                           authority  to own,  lease and operate its  properties
                           and to  conduct  its  business  as  described  in the
                           Registration  Statement and to enter into and perform
                           its obligations under this Agreement.

                                    (iii) The  Company  is duly  qualified  as a
                           foreign  corporation  to transact  business and is in
                           good   standing   in   Arizona   and  in  each  other
                           jurisdiction in which such qualification is required,
                           whether  by reason of the  ownership  or  leasing  of
                           property  or the conduct of  business,  except in the
                           case of jurisdictions  other than Arizona,  where the
                           failure to so qualify or to be in good standing would
                           not,  either  singly  or in  the  aggregate,  have  a
                           Material Adverse Effect.

                                    (iv) The authorized,  issued and outstanding
                           capital  stock of the  Company is as set forth in the
                           Prospectus  in  the  column  entitled  "Actual" under
                           the caption  "Capitalization"  (except for subsequent
                           issuances, if any, pursuant to employee benefit plans
                           referred  to in the  Prospectus  and  pursuant to the
                           Company's dividend reinvestment plan and non-employee
                           director  stock  plan)  and,  to the  best  of  their
                           knowledge,  all of such outstanding shares of capital
                           stock have been duly  authorized  and validly  issued
                           and are fully paid and nonassessable.

                                    (v) Each  subsidiary of the Company has been
                           duly  incorporated  and  is  validly  existing  as  a
                           corporation  in good  standing  under the laws of the
                           jurisdiction  of  its  incorporation,  has  corporate
                           power and  authority  to own,  lease and  operate its
                           properties  and to conduct its  business as described
                           in the  Registration  Statement and is duly qualified
                           as a foreign  corporation to transact business and is
                           in good standing in each  jurisdiction  in which such
                           qualification  is required,  whether by reason of the
                           ownership  or leasing of  property  or the conduct of
                           its business,  except where the failure to so qualify
                           or to be in good standing would not, either singly or
                           in the aggregate, have a Material Adverse Effect; all
                           of the issued and  outstanding  capital stock of each
                           such  subsidiary has been duly authorized and validly
                           issued, is fully paid and non-assessable  and, to the
                           best of their  knowledge  and  information,  is owned
                           directly  by  the  Company,  free  and  clear  of any
                           security   interest,    mortgage,    pledge,    lien,
                           encumbrance, claim or equity.

                                    (vi)   This    Agreement   has   been   duly
                           authorized, executed and delivered by the Company.

                                    (vii)   The   Securities   have   been  duly
                           authorized for issuance and sale to the  Underwriters
                           pursuant  to this  Agreement  and,  when  issued  and
                           delivered by the Company to the Underwriters pursuant
                           to  this  Agreement   against  payment   therefor  in
                           accordance  with the terms  hereof,  will be  validly
                           issued, fully paid and non-assessable.

                                       17
<PAGE>
                                    (viii)  The  Securities,   when  issued  and
                           delivered by the Company  pursuant to this  Agreement
                           against payment therefor in accordance with the terms
                           hereof, will be free of any preemptive rights arising
                           by  operation of law,  under  contract or  under  the
                           charter or  bylaws  of  the  Company  or,  to  their 
                           knowledge,  otherwise,  except  for  the  preemptive
                           rights of Colony which have been waived.

                                    (ix)  As of  the  date  hereof,  there  are,
                           including   the   Securities  to  be  issued  to  the
                           Underwriters,   55,064,330  shares  of  Common  Stock
                           outstanding,  as may be  adjusted  for shares  issued
                           pursuant to the Company's employee benefit plans, the
                           dividend   reinvestment  plan  and  the  non-employee
                           director stock plan and no shares of Preferred  Stock
                           outstanding.

                                    (x)  The  form  of   certificates   for  the
                           Securities   conforms  to  the  requirements  of  the
                           Delaware General Corporation Law.

                                    (xi) The Securities  conform in all material
                           respects to the descriptions thereof contained in the
                           Prospectus.

                                    (xii) The  Registration  Statement  has been
                           declared  effective  under the 1933 Act; any required
                           filing of the Prospectus  pursuant to Rule 424(b) has
                           been made in the manner  and  within the time  period
                           required  by Rule  424(b);  and, to the best of their
                           knowledge and  information,  no stop order suspending
                           the  effectiveness of the Registration  Statement has
                           been  issued  under  the  1933  Act  or   proceedings
                           therefor initiated or threatened by the Commission.

                                    (xiii)  The  Registration   Statement,   the
                           Prospectus  and each  amendment or  supplement to the
                           Registration  Statement and  Prospectus,  as of their
                           respective  effective  or issue dates (other than the
                           financial   statements   and   schedules   and  other
                           financial data included or  incorporated by reference
                           therein and the Trustee's Statement of Eligibility on
                           Form T-1 (the  "Form  T-1"),  as to which no  opinion
                           need be rendered) complied as to form in all material
                           respects  with the  requirements  of the 1933 Act and
                           the 1933 Act Regulations.

                                    (xiv)  To the best of  their  knowledge  and
                           information,  there is not  pending,  and the Company
                           has  not  received  any  notice  of  any  threatened,
                           action, suit,  proceeding,  inquiry or investigation,
                           to which the Company or any of its  subsidiaries is a
                           party, or to which the property of the Company or any
                           of its subsidiaries is subject,  before or brought by
                           any court or governmental agency or body, which might
                           reasonably  be  expected  to result  in any  Material
                           Adverse Change, or which might reasonably be expected
                           to materially and adversely  affect the properties or
                           assets thereof or the  consummation of this Agreement
                           or the  performance by the Company of its obligations
                           hereunder;  and all  pending  legal  or  governmental

                                       18
<PAGE>
                           proceedings  to  which  the  Company  or  any  of its
                           subsidiaries  is a party or that  affect any of their
                           respective  properties  that are not described in the
                           Prospectus,  including  ordinary  routine  litigation
                           incidental to the business,  could not  reasonably be
                           expected to result in a Material Adverse Change.

