Retention of the Administrator The Trust hereby retains the Administrator to act as the administrator of the Portfolios and to furnish the Portfolios with the management and administrative services as set forth in Article 2 below. The Administrator hereby accepts such employment to perform the duties set forth below. The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way and shall not be deemed an agent of the Trust.
Compensation of the Administrator For the services to be rendered by the Administrator as provided in Section 2 of this Agreement, the Portfolio shall pay to the Administrator, at the end of each month, a fee equal to one-twelfth of 0.15 percent of the net assets of the Portfolio. If this Agreement is terminated prior to the end of any month, the fee for such month shall be prorated.
Independence of the Administrator For all purposes of this Agreement, the Administrator shall be an independent contractor and shall not be subject to the supervision of the Issuer or the Owner Trustee with respect to the manner in which it accomplishes the performance of its obligations hereunder. Unless expressly authorized by the Issuer, the Administrator shall have no authority to act for or represent the Issuer or the Owner Trustee in any way and shall not otherwise be deemed an agent of the Issuer or the Owner Trustee.
Activities of the Administrator The services of the Administrator to the Company are not to be deemed to be exclusive, and the Administrator and each affiliate is free to render services to others. It is understood that directors, officers, employees and stockholders of the Company are or may become interested in the Administrator and its affiliates, as directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners, stockholders or otherwise, and that the Administrator and directors, officers, members, managers, employees, partners and stockholders of the Administrator and its affiliates are or may become similarly interested in the Company as stockholders or otherwise.
Services of the Administrator Subject to the general supervision of the Board of Directors of the Fund, the Administrator shall provide the following administrative services:
(a) Provide all administrative services reasonably necessary for the operation of the Fund other than the investment advisory services performed by the investment adviser or sub-adviser, including, but not limited to, (i) coordinating all matters relating to the operation of the Fund, including any necessary coordination among the investment adviser, custodian, transfer agent, dividend disbursing agent, and portfolio accounting agent (including pricing and valuation of the portfolio), accountants, attorneys, and other parties performing services or operational functions for the Fund; (ii) maintaining or supervising the maintenance by third parties engaged by the Fund of such books and records of the Fund as may be required by applicable federal or state law; (iii) preparing or supervising the preparation by third parties selected by the Fund of all federal, state, and local tax returns and reports required by applicable law; (iv) preparing and filing, with the assistance of counsel, and arranging for the distribution of proxy materials and periodic reports to shareholders as required by applicable law; (v) preparing and arranging for the filing, with the assistance of counsel, of registration statements and other documents with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and other federal and state regulatory authorities as may be required by applicable law; (vi) taking such other action with respect to the Fund as may be required by applicable law, including without limitation the rules and regulations of the SEC and other regulatory agencies; (vii) providing the Fund, at the Administrator's expense, with adequate personnel, office space, communications facilities, and other facilities necessary for operation of the Fund as contemplated in this Agreement; (viii) arranging for meetings of the Fund's Board of Directors and, in connection therewith, providing the Board with necessary or appropriate information for its meetings; (ix) providing non-investment related statistical and research data and such other reports, evaluations and information as the Fund may request from time to time; (x) maintaining the Fund's existence, and during such time as shares of the Fund are publicly offered, maintaining the registration and qualification of the Fund's shares under federal and state law; and (xi) responding to inquiries from shareholders or their agents or representatives relating to the Fund, concerning, among other things, exchanges among funds, or referring any such inquiries to the Fund's officers or transfer agent. Nothing in this provision shall be deemed to inhibit the Fund or its officers from engaging, at the expense of the Fund, other persons to assist in providing administrative services to the Fund including, but not limited to, accounting agents, recordkeeping agents, proxy solicitation agents, attorneys, accountants, consultants and others.
(b) Render to the Board of Directors of the Fund such periodic and special reports as the Board may reasonably request;
(c) Make available its officers and employees to the Board of Directors and officers of the Fund for consultation and discussions regarding the administration of the Fund and the services provided to the Fund under this Agreement; and
(d) Develop and implement, if appropriate, management and shareholder services designed to enhance the value or convenience of the Fund as an investment vehicle.
