Solicitation of Holders of Notes The Company will provide each holder of the Notes (irrespective of the amount of Notes then owned by it) with sufficient information, sufficiently far in advance of the date a decision is required, to enable such holder to make an informed and considered decision with respect to any proposed amendment, waiver or consent in respect of any of the provisions hereof or of the Notes. The Company will deliver executed or true and correct copies of each amendment, waiver or consent effected pursuant to the provisions of this Section 18 to each holder of outstanding Notes promptly following the date on which it is executed and delivered by, or receives the consent or approval of, the requisite holders of Notes.
Without Consent of Holders of Notes Notwithstanding Section 9.02 hereof, the Issuer, the Guarantors and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture and any Guarantee or Notes without the consent of any Holder:
(1) to cure any ambiguity, omission, mistake, defect or inconsistency;
(2) to provide for uncertificated Notes of such series in addition to or in place of certificated Notes;
(3) to comply with Section 5.01 hereof;
(4) to provide the assumption of the Issuer’s or any Guarantor’s obligations to the Holders;
(5) to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the Holders or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under this Indenture of any such Holder;
(6) to add covenants for the benefit of the Holders or to surrender any right or power conferred upon the Issuer or any Guarantor;
(7) to evidence and provide for the acceptance and appointment under this Indenture of a successor Trustee hereunder pursuant to the requirements hereof;
(8) to add a Guarantor under this Indenture or to remove any Parent Guarantor that is not a Restricted Parent Guarantor;
(9) to conform the text of this Indenture, Guarantees or the Notes to any provision of the “Description of the Notes” section of the Offering Memorandum to the extent that such provision in such “Description of the notes” section was intended to be a verbatim recitation of a provision of this Indenture, Guarantee or Notes; or
(10) to make any amendment to the provisions of this Indenture relating to the transfer and legending of Notes as permitted by this Indenture, including, without limitation to facilitate the issuance and administration of the Notes; provided, that (i) compliance with this Indenture as so amended would not result in Notes being transferred in violation of the Securities Act or any applicable securities law and (ii) such amendment does not materially and adversely affect the rights of Holders to transfer Notes.
(11) to add additional assets as Collateral or to release any Collateral from the liens securing the Notes, in each case pursuant to the terms of this Indenture, the Collateral Documents relating to the Notes and the Intercreditor Agreement, as and when permitted or required by this Indenture, the Collateral Documents relating to the Notes or the Intercreditor Agreement. In addition, the Collateral Agent and the Trustee are authorized to amend the Collateral Documents relating to the Notes to comply with the provisions hereof and thereof. Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a resolution of its board of directors authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental indenture, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Issuer and the Guarantors in the execution of any amended or supplemental indenture authorized or permitted by the terms of this Indenture and to make any further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein contained, but the Trustee shall have the right, but not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental indenture that affects its own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise. Notwithstanding the foregoing, neither an Opinion of Counsel nor an Officer’s Certificate shall be required in connection with the addition of a Guarantor under this Indenture (other than as required by Section 4.15 hereof) upon execution and delivery by such Guarantor and the Trustee of a supplemental indenture to this Indenture, the form of which is attached as Exhibit D hereto.