                                    (xv) The information in the Prospectus under
                           "Business and  Properties --  Properties,"  "Business
                           and   Properties   --   Regulation,"   "Business  and
                           Properties -- Legal Proceedings," "Description of the
                           Notes,"  "Description of Debt  Securities,"  "Certain
                           Federal Income Tax Considerations,"  "Restrictions on
                           Transfers   of  Capital   Stock,"   "Description   of
                           Preferred  Stock" and  "Description  of Common Stock"
                           and in the  Registration  Statement  under Item 15 of
                           Part II thereof,  to the extent  that it  constitutes
                           matters of law, summaries of legal matters, documents
                           or  proceedings,  or  legal  conclusions,   has  been
                           reviewed  by  them  and is  correct  in all  material
                           respects;  to the best of such  counsel's  knowledge,
                           there are no statutes or regulations, and no legal or
                           governmental actions, suits or proceedings pending or
                           threatened  against the Company  that are required to
                           be described in the Prospectus that are not described
                           as  required  and the  opinion of such firm set forth
                           under "Certain Federal Income Tax  Considerations" is
                           confirmed.

                                    (xvi) All  descriptions in the Prospectus of
                           contracts and other documents to which the Company or
                           its  subsidiaries  are a party  are  accurate  in all
                           material respects; to the best of their knowledge and
                           information,  there  are  no  franchises,  contracts,
                           indentures, mortgages, loan agreements, notes, leases
                           or other  instruments  required  to be  described  or
                           referred to in the  Registration  Statement  or to be
                           filed as exhibits  thereto other than those described
                           or  referred to therein or filed or  incorporated  by
                           reference  as  exhibits  thereto,   the  descriptions
                           thereof  or  references  thereto  are  correct in all
                           material   respects,   and,  to  the  best  of  their
                           knowledge or  information,  no default  exists in the
                           due   performance   or  observance  of  any  material
                           obligation,    agreement,   covenant   or   condition
                           contained in any contract, indenture,  mortgage, loan
                           agreement,   note,   lease  or  other  instrument  so
                           described,  referred  to,  filed or  incorporated  by
                           reference.

                                    (xvii) No authorization,  approval,  consent
                           or order of any court or  governmental  authority  or
                           agency  (other  than  under the 1933 Act and the 1933
                           Act Regulations,  which have been obtained, or as may
                           be required  under the securities or blue sky laws of
                           the various  states) is required in  connection  with
                           the due authorization, execution and delivery of this
                           Agreement  or for the  offering,  issuance or sale of
                           the   Securities   to  the   Underwriters;   and  the
                           execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
                           and  the  Securities  and  the  consummation  of  the
                           transactions  contemplated  herein  and  therein  and
                           compliance  by  the  Company  with  its   obligations
                           hereunder and  thereunder  (including  the use of the

                                       19
<PAGE>
                           proceeds from the sale of the Securities as described
                           in  the   Prospectus   under  the  caption   "Use  Of
                           Proceeds")  will not,  whether  with or  without  the
                           giving of  notice or lapse of time or both,  conflict
                           with  or  constitute  a  breach  of,  or  default  or
                           Repayment  Event  under or result in the  creation or
                           imposition of any lien,  charge or  encumbrance  upon
                           any  property  or assets of the Company or any of its
                           subsidiaries pursuant to (A) the NationsBank Facility
                           or  (B)  to  the   best  of   their   knowledge   and
                           information, any other contract, indenture, mortgage,
                           deed of trust, loan or credit agreement,  note, lease
                           or any other  agreement  or  instrument  to which the
                           Company or any of its  subsidiaries  is a party or by
                           which it or any of them may be bound, or to which any
                           of the  property  or assets of the  Company or any of
                           its  subsidiaries  is  subject  except  for any  such
                           conflict,  breach,  default or Repayment  Event which
                           would not, either singly or in the aggregate,  have a
                           Material Adverse Effect,  nor will such action result
                           in any violation of the  provisions of the charter or
                           by-laws  of  the  Company,  or  any  applicable  law,
                           statute, rule, regulation,  judgment,  order, writ or
                           decree of any government,  government instrumentality
                           or court,  domestic or foreign,  having  jurisdiction
                           over the Company or any of its subsidiaries or any of
                           their respective properties, assets or operations.

                                    (xviii)  The   documents   incorporated   by
                           reference in the Prospectus (other than the financial
                           statements  and  schedules  and  other  financial  or
                           statistical   data   included  or   incorporated   by
                           reference  therein,  as to which no  opinion  need be
                           rendered),  when they became  effective or were filed
                           with the Commission,  as the case may be, complied as
                           to   form  in  all   material   respects   with   the
                           requirements  of the  1933 Act or the  1934  Act,  as
                           applicable,  and the  rules  and  regulations  of the
                           Commission thereunder.

                                    (xix)  The  Company  is not  an  "investment
                           company" or an entity  "controlled" by an "investment
                           company," as such terms are defined in the 1940 Act.

                                    (xx)  To  the   best   of   such   counsel's
                           knowledge,  neither the Company nor its  subsidiaries
                           are in violation of their charter or bylaws;  and the
                           Company and its  subsidiaries  are in compliance with
                           all laws,  rules,  regulations,  judgments,  decrees,
                           orders and  statutes  in the  jurisdictions  in which
                           they are conducting  their business,  except for such
                           failures  to comply  which,  either  singly or in the
                           aggregate, would not have a Material Adverse Effect.

                                    (xxi) The Company has been and is  organized
                           in conformity with the requirements for qualification
                           and  taxation as a REIT under the Code and its method
                           of  operation  has  at all  times  enabled,  and  its
                           proposed method of operation will enable, the Company
                           to qualify as a REIT under the Code.

                                       20
<PAGE>
                           Such  opinion  shall be to such  further  effect with
                  respect to legal  matters  relating to this  Agreement and the
                  sale of the  Securities  as  counsel to the  Underwriters  may
                  reasonably  request.  In rendering such opinion,  such counsel
                  may  rely  as  to  matters  of  fact  (but  not  as  to  legal
                  conclusions),  to the extent they deem proper, on certificates
                  of responsible  officers of the Company and public  officials.
                  Such  opinion  shall not state  that it is to be  governed  or
                  qualified  by,  or  that  it  is  otherwise  subject  to,  any
                  treatise,  written policy or other document  relating to legal
                  opinions,  including,  without  limitation,  the Legal Opinion
                  Accord of the ABA Section of Business Law (1991).

