The Escrow Agent To induce the Escrow Agent to act hereunder, it is further agreed by the Buyer and the Seller that:
(a) The Escrow Agent shall not be under any duty to give the Escrowed Property held by it hereunder any greater degree of care than it gives its own similar property and shall not be required to invest any Escrowed Property held hereunder except as directed in this Agreement. Uninvested funds held hereunder shall not earn or accrue interest.
(b) This Agreement expressly sets forth all the duties of the Escrow Agent with respect to any and all matters pertinent hereto. No implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent shall not be bound by the provisions of any agreement among the other parties hereto except this Agreement.
(c) The Escrow Agent shall not be liable, except for its own gross negligence or willful misconduct and, except with respect to claims based upon such gross negligence or willful misconduct that are successfully asserted against the Escrow Agent, the Buyer and the Seller shall, severally and not jointly, indemnify and hold harmless the Escrow Agent (and any successor escrow agent) from and against one-half of any and all losses, liabilities, claims, actions, damages, and expenses, including reasonable attorneys' fees and disbursements, arising out of and in connection with this Agreement. Without limiting the foregoing, the Escrow Agent shall in no event be liable in connection with its investment or reinvestment of any cash held by it hereunder in good faith, in accordance with the terms hereof, including without limitation, any liability for any delays (not resulting from its gross negligence or willful misconduct) in the investment or reinvestment of the Escrowed Property or any loss of interest incident to any such delays. This Section 5(c) shall survive notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement or the resignation of the Escrow Agent.
(d) The Escrow Agent shall be entitled to rely in good faith upon any order, judgment, certification, demand, notice, instrument or other writing delivered to it hereunder in accordance with the terms hereof without being required to determine the authenticity or the correctness of any fact stated therein or the propriety or validity of the service thereof. The Escrow Agent may act in reliance upon any instrument or signature believed by it in good faith to be genuine and may assume that any person purporting to give receipt or advice or make any statement or execute any document in connection with the provisions hereof has been duly authorized to do so.
(e) The Escrow Agent may act pursuant to the advice of counsel with respect to any matter relating to this Agreement and shall not be liable for any action taken or omitted in good faith in accordance with such advice.
(f) The Escrow Agent does not have any interest in the Escrowed Property deposited hereunder but is serving as escrow holder only and has only possession thereof. The Buyer and the Seller shall each pay or reimburse the Escrow Agent upon request for one-half of any transfer taxes or other taxes relating to the Escrowed Property incurred in connection herewith and shall indemnify and hold harmless the Escrow Agent from any amounts that it is obligated to pay in the way of such taxes. Any payments of income from the Escrow Account shall be subject to withholding regulations therein in force with respect to United States taxes. It is understood that the Escrow Agent shall be responsible for income reporting only with respect to income earned on investment of the Escrowed Property and is not responsible for any other reporting. This Section 5(f) shall survive notwithstanding any termination of this Agreement or the resignation of the Escrow Agent.
(g) The Escrow Agent makes no representation as to the validity, value, genuineness or the collectability of any security or other document or instrument held by or delivered to it.
(h) The Escrow Agent shall not be called upon to advise any party as to the wisdom in selling or retaining or taking or refraining from any action with respect to any securities or other property deposited hereunder.
(i) The Escrow Agent (and any successor escrow agent) may at any time resign as such by delivering the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, to any successor escrow agent jointly designated by the Buyer and the Seller in writing or to any court of competent jurisdiction, whereupon the Escrow Agent shall be discharged of and from any and all further obligations arising in connection with this Agreement. The resignation of the Escrow Agent will take effect on the date (the "Resignation Date") which is the earlier to occur of: (i) the date a successor is appointed (including a court of competent jurisdiction) or (ii) the date which is 30 days after the date of delivery of its written notice of resignation to the other parties hereto. Upon the appointment of a successor escrow agent, such successor escrow agent shall deliver written notice to the Buyer and the Seller on the appointment of such successor escrow agent. If at the Resignation Date the Escrow Agent has not received a designation of a successor escrow agent, the Escrow Agent's sole responsibility after the Resignation Date shall be to safekeep the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, until receipt of a designation of successor escrow agent or a joint written disposition instruction by the other parties hereto.
(j) The Escrow Agent shall have no responsibility for the contents of any writing of any third party contemplated herein as a means to resolve disputes and may rely without any liability upon the contents thereof.