With Consent of Holders of Notes Except as provided below in this Section 9.02, the Issuer and the Trustee may amend or supplement this Indenture, the Notes or any of the Security Documents with the consent of the Holders of at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for, or purchase of, Notes), and, with such consent and subject to Sections 6.04 and 6.07 hereof, may waive any existing Default or Event of Default (other than a Default or Event of Default in the payment of the principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes, except a payment default resulting from an acceleration that has been rescinded) or compliance with any provision of this Indenture, the Notes or the Security Documents. Upon the request of the Issuer accompanied by a Board Resolution authorizing the execution of any such amended or supplemental Indenture or other such amendment, and upon the filing with the Trustee of evidence satisfactory to the Trustee of the consent of the Holders as aforesaid, and upon receipt by the Trustee of the documents described in Section 7.02 hereof, the Trustee shall join with the Issuer in the execution of such amended or supplemental Indenture or other such amendment unless such amended or supplemental Indenture or other such amendment affects the Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Indenture or otherwise, in which case the Trustee may in its discretion, but shall not be obligated to, enter into such amended or supplemental Indenture or other such amendment. It shall not be necessary for the consent of the Holders under this Section 9.02 to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment, supplement or waiver, but it shall be sufficient if such consent approves the substance thereof. After an amendment, supplement or waiver under this Section becomes effective, the Issuer shall mail to the Holders affected thereby a notice briefly describing the amendment, supplement or waiver. Any failure of the Issuer to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in any way impair or affect the validity of any such amended or supplemental Indenture or waiver. Notwithstanding the foregoing, without the consent of each Holder affected, an amendment or waiver under this Section 9.02 may not (with respect to any Notes held by a non-consenting Holder):
(a) reduce the principal amount of Notes whose Holders must consent to an amendment, supplement or waiver;
(b) reduce the principal of or change the fixed maturity of any Note or alter or waive any of the provisions with respect to the redemption of the Notes (provided that this subsection (b) shall not be deemed to apply to any alteration of or waiver with respect to the definition of the term "Excess Cash Flow" or the term "Net Proceeds" (or any other defined terms used in such definitions) contained in Section 1.01 hereof);
(c) reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest, including default interest, on any Note;
(d) make any Note payable in money other than that stated in the Notes;
(e) make any change in the provisions of this Indenture governing waivers of past Defaults or the rights of Holders to receive payments of principal of, premium, if any, or interest on the Notes; or
(f) provide for the release of any material Pledged Equity Interests (as such term is defined in the Pledge Agreement) except in accordance with the terms of the Security Documents.
Communication by Holders of Notes with Other Holders of Notes Holders may communicate pursuant to TIA Section 312(b) with other Holders with respect to their rights under this Indenture or the Notes. The Company, the Trustee, the Registrar and anyone else shall have the protection of TIA Section 312(c).
Rights of Holders of Notes to Receive Payment Notwithstanding any other provision of this Indenture, the right of any Holder of a Note to receive payment of principal, premium, if any, and interest on the Note, on or after the respective due dates expressed in the Note (including in connection with an Asset Sale Offer or a Change of Control Offer), or to bring suit for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such respective dates, shall not be impaired or affected without the consent of such Holder.
Acts of Holders of Certificates (a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided by this Agreement to be given or taken by Holders or Certificate Owner, if the Holder is a Clearing Agency, may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by agent duly appointed in writing; and, except as herein otherwise expressly provided, such action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered to the Trustee and the Securities Administrator and, where expressly required herein, to the Master Servicer. Such instrument or instruments (as the action embodies therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as an “Act” of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agents shall be sufficient for any purpose of this Agreement and conclusive in favor of the Trustee, the Securities Administrator and the Master Servicer, if made in the manner provided in this Section. Each of the Trustee, the Securities Administrator and the Master Servicer shall promptly notify the others of receipt of any such instrument by it, and shall promptly forward a copy of such instrument to the others.
(b) The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by the certificate of any notary public or other officer authorized by law to take acknowledgments or deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Whenever such execution is by an officer of a corporation or a member of a partnership on behalf of such corporation or partnership, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing, or the authority of the individual executing the same, may also be proved in any other manner which the Trustee deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership of Certificates (whether or not such Certificates shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing thereon made by anyone other than the Trustee) shall be proved by the Certificate Register, and none of the Trustee, the Master Servicer, the Securities Administrator, the NIMS Insurer, or the Depositor shall be affected by any notice to the contrary.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by the Holder of any Certificate shall bind every future Holder of the same Certificate and the Holder of every Certificate issued upon the registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof, in respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Trustee or the Master Servicer in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon such Certificate.
