Terms of Appointment; Duties of the Bank 1.1 Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, each Trust, on behalf of its respective Funds, hereby employs and appoints the Bank to act as, and the Bank agrees to act as, its transfer agent for the authorized and issued shares of beneficial interest, no par value per share of the Funds (“Shares”), and as the Trust’s dividend disbursing agent.
1.2 The Bank agrees that it will perform the following services:
(a) In accordance with the terms and conditions of the form of Participant Agreement, attached hereto as Exhibit A, the Bank shall:
(i) Perform and facilitate the performance of purchases and redemption of Creation Units;
(ii) Prepare and transmit by means of DTC’s book-entry system payments for dividends and distributions declared by each Trust on behalf of the applicable Fund;
(iii) Maintain the record of the name and address of the Shareholder and the number of Shares issued by each Trust and held by the Shareholder;
(iv) Record the issuance of Shares of each Trust and maintain a record of the total number of Shares of the Funds outstanding. The Bank shall have no obligation, when recording the issuance of Shares, to monitor the issuance of such Shares or to take cognizance of any laws relating to the issue or sale of such Shares, which functions shall be the sole responsibility of each Trust;
(v) Prepare and transmit to each Trust and any designated administrator and to any applicable securities exchange (as specified to the Bank by the Trust) information with respect to purchases and redemptions of Shares;
(vi) On days that the Trusts may accept orders for purchases or redemptions, calculate and transmit to the Bank and the Trust’s administrator the number of outstanding Shares for each Fund;
(vii) On days that the Trusts may accept orders for purchases or redemptions (pursuant to the Participant Agreement), transmit to the Bank, the Trusts and DTC the amount of Shares purchased on such day;
(viii) Confirm to DTC the number of Shares issued to the Shareholder, as DTC may reasonably request;
(ix) Prepare and deliver other reports, information and documents to DTC as DTC may reasonably request;
(x) Extend the voting rights to the Shareholder and/or beneficial owners of Shares in accordance with the policies and procedures of DTC for book-entry only securities;
(xi) Maintain those books and records of each Trust specified by the Trusts in Schedule A attached hereto;
(xii) Prepare a monthly report of all purchases and redemptions during such month on a gross transaction basis. The monthly report shall show the counterpart and amount of each purchase on a daily basis net number of shares either redeemed or created for such Business Day;
(xiii) Receive from the Distributor (as defined in the Participant Agreement) purchase orders from Authorized Participants (as defined in the Participant Agreement) for Creation Unit aggregations of Shares received in good form and accepted by or on behalf of each Trust by the Distributor, transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and pursuant to such orders issue the appropriate number of Shares of the applicable Fund and hold such Shares in the account of the Shareholder for each of the respective Funds of each Trust;
(xiv) Receive from the Authorized Participants (as defined in the Participant Agreement) redemption requests, deliver the appropriate documentation thereof to The Bank of New York as custodian for each Trust, generate and transmit or cause to be generated and transmitted confirmation of receipt of such redemption requests to the Authorized Participants submitting the same; transmit appropriate trade instructions to the National Securities Clearance Corporation, if applicable, and redeem the appropriate number of Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares held in the account of the Shareholder;
(xv) Confirm the name, U.S. taxpayer identification number and principal place of business of each Authorized Participant; and
(b) In addition to, and neither in lieu nor in contravention of, the services set forth in the above paragraph (a), the Bank shall perform the customary services of a transfer agent and dividend disbursing agent, including, but not limited to: maintaining the account of the Shareholder, obtaining a list of DTC participants holding interests in the Global Certificate at the request of a Trust, mailing proxy materials, shareholder reports and prospectuses to the Shareholder or DTC participants or beneficial owners of Shares at the request of a Trust and those services set forth on Schedule A attached hereto.
(c) The following shall be delivered to DTC for delivery to beneficial owners in accordance with the procedures for book-entry only securities of DTC:
(i) Annual and semi-annual reports of the Trusts;
(ii) Proxies, proxy statements and other proxy soliciting materials;
(iii) Prospectus and amendments and supplements to the Prospectus, including stickers; and
(iv) Other communications as may be required by law or reasonably requested by a Trust.
