Settlement Administrator 52. The Settlement Administrator shall administer various aspects of the Settlement as described in the following paragraph and perform other functions specified for the Settlement Administrator elsewhere in this Agreement. These functions include, but are not limited to, administering the Notice Program and distributing funds from the Administration Account as provided in this Agreement. Amegy and Class Counsel shall jointly oversee the Settlement Administrator.
53. In addition to other responsibilities described in this Agreement, the Settlement Administrator’s duties are as follows:
a. Obtain from Class Counsel and Amegy the Settlement Class Members’ names and addresses (to the extent available), and verify and update the addresses received through the National Change of Address database, for the purpose of administering the Notice Program, and later mailing distribution checks to Past Account Holder Settlement Class Members, and to Current Account Holder Settlement Class Members where it is not feasible or reasonable for Amegy to make the payment by a credit to the Settlement Class Members’ Accounts;
b. Administer the Notice Program as described in Section VIII;
c. Establish and maintain a Post Office box for requests for exclusion from the Settlement Class;
d. Establish and maintain the Settlement Website;
e. Establish and maintain an automated toll-free telephone line for Settlement Class Members to call with Settlement-related questions, and answer the questions of Settlement Class Members who call with or otherwise communicate such inquiries;
f. Respond to any mailed Settlement Class Member inquiries;
g. Process all requests for exclusion from the Settlement Class;
h. Provide weekly reports and, no later than five (5) days after the end of the Opt- Out Period, a final report to Class Counsel and Amegy summarizing the number of requests for exclusion received that week, the total number of exclusion requests received to date, and other pertinent information;
i. In advance of the Final Approval Hearing, prepare an affidavit to submit to the Court that identifies each Settlement Class Member who timely and properly requested exclusion from the Settlement Class;
j. Process and transmit distributions to Settlement Class Members from the Administration Account;
k. Pay invoices, expenses and costs approved by Class Counsel as provided in this Agreement; and
l. Perform any other Settlement-administration-related function at the instruction of Class Counsel and Amegy, including, but not limited to, verifying that Settlement Amount has been distributed as required by Sections XII and XIII of the Agreement. All costs that the Settlement Administrator incurs which are permitted by this Agreement shall be paid from the Settlement Amount.
Contract Administrators All notices permitted or required to be given by one Party to the other and all questions about the contract from one Party to the other shall be addressed and delivered to the other Party’s Contract Administrator. The name, post office address, street address, telephone number, fax number, and email address of the Parties’ respective initial Contract Administrators are set out below. Either Party may change the name, post office address, street address, telephone number, fax number, or email address of its Contract Administrator by giving timely written notice to the other Party.
Contract Administrator The Contract Administrator will monitor and coordinate contract activities on a day-to-day basis.
Settlement Administration 5.1. The Settlement Administrator shall, under the supervision of the Court, administer the relief provided by this Settlement Agreement by processing Claim Forms in a rational, responsive, cost effective, and timely manner. The Settlement Administrator shall maintain reasonably detailed records of its activities under this Settlement Agreement. The Settlement Administrator shall maintain all such records as are required by applicable law in accordance with its normal business practices and such records will be made available to Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel upon request. The Settlement Administrator shall also provide reports and other information to the Court as the Court may require. The Settlement Administrator shall provide Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel with information concerning Notice, administration, and implementation of the Settlement Agreement. Should the Court request, the Parties, in conjunction with the Settlement Administrator, shall submit a timely report to the Court summarizing the work performed by the Settlement Administrator, including a report of all amounts paid to each Settlement Class Member on account of Approved Claims. Without limiting the foregoing, the Settlement Administrator shall:
(a) Forward to Defendants’ Counsel, with copies to Class Counsel, all documents and other materials received in connection with the administration of the Settlement Agreement within thirty (30) days after the date on which all Claim Forms have been finally approved or disallowed per the terms of the Settlement Agreement;
(b) Receive requests for exclusion and other requests from the Settlement Class and promptly provide a copy of such requests to Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel upon receipt (“the Opt-Out List”). If the Settlement Administrator receives any exclusion forms or other requests from the Settlement Class after the Objection/Exclusion Deadline, the Settlement Administrator shall promptly provide copies thereof to Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel;
(c) Provide weekly reports to Class Counsel and Defendants’ Counsel, including without limitation, reports regarding the number of Claim Forms received, the number determined to be rejected, the number of Approved Claims, and the number of calls to be paid per Settlement Class Member; and
(d) Make available for inspection by Class Counsel or Defendants’ Counsel the Claim Forms, any documentation or other evidence submitted in support thereof, and any correspondence received by the Settlement Administrator at any time upon reasonable notice.
