INDENTURE JCP&L TRANSITION FUNDING II LLC, as Issuer and THE BANK OF NEW YORK as Trustee INDENTURE Dated as of August 10, 2006 Securing Transition Bonds Issuable in Series
Exhibit 4.1
EXECUTION COPY
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JCP&L TRANSITION FUNDING
II LLC,
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as Issuer
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and
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THE BANK OF NEW
YORK
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as Trustee
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Dated as of August
10,
2006
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Securing Transition
Bonds
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Issuable in Series
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
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2
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SECTION 1.01
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DEFINITIONS
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2
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SECTION 1.02
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INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT
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2
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SECTION 1.03
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RULES OF CONSTRUCTION
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2
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ARTICLE II THE TRANSITION BONDS
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3
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SECTION
2.01
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FORM.
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3
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SECTION 2.02
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EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY
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3
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SECTION 2.03
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DENOMINATIONS; TRANSITION BONDS ISSUABLE IN SERIES
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4
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SECTION 2.04
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TEMPORARY TRANSITION BONDS
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5
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SECTION 2.05
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REGISTRATION; REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE
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6
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SECTION 2.06
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MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN TRANSITION BONDS
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7
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SECTION 2.07
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PERSONS DEEMED OWNER
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8
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SECTION 2.08
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PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST; INTEREST ON OVERDUE PRINCIPAL;
PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST RIGHTS PRESERVED
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8
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SECTION 2.09
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CANCELLATION
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9
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SECTION 2.10
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AMOUNT; AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY OF TRANSITION BONDS
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9
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SECTION 2.11
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BOOK-ENTRY TRANSITION BONDS
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14
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SECTION 2.12
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NOTICES TO CLEARING AGENCY
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15
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SECTION 2.13
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DEFINITIVE TRANSITION BONDS
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15
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ARTICLE III COVENANTS
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16
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SECTION 3.01
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PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST
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16
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SECTION 3.02
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MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY
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16
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SECTION 3.03
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MONEY FOR PAYMENTS TO BE HELD IN TRUST
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16
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SECTION 3.04
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EXISTENCE
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18
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SECTION 3.05
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PROTECTION OF COLLATERAL
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18
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SECTION 3.06
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OPINIONS AS TO COLLATERAL
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18
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SECTION 3.07
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PERFORMANCE OF OBLIGATIONS
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19
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SECTION 3.08
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NEGATIVE COVENANTS
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19
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SECTION 3.09
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ANNUAL STATEMENT AS TO COMPLIANCE
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20
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SECTION 3.10
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ISSUER MAY CONSOLIDATE, ETC.
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20
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SECTION 3.11
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SUCCESSOR OR TRANSFEREE
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21
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SECTION 3.12
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NO OTHER BUSINESS
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21
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SECTION 3.13
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NO BORROWING
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21
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SECTION 3.14
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GUARANTEES, LOANS, ADVANCES AND OTHER LIABILITIES
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21
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SECTION 3.15
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CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
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22
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SECTION 3.16
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RESTRICTED PAYMENTS
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22
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SECTION 3.17
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NOTICE OF EVENTS OF DEFAULT
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22
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SECTION 3.18
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INSPECTION
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22
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SECTION 3.19
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ADJUSTED OVERCOLLATERALIZATION BALANCE SCHEDULES
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22
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SECTION 3.20
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SALE AGREEMENT, INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT, SERVICING AGREEMENT
AND
INTEREST RATE SWAP AGREEMENT
COVENANTS
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23
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SECTION 3.21
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TAXES
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26
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ARTICLE IV SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE; DEFEASANCE
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26
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SECTION 4.01
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SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE
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26
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SECTION 4.02
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CONDITIONS TO DEFEASANCE
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28
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SECTION 4.03
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APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY
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29
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SECTION 4.04
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REPAYMENT OF MONEYS HELD BY PAYING AGENT
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29
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ARTICLE V REMEDIES
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29
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SECTION 5.01
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EVENTS OF DEFAULT
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29
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SECTION 5.02
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ACCELERATION OF MATURITY; RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT
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30
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SECTION 5.03
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COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY
TRUSTEE
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31
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SECTION 5.04
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REMEDIES
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33
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SECTION 5.05
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OPTIONAL PRESERVATION OF THE COLLATERAL
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34
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SECTION 5.06
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LIMITATION OF PROCEEDINGS
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34
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SECTION 5.07
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UNCONDITIONAL RIGHTS OF TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS TO RECEIVE
PRINCIPAL
AND INTEREST
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35
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SECTION 5.08
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RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND REMEDIES
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35
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SECTION 5.09
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RIGHTS AND REMEDIES CUMULATIVE
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36
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SECTION 5.10
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DELAY OR OMISSION NOT A WAIVER
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36
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SECTION 5.11
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CONTROL BY TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS
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36
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SECTION 5.12
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WAIVER OF PAST DEFAULTS
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37
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SECTION 5.13
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UNDERTAKING FOR COSTS
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37
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SECTION 5.14
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WAIVER OF STAY OR EXTENSION LAWS
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37
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SECTION 5.15
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ACTION ON TRANSITION BONDS
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37
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SECTION 5.16
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APPLICATION OF TRUST MONEY
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38
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ARTICLE VI THE TRUSTEE
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38
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SECTION 6.01
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DUTIES AND LIABILITIES OF TRUSTEE
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38
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SECTION 6.02
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RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE
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39
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SECTION 6.03
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INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF TRUSTEE
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40
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SECTION 6.04
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TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER
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40
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SECTION 6.05
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NOTICE OF DEFAULTS
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40
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SECTION 6.06
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REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO HOLDERS
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40
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SECTION 6.07
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COMPENSATION AND INDEMNITY
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42
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SECTION 6.08
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REPLACEMENT OF TRUSTEE.
