Grantor Trust Administration (a) The Tax Administrator shall treat the Grantor Trust Pool, for tax return preparation purposes, as a Grantor Trust under the Code. The Tax Administrator shall also perform on behalf of the Grantor Trust Pool all reporting and other tax compliance duties that are the responsibility of such Grantor Trust Pool under the Code or any compliance guidance issued by the IRS or any state or local taxing authorities. The expenses of preparing and filing such returns shall be borne by the Tax Administrator.
(b) The Tax Administrator shall pay out of its own funds any and all routine tax administration expenses of the Trust Fund incurred with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool (but not including any professional fees or expenses related to audits or any administrative or judicial proceedings with respect to the Trust Fund that involve the IRS or state tax authorities which extraordinary expenses shall be payable or reimbursable to the Tax Administrator from the assets in the Grantor Trust Pool, unless otherwise provided in Section 10.02(e) or 10.02(f)).
(c) The Tax Administrator shall prepare or cause to be prepared, submit to the Trustee for execution (and the Trustee shall timely execute and timely return to the Tax Administrator) and timely file all of the Tax Returns in respect of the Grantor Trust Pool. The expenses of preparing and filing such returns shall be borne by the Tax Administrator without any right of reimbursement therefor. Except as provided in Section 10.02(h), 10.02(i) and 10.02(j), the Tax Administrator shall comply with such requirement by filing IRS Form 1041, indicating the name and address of the Trust and signed by the Tax Administrator but otherwise left blank, IRS Form 1099 or any other such form as may be applicable. There shall be appended to each such form a schedule for each Certificateholder indicating such Certificateholder’s share of income and expenses of the Trust for the portion of the preceding calendar year in which such Certificateholder possessed an Ownership Interest in a Certificate. Such form shall be prepared in sufficient detail to enable reporting on the cash or accrual method of accounting, as applicable, and to report on such Certificateholder’s fiscal year if other than the calendar year.
(d) The other parties hereto shall provide on a timely basis to the Tax Administrator or its designee such information with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool as is in its possession and reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator to enable it to perform its obligations under this Section 10.02. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Depositor, within ten (10) days following the Tax Administrator’s request therefor, shall provide in writing to the Tax Administrator such information as is reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator for tax purposes, and the Tax Administrator’s duty to perform its reporting and other tax compliance obligations under this Section 10.02 shall be subject to the condition that it receives from the Depositor such information possessed by the Depositor that is necessary to permit the Tax Administrator to perform such obligations.
(e) The Tax Administrator shall perform on behalf of the Grantor Trust Pool all reporting and other tax compliance duties that are required in respect thereof under the Code, the Grantor Trust Provisions or other compliance guidance issued by the IRS or any state or local taxing authority, including the furnishing to Certificateholders of the schedules described in Section 10.02(c).
(f) The Tax Administrator shall perform its duties hereunder so as to maintain the status of the Grantor Trust Pool as Grantor Trust under the Grantor Trust Provisions (and the Trustee, the Master Servicers and the Special Servicers shall assist the Tax Administrator to the extent reasonably requested by the Tax Administrator and to the extent of information within the Trustee’s, the Master Servicers’ or the Special Servicers’ possession or control). None of the Tax Administrator, Master Servicers, the Special Servicers or the Trustee shall knowingly take (or cause the Grantor Trust Pool to take) any action or fail to take (or fail to cause to be taken) any action that, under the Grantor Trust Provisions, if taken or not taken, as the case may be, could result in an Adverse Grantor Trust Event, unless the Tax Administrator has obtained or received an Opinion of Counsel (at the expense of the party requesting such action or at the expense of the Trust Fund if the Tax Administrator seeks to take such action or to refrain from taking any action for the benefit of the Certificateholders) to the effect that the contemplated action will not result in an Adverse Grantor Trust Event. None of the other parties hereto shall take any action or fail to take any action (whether or not authorized hereunder) as to which the Tax Administrator has advised it in writing that the Tax Administrator has received or obtained an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that an Adverse Grantor Trust Event could result from such action or failure to act. In addition, prior to taking any action with respect to the Grantor Trust Pool, or causing the Trust Fund to take any action, that is not expressly permitted under the terms of this Agreement, the Master Servicers and the Special Servicers shall consult with the Tax Administrator or its designee, in writing, with respect to whether such action could cause an Adverse Grantor Trust Event to occur. The Tax Administrator may consult with counsel to make such written advice, and the cost of same shall be borne by the party seeking to take the action not permitted by this Agreement, but in no event at the cost or expense of the Trust Fund, the Tax Administrator or the Trustee.