(d) If the Shares are represented by individual Certificates, the Bank shall perform the services agreed to in writing by the Bank and the Trusts.
(e) The Bank shall provide additional services (if any) on behalf of a Trust (i.e., escheatment services) which may be agreed upon in writing between a Trust and the Bank.
(f) The Bank shall keep records relating to the services to be performed hereunder, in the form and manner as it may deem advisable. To the extent required by Section 31 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and the Rules thereunder, the Bank agrees that all such records prepared or maintained by the Bank relating to the services to be performed by the Bank hereunder are the property of each respective Trust and will be preserved, maintained and made available in accordance with such Section and Rules, and will be surrendered promptly to that Trust on and in accordance with its request.
Duties of the Custodian with Respect to Property of the Fund Held By the Custodian in the United States
Duties of the Adviser The Adviser shall continue to have responsibility for all services to be provided to each Fund pursuant to the Advisory Agreement and shall oversee and review the Sub-Adviser’s performance of its duties under this Agreement; provided, however, that in connection with its management of the Assets, nothing herein shall be construed to relieve the Sub-Adviser of responsibility for compliance with the Trust’s Declaration of Trust (as defined herein), Prospectus, Compliance Policies and Procedures, the instructions and directions of the Board of Trustees of the Trust, the requirements of the 1940 Act, the Code, and all other applicable federal and state laws and regulations, as each is amended from time to time.
Duties of the Agent (a) The Agent shall promptly forward to a Party the original or a copy of any document which is delivered to the Agent for that Party by any other Party.
(b) Except where a Finance Document specifically provides otherwise, the Agent is not obliged to review or check the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any document it forwards to another Party.
(c) If the Agent receives notice from a Party referring to this Agreement, describing a Default and stating that the circumstance described is a Default, it shall promptly notify the Finance Parties.
(d) If the Agent is aware of the non-payment of any principal, interest, commitment fee or other fee payable to a Finance Party (other than the Agent or the Arranger) under this Agreement it shall promptly notify the other Finance Parties.
(e) The Agent’s duties under the Finance Documents are solely mechanical and administrative in nature.
Designation and Appointment The Board may, from time to time, employ and retain Persons as may be necessary or appropriate for the conduct of the Company’s business (subject to the supervision and control of the Board), including employees, agents and other Persons (any of whom may be a Member or Director) who may be designated as Officers of the Company, with titles including but not limited to “chief executive officer,” “president,” “vice president,” “treasurer,” “secretary,” “general counsel” and “chief financial officer,” as and to the extent authorized by the Board. Any number of offices may be held by the same Person. In the Board’s discretion, the Board may choose not to fill any office for any period as it may deem advisable. Officers need not be residents of the State of Delaware or a Member. Any Officers so designated shall have such authority and perform such duties as the Board may, from time to time, delegate to them. The Board may assign titles to particular Officers. Each Officer shall hold office until his successor shall be duly designated and shall have qualified as an Officer or until his death or until he shall resign or shall have been removed in the manner hereinafter provided. The salaries or other compensation, if any, of the Officers of the Company shall be fixed from time to time by the Board.