                           (2) The  favorable  opinion,  dated as of the Closing
                  Time, of Latham & Watkins, counsel for the Underwriters,  with
                  respect to the matters set forth in clauses (i), (vi),  (vii),
                  (xii) and (xiii) of subsection (b)(1) of this Section,  except
                  that,  with respect to the matters  referred to in (xiii),  no
                  opinion need be expressed as to the documents  incorporated by
                  reference in the Registration Statement.

                           (3) In giving their opinions  required by subsections
                  (b)(1) and (b)(2),  respectively,  of this Section, Kutak Rock
                  and  Latham &  Watkins  shall  each  additionally  state  that
                  nothing has come to their  attention  that led them to believe
                  that  the   Registration   Statement   (except  for  financial
                  statements and schedules and other  financial data included or
                  incorporated  by  reference  therein  and the Form T-1,  as to
                  which such  counsel  need make no  statement),  at the time it
                  became  effective or on the date  hereof,  contained an untrue
                  statement  of a  material  fact or omitted to state a material
                  fact  required to be stated  therein or  necessary to make the
                  statements  therein  not  misleading  or that  the  Prospectus
                  (except  for  financial  statements  and  schedules  and other
                  financial data included or incorporated by reference  therein,
                  as to which such counsel need make no statement),  on the date
                  hereof  (unless the term  "Prospectus"  refers to a prospectus
                  which has been provided to the Underwriters by the Company for
                  use in connection  with the offering of the  Securities  which
                  differs from the  Prospectus on file at the  Commission at the
                  time the Registration  Statement becomes  effective,  in which
                  case at the date of such prospectus),  or at the Closing Time,
                  included or includes an untrue statement of a material fact or
                  omitted or omits to state a material  fact  necessary in order
                  to  make  the  statements   therein,   in  the  light  of  the
                  circumstances under which they were made, not misleading.

                  (c) At the Closing  Time there shall not have been,  since the
         date hereof or since the  respective  dates as of which  information is
         given in the Prospectus,  any Material  Adverse Change,  whether or not
         arising in the ordinary course of business,  and the Underwriters shall
         have received a certificate  of a senior  officer of the Company and of
         the chief financial or chief accounting  officer of the Company,  dated
         as of the Closing  Time,  to the effect that (i) there has been no such
         Material  Adverse Change,  (ii) the  representations  and warranties in
         Section 1 hereof are true and correct with the same force and effect as
         though  expressly made at and as of Closing Time, (iii) the Company has
         complied with all  agreements  and satisfied all conditions on its part
         to be performed or satisfied at or prior to Closing  Time,  and (iv) no
         stop order suspending the  effectiveness of the Registration  Statement

                                       21
<PAGE>
         has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been initiated
         or threatened by the Commission.  As used in this Section 5(c) the term
         "Prospectus"  means  the  Prospectus  in the  form  first  used  by the
         Underwriters to confirm sales of the Securities.

                  (d) At the  time  of the  execution  of  this  Agreement,  the
         Representatives  shall have received from Arthur  Andersen LLP a letter
         dated  such  date,   in  form  and   substance   satisfactory   to  the
         Representatives,  to the effect  that (i) they are  independent  public
         accountants with respect to the Company and its subsidiaries within the
         meaning of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act and the  applicable  published
         rules  and  regulations   thereunder;   (ii)  in  their  opinion,   the
         consolidated  financial  statements and financial  statement  schedules
         audited  by them and  included  or  incorporated  by  reference  in the
         Registration  Statement comply as to form in all material respects with
         the applicable accounting requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act
         and the  related  published  rules and  regulations;  (iii)  based upon
         limited  procedures  set forth in detail in such  letter  (which  shall
         include,  without limitation,  the procedures specified by the American
         Institute  of  Certified  Public  Accountants  for a review of  interim
         financial  information  as described in SAS No. 71,  Interim  Financial
         Information,  with  respect  to the  unaudited  consolidated  financial
         statements of the Company and its subsidiaries included or incorporated
         by reference in the Registration Statement),  nothing has come to their
         attention   which   causes  them  to  believe  that  (A)  any  material
         modifications  should be made to the unaudited  consolidated  financial
         statements  included or incorporated  by reference in the  Registration
         Statement  for  them  to  be  in  conformity  with  generally  accepted
         accounting  principles  or (B)  the  unaudited  consolidated  financial
         statements  included or incorporated  by reference in the  Registration
         Statement  do not comply as to form in all material  respects  with the
         applicable  accounting  requirements  of the 1934 Act as it  applies to
         Form 10-Q and the related  published  rules and regulations or (C) at a
         specified  date  not more  than  three  days  prior to the date of this
         Agreement,  there has been any change in the consolidated capital stock
         of the Company or any increase in total  liabilities or any decrease in
         total  assets as compared  with the amounts  shown in the June 30, 1998
         balance  sheet  included in the  Registration  Statement or, during the
         period from June 30, 1998 to a specified  date not more than three days
         prior to the  date of this  Agreement,  there  were  any  decreases  as
         compared with the corresponding  period in the preceding year, in total
         revenues,  net income, net income per share or funds from operations of
         the Company and its subsidiaries,  except in all instances for changes,
         increases  or  decreases  which  the  Registration  Statement  and  the
         Prospectus disclose have occurred or may occur; (iv) in addition to the
         examination  referred to in their  opinions and the limited  procedures
         referred  to in clause  (iii)  above,  they have  carried  out  certain
         specified  procedures,  not  constituting  an audit,  with  respect  to
         certain  amounts,  percentages  and  financial  information  which  are
         included in the  Registration  Statement and  Prospectus  and which are
         specified  by  the  Representatives,   and  have  found  such  amounts,
         percentages  and  financial  information  to be in  agreement  with the
         relevant accounting, financial and other records of the Company and its
         subsidiaries   identified  in  such  letter;  (v)  based  upon  limited
         procedures  set forth in detail in such  letter,  nothing came to their
         attention  that  caused  them to believe  that the pro forma  financial
         information  included in the Registration  Statement and the Prospectus