(g) If any tax is imposed on the Grantor Trust Pool pursuant to the Code or any applicable provisions of state or local tax laws, then such tax, together with all incidental costs and expenses (including penalties and reasonable attorneys’ fees), shall be charged to and paid by: (i) the Trustee, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (ii) the Certificate Administrator, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by the Certificate Administrator of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (iii) the Tax Administrator, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by the Tax Administrator of any of its obligations under Article IV, Article VIII or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (iv) a Master Servicer, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by such Master Servicer of any of its obligations under Article III or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); (v) a Special Servicer, if such tax arises out of or results from a breach by such Special Servicer of any of its obligations under Article III or this Section 10.02 (which breach constitutes negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct); or (vi) the Trust, out of the Trust Fund, in all other instances. Any such amounts payable by the Trust in respect of taxes shall be paid by the Trustee out of amounts on deposit in the Distribution Account.
(h) The Grantor Trust is a WHFIT that is a WHMT. The Tax Administrator will report as required under the WHFIT Regulations to the extent such information as is reasonably necessary to enable the Tax Administrator to do so is provided to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. The Certificate Administrator shall provide such information in its possession to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. With respect to the Class A-S, Class B, Class C and Class PEX Certificates, the Tax Administrator is hereby directed to assume that DTC is the only “middleman” as defined by the WHFIT Regulations unless the Depositor provides the Tax Administrator with the identities of other “middlemen” that are Certificateholders. The Tax Administrator will report as required under the WHFIT Regulations to the extent such information as is reasonably necessary to enable the Tax Administrator to do so, and is not in its possession, is provided to the Tax Administrator on a timely basis. The Tax Administrator will not be liable for any tax reporting penalties that may arise under the WHFIT Regulations as a result of a determination by the IRS that is contrary to the first sentence of this paragraph.
(i) The Tax Administrator, in its discretion, will report required WHFIT information using either the cash or accrual method, except to the extent the WHFIT Regulations specifically require a different method. The Tax Administrator will be under no obligation to determine whether any Certificateholder uses the cash or accrual method. The Tax Administrator will make available WHFIT information to Certificateholders annually. In addition, the Tax Administrator will not be responsible or liable for providing subsequently amended, revised or updated information to any Certificateholder, unless requested by the Certificateholder.
(j) The Tax Administrator shall not be liable for failure to meet the reporting requirements of the WHFIT Regulations nor for any penalties thereunder if such failure is due to: (i) the lack of reasonably necessary information being provided to the Tax Administrator or (ii) incomplete, inaccurate or untimely information being provided to the Tax Administrator. Each owner of a class of securities representing, in whole or in part, beneficial ownership of an interest in a WHFIT, by acceptance of its interest in such class of securities, will be deemed to have agreed to provide the Tax Administrator with information regarding any sale of such securities, including the price, amount of proceeds and date of sale. Absent receipt of such information, and unless informed otherwise by the Depositor, the Tax Administrator will assume there is no secondary market trading of WHFIT interests.
(k) To the extent required by the WHFIT Regulations, the Tax Administrator will use reasonable efforts to publish on an appropriate website the CUSIPs for the Certificates that represent ownership of a WHFIT. The CUSIPs so published will represent the Rule 144A CUSIPs. The Tax Administrator will not publish any associated Regulation S CUSIPs. The Tax Administrator will make reasonable good faith efforts to keep the website accurate and updated to the extent CUSIPs have been received. Absent the receipt of a CUSIP, the Tax Administrator will use a reasonable identifier number in lieu of a CUSIP. The Tax Administrator will not be liable for investor reporting delays that result from the receipt of inaccurate or untimely CUSIP information.
