Sub-Servicing Agreements (a) The Master Servicer and Special Servicer may enter into Sub-Servicing Agreements to provide for the performance by third parties of any or all of its respective obligations hereunder; provided that the Sub-Servicing Agreement as amended or modified: (i) is consistent with this Agreement in all material respects and requires the Sub-Servicer to comply with all of the applicable conditions of this Agreement; (ii) provides that if the Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable, shall for any reason no longer act in such capacity hereunder (including, without limitation, by reason of a Servicer Termination Event), the Trustee or its designee shall thereupon assume all of the rights and, except to the extent they arose prior to the date of assumption, obligations of such party under such agreement, or, alternatively, may act in accordance with Section 7.02 hereof under the circumstances described therein (subject to Section 3.22(g) hereof); (iii) provides that the Trustee (for the benefit of the Certificateholders and the related Companion Holder (if applicable) and the Trustee (as holder of the Uncertificated Lower-Tier Interests) shall be a third party beneficiary under such Sub-Servicing Agreement, but that (except to the extent the Trustee or its designee assumes the obligations of such party thereunder as contemplated by the immediately preceding clause (ii)) none of the Trust Fund, the Trustee, the Senior Trust Advisor, the Certificate Administrator, the Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable, or any Certificateholder (or the related Companion Holder, if applicable) shall have any duties under such Sub-Servicing Agreement or any liabilities arising therefrom; (iv) permits any purchaser of a Mortgage Loan pursuant to this Agreement to terminate such Sub-Servicing Agreement with respect to such purchased Mortgage Loan at its option and without penalty; provided, however, that the Initial Sub-Servicing Agreements may only be terminated by the Trustee or its designees as contemplated by Section 3.22(g) hereof and in such additional manner and by such other Persons as is provided in such Sub-Servicing Agreement; (v) does not permit the Sub-Servicer any direct rights of indemnification that may be satisfied out of assets of the Trust Fund; (vi) does not permit the Sub-Servicer to modify any Mortgage Loan unless and to the extent the Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable, is permitted hereunder to modify such Mortgage Loan and (vii) provides that the Sub-Servicer shall be in default under the related Sub-Servicing Agreement and such Sub-Servicing Agreement shall be terminated (following the expiration of any applicable grace period) if the Sub-Servicer fails (A) to deliver by the due date any Exchange Act reporting items required to be delivered to the Master Servicer under Article XI or under the Sub-Servicing Agreement or to the master servicer under any other pooling and servicing agreement that the Depositor is a party to, or (B) to perform in any material respect any of its covenants or obligations contained in the Sub-Servicing Agreement regarding creating, obtaining or delivering any Exchange Act reporting items required for any party to this Agreement to perform its obligations under Article XI or under the Exchange Act reporting items required under any other pooling and servicing agreement that the Depositor is a party to. Any successor master servicer or special servicer, as applicable, hereunder shall, upon becoming successor master servicer or special servicer, as applicable, be assigned and shall assume any Sub-Servicing Agreements from the predecessor Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable (subject to Section 3.22(g) hereof). In addition, each Sub-Servicing Agreement entered into by the Master Servicer may but need not provide that the obligations of the Sub-Servicer thereunder shall terminate with respect to any Mortgage Loan serviced thereunder at the time such Mortgage Loan becomes a Specially Serviced Mortgage Loan; provided, however, that the Sub-Servicing Agreement may provide (if the Sub-Servicing Agreement provides for Advances by the Sub-Servicer, although it need not so provide) that the Sub-Servicer will continue to make all Advances and calculations and prepare all reports required under the Sub-Servicing Agreement with respect to Specially Serviced Mortgage Loans and continue to collect its Primary Servicing Fees as if no Servicing Transfer Event had occurred and with respect to REO Properties (and the related REO Loans) as if no REO Acquisition had occurred and to render such incidental services with respect to such Specially Serviced Mortgage Loans and REO Properties as are specifically provided for in such Sub-Servicing Agreement. The Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable, shall