                                       22
<PAGE>
         does not comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable
         accounting requirements of Rule 11-02 of Regulation S-X or that the pro
         forma  adjustments  have not been  properly  applied to the  historical
         amounts  in the  compilation  of the  unaudited  pro forma  information
         included in the Prospectus;  (vi) they have compared the information in
         the Prospectus under selected captions with the disclosure requirements
         of Regulation S-K and on the basis of limited  procedures  specified in
         such  letter  nothing  came  to  their  attention  as a  result  of the
         foregoing  procedures that caused them to believe that this information
         does  not  conform  in  all  material   respects  with  the  disclosure
         requirements  of Items  301,  302,  402 and  503(d),  respectively,  of
         Regulation S-K; (vii) based upon limited procedures set forth in detail
         in such letter,  nothing has come to their  attention which causes them
         to believe  that (A) any material  modifications  should be made to the
         unaudited consolidated  financial statements  incorporated by reference
         in  the  Registration  Statement  for  them  to be in  conformity  with
         generally   accepted   accounting   principles  or  (B)  the  unaudited
         consolidated   financial   statements   included  in  the  Registration
         Statement  do not comply as to form in all material  respects  with the
         applicable  accounting  requirements  of the  1933 Act and the 1934 Act
         Regulations,  and (viii) the unaudited amounts set forth under "Summary
         Financial  Information" and "Selected Financial Data" in the Prospectus
         agree  with  the  amounts  set  forth  in  the  unaudited  consolidated
         financial  statements  for those periods or were  determined on a basis
         substantially  consistent with that of the corresponding amounts in the
         audited consolidated  financial statements included in the Registration
         Statement and Prospectus.

                  (e) At the Closing Time the  Underwriters  shall have received
         from Arthur Andersen LLP a letter, dated as of the Closing Time, to the
         effect that they reaffirm the statements  made in the letter  furnished
         pursuant to subsection  (d) of this Section,  except that the specified
         date  referred to shall be a date not more than three days prior to the
         Closing Time.

                  (f) At the  Closing  Time,  the  Securities  shall  have  been
         approved  for listing on the New York Stock  Exchange,  subject only to
         official notice of issuance.

                  (g) At the date of this Agreement,  the Representatives  shall
         have  received  an  agreement  substantially  in the form of  Exhibit A
         hereto signed by the persons listed on Schedule III hereto.

                  (h) In the event that the  Underwriters  exercise their option
         provided in Section  2(b) hereof to purchase  all or any portion of the
         Option Securities,  the  representations  and warranties of the Company
         contained  herein and the statements of any  certificates  furnished by
         the  Company  hereunder  shall be true and  correct  as of each Date of
         Delivery  and, at the relevant  date of Delivery,  the  Representatives
         shall have received:

                  (i) A  certificate,  dated such Date of Delivery,  of a senior
                  officer of the  Company  and of the chief  financial  or chief
                  accounting   officer  of  the  Company   confirming  that  the
                  certificate delivered at Closing Time pursuant to Section 5(c)
                  hereof remains true and correct as of such Date of Delivery.

                                       23
<PAGE>
                  (ii) The  favorable  opinion of Kutak  Rock,  counsel  for the
                  Company, in form and substance satisfactory to counsel for the
                  Underwriters,  dated such Date of  Delivery,  relating  to the
                  Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
                  otherwise  to the  same  effect  as the  opinion  required  by
                  Section 5(b)(1) hereof.

                  (iii) The favorable  opinion of Latham & Watkins,  counsel for
                  the Underwriters, dated such Date of Delivery, relating to the
                  Option Securities to be purchased on such Date of Delivery and
                  otherwise  to the  same  effect  as the  opinion  required  by
                  section 5(b)(2) hereof.

                  (iv) A letter from Arthur  Andersen LLP, in form and substance
                  satisfactory  to the  Representatives  and dated  such Date of
                  Delivery,  substantially in the same form and substance as the
                  letter  furnished to the  Representatives  pursuant to Section
                  5(e) hereof,  except that the  "specified  date" in the letter
                  furnished  pursuant to this paragraph shall be a date not more
                  than five days prior to such Date of Delivery.

                  (i) At the Closing Time and each Date of Delivery, counsel for
         the  Underwriters  shall have been  furnished  with such  documents and
         opinions as they may  require for the purpose of enabling  them to pass
         upon the issuance and sale of the Securities as herein contemplated and
         related proceedings, or in order to evidence the accuracy of any of the
         representations  or  warranties,  or  the  fulfillment  of  any  of the
         conditions,  herein contained; and all proceedings taken by the Company
         in  connection  with the issuance and sale of the  Securities as herein
         contemplated  shall  be  satisfactory  in  form  and  substance  to the
         Representatives and counsel for the Underwriters.

         If any  condition  specified  in  this  Section  shall  not  have  been
fulfilled when and as required to be fulfilled,  this Agreement, or, in the case
of any  condition  to the  purchase of Option  Securities  on a Date of Delivery
which is after the Closing Time, the obligations of the Underwriters to purchase
the relevant  Option  Securities,  may be terminated by the  Representatives  by
notice to the Company at any time at or prior to the  Closing  Time or such Date
of Delivery, and such termination shall be without liability of any party to any
other party except as provided in Section 4 and except that Sections 3(k), 6 and
7 shall survive any such termination and remain in full force and effect.

         SECTION 6. INDEMNIFICATION.

         (a) The Company agrees to indemnify and hold harmless each  Underwriter
and each person,  if any, who  controls  any  Underwriter  within the meaning of
Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act as follows:

                  (i) against  any and all loss,  liability,  claim,  damage and
         expense whatsoever, as incurred, arising out of any untrue statement or
         alleged   untrue   statement  of  a  material  fact  contained  in  the
         Registration  Statement  (or  any  amendment  thereto),  including  the
         information deemed to be part of the Registration Statement pursuant to
         Rule 434 of the 1933 Act Regulations, if applicable, or the omission or

                                       24
<PAGE>
         alleged  omission  therefrom of a material  fact  required to be stated
         therein or necessary to make the  statements  therein not misleading or
         arising out of any untrue  statement or alleged  untrue  statement of a
         material  fact  contained  in  the  Prospectus  (or  any  amendment  or
         supplement thereto), or the omission or alleged omission therefrom of a
         material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the
         light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading;