Indenture Trustee Not Obligated Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, the Indenture Trustee is not obligated to enter into an amendment that adversely affects the Indenture Trustee’s rights, powers, duties, obligations, liabilities, indemnities or immunities under this Indenture.
REMIC Administrator: Residential Funding Corporation If Residential Funding Corporation is found by a court of competent jurisdiction to no longer be able to fulfill its obligations as REMIC Administrator under this Agreement the Master Servicer or Trustee acting as Master Servicer shall appoint a successor REMIC Administrator, subject to assumption of the REMIC Administrator obligations under this Agreement.
Appointment of Co-Trustee, Separate Trustee or Custodian (a) Notwithstanding any other provisions hereof, at any time, the Trustee, the Depositor or the Certificateholders evidencing more than 50% of the Class Principal Amount (or Percentage Interest) of every Class of Certificates shall have the power from time to time to appoint one or more Persons, approved by the Trustee, to act either as co-trustees jointly with the Trustee, or as separate trustees, or as custodians, for the purpose of holding title to, foreclosing or otherwise taking action with respect to any Mortgage Loan outside the state where the Trustee has its principal place of business where such separate trustee or co-trustee is necessary or advisable (or the Trustee has been advised by the Master Servicer that such separate trustee or co-trustee is necessary or advisable) under the laws of any state in which a property securing a Mortgage Loan is located or for the purpose of otherwise conforming to any legal requirement, restriction or condition in any state in which a property securing a Mortgage Loan is located or in any state in which any portion of the Trust Fund is located. The separate trustees, co-trustees, or custodians so appointed shall be trustees or custodians for the benefit of all the Certificateholders and shall have such powers, rights and remedies as shall be specified in the instrument of appointment; provided, however, that no such appointment shall, or shall be deemed to, constitute the appointee an agent of the Trustee. The obligation of the Master Servicer to make Advances pursuant to Section 5.05 hereof shall not be affected or assigned by the appointment of a co-trustee.
(b) Every separate trustee, co-trustee, and custodian shall, to the extent permitted by law, be appointed and act subject to the following provisions and conditions:
(i) all powers, duties, obligations and rights conferred upon the Trustee in respect of the receipt, custody and payment of moneys shall be exercised solely by the Trustee;
(ii) all other rights, powers, duties and obligations conferred or imposed upon the Trustee shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed by the Trustee and such separate trustee, co-trustee, or custodian jointly, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act or acts are to be performed the Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act or acts, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations, including the holding of title to the Trust Fund or any portion thereof in any such jurisdiction, shall be exercised and performed by such separate trustee, co-trustee, or custodian;
(iii) no trustee or custodian hereunder shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other trustee or custodian hereunder; and
(iv) the Trustee may at any time, by an instrument in writing executed by it, with the concurrence of the Depositor, accept the resignation of or remove any separate trustee, co-trustee or custodian, so appointed by it or them, if such resignation or removal does not violate the other terms of this Agreement.
(c) Any notice, request or other writing given to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given to each of the then separate trustees and co-trustees, as effectively as if given to each of them. Every instrument appointing any separate trustee, co-trustee or custodian shall refer to this Agreement and the conditions of this Article VI. Each separate trustee and co-trustee, upon its acceptance of the trusts conferred, shall be vested with the estates or property specified in its instrument of appointment, either jointly with the Trustee or separately, as may be provided therein, subject to all the provisions of this Agreement, specifically including every provision of this Agreement relating to the conduct of, affecting the liability of, or affording protection to, the Trustee. Every such instrument shall be filed with the Trustee and a copy given to the Master Servicer.
(d) Any separate trustee, co-trustee or custodian may, at any time, constitute the Trustee, its agent or attorney-in-fact with full power and authority, to the extent not prohibited by law, to do any lawful act under or in respect of this Agreement on its behalf and in its name. If any separate trustee, co-trustee or custodian shall die, become incapable of acting, resign or be removed, all of its estates, properties, rights, remedies and trusts shall vest in and be exercised by the Trustee, to the extent permitted by law, without the appointment of a new or successor trustee.