Duties of the Administrator (a) Duties with Respect to the Indenture and the Depository Agreement. The Administrator shall perform all of its duties as Administrator and the duties of the Issuing Entity and the Trustee under the Indenture and the Depository Agreement. In addition, the Administrator shall consult with the Trustee regarding the duties of the Issuing Entity and the Trustee under such documents. The Administrator shall monitor the performance of the Issuing Entity and shall advise the Trustee when action is necessary to comply with the Issuing Entity’s or the Trustee’s duties under such documents. The Administrator shall prepare for execution by the Issuing Entity or shall cause the preparation by other appropriate persons of all such documents, reports, filings, instruments, certificates and opinions as it shall be the duty of the Issuing Entity or the Trustee to prepare, file or deliver pursuant to such documents. In furtherance of the foregoing, the Administrator shall take all appropriate action that is the duty of the Issuing Entity or the Trustee to take pursuant to such documents, including, without limitation, such of the foregoing as are required with respect to the following matters (references in this Section are to sections of the Indenture):
(i) the duty to cause the Note Register to be kept and to give the Indenture Trustee notice of any appointment of a new Note Registrar and the location, or change in location, of the Note Register (Section 2.4);
(ii) the fixing or causing to be fixed of any specified record date and the notification of the Indenture Trustee and Noteholders with respect to special payment dates, if any (Section 2.7(c));
(iii) the preparation of or obtaining of the documents and instruments required for authentication of the Notes and delivery of the same to the Indenture Trustee (Section 2.2);
(iv) the preparation, obtaining or filing of the instruments, opinions, certificates and other documents required for the release of the Collateral (Section 2.9);
(v) [reserved];
(vi) the duty to cause newly appointed Paying Agents, if any, to deliver to the Indenture Trustee the instrument specified in the Indenture regarding funds held in trust (Section 3.3);
(vii) the direction to the Paying Agents to deposit monies with the Indenture Trustee (Section 3.3);
(viii) the obtaining and preservation of the Issuing Entity’s qualification to do business in each jurisdiction in which such qualification is or shall be necessary to protect the validity and enforceability of the Indenture, the Notes, the Collateral and each other instrument and agreement included in the Trust Estate (Section 3.4);
(ix) the preparation of all supplements, amendments, financing statements, continuation statements, instruments of further assurance and other instruments, in accordance with Section 3.5 of the Indenture, necessary to protect the Trust Estate (Section 3.5);
(x) the delivery of the Opinion of Counsel on the Closing Date and the annual delivery of Opinions of Counsel, in accordance with Section 3.6 of the Indenture, as to the Trust Estate, and the annual delivery of the Officer’s Certificate and certain other statements, in accordance with Section 3.9 of the Indenture, as to compliance with the Indenture (Sections 3.6 and 3.9);
(xi) the identification to the Indenture Trustee in an Officer’s Certificate of a Person with whom the Issuing Entity has contracted to perform its duties under the Indenture (Section 3.7(b));
(xii) the notification of the Indenture Trustee and the Rating Agencies of a Servicer Default pursuant to the Sale and Servicing Agreement and, if such Servicer Default arises from the failure of the Servicer to perform any of its duties under the Sale and Servicing Agreement, the taking of all reasonable steps available to remedy such failure (Section 3.7(d));
(xiii) the preparation and obtaining of documents and instruments required for the release of the Issuing Entity from its obligations under the Indenture (Section 3.10(b));
(xiv) the delivery of notice to the Indenture Trustee and the Rating Agencies of (a) each Event of Default under the Indenture, (b) each default by the Servicer or Seller under the Sale and Servicing Agreement and (c) each default by CNHICA under the Purchase Agreement (Section 3.19);
(xv) the monitoring of the Issuing Entity’s obligations as to the satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture and the preparation of an Officer’s Certificate and the obtaining of the Opinion of Counsel and the Independent Certificate relating thereto (Section 4.1);
(xvi) the compliance with any written directive of the Indenture Trustee with respect to the sale of the Trust Estate in a commercially reasonable manner if an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing (Section 5.4);
(xvii) the furnishing to the Indenture Trustee of the names and addresses of Noteholders during any period when the Indenture Trustee is not the Note Registrar (Section 7.1);
(xviii) the preparation, execution and filing with the Commission and the Indenture Trustee of documents required to be filed on a periodic basis with, and summaries thereof as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed by, the Commission and the transmission of such summaries, as necessary, to the Noteholders (Section 7.3);
(xix) the opening of one or more accounts in the Trust’s name, the preparation of Issuing Entity Orders, Officer’s Certificates and Opinions of Counsel and all other actions necessary with respect to investment and reinvestment of funds in the Trust Accounts (Sections 8.2 and 8.3);
(xx) the preparation of an Issuing Entity Request and Officer’s Certificate and the obtaining of an Opinion of Counsel and Independent Certificates, if necessary, for the release of the Trust Estate as defined in the Indenture (Sections 8.4 and 8.5);
(xxi) the preparation of Issuing Entity Orders and the obtaining of Opinions of Counsel with respect to the execution of supplemental indentures and the mailing to the Noteholders of notices with respect to such supplemental indentures (Sections 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3);
(xxii) the execution and delivery of new Notes conforming to any supplemental indenture (Section 9.6);
(xxiii) the notification of Noteholders of redemption of the Notes or the duty to cause the Indenture Trustee to provide such notification (Section 10.2);
(xxiv) the preparation of all Officer’s Certificates, Opinions of Counsel and Independent Certificates with respect to any requests by the Issuing Entity to the Indenture Trustee to take any action under the Indenture (Section 11.1(a));
(xxv) the preparation and delivery of Officer’s Certificates and the obtaining of Independent Certificates, if necessary, for the release of property from the Lien of the Indenture (Section 11.1(b));
(xxvi) the preparation and delivery to Noteholders and the Indenture Trustee of any agreements with respect to alternate payment and notice provisions (Section 11.6); and
(xxvii) the recording of the Indenture, if applicable (Section 11.15).