                  (ii) against any and all loss,  liability,  claim,  damage and
         expense whatsoever,  as incurred, to the extent of the aggregate amount
         paid  in  settlement  of  any  litigation,   or  any  investigation  or
         proceeding by any governmental agency or body, commenced or threatened,
         or of any claim  whatsoever  based upon any such  untrue  statement  or
         omission,  or any such alleged untrue  statement or omission;  provided
         that  (subject to Section 6(d) below) any such  settlement  is effected
         with the written consent of the Company; and

                  (iii)  against  any and all  expense  whatsoever,  as incurred
         (including,  subject to the third sentence of Section 6(c) hereof,  the
         reasonable fees and  disbursements of counsel chosen by Merrill Lynch),
         reasonably  incurred in  investigating,  preparing or defending against
         any litigation,  or any investigation or proceeding by any governmental
         agency or body, commenced or threatened,  or any claim whatsoever based
         upon any such untrue statement or omission,  or any such alleged untrue
         statement or omission,  to the extent that any such expense is not paid
         under (i) or (ii) above;

PROVIDED,  HOWEVER,  that this indemnity  agreement shall not apply to any loss,
liability,  claim,  damage or expense to the  extent  arising  out of any untrue
statement or omission or alleged  untrue  statement or omission made in reliance
upon and in conformity with written information  furnished to the Company by any
Underwriter  through  Merrill  Lynch  expressly  for  use  in  the  Registration
Statement  (or any  amendment  thereto)  or any  preliminary  prospectus  or the
Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

         (b) Each Underwriter  severally and not jointly agrees to indemnify and
hold harmless the Company,  its  directors,  each of its officers who signed the
Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the Company within
the  meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act against
any  and all  loss,  liability,  claim,  damage  and  expense  described  in the
indemnity  contained in subsection  (a) of this Section,  as incurred,  but only
with respect to untrue statements or omissions,  or alleged untrue statements or
omissions,  made in the Registration Statement (or any amendment thereto) or the
Prospectus  (or any  amendment or  supplement  thereto) in reliance  upon and in
conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter
through  Merrill Lynch expressly for use in the  Registration  Statement (or any
amendment thereto) or the Prospectus (or any amendment or supplement thereto).

         (c) Each indemnified  party shall give notice as promptly as reasonably
practicable to each  indemnifying  party of any action  commenced  against it in
respect of which indemnity may be sought hereunder,  but failure to so notify an
indemnifying  party shall not relieve such indemnifying party from any liability

                                       25
<PAGE>
which it may have  otherwise  than on account of this  indemnity  agreement.  An
indemnifying party may participate at its own expense in the defense of any such
action;  provided,  however,  that counsel to the  indemnifying  party shall not
(except with the consent of the indemnified party) be counsel to the indemnified
party.  In no event  shall  the  indemnifying  parties  be  liable  for fees and
expenses of more than one counsel (in  addition to any local  counsel)  separate
from their own counsel for all  indemnified  parties in connection  with any one
action or  separate  but  similar  or related  actions in the same  jurisdiction
arising out of the same general  allegations or  circumstances.  No indemnifying
party  shall,  without the prior  written  consent of the  indemnified  parties,
settle or compromise or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any
litigation,  or any  investigation or proceeding by any  governmental  agency or
body,  commenced  or  threatened,  or any claim  whatsoever  in respect of which
indemnification  or contribution could be sought under this Section 6 or Section
7 hereof (whether or not the indemnified parties are actual or potential parties
thereto),  unless  such  settlement,  compromise  or  consent  (i)  includes  an
unconditional  release of each indemnified  party from all liability arising out
of such litigation, investigation, proceeding or claim and (ii) does not include
a statement as to or an admission of fault,  culpability  or a failure to act by
or on behalf of any indemnified party.

         (d) If at any  time  an  indemnified  party  shall  have  requested  an
indemnifying  party to reimburse the indemnified  party for fees and expenses of
counsel,  such  indemnifying  party  agrees  that it  shall  be  liable  for any
settlement of the nature  contemplated by Section 6(a)(ii)  effected without its
written  consent if (i) such  settlement is entered into more than 45 days after
receipt  by  such  indemnifying  party  of  the  aforesaid  request,  (ii)  such
indemnifying party shall have received notice of the terms of such settlement at
least 30 days  prior to such  settlement  being  entered  into  and  (iii)  such
indemnifying   party  shall  not  have  reimbursed  such  indemnified  party  in
accordance with such request prior to the date of such settlement.

         (e) For purposes of this Section 6, all references to the  Registration
Statement,  any preliminary  prospectus or the  Prospectus,  or any amendment or
supplement  to any  of the  foregoing,  shall  be  deemed  to  include,  without
limitation,  any electronically transmitted copies thereof,  including,  without
limitation, any copies filed with the Commission pursuant to EDGAR.

         SECTION 7. CONTRIBUTION. If the indemnification provided for in Section
6 hereof is for any reason  unavailable to or  insufficient  to hold harmless an
indemnified  party in respect of any  losses,  liabilities,  claims,  damages or
expenses referred to therein,  then each indemnifying  party shall contribute to
the aggregate amount of such losses,  liabilities,  claims, damages and expenses
incurred by such  indemnified  party, as incurred,  (i) in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative  benefits received by the Company on the one
hand and the  Underwriters on the other hand from the offering of the Securities
pursuant to this Agreement or (ii) if the  allocation  provided by clause (i) is
not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect
not only the  relative  benefits  referred  to in clause  (i) above but also the
relative  fault of the  Company on the one hand and of the  Underwriters  on the
other hand in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such
losses, liabilities,  claims, damages or expenses, as well as any other relevant
equitable  considerations.  The relative benefits received by the Company on the
one hand and the  Underwriters on the other hand in connection with the offering