(k) In the event of any disagreement between the Buyer and the Seller resulting in adverse claims or demands being made in connection with the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, or in the event that the Escrow Agent in good faith is in doubt as to what action it should take hereunder, the Escrow Agent shall be entitled to retain the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, until the Escrow Agent shall have received (i) a Final Determination (as defined in Section 3(b) and accompanied by the opinion of counsel referred to in Section 3(b)) directing delivery of the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, or (ii) a written agreement executed by the Buyer and the Seller directing delivery of the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, in which event the Escrow Agent shall disburse the Escrowed Property and Interest, if any, in accordance with such Final Determination or agreement. The Escrow Agent shall act on such Final Determination or agreement without further question.
(l) The compensation of the Escrow Agent (as payment in full) for the services to be rendered by the Escrow Agent hereunder shall be the amount of $2,500 for the initial year paid by the Buyer at the time of execution of this Agreement and $2,000 annually thereafter, together with reimbursement for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by the Escrow Agent in performance of its duties hereunder (including reasonable fees, expenses and disbursements of its counsel). All fees and expenses of the Escrow Agent hereunder shall be paid by the Buyer. Any fees or expenses of the Escrow Agent or its counsel which are not paid as provided for herein may be taken from any property held by the Escrow Agent hereunder.
(m) No prospectuses, press releases, reports and promotional material or other similar materials which mentions the Escrow Agent's name or the rights, powers, or duties of the Escrow Agent shall be issued by the other parties hereto or on such parties' behalf unless the Escrow Agent shall first have given its specific written consent thereto.
(n) The other parties hereto authorize the Escrow Agent, for any securities held hereunder, to use the services of any United States central securities depository it deems appropriate, including, but not limited to, the Depository Trust Company and the Federal Reserve Book Entry System.
Indemnification of the Escrow Agent In consideration of the benefits to be derived by Seller from the Split-Off Escrow Agreement, as a third-party beneficiary under the Split-Off Escrow Agreement, Seller shall, from and at all times after the date of the Split-Off Escrow Agreement, indemnify and hold harmless the Escrow Agent and each partner, director, officer, employee, attorney, agent and affiliate of Escrow Agent (collectively, the “Indemnified Parties”), to the fullest extent permitted by law and to the extent provided herein, against any and all actions, claims (whether or not valid), losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses of any kind or nature whatsoever (including without limitation reasonable attorney’s fees, costs and expenses) incurred by or asserted against any of the Indemnified Parties from and after the date hereof, whether direct, indirect or consequential, as a result of or arising from or in any way relating to any claim, demand, suit, action, or proceeding (including any inquiry or investigation) by any person, including without limitation the parties to the Split-Off Escrow Agreement, whether threatened or initiated, asserting a claim for any legal or equitable remedy against any person under any statute or regulation, including, but not limited to, any federal or state securities laws, or under any common law or equitable cause or otherwise, arising from or in connection with the negotiation, preparation, execution, performance or failure of performance of the Split-Off Escrow Agreement or any transaction contemplated herein, whether or not any such Indemnified Party is a party to any such action or proceeding, suit or the target of any such inquiry or investigation; provided, however, that no Indemnified Party shall have the right to be indemnified hereunder for liability finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, subject to no further appeal, to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnified Party. The obligations of the parties under this section shall survive any termination of this Agreement.
Duties of the Escrow Agent The Escrow Agent shall have no duties or responsibilities other than those expressly set forth in this Agreement, and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Escrow Agent. The Escrow Agent is not a party to, or bound by, any other agreement among the other parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof, and the Escrow Agent’s duties shall be determined solely by reference to this Agreement. The Escrow Agent shall have no duty to enforce any obligation of any person, other than as provided herein. The Escrow Agent shall be under no liability to anyone by reason of any failure on the part of any party hereto or any maker, endorser or other signatory of any document or any other person to perform such person’s obligations under any such document.
Appointment of the Escrow Agent The Escrow Agent is hereby designated and appointed to act as escrow agent in accordance with the terms and conditions of this Agreement, and the Escrow Agent hereby accepts such designation and appointment.