DUTIES OF THE ADVISOR The Advisor will use its reasonable best efforts to present to the Company and the Operating Partnership potential investment opportunities and to provide a continuing and suitable investment program consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Company as determined and adopted from time to time by the Board. In performance of this undertaking, subject to the supervision of the Board and consistent with the provisions of the Articles of Incorporation, By-laws and the Operating Partnership Agreement, the Advisor, directly or indirectly, will:
(a) serve as the Company’s and the Operating Partnership’s investment and financial advisor;
(b) provide the daily management for the Company and the Operating Partnership and perform and supervise the various administrative functions necessary for the day-to-day management of the operations of the Company and the Operating Partnership;
(c) investigate, select and, on behalf of the Company and the Operating Partnership, engage and conduct business with and supervise the performance of such Persons as the Advisor deems necessary to the proper performance of its obligations hereunder (including consultants, accountants, correspondents, lenders, technical advisors, attorneys, brokers, underwriters, corporate fiduciaries, escrow agents, depositaries, custodians, agents for collection, insurers, insurance agents, banks, builders, developers, property owners, property managers, real estate management companies, real estate operating companies, securities investment advisors, mortgagors, the registrar and the transfer agent and any and all agents for any of the foregoing), including Affiliates of the Advisor and Persons acting in any other capacity deemed by the Advisor necessary or desirable for the performance of any of the foregoing services (including entering into contracts in the name of the Company and the Operating Partnership with any of the foregoing);
(d) consult with the officers and Directors of the Company and assist the Directors in the formulation and implementation of the Company’s financial policies, and, as necessary, furnish the Board with advice and recommendations with respect to the making of investments consistent with the investment objectives and policies of the Company and in connection with any borrowings proposed to be undertaken by the Company or the Operating Partnership;
(e) subject to the provisions of Section 4 , (i) participate in formulating an investment strategy and asset allocation framework; (ii) locate, analyze and select potential Investments; (iii) structure and negotiate the terms and conditions of transactions pursuant to which acquisitions and dispositions of Investments will be made; (iv) research, identify, review and recommend acquisitions and dispositions of Investments to the Board and make Investments on behalf of the Company and the Operating Partnership in compliance with the investment objectives and policies of the Company; (v) arrange for financing and refinancing and make other changes in the asset or capital structure of, and dispose of, reinvest the proceeds from the sale of, or otherwise deal with, Investments; (vi) enter into leases and service contracts for Real Estate Assets and, to the extent necessary, perform all other operational functions for the maintenance and administration of such Real Estate Assets; (vii) actively oversee and manage Investments for purposes of meeting the Company’s investment objectives and reviewing and analyzing financial information for each of the Investments and the overall portfolio;
Vacancies and Appointment of Trustees In case of the declination to serve, death, resignation, retirement or removal of a Trustee, or a Trustee is otherwise unable to serve, or an increase in the number of Trustees, a vacancy shall occur. Whenever a vacancy in the Board of Trustees shall occur, until such vacancy is filled, the other Trustees shall have all the powers hereunder and the certification of the other Trustees of such vacancy shall be conclusive. In the case of an existing vacancy, the remaining Trustees may fill such vacancy by appointing such other person as they in their discretion shall see fit, or may leave such vacancy unfilled or may reduce the number of Trustees to not less than two (2)
Resignation and Appointment of Successor (a) The Company agrees, for the benefit of the holders from time to time of the Warrant Certificates, that there shall at all times be a Warrant Agent hereunder until all the Warrants have been exercised or are no longer exercisable.
(b) The Warrant Agent may at any time resign as agent by giving written notice to the Company of such intention on its part, specifying the date on which its desired resignation shall become effective; provided that such date shall not be less than three months after the date on which such notice is given unless the Company otherwise agrees. The Warrant Agent hereunder may be removed at any time by the filing with it of an instrument in writing signed by or on behalf of the Company and specifying such removal and the intended date when it shall become effective. Such resignation or removal shall take effect upon the appointment by the Company, as hereinafter provided, of a successor Warrant Agent (which shall be a bank or trust company authorized under the laws of the jurisdiction of its organization to exercise corporate trust powers) and the acceptance of such appointment by such successor Warrant Agent. The obligation of the Company under Section 5.2(a) shall continue to the extent set forth therein notwithstanding the resignation or removal of the Warrant Agent.
(c) In case at any time the Warrant Agent shall resign, or shall be removed, or shall become incapable of acting, or shall be adjudged a bankrupt or insolvent, or shall commence a voluntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or under any other applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law or shall consent to the appointment of or taking possession by a receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar official) of the Warrant Agent or its property or affairs, or shall make an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or shall admit in writing its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due, or shall take corporate action in furtherance of any such action, or a decree or order for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall have been entered in respect of the Warrant Agent in an involuntary case under the Federal bankruptcy laws, as now or hereafter constituted, or any other applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law, or a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall have been entered for the appointment of a receiver, custodian, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of the Warrant Agent or of its property or affairs, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Warrant Agent or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation, conservation, winding up or liquidation, a successor Warrant Agent, qualified as aforesaid, shall be appointed by the Company by an instrument in writing, filed with the successor Warrant Agent. Upon the appointment as aforesaid of a successor Warrant Agent and acceptance by the successor Warrant Agent of such appointment, the Warrant Agent shall cease to be Warrant Agent hereunder.