                                       26
<PAGE>
of the Securities  pursuant to this Agreement  shall be deemed to be in the same
respective  proportions  as the  total net  proceeds  from the  offering  of the
Securities  pursuant to this Agreement (before deducting  expenses)  received by
the Company and the total underwriting discount received by the Underwriters, in
each  case as set forth on the cover of the  Prospectus,  bear to the  aggregate
initial public offering price of the Securities as set forth on such cover.  The
relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the  Underwriters on the other
hand shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue
or alleged  untrue  statement  of a  material  fact or the  omission  or alleged
omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company
or by the Underwriters and the parties'  relative intent,  knowledge,  access to
information  and  opportunity  to correct or prevent such statement or omission.
The Company and the  Underwriters  agree that it would not be just and equitable
if  contribution  pursuant  to  this  Section  7 were  determined  by  pro  rata
allocation or by any other method of  allocation  which does not take account of
the equitable  considerations referred to above in this Section 7. The aggregate
amount of losses,  liabilities,  claims,  damages  and  expenses  incurred by an
indemnified  party and  referred  to above in this  Section 7 shall be deemed to
include any legal or other  expenses  reasonably  incurred  by such  indemnified
party in investigating,  preparing or defending  against any litigation,  or any
investigation  or proceeding by any  governmental  agency or body,  commenced or
threatened, or any claim whatsoever based upon any such untrue or alleged untrue
statement or omission or alleged  omission.  Notwithstanding  the  provisions of
this Section 7, no  Underwriter  shall be required to  contribute  any amount in
excess of the amount by which the total underwriting  discount received by it as
set forth on the cover of the Prospectus exceeds the amount of any damages which
such  Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or
alleged untrue  statement or omission or alleged  omission.  No person guilty of
fraudulent  misrepresentation  (within the meaning of Section  11(f) of the 1933
Act) shall be  entitled  to  contribution  from any person who was not guilty of
such fraudulent misrepresentation.  For purposes of this Section 7, each person,
if any, who controls an Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the 1933
Act or Section 20 of the 1934 Act shall have the same rights to  contribution as
such Underwriter,  and each director of the Company, each officer of the Company
who signed the Registration Statement, and each person, if any, who controls the
Company  within  the  meaning of Section 15 of the 1933 Act or Section 20 of the
1934 Act shall have the same rights to contribution as the Company.

         SECTION  8.  REPRESENTATIONS,  WARRANTIES  AND  AGREEMENTS  TO  SURVIVE
DELIVERY.  All  representations,  warranties  and  agreements  contained in this
Agreement,  or contained in  certificates  of officers of the Company  submitted
pursuant hereto, shall remain operative and in full force and effect, regardless
of any  investigation  made by or on behalf of any  Underwriter  or  controlling
person,  or by or on behalf of the Company,  and shall  survive  delivery of the
Securities to the Underwriters.

         SECTION 9. TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT.

         (a) The Representatives may terminate this Agreement,  by notice to the
Company,  at any time at or prior to the  Closing  Time (i) if there  has  been,
since the time of execution of this Agreement or since the  respective  dates as
of which information is given in the Prospectus,  any material adverse change in
the condition,  financial or otherwise, or in the earnings,  business affairs or
business  prospects  of the  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  considered  as one

                                       27
<PAGE>
enterprise,  whether or not arising in the ordinary course of business,  or (ii)
if there has occurred any material  adverse  change in the financial  markets in
the United  States or  elsewhere,  any  outbreak of  hostilities  or  escalation
thereof or other  calamity  or crisis or any change or  development  involving a
prospective change in national or international political, financial or economic
conditions,  in each  case the  effect  of  which is such as to make it,  in the
judgment of the  Representatives,  impracticable  to market the Securities or to
enforce  contracts  for the sale of the  Securities,  or (iii) if trading in the
Common  Stock has been  suspended or limited by the  Commission  or the New York
Stock Exchange or if trading generally on the American Stock Exchange or the New
York Stock  Exchange or in the  over-the-counter  market has been  suspended  or
limited,  or minimum or maximum  prices for trading have been fixed,  or maximum
ranges for prices have been required, by any of said exchanges or by such system
or by order of the Commission,  the National  Association of Securities Dealers,
Inc. or any other  governmental  authority,  or (iv) if a banking moratorium has
been declared by either  Federal,  New York or Arizona  authorities.  As used in
this Section 9(a), the term "Prospectus"  means the Prospectus in the form first
used by the Underwriters to confirm sales of the Securities.

         (b) If this  Agreement is  terminated  pursuant to this  Section,  such
termination shall be without liability of any party to any other party except as
provided in Section 4 hereof,  and provided  further that Sections 3(k), 6 and 7
shall survive such termination and remain in full force and effect.

         SECTION 10. DEFAULT BY ONE OR MORE OF THE UNDERWRITERS.  If one or more
of the Underwriters shall fail at Closing Time or a Date of Delivery to purchase
the  Securities  which it or they are obligated to purchase under this Agreement
(the "Defaulted  Securities"),  the Representatives shall have the right, within
24 hours thereafter,  to make arrangements for one or more of the non-defaulting
Underwriters, or any other underwriters, to purchase all, but not less than all,
of the  Defaulted  Securities in such amounts as may be agreed upon and upon the
terms  herein set forth;  if,  however,  such  arrangements  shall not have been
completed within such 24-hour period; then:

                  (a) if the number of Defaulted  Securities does not exceed 10%
of  the  number  of  Securities  to be  purchased  on  such  date,  each  of the
non-defaulting  Underwriters shall be obligated,  severally and not jointly,  to
purchase  the full  amount  thereof in the  proportions  that  their  respective
underwriting  obligations hereunder bear to the underwriting  obligations of all
non-defaulting Underwriters; or

                  (b) if the number of Defaulted  Securities  exceeds 10% of the
number of  Securities  to be purchased  on such date,  this  Agreement  or, with
respect  to any Date of  Delivery  which  occurs  after the  Closing  Time,  the
obligation of the Underwriters to purchase and of the Company to sell the Option
Securities  to be purchased and sold on such Date of Delivery,  shall  terminate
without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter.

                  No action  taken  pursuant to this Section  shall  relieve any
defaulting Underwriter from liability in respect of its default.

                                       28
<PAGE>
                  In the event of any such  default  which  does not result in a
termination  of this  Agreement  or, in the case of a Date of Delivery  which is
after the Closing Time, which does not result in a termination of the obligation
of the  Underwriters  to purchase  and the Company to sell the  relevant  Option
Securities,  as the  case may be,  either  (i) the  Representatives  or (ii) the
Company  shall have the right to postpone  Closing Time or the relevant  Date of
Delivery,  as the case may be, for a period not exceeding seven days in order to
effect any required  changes in the  Registration  Statement or Prospectus or in
any other  documents or  arrangements.  As used herein,  the term  "Underwriter"
includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 10.