(e) No separate trustee, co-trustee or custodian hereunder shall be required to meet the terms of eligibility as a successor trustee under Section 6.05 hereunder and no notice to the Certificateholders of the appointment shall be required under Section 6.07 hereof.
(f) The Trustee agrees to instruct the co-trustees, if any, to the extent necessary to fulfill the Trustee’s obligations hereunder.
(g) The Trust Fund shall pay the reasonable compensation of the co-trustees (which compensation shall not reduce any compensation payable to the Trustee).
Rules by Trustee, Paying Agent and Registrar The Trustee may make reasonable rules for action by or a meeting of Holders. The Registrar and the Paying Agent may make reasonable rules for their functions.
Trustee and Securities Administrator May Own Certificates The Trustee and the Securities Administrator in its individual capacity or in any capacity other than as Trustee hereunder may become the owner or pledgee of any Certificates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee or the Securities Administrator, as applicable, and may otherwise deal with the parties hereto.
Eligibility Requirements for Owner Trustee and Delaware Trustee The Owner Trustee shall at all times (i) maintain its principal place of business in the State of New York or such other location within the United States to which the Depositor shall consent in writing, (ii) be authorized to exercise corporate trust powers, (iii) have a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000, (iv) be subject to supervision or examination by federal or state authorities and (v) have the Required Rating. If such person shall publish reports of condition at least annually pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid supervising or examining authority, then for the purpose of this Section, the combined capital and surplus of such person shall be deemed to be its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition so published. The Delaware Trustee shall at all times be a Person satisfying the provisions of Section 3807(a) of the Statutory Trust Statute. In case at any time the Owner Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as applicable, shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Owner Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as applicable, shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section 10.02.
Trust Administrator May Own Certificates The Trust Administrator in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner or pledgee of Certificates with the same rights as it would have if it were not the Trust Administrator.
Appointment of Co-Trustee or Separate Trustee Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, at any time, for the purpose of meeting any legal requirements of any jurisdiction in which any part of the Trust Estate may at the time be located, the Seller and the Owner Trustee acting jointly shall have the power and shall execute and deliver all instruments to appoint one or more Persons approved by the Owner Trustee to act as co-trustee, jointly with the Owner Trustee, or separate trustee or separate trustees, of all or any part of the Trust Estate, and to vest in such Person, in such capacity, such title to the Issuer, or any part thereof, and, subject to the other provisions of this Section, such powers, duties, obligations, rights and trusts as the Seller and the Owner Trustee may consider necessary or desirable. If the Seller shall not have joined in such appointment within 15 days after the receipt by it of a request so to do, the Owner Trustee alone shall have the power to make such appointment. No co-trustee or separate trustee under this Agreement shall be required to meet the terms of eligibility as a successor trustee pursuant to Section 10.1 and no notice of the appointment of any co-trustee or separate trustee shall be required pursuant to Section 10.3. Each separate trustee and co-trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law, be appointed and act subject to the following provisions and conditions:
(i) all rights, powers, duties and obligations conferred or imposed upon the Owner Trustee shall be conferred upon and exercised or performed by the Owner Trustee and such separate trustee or co-trustee jointly (it being understood that such separate trustee or co-trustee is not authorized to act separately without the Owner Trustee joining in such act), except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act or acts are to be performed, the Owner Trustee shall be incompetent or unqualified to perform such act or acts, in which event such rights, powers, duties and obligations (including the holding of title to the Issuer or any portion thereof in any such jurisdiction) shall be exercised and performed singly by such separate trustee or co-trustee, but solely at the direction of the Owner Trustee;
(ii) no trustee under this Agreement shall be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other trustee under this Agreement; and
(iii) the Seller and the Owner Trustee acting jointly may at any time accept the resignation of or remove any separate trustee or co-trustee. Any notice, request or other writing given to the Owner Trustee shall be deemed to have been given to each of the then separate trustees and co-trustees, as effectively as if given to each of them. Every instrument appointing any separate trustee or co-trustee shall refer to this Agreement and the conditions of this Article. Each separate trustee and co-trustee, upon its acceptance of the trusts conferred, shall be vested with the estates or property specified in its instrument of appointment, either jointly with the Owner Trustee or separately, as may be provided therein, subject to all the provisions of this Agreement, specifically including every provision of this Agreement relating to the conduct of, affecting the liability of, or affording protection to, the Owner Trustee. Each such instrument shall be filed with the Owner Trustee and copies thereof given to the Seller and the Administrator. Any separate trustee or co-trustee may at any time appoint the Owner Trustee, its agent or attorney-in-fact with full power and authority, to the extent not prohibited by law, to do any lawful act under or in respect of this Agreement on its behalf and in its name. If any separate trustee or co-trustee shall become incapable of acting, resign or be removed, all of its estates, properties, rights, remedies and trusts shall vest in and be exercised by the Owner Trustee, to the extent permitted by law, without the appointment of a new or successor trustee. The Owner Trustee shall have no obligation to determine whether a co-trustee or separate trustee is legally required in any jurisdiction in which any part of the Trust Estate may be located.
