Legal

01

Terms of Pledge

Nature of the Pledge

The $250/month pledge submitted through the URBAL platform is a prepayment toward a future Limited Equity Contract (LEC) for a dwelling unit in a URBAL town. It is not a charitable donation, a security, a loan, or a rental deposit. It is a conditional prepayment held in escrow until the raise threshold is met.

Escrow Structure

All pledge payments are held by an independent OCIO (Outsourced Chief Investment Officer) custodian bank selected via competitive RFP. URBAL Platform LLC has zero discretionary access to pledge escrow funds. Funds are released from escrow only upon verified confirmation that the $5B raise threshold has been crossed.

Refund Guarantee

If the raise closes without crossing the $5B threshold, 100% of all pledge payments will be returned to pledgers within 30 days of raise close. No fees, penalties, or administrative charges will be deducted. The refund mechanism is contractually binding on the OCIO custodian and is not dependent on URBAL Platform LLC discretion.

LEC Allocation

Pledge payments do not guarantee a specific dwelling unit or dwelling category. LEC allocation is determined by the selection score system, which factors in pledge amount and duration, LEC term commitment, household minimum population compliance, and preference matching. URBAL makes no representation that any specific pledger will receive a LEC in any specific town or dwelling category.

Binding Arbitration

By submitting a pledge, you agree that all disputes between you and URBAL Platform LLC (including disputes regarding LEC allocation, refund mechanics, or platform operations) will be resolved exclusively through binding arbitration. You waive your right to jury trial and to participate in class action litigation. Arbitration is governed by AAA Commercial Arbitration Rules.

02

Privacy Policy

Data We Collect

URBAL collects: (1) account information (name, email, household composition, state of residence); (2) pledge transaction data (amount, date, method); (3) preference UI responses (dwelling type, employer preferences, business preferences); (4) social media interactions (Instagram tags, TikTok mentions) where you voluntarily tag @urbal; (5) device and usage data (IP address, browser type, session duration).

How We Use Your Data

Pledge and preference data is used to: calculate your selection score, generate aggregated demand signals for employer and business development outreach (never individually identified), and administer the escrow and LEC allocation process. We do not sell individual pledger data to third parties. Aggregated, anonymized demand data (e.g., '12,400 pledgers in Indiana want a Whole Foods equivalent') is shared with potential employer and business partners as a recruitment tool.

Social Media Monitoring

URBAL monitors Instagram, TikTok, and X for public mentions of @urbal and brand-specific tags. This monitoring is automated via Apache Pinot and is used to generate demand signals for business development. By tagging @urbal publicly, you consent to your public post being included in URBAL's demand signal dataset. No private messages are accessed.

Data Retention

Pledger data is retained for the duration of the raise cycle plus 7 years for tax and audit purposes. If you request deletion prior to raise close, your pledge is treated as withdrawn and your escrow balance is refunded. Post-raise data is retained per IRS and OCIO custodian requirements.

03

No Charitable Deduction Disclosure

IRS Private Letter Ruling

URBAL Platform LLC has obtained a Private Letter Ruling (PLR) from the Internal Revenue Service confirming that pledge payments made through the URBAL platform are NOT charitable contributions under IRC Section 170. Pledgers may not claim a charitable deduction for any amount pledged to URBAL.

Tax Treatment of Pledge Payments

Pledge payments are conditional prepayments. They are not income to URBAL until the raise closes successfully. If the raise fails and funds are returned, pledgers have no taxable gain or deductible loss. If the raise succeeds and pledge payments are applied toward a LEC, the tax treatment of the LEC acquisition is determined by the LEC agreement terms and applicable state law.

Consultation Required

URBAL does not provide tax advice. Pledgers should consult a qualified tax professional regarding the treatment of pledge payments, LEC acquisition costs, and any applicable state or local tax implications. The PLR is specific to URBAL Platform LLC and does not constitute advice to individual pledgers.

04

Healthcare Disclosure

URBAL Healthcare Is Not Insurance

The healthcare component of the URBAL monthly fee ($0.250/sqft/month covering DPC primary care, emergency care, catastrophe reserve, and open-source pharma) is a Direct Primary Care (DPC) arrangement and a self-funded reserve fund. It is NOT health insurance, does not satisfy ACA minimum essential coverage requirements, and is not regulated as insurance by any state insurance commissioner.

No Medicare or Medicaid Participation

URBAL towns operate outside the Medicare and Medicaid billing systems. Physician and nurse LLCs within URBAL towns do not accept Medicare or Medicaid assignment. Medicare-eligible stewards retain their Medicare entitlement but cannot use Medicare to pay for services received within the URBAL DPC system. Stewards who wish to maintain Medicare coverage for services outside the town may do so independently.

No EMTALA Obligation

URBAL town clinics are not hospital emergency departments and are not subject to EMTALA (Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act) obligations. Emergency care requiring hospital-level intervention is handled through a negotiated out-of-town ER contract, the terms of which are publicly available on Hyperledger.

Catastrophe Care Reserve

The catastrophe care reserve ($0.100/sqft/month, $120/month for a 2BR) accumulates per-town. It is not a guarantee of coverage for any specific condition or treatment. Reserve fund availability depends on accumulation period, town population, and claim history. URBAL makes no representation that the reserve will be sufficient to cover all catastrophic care events. Stewards are advised to maintain supplemental coverage for catastrophic events during the reserve accumulation phase.