5.2. The Settlement Administrator shall employ reasonable procedures to screen claims for abuse or fraud, including without limitation, by cross-referencing the information provided on the Claim Form against the Class List, and by reviewing the evidentiary proof submitted by Settlement Class Members. The Settlement Administrator shall reject a Claim Form, or any part of a claim for a payment reflected therein, where there is evidence of abuse or fraud. The Settlement Administrator shall also reject a Claim Form that does not contain all requested information necessary to screen the claim for fraud or abuse, after giving the claimant a reasonable opportunity of no greater than twenty-one (21) days to provide any requested missing information. The Settlement Administrator shall notify the claimant regarding the missing information via email, telephone call or direct mail, whichever is the most practical based on the information provided in the Claim Form. The validation of all Claim Forms by the Settlement Administrator shall occur no later than fourteen (14) days after the Effective Date and the Settlement Administrator shall give notice of such validation to counsel on that date.
5.3. Defendants and the Class Representatives will have the right to challenge the number of calls received by each Settlement Class Member that are eligible for payment. All challenges will be presented to the Special Master who will make a binding determination as to the number of calls received by each Settlement Class Member entitled to receive payment on account of an Approved Claim. To effectuate such challenge, the party making the challenge must provide email notice to the Settlement Administrator, Special Master and opposing counsel informing them of the claim(s) that party seeks to challenge and the factual basis for that challenge within thirty (30) days of the Settlement Administrator’s validation of all Claim Forms as an Approved Claims determination of the number of calls entitled to a pro rata payment, and notice of the validation. Challenges must be made to individual or designated groups of Claim Forms; so-called “blanket” or “mass” challenges to all Claim Forms without differentiation will not be allowed.
5.4. For Settlement Class Members that submit a Claim Form indicating that they received three (3) calls or fewer, the presumption of three (3) calls can be rebutted by Defendants’ challenges. All other Settlement Class Members will have the ultimate burden if their Claim Form is challenged to demonstrate the number of calls, greater than one (1), that they received.
5.5. In the event of a challenge, the Settlement Administrator shall notify each Settlement Class Member via email, telephone call or direct mail, whichever is the most practical based on the information provided in the Claim Form, that (i) the Settlement Class Member must within thirty (30) days either submit supplemental documentation to prove each call claimed or schedule a telephonic hearing with the Special Master where the Settlement Class Member must testify as to the basis for each separate call claimed, (ii) the Settlement Class Member has the burden of proving the specific number of calls received, and (iii) that the Settlement Class Member will still receive a payment on account of an Approved Claim regardless of the outcome of the challenge. Following the Claims Deadline, but in no event later than one hundred eighty (180) days after Final Judgment, the Special Master will make a determination regarding the claims under challenge, including the number of calls received by the Settlement Class Member
(1) based on the information already submitted, and (2) by requiring additional information in the form of (i) either supplemental documentation to prove each call claimed or testimony before the Special Master as to the basis for each separate call claimed. The Special Master’s determination regarding the claims under challenge shall be final and binding on the Parties. If the challenged Settlement Class Member does not timely submit the supplemental documentation or testify before the Special Master, the Special Master shall sustain the Defendants’ challenge and the Settlement Class Member will have an Approved Claim for one
(1) call. If the challenged Settlement Class Member does timely submit the supplemental documentation or testify before the Special Master, the Special Master will then, in his sole discretion, make a determination as to the number of calls for which the Settlement Class member can recover. To the extent the Special Master sustains Defendants’ challenge, the Settlement Class member will be permitted to recover for at least one (1) call.
Agreement Administration SBBC has delegated authority to the Superintendent of Schools or his/her designee to take any actions necessary to implement and administer this Agreement.
Successor Administrator If a successor Administrator for the Investment Company shall be appointed by the Investment Company, FAS shall upon termination of this Agreement deliver to such successor Administrator at the office of FAS all properties of the Investment Company held by it hereunder. If no such successor Administrator shall be appointed, FAS shall at its office upon receipt of Proper Instructions deliver such properties in accordance with such instructions. Each Fund will bear all out-of-pocket expenses arising from the transition of Administrative Services to a successor Administrator, including without limitation the expenses of moving or transmitting materials to the successor Administrator.
Export Administration Each party agrees to comply with all export laws and regulations of the United States (“Export Laws”) to assure that no software deliverable, item, service, technical data or any direct product thereof arising out of or related to this Agreement is exported directly or indirectly (as a physical export or a deemed export) in violation of Export Laws.