deliver to the Trustee copies of all Sub-Servicing Agreements, and any amendments thereto and modifications thereof, entered into by it, in each case promptly upon its execution and delivery of such documents. References in this Agreement to actions taken or to be taken by the Master Servicer include actions taken or to be taken by a Sub-Servicer on behalf of the Master Servicer; and, in connection therewith, all amounts advanced by any Sub-Servicer (if the Sub-Servicing Agreement provides for Advances by the Sub-Servicer, although it need not so provide) to satisfy the obligations of the Master Servicer hereunder to make Advances shall be deemed to have been advanced by the Master Servicer out of its own funds and, accordingly, in such event, such Advances shall be recoverable by such Sub-Servicer in the same manner and out of the same funds as if such Sub-Servicer were the Master Servicer, and, for so long as they are outstanding, such Advances shall accrue interest in accordance with Section 3.03(d), such interest to be allocable between the Master Servicer and such Sub-Servicer as may be provided (if at all) pursuant to the terms of the Sub-Servicing Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, the Master Servicer shall be deemed to have received any payment when a Sub-Servicer retained by it receives such payment. The Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable, shall notify the Master Servicer or the Special Servicer, as applicable, the Trustee and the Depositor in writing promptly of the appointment by it of any Sub-Servicer, except that the Master Servicer need not provide such notice as to the Initial Sub-Servicing Agreements.
(b) Each Sub-Servicer shall be authorized to transact business in the state or states in which the related Mortgaged Properties it is to service are situated, if and to the extent required by applicable law to the extent necessary to ensure the enforceability of the related Mortgage Loans or the compliance with its obligations under the Sub-Servicing Agreement and the Master Servicer’s obligations under this Agreement.
(c) As part of its servicing activities hereunder, the Master Servicer for the benefit of the Trustee and the Certificateholders, shall (at no expense to the Trustee, the Certificateholders or the Trust Fund) monitor the performance and enforce the obligations of each Sub-Servicer under the related Sub-Servicing Agreement, except that the Master Servicer shall be required only to use reasonable efforts to cause any Initial Sub-Servicer to comply with the requirements of Article XI hereof. Such enforcement, including, without limitation, the legal prosecution of claims, termination of Sub-Servicing Agreements in accordance with their respective terms and the pursuit of other appropriate remedies, shall be in such form and carried out to such an extent and at such time as is in accordance with the Servicing Standard. The Master Servicer shall have the right to remove a Sub-Servicer retained by it in accordance with the terms of the related Sub-Servicing Agreement.
(d) In the event the Trustee or its designee becomes successor master servicer and assumes the rights and obligations of the Master Servicer under any Sub-Servicing Agreement, the Master Servicer, at its expense, shall deliver to the assuming party all documents and records relating to such Sub-Servicing Agreement and the Mortgage Loans and, if applicable, the Companion Loans then being serviced thereunder and an accounting of amounts collected and held on behalf of it thereunder, and otherwise use reasonable efforts to effect the orderly and efficient transfer of the Sub-Servicing Agreement to the assuming party.
(e) Notwithstanding the provisions of any Sub-Servicing Agreement and this Section 3.22, except to the extent provided in Article XI with respect to the obligations of any Sub-Servicer that is an Initial Sub-Servicer, the Master Servicer shall remain obligated and responsible to the Trustee, the Special Servicer, holders of the Companion Loans serviced hereunder and the Certificateholders for the performance of its obligations and duties under this Agreement in accordance with the provisions hereof to the same extent and under the same terms and conditions as if it alone were servicing and administering the Mortgage Loans for which it is responsible, and the Master Servicer shall pay the fees of any Sub-Servicer thereunder as and when due from its own funds. In no event shall the Trust Fund bear any termination fee required to be paid to any Sub-Servicer as a result of such Sub-Servicer’s termination under any Sub-Servicing Agreement.
(f) The Trustee, upon the request of the Master Servicer, shall furnish to any Sub-Servicer any documents necessary or appropriate to enable such Sub-Servicer to carry out its servicing and administrative duties under any Sub-Servicing Agreement.