(d) Any successor Warrant Agent appointed hereunder shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to its predecessor and to the Company an instrument accepting such appointment hereunder, and thereupon such successor Warrant Agent, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the authority, rights, powers, trusts, immunities, duties and obligations of such predecessor with like effect as if originally named as Warrant Agent hereunder, and such predecessor, upon payment of its charges and disbursements then unpaid, shall thereupon become obligated to transfer, deliver and pay over, and such successor Warrant Agent shall be entitled to receive, all monies, securities and other property on deposit with or held by such predecessor, as Warrant Agent hereunder.
(e) Any corporation into which the Warrant Agent hereunder may be merged or converted or any corporation with which the Warrant Agent may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which the Warrant Agent shall be a party, or any corporation to which the Warrant Agent shall sell or otherwise transfer all or substantially all the assets and business of the Warrant Agent, provided that it shall be qualified as aforesaid, shall be the successor Warrant Agent under this Agreement without the execution or filing of any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
Duties of Trustees (a) The Trustee, prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default which may have occurred, undertakes to perform such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this Agreement. In case an Event of Default has occurred (which has not been cured or waived) the Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Agreement, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the conduct of such person’s own affairs.
(b) The Trustee, upon receipt of all resolutions, certificates, statements, opinions, reports, documents, orders or other instruments furnished to it which are specifically required to be furnished to it pursuant to any provision of this Agreement, shall examine them to determine whether they are in the form required by this Agreement; provided, however, that the Trustee shall not be responsible for the accuracy or content of any such certificate, statement, opinion, report, or other order or instrument furnished by the Company or Servicer to the Trustee pursuant to this Agreement.
(c) No provision of this Agreement shall be construed to relieve the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act or its own willful misconduct; provided, however, that:
(i) Prior to the occurrence of an Event of Default and after the curing of all such Events of Default which may have occurred, the duties and obligations of the Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions of this Agreement,
(ii) Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be liable except for the performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Agreement, no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, and, in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, such trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any certificates or opinions furnished to such trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Agreement; and
(iii) Neither the Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be personally liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in accordance with the direction of the Certificateholders holding Certificates which evidence Percentage Interests aggregating not less than 25% relating to the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to such trustee, or relating to the exercise of any trust or power conferred upon such trustee under this Agreement.
(d) Within ten Business Days after the occurrence of any Event of Default known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to the Rating Agencies notice of each Event of Default. Within 90 days after the occurrence of any Event of Default known to the Trustee, the Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Certificateholders (with a copy to the Rating Agencies) notice of each Event of Default, unless such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived; provided, however, the Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the best interests of the Certificateholders; and provided, further, that in the case of any Event of Default of the character specified in Section 7.01(a)(i) or Section 7.01(a)(ii), no such notice to Certificateholders or to the Rating Agencies shall be given until at least 30 days after the occurrence thereof.
DUTIES OF GFS GFS’s duties with respect to Fund Accounting, Fund Administration and Transfer Agency services are detailed in Appendices I, II and III to this Agreement.
(a) In order for GFS to perform the Services, the Trust (i) shall cause all service providers to the Funds of the Trust to furnish any and all information to GFS, and assist GFS as may be required and (ii) shall ensure that GFS has access to all records and documents maintained by the Trust or any service provider to the Trust or a Fund of the Trust.
(b) GFS shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way or otherwise be deemed an agent of the Trust.
(c) Whenever, in the course of performing its duties under this Agreement, GFS determines, on the basis of information supplied to GFS by the Trust, that a violation of applicable law has occurred, or that, to its knowledge, a possible violation of applicable law may have occurred, or with the passage of time could occur, GFS shall promptly notify the Trust and its legal counsel of such violation.