Modification of Indenture with Consent of Holders of Debt Securities The first paragraph of Section 9.02 of the Original Indenture is hereby amended and restated in its entirety, but only in relation to the Notes, as follows: “Without notice to any Holder but with the consent (evidenced as provided in Section 8.01) of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Outstanding Debt Securities of each series affected by such supplemental Indenture (including consents obtained in connection with a tender offer or exchange offer for any such series of Debt Securities), the Partnership and the Subsidiary Guarantors, when authorized by resolutions of the Board of Directors, and the Trustee may from time to time and at any time enter into an Indenture or Indentures supplemental hereto (which shall conform to the provisions of the TIA as in force at the date of execution thereof) for the purpose of adding any provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions of this Indenture or of any supplemental Indenture or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Holders of the Debt Securities of such series; provided, with respect to amending the Indenture as to matters that require the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in aggregate principal amount of all Debt Securities of each series that would be affected by such amendment, the Notes and any Additional Notes shall vote together as a single class with any future series of the Partnership’s senior Debt Securities (unless otherwise provided in the prospectus relating to such future series of senior Debt Securities) and any other series of the Partnership’s senior Debt Securities then Outstanding which are entitled by their terms to vote on the amendment in question; provided further, that no such supplemental Indenture, without the consent of the Holders of each Debt Security so affected, shall: reduce the percentage in principal amount of Debt Securities of any series whose Holders must consent to an amendment; reduce the rate of or extend the time for payment of interest on any Debt Security; reduce the principal of or extend the Stated Maturity of any Debt Security; reduce any premium payable upon the redemption of any Debt Security or change the time at which any Debt Security may or shall be redeemed in accordance with Article III; make any Debt Security payable in currency other than the Dollar; impair the right of any Holder to receive payment of premium, if any, principal of and interest on such Holder’s Debt Securities on or after the due dates therefor or to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Holder’s Debt Securities; release any security that may have been granted in respect of the Debt Securities, other than in accordance with this Indenture; make any change in Section 6.06 or this Section 9.02; or, except as provided in Section 11.02(b) or Section 14.04, release the Subsidiary Guarantors other than as provided in this Indenture or modify the Guarantee in any manner adverse to the Holders.”
Reports by Trustee to Holders of the Notes (a) Within 60 days after each May 15 beginning with the May 15 following the date of this Indenture, and for so long as Notes remain outstanding, the Trustee will mail to the Holders of the Notes a brief report dated as of such reporting date that complies with TIA § 313(a) (but if no event described in TIA § 313(a) has occurred within the twelve months preceding the reporting date, no report need be transmitted). The Trustee also will comply with TIA § 313(b)(2). The Trustee will also transmit by mail all reports as required by TIA § 313(c).
(b) A copy of each report at the time of its mailing to the Holders of Notes will be mailed by the Trustee to the Company and filed by the Trustee with the SEC and each stock exchange on which the Notes are listed in accordance with TIA § 313(d). The Company will promptly notify the Trustee when the Notes are listed on any stock exchange.
Meetings of Holders of Notes (1) The Fiscal Agent shall, on receipt of a written request of the Issuer or a written request signed in one or more counterparts by the beneficial holders of not less than 10% of the principal amount of the Notes then outstanding and upon being indemnified to its satisfaction by the Issuer or the beneficial holders of Notes signing such request against the costs which may be incurred in connection with the calling and holding of such meeting, convene a meeting of the holders of Notes for any lawful purpose affecting their interests. If the Fiscal Agent fails to give notice convening such meeting within 30 days after receipt of such request and indemnity satisfactory to it, the Issuer or such beneficial holders of Notes, as the case may be, may convene such meeting. Every such meeting shall be held in New York or such other place as may be approved or determined by the Fiscal Agent.