Disbursements from the Escrow Account a. At such time as Escrow Agent has collected and deposited instruments of payment in the total amount of the Advance and has received such Common Stock via D.W.A.C from the Company which are to be issued to the Investor pursuant to the Standby Equity Distribution Agreement, the Escrow Agent shall notify the Company and the Investor. The Escrow Agent will continue to hold such funds until the Investor and Company execute and deliver a Joint Written Direction directing the Escrow Agent to disburse the Escrow Funds pursuant to Joint Written Direction at which time the Escrow Agent shall wire the Escrow Funds to the Company. In disbursing such funds, Escrow Agent is authorized to rely upon such Joint Written Direction from Company and may accept any signatory from the Company listed on the signature page to this Agreement and any signature from the Investor that Escrow Agent already has on file. Simultaneous with delivery of the executed Joint Written Direction to the Escrow Agent the Investor and Company shall execute and deliver a Common Stock Joint Written Direction to the Escrow Agent directing the Escrow Agent to release via D.W.A.C to the Investor the shares of the Company's Common Stock. In releasing such shares of Common Stock the Escrow Agent is authorized to rely upon such Common Stock Joint Written Direction from Company and may accept any signatory from the Company listed on the signature page to this Agreement and any signature from the Escrow Agent has on file. In the event the Escrow Agent does not receive the amount of the Advance from the Investor or the shares of Common Stock to be purchased by the Investor from the Company, the Escrow Agent shall notify the Company and the Investor.
Resignation and Termination of the Escrow Agent The Escrow Agent may resign at any time by giving 30 days’ prior written notice of such resignation to Underwriter and the Company. Upon providing such notice, the Escrow Agent shall have no further obligation hereunder except to hold as depositary the Escrow Funds that it receives until the end of such 30-day period. In such event, the Escrow Agent shall not take any action, other than receiving and depositing Investors checks and wire transfers in accordance with this Agreement, until the Company has designated a banking corporation, trust company, attorney or other person as successor. Upon receipt of such written designation signed by Underwriter and the Company, the Escrow Agent shall promptly deliver the Escrow Funds to such successor and shall thereafter have no further obligations hereunder. If such instructions are not received within 30 days following the effective date of such resignation, then the Escrow Agent may deposit the Escrow Funds held by it pursuant to this Agreement with a clerk of a court of competent jurisdiction pending the appointment of a successor. In either case provided for in this Section, the Escrow Agent shall be relieved of all further obligations and released from all liability thereafter arising with respect to the Escrow Funds.
Concerning the Escrow Agent 6.1. The Escrow Agent undertakes to perform only such duties as are expressly set forth herein and no implied duties or obligations shall be read into this Agreement against the Escrow Agent.
6.2. The Escrow Agent may act in reliance upon any writing or instrument or signature which it, in good faith, believes to be genuine, may assume the validity and accuracy of any statement or assertion contained in such a writing or instrument, and may assume that any person purporting to give any writing, notice, advice or instructions in connection with the provisions hereof has been duly authorized to do so. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable in any manner for the sufficiency or correctness as to form, manner, and execution, or validity of any instrument deposited in this escrow, nor as to the identity, authority, or right of any person executing the same; and its duties hereunder shall be limited to the safekeeping of such certificates, monies, instruments, or other document received by it as such escrow holder, and for the disposition of the same in accordance with the written instruments accepted by it in the escrow.
6.3. Pledgee and the Pledgor hereby agree, to defend and indemnify the Escrow Agent and hold it harmless from any and all claims, liabilities, losses, actions, suits, or proceedings at law or in equity, or any other expenses, fees, or charges of any character or nature which it may incur or with which it may be threatened by reason of its acting as Escrow Agent under this Agreement; and in connection therewith, to indemnify the Escrow Agent against any and all expenses, including attorneys' fees and costs of defending any action, suit, or proceeding or resisting any claim (and any costs incurred by the Escrow Agent pursuant to Sections 6.4 or 6.5 hereof). The Escrow Agent shall be vested with a lien on all property deposited hereunder, for indemnification of attorneys' fees and court costs regarding any suit, proceeding or otherwise, or any other expenses, fees, or charges of any character or nature, which may be incurred by the Escrow Agent by reason of disputes arising between the makers of this escrow as to the correct interpretation of this Agreement and instructions given to the Escrow Agent hereunder, or otherwise, with the right of the Escrow Agent, regardless of the instructions aforesaid, to hold said property until and unless said additional expenses, fees, and charges shall be fully paid. Any fees and costs charged by the Escrow Agent for serving hereunder shall be paid by the Pledgor.
6.4. If any of the parties shall be in disagreement about the interpretation of this Agreement, or about the rights and obligations, or the propriety of any action contemplated by the Escrow Agent hereunder, the Escrow Agent may, at its sole discretion deposit the Pledged Materials with the Clerk of the United States District Court of New Jersey, sitting in Newark, New Jersey, and, upon notifying all parties concerned of such action, all liability on the part of the Escrow Agent shall fully cease and terminate. The Escrow Agent shall be indemnified by the Pledgor, the Company and Pledgee for all costs, including reasonable attorneys' fees in connection with the aforesaid proceeding, and shall be fully protected in suspending all or a part of its activities under this Agreement until a final decision or other settlement in the proceeding is received.