Grantor Trust Administration (a) The Tax Administrator shall treat the Grantor Trust Pool, for tax return preparation purposes, as a Grantor Trust under the Code. The Tax Administrator shall also perform on behalf of the Grantor Trust Pool all reporting and other tax compliance duties that are the responsibility of such Grantor Trust Pool under the Code or any compliance guidance issued by the IRS or any state or local taxing authorities. The expenses of preparing and filing such returns shall be borne by the Tax Administrator.
(b) The Tax Administrator shall pay out of its own funds any and all routine tax administration expenses of the Trust Fund incurred with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool (but not including any professional fees or expenses related to audits or any administrative or judicial proceedings with respect to the Trust Fund that involve the IRS or state tax authorities which extraordinary expenses shall be payable or reimbursable to the Tax Administrator from the assets in the Grantor Trust Pool, unless otherwise provided in Section 10.02(e) or 10.02(f)).
(c) The Tax Administrator shall prepare or cause to be prepared, submit to the Trustee for execution (and the Trustee shall timely execute and timely return to the Tax Administrator) and timely file all of the Tax Returns in respect of the Grantor Trust Pool. The expenses of preparing and filing such returns shall be borne by the Tax Administrator without any right of reimbursement therefor. Except as provided in Section 10.02(h), 10.02(i) and 10.02(j), the Tax Administrator shall comply with such requirement by filing IRS Form 1041, indicating the name and address of the Trust and signed by the Tax Administrator but otherwise left blank, IRS Form 1099 or any other such form as may be applicable. There shall be appended to each such form a schedule for each Certificateholder indicating such Certificateholder’s share of income and expenses of the Trust for the portion of the preceding calendar year in which such Certificateholder possessed an Ownership Interest in a Certificate. Such form shall be prepared in sufficient detail to enable reporting on the cash or accrual method of accounting, as applicable, and to report on such Certificateholder’s fiscal year if other than the calendar year.
(d) The other parties hereto shall provide on a timely basis to the Tax Administrator or its designee such information with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool as is in its possession and reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator to enable it to perform its obligations under this Section 10.02. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Depositor, within ten (10) days following the Tax Administrator’s request therefor, shall provide in writing to the Tax Administrator such information as is reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator for tax purposes, and the Tax Administrator’s duty to perform its reporting and other tax compliance obligations under this Section 10.02 shall be subject to the condition that it receives from the Depositor such information possessed by the Depositor that is necessary to permit the Tax Administrator to perform such obligations.
(e) The Tax Administrator shall perform on behalf of the Grantor Trust Pool all reporting and other tax compliance duties that are required in respect thereof under the Code, the Grantor Trust Provisions or other compliance guidance issued by the IRS or any state or local taxing authority, including the furnishing to Certificateholders of the schedules described in Section 10.02(c).
(f) The Tax Administrator shall perform its duties hereunder so as to maintain the status of the Grantor Trust Pool as Grantor Trust under the Grantor Trust Provisions (and the Trustee, the Master Servicers and the Special Servicers shall assist the Tax Administrator to the extent reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator and to the extent of information within the Trustee’s, the Master Servicers’ or the Special Servicers’ possession or control). None of the Tax Administrator, Master Servicers, the Special Servicers or the Trustee shall knowingly take (or cause the Grantor Trust Pool to take) any action or fail to take (or fail to cause to be taken) any action that, under the Grantor Trust Provisions, if taken or not taken, as the case may be, could result in an Adverse Grantor Trust Event, unless the Tax Administrator has obtained or received an Opinion of Counsel (at the expense of the party requesting such action or at the expense of the Trust Fund if the Tax Administrator seeks to take such action or to refrain from taking any action for the benefit of the Certificateholders) to the effect that the contemplated action will not result in an Adverse Grantor Trust Event. None of the other parties hereto shall take any action or fail to take any action (whether or not authorized hereunder) as to which the Tax Administrator has advised it in writing that the Tax Administrator has received or obtained an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that an Adverse Grantor Trust Event could result from such action or failure to act. In addition, prior to taking any action with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool, or causing the Trust Fund to take any action, that is not expressly permitted under the terms of this Agreement, the Master Servicers and the Special Servicers shall consult with the Tax Administrator or its designee, in writing, with respect to whether such action could cause an Adverse Grantor Trust Event to occur. The Tax Administrator may consult with counsel to make such written advice, and the cost of same shall be borne by the party seeking to take the action not permitted by this Agreement, but in no event at the cost or expense of the Trust Fund, the Tax Administrator or the Trustee.