(2) At least 21 days’ notice of any meeting shall be given to the holders of the Global Notes or Certificated Notes, as the case may be, in the manner provided pursuant to the provisions under “Notices” in the terms and conditions of the Notes, and a copy thereof shall be sent by post to the Fiscal Agent unless the meeting has been called by it, and to the Issuer, unless the meeting has been called by the Issuer. Such notice shall state the day, time, place and purpose of the meeting and the general nature of the business to be transacted thereat, and shall include a statement to the effect that, prior to 48 hours prior to the time fixed for the meeting, (i) in the limited circumstances in which Certificated Notes have been issued, those holders of Certificated Notes who deposit such Notes with the Fiscal Agent, or any other person authorized for such purpose by the Fiscal Agent or the Issuer or (ii) in the case of Notes being represented by the Global Notes, those persons recorded in the Register, shall be entitled to obtain voting certificates for appointing proxies, but it shall not be necessary for any such notice to set out the terms of any resolution to be proposed at such meeting or any other provisions.
(3) A holder of Notes may appoint any person by instrument in writing as the holder’s proxy in respect of a meeting of the holders of Notes or any adjournment of such meeting, and such proxy shall have all rights of the holder of Notes in respect of such meeting. All notices of meetings to the holder of a Global Note shall contain a requirement that the Clearing Systems must notify Clearing Systems participants and, if known, owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes of the meeting in accordance with procedures established from time to time by the Clearing Systems. The registered holders of Notes shall seek voting instructions on the matters to be raised at such meeting from the Clearing Systems participants or, if known, from the owners of beneficial interests in the Global Notes in accordance with the applicable procedure of the Clearing Systems. For greater certainty, it is acknowledged that none of the Issuer, the Fiscal Agent, any clearing agency or any intermediary or participant shall be required to comply with the time limits set out in the applicable procedure of the Clearing Systems but shall use all reasonable efforts to otherwise comply with such procedure and attempt to provide non-registered holders of the Notes with meeting materials and voting rights as if such non-registered holders of Notes were registered holders thereof.
(4) Some person, who need not be a holder of Notes, nominated in writing by the Fiscal Agent shall be chairman of the meeting and if no person is so nominated or if the person so nominated is not present within 15 minutes from the time fixed for the holding of the meeting, the holders of the Notes present in person or by proxy shall choose some person present to be chairman, and, failing such choice, the Issuer may appoint a chairman.
(5) At a meeting of holders of Notes, a quorum shall consist of two or more holders of Notes present in person or by proxy who represent at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding. If a quorum of the holders of Notes shall not be present within one-half hour after the time fixed for holding any meeting, the meeting, if convened by or at the request of holders of Notes, shall be dissolved, but if otherwise convened, the meeting shall stand adjourned without notice to the same day in the next week (unless such day is not a business day in the place where the meeting is to take place in which case it shall stand adjourned until the next such business day following thereafter) at the same time and place unless the chairman shall appoint some other place, day or time of which not less than seven days’ notice shall be given in the manner provided above. At any adjourned meeting called by the Issuer or the Fiscal Agent, two or more holders of Notes present in person or by proxy shall constitute a quorum and may transact the business for which the meeting was originally convened notwithstanding that they may not represent at least a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding.
(6) The chairman of any meeting at which a quorum of the holders of Notes is present may, with the consent of the holder(s) of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the Notes represented thereat, adjourn any such meeting and no notice of such adjournment need be given except such notice, if any, as the meeting may prescribe.
(7) Every motion or question submitted to a meeting shall be decided by Extraordinary Resolution (as hereinafter defined) and in the first place by the votes given on a show of hands. At any such meeting, unless a poll is duly demanded as herein provided, a declaration by the chairman that a resolution has been carried or carried unanimously or by a particular majority or lost or not carried by a particular majority shall be conclusive of the fact. On any question submitted to a meeting when ordered by the chairman or demanded by a show of hands by one or more holders of Notes acting in person or by proxy and holding at least 2% in aggregate principal amount of the Notes then outstanding, a poll shall be taken in such manner as the chairman shall direct.
