Title to REO Property; REO Account (a) If title to any Mortgaged Property is acquired (directly or through a single member limited liability company established for that purpose) and thus becomes REO Property, the deed or certificate of sale shall be issued in the name of the Trust where permitted by applicable law or regulation and consistent with customary servicing procedures, and otherwise, in the name of the Trustee or its nominee on behalf of the Certificateholders and, if applicable, on behalf of the related Companion Holders, in the case of a Serviced Companion Loan. REO Property with respect to a Non-Serviced Mortgage Loan is excluded for all purposes of this Section 3.14. The Special Servicer, on behalf of the Trust and, if applicable, the related Serviced Companion Noteholder, shall sell any REO Property prior to the close of the third calendar year following the year in which the Trust acquires ownership of such REO Property, within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.856-6(b)(1), for purposes of Section 860G(a)(8) of the Code, unless the Special Servicer either (i) applies for a qualifying extension of time no later than sixty (60) days prior to the close of the third calendar year in which it acquired ownership (or the period provided in the then-applicable REMIC Provisions) and such extension is granted or is not denied (an “REO Extension”) by the Internal Revenue Service to sell such REO Property or (ii) obtains for the Trustee and the Certificate Administrator an Opinion of Counsel, addressed to the Trustee and the Certificate Administrator, to the effect that the holding by the Trust of such REO Property subsequent to the close of the third calendar year following the year in which acquisition occurred will not cause an Adverse REMIC Event. If the Special Servicer is granted or not denied the REO Extension contemplated by clause (i) of the immediately preceding sentence or obtains the Opinion of Counsel contemplated by clause (ii) of the immediately preceding sentence, the Special Servicer shall sell such REO Property within such longer period as is permitted by such REO Extension or such Opinion of Counsel, as the case may be. Any expense incurred by the Special Servicer in connection with its being granted the REO Extension contemplated by clause (i) of the second preceding sentence or its obtaining the Opinion of Counsel contemplated by clause (ii) of the second preceding sentence, shall be an expense of the Trust payable out of the Collection Account pursuant to Section 3.05(a).
(b) The Special Servicer shall segregate and hold all funds collected and received in connection with any REO Property separate and apart from its own funds and general assets. If an REO Acquisition shall occur, the Special Servicer shall establish and maintain one or more REO Accounts, held on behalf of the Trustee for the benefit of the Certificateholders and, if applicable, on behalf of any related Companion Holder(s), as applicable, as their interest shall appear, and the Trustee (as holder of the Lower-Tier Regular Interests), for the retention of revenues and other proceeds derived from each REO Property. The REO Account shall be an Eligible Account. The Special Servicer shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, in the REO Account, prior to each Determination Date, all REO Revenues, Insurance and Condemnation Proceeds and Liquidation Proceeds received in respect of an REO Property. Funds in the REO Account may be invested in Permitted Investments in accordance with Section 3.06. The Special Servicer shall give notice to the Trustee, the Certificate Administrator, and the Master Servicer of the location of the REO Account when first established and of the new location of the REO Account prior to any change thereof.
(c) The Special Servicer shall withdraw from the REO Account funds necessary for the proper operation, management, insuring, leasing, maintenance and disposition of any REO Property, but only to the extent of amounts on deposit in the REO Account relating to such REO Property. On the later of the date that is (x) on or prior to each Determination Date or (y) two (2) Business Days after such amounts are received and properly identified and determined to be available (or, with respect to a Serviced Companion Loan, on the Business Day preceding each Serviced Whole Loan Remittance Date), the Special Servicer shall withdraw from the REO Account and remit to the Master Servicer, which shall deposit into the Collection Account (or the Companion Distribution Account, as applicable), the aggregate of all amounts received in respect of each REO Property during the most recently ended Collection Period, net of (i) any withdrawals made out of such amounts pursuant to the preceding sentence and (ii) Net Investment Earnings on amounts on deposit in the REO Account; provided, however, that the Special Servicer may retain in such REO Account, in accordance with the Servicing Standard, such portion of such balance as may be necessary to maintain a reasonable reserve for repairs, replacements, leasing, management and tenant improvements and other related expenses for the related REO Property. In addition, on or prior to the day the Special Servicer remits fund as provided in this Section 3.14, the Special Servicer shall provide the Master Servicer with a written accounting of amounts remitted to the Master Servicer for deposit in the Collection Account on such date. The Master Servicer shall apply all such amounts as instructed by the Special Servicer on the Determination Date (or with respect to a Serviced Companion Loan, on each Serviced Whole Loan Remittance Date) for the related Distribution Date.
(d) The Special Servicer shall keep and maintain separate records, on a property-by-property basis, for the purpose of accounting for all deposits to, and withdrawals from, the REO Account pursuant to Section 3.14(b) or Section 3.14(c).