(g) If any tax is imposed on the Grantor Trust Pool pursuant to the Code or any applicable provisions of state or local tax laws, then such tax, together with all incidental costs and expenses (including penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees), shall be charged to and paid by: (i) the Trustee, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (ii) the Certificate Administrator, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by the Certificate Administrator of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (iii) the Tax Administrator, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by the Tax Administrator of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (iv) a Master Servicer, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by such Master Servicer of any of its obligations under Article III or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (v) a Special Servicer, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by such Special Servicer of any of its obligations under Article III or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); or (vi) the Trust, out of the Trust Fund, in all other instances. Any such amounts payable by the Trust in respect of taxes shall be paid by the Trustee out of amounts on deposit in the Distribution Account.
(h) The Grantor Trust is a WHFIT that is a WHMT. The Tax Administrator will report as required under the WHFIT Regulations to the extent such information as is reasonably necessary to enable the Tax Administrator to do so is provided to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. The Certificate Administrator shall provide such information in its possession to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. With respect to the Class A-S, Class B, Class C and Class PEX Certificates, the Tax Administrator is hereby directed to assume that DTC is the only “middleman” as defined by the WHFIT Regulations unless the Depositor provides the Tax Administrator with the identities of other “middlemen” that are Certificateholders. The Tax Administrator will report as required under the WHFIT Regulations to the extent such information as is reasonably necessary to enable the Tax Administrator to do so, and is not in its possession, is provided to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. The Tax Administrator will not be liable for any tax reporting penalties that may arise under the WHFIT Regulations as a result of a determination by the IRS that is contrary to the first sentence of this paragraph.
(i) The Tax Administrator, in its discretion, will report required WHFIT information using either the cash or accrual method, except to the extent the WHFIT Regulations specifically require a different method. The Tax Administrator will be under no obligation to determine whether any Certificateholder uses the cash or accrual method. The Tax Administrator will make available WHFIT information to Certificateholders annually. In addition, the Tax Administrator will not be responsible or liable for providing subsequently amended, revised or updated information to any Certificateholder, unless requested by the Certificateholder.
(j) The Tax Administrator shall not be liable for failure to meet the reporting requirements of the WHFIT Regulations nor for any penalties thereunder if such failure is due to: (i) the lack of reasonably necessary information being provided to the Tax Administrator or (ii) incomplete, inaccurate or untimely information being provided to the Tax Administrator. Each owner of a class of securities representing, in whole or in part, beneficial ownership of an interest in a WHFIT, by acceptance of its interest in such class of securities, will be deemed to have agreed to provide the Tax Administrator with information regarding any sale of such securities, including the price, amount of proceeds and date of sale. Absent receipt of such information, and unless informed otherwise by the Depositor, the Tax Administrator will assume there is no secondary market trading of WHFIT interests.
(k) To the extent required by the WHFIT Regulations, the Tax Administrator will use reasonable efforts to publish on an appropriate website the CUSIPs for the Certificates that represent ownership of a WHFIT. The CUSIPs so published will represent the Rule 144A CUSIPs. The Tax Administrator will not publish any associated Regulation S CUSIPs. The Tax Administrator will make reasonable good faith efforts to keep the website accurate and updated to the extent CUSIPs have been received. Absent the receipt of a CUSIP, the Tax Administrator will use a reasonable identifier number in lieu of a CUSIP. The Tax Administrator will not be liable for investor reporting delays that result from the receipt of inaccurate or untimely CUSIP information.
Grant Administration Grantee shall use the Grant funds only for the activities described in the approved Scope of Work. Grantee shall maintain financial records relating to the receipt and expenditure of all Grant funds in accordance with the terms set forth under this Agreement for a period of seven (7) years starting on the first day after final payment under the Agreement.
Successor Trust Administrator Any successor trust administrator appointed as provided in Section 10.07 hereof shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to the Depositor and to its predecessor trust administrator an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder and thereupon the resignation or removal of the predecessor trust administrator shall become effective and such successor trust administrator, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its predecessor hereunder, with the like effect as if originally named as trust administrator herein. The Depositor, upon receipt of all amounts due it hereunder, and the predecessor trust administrator shall execute and deliver such instruments and do such other things as may reasonably be required for more fully and certainly vesting and confirming in the successor trust administrator all such rights, powers, duties, and obligations. No successor trust administrator shall accept appointment as provided in this Section 10.08 unless at the time of such acceptance such successor trust administrator shall be eligible under the provisions of Section 10.06 hereof and its acceptance shall not adversely affect the then current rating of the Certificates. Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor trust administrator as provided in this Section 10.08, the Depositor shall mail notice of the succession of such trust administrator hereunder to all Holders of Certificates at their addresses as shown in the Certificate Register. If the Depositor fails to mail such notice within ten days after acceptance of appointment by the successor trust administrator, the successor trust administrator shall cause such notice to be mailed at the expense of the Depositor.