(8) In a poll, each holder of Notes present in person or represented by a proxy duly appointed by an instrument in writing shall be entitled to one vote in respect of each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes then held by such holder. A proxy need not be a holder of Notes. In the case of Notes held jointly, any one of the joint holders present in person or by proxy may vote in the absence of the other or others; but in case more than one of them is present in person or by proxy, only one of them may vote in respect of each U.S.$1,000 principal amount of Notes of which they are joint holders.
(9) The Issuer and the Fiscal Agent by their respective officers, directors and representatives, and the legal advisors of the Issuer and the Fiscal Agent may attend any meeting of the holders of Notes, but shall have no vote as such.
(10) Subject to Section 16 (Amendments), in addition to all other powers conferred upon them by any other provision of this Agreement or by law, holders of Notes at a meeting shall have the following powers, any one or combination of which may be exercised from time to time by Extraordinary Resolution:
(a) power to confirm any modification or amendment of this Agreement or the terms and conditions of the Notes proposed by the Issuer; provided that, to the extent that such modification or amendment may affect the rights, duties, protections, indemnities and immunities of the Fiscal Agent, the Issuer shall not propose such modification or amendment and such power shall not be exercised, without the prior written consent of the Fiscal Agent;
(b) power to exercise any power, right, remedy or authority given to it by this Agreement or the Notes in any manner specified in such Extraordinary Resolution or to refrain from exercising any such power, right, remedy or authority;
(c) power to waive any default on the part of the Issuer in complying with any provisions of this Agreement or the Notes or to waive future compliance with any provision or provisions of this Agreement or the Notes; and
(d) power to repeal, modify or amend any Extraordinary Resolution previously passed by the holders of Notes; provided, however, that no such modification nor amendment to this Agreement or to the terms and conditions of the Notes or any other action taken may, (a) without the consent of the holder of each such Note affected thereby: (i) change the stated maturity or interest payment date(s) of any such Note; (ii) reduce the principal amount of or rate of interest on any such Note; (iii) change the currency of payment of any such Note; (iv) impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of any payment on or with respect to such Note; (v) reduce the percentage of the holders of Notes necessary to modify or amend this Agreement or the terms and conditions of the Notes or reduce the percentage of votes required for the taking of action or the quorum required at any meeting of holders of Notes; or (vi) reduce the percentage of outstanding Notes necessary to waive any future compliance or past default; or (b) without the consent of the Fiscal Agent, alter the rights, duties, protections, indemnities or immunities of the Fiscal Agent.
(11) All actions that may be taken and all powers that may be exercised by the holders of Notes at a meeting held as hereinbefore provided may also be taken and exercised by the holders of not less than 66 2/3% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes at the time outstanding by an instrument in writing signed in one or more counterparts, and the expression “Extraordinary Resolution” when used in this Agreement shall include an instrument so signed.
(12) The term “Extraordinary Resolution” means a resolution proposed to be passed at a meeting of holders of the Notes duly convened for the purpose and held in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and passed by the affirmative vote of the holders of not less than 66 2/3% of the aggregate principal amount of the Notes represented at the meeting in person or by proxy or as an instrument in writing signed by the holders of not less than 66 2/3% in principal amount of the outstanding Notes.
Lists of Holders of Securities (a) The Guarantor shall provide the Guarantee Trustee (i) except while the Capital Securities are represented by one or more Global Securities, at least two Business Days prior to the date for payment of Distributions, a list, in such form as the Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Securities (“List of Holders”) as of the record date relating to the payment of such Distributions, and (ii) at any other time, within 30 days of receipt by the Guarantor of a written request from the Guarantee Trustee for a List of Holders as of a date no more than 15 days before such List of Holders is given to the Guarantee Trustee; provided that the Guarantor shall not be obligated to provide such List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does not differ from the most recent List of Holders given to the Guarantee Trustee by the Guarantor. The Guarantee Trustee shall preserve, in as current a form as is reasonably practicable, all information contained in Lists of Holders given to it, provided that the Guarantee Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