         SECTION 11.  NOTICES.  All notices and other  communications  hereunder
shall be in  writing  and shall be  deemed to have been duly  given if mailed or
transmitted  by  any  standard  form  of   telecommunication.   Notices  to  the
Underwriters  shall be directed to the  Representatives  at Merrill Lynch & Co.,
North Tower, World Financial Center, New York, New York 10281-1209, attention of
Cara  Londin,  Director  and General  Counsel;  notices to the Company  shall be
directed  to it at 17207  North  Perimeter  Drive,  Scottsdale,  Arizona  85255,
attention  of Morton H.  Fleischer,  with a copy to Dennis L.  Ruben at the same
address.

         SECTION 12.  PARTIES.  This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and
be  binding  upon  the   Underwriters  and  the  Company  and  their  respective
successors.  Nothing  expressed or  mentioned  in this  Agreement is intended or
shall be  construed  to give any  person,  firm or  corporation,  other than the
Underwriters and the Company and their respective successors and the controlling
persons and  officers  and  directors  referred to in Sections 6 and 7 and their
heirs and legal  representatives,  any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim
under or in  respect  of this  Agreement  or any  provision  herein  or  therein
contained.  This Agreement and all conditions and provisions  hereof and thereof
are intended to be for the sole and exclusive  benefit of the  Underwriters  and
the Company and their respective  successors,  and said controlling  persons and
officers and  directors and their heirs and legal  representatives,  and for the
benefit of no other person, firm or corporation. No purchaser of Securities from
any  Underwriter  shall be deemed  to be a  successor  by reason  merely of such
purchase.

         SECTION 13. GOVERNING LAW AND TIME. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY
AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK APPLICABLE TO
AGREEMENTS MADE AND TO BE PERFORMED IN SAID STATE.


                                       29
<PAGE>
         If the  foregoing  is in  accordance  with  your  understanding  of our
agreement, please sign and return to the Company a counterpart hereof, whereupon
this instrument,  along with all  counterparts,  will become a binding agreement
between the Underwriters and the Company in accordance with its terms.

                                        Very truly yours,

                                        FRANCHISE FINANCE CORPORATION OF
                                        AMERICA



                                        By:   /s/ JOHN BARRAVECCHIA       
                                           ----------------------------------
                                           Name: John Barravecchia
                                           Title: Executive Vice President, 
                                                  Chief Financial Officer and
                                                     Treasurer

CONFIRMED AND ACCEPTED, 
as of the date first above written:

MERRILL LYNCH & CO.
MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH
            INCORPORATED
BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.


By: MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INCORPORATED



By        /s/ PAUL MEURER                  
  --------------------------------
        Authorized Signatory

For  themselves  and as  Representatives  of the  other  Underwriters  named  in
Schedule I hereto.

                                      S-1
<PAGE>
                                   SCHEDULE I

                                       to

                               PURCHASE AGREEMENT

                                                                  Number of
Underwriter                                                   Initial Securities
- -----------                                                   ------------------
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
           Incorporated ...................................        980,000
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc. ..................................        980,000
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated .........................        980,000
NationsBanc Montgomery Securities LLC .....................        980,000
Salomon Smith Barney Inc. .................................        980,000
BT Alex. Brown Incorporated ...............................        100,000
Dreadner Kleinwort Benson North America LLC ...............        100,000
ING Baring Furman Selz LLC ................................        100,000
Legg Mason Wood Walker, Incorporated ......................        100,000
Lehman Brothers Inc. ......................................        100,000
PaineWebber Incorporated ..................................        100,000
Sutro & Co. Incorporated ..................................        100,000
J.C. Bradford & Co. .......................................         50,000
Dominick & Dominick LLC ...................................         50,000
EVEREN Securities, Inc. ...................................         50,000
Jefferies & Company, Inc. .................................         50,000
Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. .............................         50,000
Raymond James & Associates, Inc. ..........................         50,000
The Robinson-Humphrey Company, LLC ........................         50,000
Wheat First Securities, Inc. ..............................         50,000
                                                                 ---------
      Total ...............................................      6,000,000
                                                                 =========

                                      I-1
<PAGE>
                                   SCHEDULE II

                                       to

                               PURCHASE AGREEMENT



         The  initial  public  offering  price  per  share  for the  Securities,
determined as provided in Section 2, shall be $23.00.

         The  purchase  price per share to be paid by the  Underwriters  for the
Securities  shall be  $21.82125,  being an amount  equal to the  initial  public
offering  price set forth  above  less  $1.17875  per share;  provided  that the
purchase price per share for any Option  Securities  purchased upon the exercise
of the  over-allotment  option  described in Section 2(b) shall be reduced by an
amount per share equal to any dividends or distributions declared by the Company
and payable on the Initial Securities but not payable on the Option Securities.

                                      II-1
<PAGE>
                                  SCHEDULE III

                                       to

                               PURCHASE AGREEMENT


Name                                  Title
- ----                                  -----

Morton H. Fleischer             Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer
John R. Barravecchia            Executive Vice President, Chief Financial 
                                  Officer, Treasurer and Assistant Secretary
Christopher H. Volk             Executive Vice President, Chief Operating 
                                  Officer, Secretary and Assistant Treasurer
Stephen G. Schmitz              Executive Vice President, Chief Investment 
                                  Officer and Assistant Secretary
Dennis L. Ruben                 Executive Vice President, General Counsel and 
                                  Assistant Secretary
Catherine F. Long               Sr. Vice President-Finance, Principal Accounting
                                  Officer, Assistant Secretary and Assistant
                                  Treasurer
Robin L. Roach                  Sr. Vice President, Corporate Finance
Harold W. Vinson                Sr. Vice President, Property Management
Jon K. Taylor                   Sr. Vice President, Asset Management
Gregg A. Seibert                Sr. Vice President, Corporate Finance
Stephen Y. Schwanz              Sr. Vice President
Willie R. Barnes                Director
Robert W. Halliday              Director
Donald C. Hannah                Director
Kelvin L. Davis                 Director
Dennis E. Mitchem               Director
Louis P.Neeb                    Director
Kenneth B. Roath                Director
Casey J. Sylla                  Director
Shelby Yastrow                  Director