6.5. The Escrow Agent may consult with counsel of its own choice (and the costs of such counsel shall be paid by the Pledgor and Pledgee) and shall have full and complete authorization and protection for any action taken or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with the opinion of such counsel. The Escrow Agent shall not be liable for any mistakes of fact or error of judgment, or for any actions or omissions of any kind, unless caused by its willful misconduct or gross negligence.
6.6. The Escrow Agent may resign upon ten (10) days' written notice to the parties in this Agreement. If a successor Escrow Agent is not appointed within this ten (10) day period, the Escrow Agent may petition a court of competent jurisdiction to name a successor.
Direction to Escrow Agent The Issuer and the Securityholders direct the Escrow Agent to hold the escrow securities in escrow until they are released from escrow under this Agreement.
Initial Escrow Amount; Issuance of Escrow Receipts The Escrow Agent hereby directs the Underwriters to, and the Underwriters hereby acknowledge that on the date hereof they shall, irrevocably deliver to the Depositary on behalf of the Escrow Agent, an amount in U.S. dollars ("Dollars") and immediately available funds equal to $56,000,000 for deposit on behalf of the Escrow Agent with the Depositary in accordance with Section 2.1 of the Deposit Agreement. The Underwriters hereby instruct the Escrow Agent, upon receipt of such sum from the Underwriters, to confirm such receipt by executing (by manual or facsimile signature) and delivering to the Pass Through Trustee an Escrow Receipt in the form of Exhibit A hereto (an "Escrow Receipt"), (a) to be affixed by the Pass Through Trustee to each Certificate and (b) to evidence the same percentage interest ("Escrow Interest") in the Account Amounts (as defined below) as the Fractional Undivided Interest in the Pass Through Trust evidenced by the Certificate to which it is to be affixed. The Escrow Agent shall provide to the Pass Through Trustee for attachment to each Certificate newly issued under and in accordance with the Pass Through Trust Agreement an executed Escrow Receipt as the Pass Through Trustee may from time to time request of the Escrow Agent. Each Escrow Receipt shall be registered by the Escrow Agent in a register (the "Register") maintained by the Escrow Agent in the same name and same manner as the Certificate to which it is attached and may not thereafter be detached from such Certificate to which it is to be affixed prior to the distribution of the Final Withdrawal (the "Final Distribution"). After the Final Distribution, no additional Escrow Receipts shall be issued and the Pass Through Trustee shall request the return to the Escrow Agent for cancellation of all outstanding Escrow Receipts.
Establishment of Escrow Account; Deposits in Escrow Account With respect to those Mortgage Loans on which the Servicer or any Sub-Servicer collects Escrow Payments, if any, the Servicer shall, and shall cause the Sub-Servicer to, segregate and hold all funds collected and received pursuant to each such Mortgage Loan which constitute Escrow Payments separate and apart from any of its own funds and general assets and shall establish and maintain one or more Escrow Accounts, in the form of trust accounts. Such Escrow Accounts shall be established with a commercial bank, a mutual savings bank or a savings and loan association the deposits of which are insured by the FDIC in a manner which shall provide maximum available insurance thereunder, and which may be drawn on by the Servicer. The Servicer shall give notice to the Trustee of the location of any Escrow Account, and of any change thereof, prior to the use thereof. Nothing in this paragraph shall be deemed to require the Servicer to collect Escrow Payments in the absence of a provision in the related Mortgage requiring such collection. The Servicer shall deposit, or cause to be deposited, in any Escrow Account or Accounts on a daily basis, and retain therein, (i) all Escrow Payments collected on account of any Mortgage Loans, for the purpose of effecting timely payment of any such items as required under the terms of this Agreement and (ii) all amounts representing proceeds of any hazard insurance policy which are to be applied to the restoration or repair of any Mortgaged Property. The Servicer shall make withdrawals therefrom only to effect such payments as are required under this Agreement, and for such other purposes as are set forth in Section 5.11. The Servicer shall be entitled to retain any interest paid on funds deposited in the Escrow Account by the depository institution other than interest on escrowed funds required by law to be paid to the related Mortgagor and, to the extent required by law, the Servicer shall pay interest on escrowed funds to the related Mortgagor notwithstanding that the Escrow Account is non-interest-bearing or that interest paid thereon is insufficient for such purposes.