(b) Duties with Respect to the Trust.
(i) In addition to the duties of the Administrator set forth above, the Administrator shall perform the duties and obligations of the Issuing Entity under the Asset Representations Review Agreement and shall perform such calculations, and shall prepare for execution by the Issuing Entity or the Trustee or shall cause the preparation by other appropriate persons of all such documents, reports, filings, instruments, certificates and opinions, as it shall be the duty of the Issuing Entity or the Trustee to perform, prepare, file or deliver pursuant to the Related Agreements, and at the request of the Trustee shall take all appropriate action that it is the duty of the Issuing Entity or the Trustee to take pursuant to the Related Agreements (other than with respect to Sections 11.14, 11.15 and 11.16 of the Trust Agreement). Subject to Section 5 of this Agreement, the Administrator shall administer, perform or supervise the performance of such other activities in connection with the Collateral (including the Related Agreements) as are not covered by any of the foregoing and as are expressly requested by the Trustee and are reasonably within the capability of the Administrator.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Related Agreements to the contrary, if any Certificates are held by any Person other than the Depositor, the Administrator shall be responsible for promptly notifying the Trustee in the event that any withholding tax is imposed on the Trust’s payments (or allocations of income) to an Owner as contemplated in Section 5.2(c) of the Trust Agreement. Any such notice shall specify the amount of any withholding tax required to be withheld by the Trustee pursuant to such provision.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or the Related Agreements to the contrary, the Administrator shall be responsible for performance of the duties of the Trustee (if any) set forth in Sections 5.2(a), (b) and (c), the first sentence of Section 5.5 and Section 5.6(a) of the Trust Agreement with respect to, among other things, accounting and reports to Owners; provided, however, that the Trustee shall retain responsibility for the distribution of the Schedule K-1s necessary to enable each Owner to prepare its federal and state income tax returns.
(iv) If any Certificates are held by any Person other than the Depositor, the Administrator shall satisfy its obligations with respect to clauses (ii) and (iii) by retaining, at the expense of the Trust payable by the Servicer, a firm of Independent certified public accountants (the “Accountants”) reasonably acceptable to the Trustee, which Accountants shall perform the obligations of the Administrator thereunder. In connection with clause (ii), the Accountants will provide, on or prior to the date on which the Trustee receives its notice from the Administrator under such clause, a letter in form and substance satisfactory to the Trustee as to whether any tax withholding is then required and, if required, the procedures to be followed with respect thereto to comply with the requirements of the Code. The Accountants shall be required to update the letter in each instance that any additional tax withholding is subsequently required or any previously required tax withholding shall no longer be required.
(v) The Administrator shall perform the duties of the Administrator specified in Section 10.2 of the Trust Agreement required to be performed in connection with the resignation or removal of the Trustee, and any other duties expressly required to be performed by the Administrator under the Trust Agreement.
(vi) In carrying out the foregoing duties or any of its other obligations under this Agreement, the Administrator may enter into transactions with or otherwise deal with any of its affiliates; provided, however, that the terms of any such transactions or dealings shall be in accordance with any directions received from the Issuing Entity and shall be, in the Administrator’s opinion, no less favorable to the Issuing Entity than would be available from unaffiliated parties.
(vii) The Administrator hereby agrees to execute on behalf of the Issuing Entity all such documents, reports, filings, instruments, certificates and opinions as it shall be the duty of the Issuing Entity to prepare, file or deliver pursuant to the Basic Documents or otherwise by law.
Other Activities of the Administrator Nothing herein shall prevent the Administrator or its Affiliates from engaging in other businesses or, in its sole discretion, from acting in a similar capacity as an Administrator for any other Person even though such Person may engage in business activities similar to those of the Issuer, the Owner Trustee or the Indenture Trustee.
Liability of the Administrator No provision of this Agreement shall be deemed to protect the Administrator against any liability to the Fund or its shareholders to which it might otherwise be subject by reason of willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its duties or the reckless disregard of its obligations under this Agreement.
The Administrator The Administrator shall furnish at its own expense the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform its obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the items which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all compensation, if any, of officers of the Trust as well as all Trustees of the Trust who are affiliated persons of the Administrator or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator; provided, however, that unless otherwise specifically provided, the Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the compensation of any employee of the Trust retained by the Trustees of the Trust to perform services on behalf of the Trust.
Authority of the Administrator The Administrator shall have full authority to interpret and construe the terms of the Plan and this Restricted Share Agreement. The determination of the Administrator as to any such matter of interpretation or construction shall be final, binding and conclusive.