(g) Each Sub-Servicing Agreement shall provide that, in the event the Trustee or any other Person becomes successor master servicer, the Trustee or such successor master servicer shall have the right to terminate such Sub-Servicing Agreement with or without cause and without a fee. Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other contrary provision in this Agreement, the Trustee and any successor master servicer shall assume each Initial Sub-Servicing Agreement and (i) the Initial Sub-Servicer’s rights and obligations under the Initial Sub-Servicing Agreement shall expressly survive a termination of the Master Servicer’s servicing rights under this Agreement; provided that the Initial Sub-Servicing Agreement has not been terminated in accordance with its provisions; (ii) any successor master servicer, including, without limitation, the Trustee (if it assumes the servicing obligations of the Master Servicer) shall be deemed to automatically assume and agree to the then-current Initial Sub-Servicing Agreement without further action upon becoming the successor master servicer and (iii) this Agreement may not be modified in any manner which would increase the obligations or limit the rights of the Initial Sub-Servicer hereunder and/or under the Initial Sub-Servicing Agreement, without the prior written consent of the Initial Sub-Servicer (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld).
(h) With respect to Mortgage Loans subject to a Sub-Servicing Agreement with the Master Servicer, the Special Servicer shall, upon request (such request to be made reasonably in advance as appropriate to the circumstances surrounding such request) of the related Sub-Servicer, reasonably cooperate in delivering reports and information, including remittance information, and affording access to information to the related Sub-Servicer that would be required to be delivered or afforded, as the case may be, to the Master Servicer pursuant to the terms hereof.
(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, the Special Servicer shall not enter into any Sub-Servicing Agreement which provides for the performance by third parties of any or all of its obligations herein, without, prior to the occurrence and continuance of any Control Event, the consent of the Directing Certificateholder, except to the extent necessary for the Special Servicer to comply with applicable regulatory requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Sub-Servicer shall be permitted under any Sub-Servicing Agreement to make material servicing decisions, such as loan modifications or determinations as to the manner or timing of enforcing remedies under the Mortgage Loan documents, without the consent of the Master Servicer or Special Servicer, as applicable.
Declaration of Trust The Owner Trustee hereby declares that it will hold the Owner Trust Estate in trust upon and subject to the conditions set forth herein for the use and benefit of the Certificateholders, subject to the obligations of the Trust under the Basic Documents. It is the intention of the parties hereto that the Trust constitute a statutory trust under the Statutory Trust Act and that this Agreement constitute the governing instrument of such statutory trust. The Trust is not intended to be a business trust within the meaning of Section 101(9)(A)(v) of the Bankruptcy Code. It is also the intention of the parties hereto that, solely for Federal, state and local income and franchise tax purposes, on and after the Closing Date, (a) so long as the Trust has only one Certificateholder, the Trust shall be disregarded as a separate entity and (b) at such time as the Trust has more than one Certificateholder, the Trust will be treated as a partnership, with the assets of the partnership being the Receivables and other assets held by the Trust, the partners of the partnership being the Certificateholders, and the Notes being non-recourse debt of the partnership. The Depositor (and any future Certificateholder by the purchase of the Trust Certificate will be deemed to have agreed) and the Owner Trustee agree to take no action inconsistent with such tax treatment. The Trust shall not elect to be treated as an association under Treasury Regulations Section 301.7701-3(a). The parties agree that, unless otherwise required by appropriate tax authorities, the sole Certificateholder or the Trust, as applicable, will file or cause to be filed annual or other necessary returns, reports and other forms consistent with the foregoing characterization of the Trust for such tax purposes. Effective as of the date hereof, the Owner Trustee, shall have all rights, powers and duties set forth herein and, to the extent not inconsistent herewith, in the Statutory Trust Act with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the Trust. Any action taken on behalf of the Trust prior to the date hereof with respect to the filing of financing statements, the Certificate of Trust, a qualification to do business in the State of Alabama or any other similar qualification or license in any other state or jurisdiction, if applicable, is hereby ratified.