                                     III-1
<PAGE>
EXHIBIT A

Form of Lock-up Agreement



                                February __, 1999




Merrill Lynch & Co.
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
            Incorporated
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
  as Representatives of the several
  Underwriters to be named in the
  within-mentioned Purchase Agreement
c/o Merrill Lynch & Co.
    Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
                Incorporated
North Tower
World Financial Center
New York, NY 10281-1209

       Re:  PROPOSED PUBLIC OFFERING BY FRANCHISE FINANCE CORPORATION OF AMERICA

Ladies and Gentlemen:

         The  undersigned,  a  stockholder  and an officer  and/or  director  of
Franchise  Finance   Corporation  of  America,   a  Delaware   corporation  (the
"Company"),  understands that Merrill Lynch & Co., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner
& Smith  Incorporated  ("Merrill  Lynch") and Bear,  Stearns & Co.  Inc.  ("Bear
Stearns") propose to enter into a Purchase Agreement (the "Purchase  Agreement")
with the Company providing for the public offering of shares (the  "Securities")
of the Company's common stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"). In
recognition  of  the  benefit  that  such  an  offering  will  confer  upon  the
undersigned as a stockholder and an officer and/or director of the Company,  and
for other good and valuable consideration,  the receipt and sufficiency of which
are hereby  acknowledged,  the  undersigned  agrees with each  underwriter to be
named in the Purchase  Agreement that,  during a period of 90 days from the date
of the Purchase  Agreement,  the undersigned will not, without the prior written
consent of Merrill  Lynch,  directly or  indirectly,  (i) offer,  pledge,  sell,
contract to sell,  sell any option or contract to purchase,  purchase any option
or  contract  to sell,  grant any  option,  right or warrant for the sale of, or
otherwise dispose of or transfer any shares of the Company's Common Stock or any
securities  convertible  into or  exchangeable  or exercisable for Common Stock,
whether now owned or hereafter  acquired by the  undersigned  or with respect to
which the  undersigned has or hereafter  acquires the power of  disposition,  or

                                      A-1
<PAGE>
file any  registration  statement  under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
with  respect to any of the  foregoing  or (ii) enter into any swap or any other
agreement or any transaction  that transfers,  in whole or in part,  directly or
indirectly,  the economic  consequence of ownership of the Common Stock, whether
any such swap or  transaction  is to be settled by delivery  of Common  Stock or
other securities, in cash or otherwise.

                                        Very truly yours,




                                        Signature: _____________________________

                                        Print Name _____________________________

                                      A-2

                                  EXHIBIT 5.01

                                   KUTAK ROCK                      ATLANTA      
                                  A PARTNERSHIP                    KANSAS CITY  
                       INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL CORPORATIONS         LITTLE ROCK  
                                   SUITE 2900                      NEWPORT BEACH
                             717 SEVENTEENTH STREET                NEW YORK     
                           DENVER, COLORADO 80202-3329             OKLAHOMA CITY
                                 (303) 297-2400                    OMAHA        
                            FACSIMILE (303) 292-7799               PHOENIX      
                                                                   PITTSBURGH
                            http://www.kutakrock.com               WASHINGTON   
                                                                   

                                January 27, 1999


Board of Directors
Franchise Finance Corporation
  of America
The Perimeter Center
17207 North Perimeter Drive
Scottsdale, AZ 85255


               Re:  Issuance and Sale of Common Stock


Ladies and Gentlemen:

         We have acted as counsel to Franchise  Finance  Corporation  of America
(the  "Company"),  in  connection  with  the  preparation  of  the  registration
statement  on  Form  S-3   (Registration   No.   333-26437),   as  amended  (the
"Registration Statement"),  filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission in
connection with the registration of $1,000,000,000  aggregate  offering price of
securities.  Further, we have acted as counsel to the Company in connection with
the   preparation  of  the  related   Prospectus   dated  April  16,  1998  (the
"Prospectus"),  and the  Prospectus  Supplement  dated  January  27,  1999  (the
"Prospectus  Supplement")  relating to the issuance of  6,000,000  shares of the
Company's common stock,  $.01 par value per share (the "Common  Stock").  We are
familiar with the proceedings heretofore taken by the Company in connection with
the authorization and registration,  and in the preparation for the issuance and
sale, of the Common Stock.

         For the  purpose of  rendering  this  opinion,  we have  examined  such
corporate  records,  certificates  and other documents of the Company,  and have
made such investigations of law as we deemed necessary or appropriate and we are
<PAGE>
Board of Directors
Franchise Finance Corporation
  of America
January 27, 1999
Page 2

familiar  with the  procedures  taken or  proposed to be taken by the Company in
connection  with the issuance and sale of the Common Stock. We have examined the
Registration  Statement,  the  Prospectus  and  the  Prospectus  Supplement.  In
expressing this opinion,  we have relied, as to any questions of fact upon which
our opinion is predicated, upon representations and certificates of the officers
of the Company.  Except as otherwise  indicated herein, all terms defined in the
Registration Statement,  Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement are used herein as
so defined.

         We have  assumed for  purposes of the opinions set forth below (i) that
no stop orders  relating to the  Registration  Statement have been issued by the
Securities  and Exchange  Commission  as of the date of the issuance and sale of
the Common Stock;  (ii) the  genuineness of all signatures and the  authenticity
and  completeness  of all  documents  submitted  to us as  originals;  (iii) the
conformity to originals and the authenticity of all documents  supplied to us as
certified,  photocopied,  conformed or facsimile copies and the authenticity and
completeness  of the originals of any such documents;  (iv) the proper,  genuine
and due  execution and delivery of all documents by all parties to them and that
there has been no breach of the terms thereof; (v) that all required actions are
taken and conditions  satisfied with respect to the issuance of the Common Stock
as specified in the Prospectus and Prospectus Supplement; and (vi) consideration
is received for the Common Stock.

         Based upon the  foregoing and subject to the  qualifications  set forth
above,  we are of the opinion that at the time the Common  Stock is issued,  the
Common Stock will be legally issued, fully paid and nonassessable.

         This opinion is given for the sole benefit of the addressee  hereof and
may not be relied upon by or delivered to any other  person.  In addition,  this
opinion relates only to the matters and the transactions  specifically  referred
to, and no other opinions should be implied therefrom.

                                        Respectfully submitted,

                                        /s/ Kutak Rock

                                        Kutak Rock


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