Appointment of Separate Trustee or Co Trustee (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, for the purpose of meeting any legal requirements of any jurisdiction in which any part of the Trust Property or any Financed Vehicle may be located, the Administrator and the Owner Trustee acting jointly will have the power and will execute and deliver all instruments to appoint one or more Persons approved by the Owner Trustee to act as a separate trustee or as separate trustees, or as co-trustee, jointly with the Owner Trustee, of all or any part of the Issuer, and to vest in such Person, in such capacity, such title to the Trust Property, or any part thereof, and, subject to this Section 9.5, such powers, duties, obligations, rights and trusts as the Administrator and the Owner Trustee consider necessary or desirable. If the Administrator has not joined in such appointment within 15 Business Days of its receipt of a request so to do, the Owner Trustee will have the power to make such appointment. No separate trustee or co-trustee under this Agreement will be required to meet the terms of eligibility as a successor trustee pursuant to Section 9.1 and no notice of the appointment of any separate trustee or co-trustee is required.
(b) Each separate trustee and co-trustee will, to the extent permitted by law, be appointed and act subject to the following:
(i) all rights, powers, duties, and obligations conferred or imposed upon the Owner Trustee will be conferred upon and exercised or performed by the Owner Trustee and such separate trustee or co-trustee jointly (it being understood that such separate trustee or co-trustee is not authorized to act separately without the Owner Trustee joining in such act), except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act or acts are to be performed, the Owner Trustee is incompetent or unqualified to perform such act or acts, in which event such rights, powers, duties, and obligations (including the holding of title to the Trust Property or any portion thereof in any such jurisdiction) may be exercised and performed singly by such separate trustee or co-trustee, but solely at the direction of the Owner Trustee;
(ii) no trustee under this Agreement will be personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other trustee under this Agreement; and
(iii) the Administrator and the Owner Trustee acting jointly may accept the resignation of or remove any separate trustee or co-trustee.
(c) Any notice, request or other writing given to the Owner Trustee will be deemed to have been given to each of the then separate trustees and co-trustees, as effectively as if given to each of them. Every instrument appointing any separate trustee or co-trustee must refer to this Agreement and the conditions of this Article IX. Each separate trustee and co-trustee, upon its acceptance of the trusts conferred, will be vested with the estates or property specified in its instrument of appointment, either jointly with the Owner Trustee or separately, as may be provided in such instrument, subject to this Agreement. The Owner Trustee will keep a copy of each such instrument in its files and will deliver a copy of each such instrument to the Administrator.
(d) Any separate trustee or co-trustee may appoint the Owner Trustee as its agent or attorney-in-fact with full power and authority, to the extent not prohibited by law, to do any lawful act under or in respect of this Agreement on its behalf and in its name. If any separate trustee or co-trustee dies, becomes incapable of acting, resigns or is removed, all of its estates, properties, rights, remedies and trusts will vest in and be exercised by the Owner Trustee, to the extent permitted by law, without the appointment of a new or successor trustee.