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42
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SECTION 6.09
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SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY MERGER
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43
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SECTION 6.10
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APPOINTMENT OF CO-TRUSTEE OR SEPARATE TRUSTEE
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44
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SECTION 6.11
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ELIGIBILITY; DISQUALIFICATION
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45
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SECTION 6.12
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PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST THE ISSUER
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45
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SECTION 6.13
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REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE TRUSTEE
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45
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SECTION 6.14
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RIGHT OF TRUSTEE IN CAPACITY OF REGISTRAR OR PAYING AGENT
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45
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ARTICLE VII TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS' LIST AND REPORTS
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45
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SECTION 7.01
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ISSUER TO FURNISH TRUSTEE NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS
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45
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SECTION 7.02
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PRESERVATION OF INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS
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46
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SECTION 7.03
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REPORTS BY ISSUER
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46
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SECTION 7.04
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REPORTS BY TRUSTEE
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46
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SECTION 7.05
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PROVISION OF SERVICER REPORTS
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47
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ARTICLE VIII ACCOUNTS, DISBURSEMENTS AND RELEASES
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47
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SECTION 8.01
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COLLECTION OF MONEY
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47
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SECTION 8.02
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COLLECTION ACCOUNT
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48
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SECTION 8.03
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RELEASE OF COLLATERAL
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54
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SECTION 8.04
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ISSUER OPINION OF COUNSEL
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55
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SECTION 8.05
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REPORTS BY INDEPENDENT ACCOUNTANTS
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55
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ARTICLE IX SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
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55
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SECTION 9.01
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SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITHOUT CONSENT OF TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS
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55
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SECTION 9.02
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SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES WITH CONSENT OF TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS
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57
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SECTION 9.03
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EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
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58
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SECTION 9.04
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EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURE
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59
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SECTION 9.05
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CONFORMITY WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT
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59
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SECTION 9.06
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REFERENCE IN TRANSITION BONDS TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
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59
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ARTICLE X REDEMPTION OF TRANSITION BONDS
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59
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SECTION 10.01
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OPTIONAL REDEMPTION BY ISSUER
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59
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SECTION 10.02
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MANDATORY REDEMPTION BY ISSUER
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59
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SECTION 10.03
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FORM OF REDEMPTION NOTICE
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60
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SECTION 10.04
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PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION PRICE
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61
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ARTICLE XI MISCELLANEOUS
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61
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SECTION 11.01
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COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES AND OPINIONS, ETC.
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61
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SECTION 11.02
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FORM OF DOCUMENTS DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE
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62
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SECTION 11.03
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ACTS OF TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS.
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62
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SECTION 11.04
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NOTICES, ETC.
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63
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SECTION 11.05
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NOTICES TO TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS; WAIVER
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64
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SECTION 11.06
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ALTERNATE PAYMENT AND NOTICE PROVISIONS
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64
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SECTION 11.07
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CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT
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64
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SECTION 11.08
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EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND TABLE OF CONTENTS
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64
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SECTION 11.09
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SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS
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65
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SECTION 11.10
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SEVERABILITY
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65
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SECTION 11.11
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BENEFITS OF INDENTURE
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65
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SECTION 11.12
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LEGAL HOLIDAYS
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65
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SECTION 11.13
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GOVERNING LAW
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65
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SECTION 11.14
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COUNTERPARTS
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65
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SECTION 11.15
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ISSUER OBLIGATION
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65
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SECTION 11.16
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NO PETITION
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66
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SECTION 11.17
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INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT
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66
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APPENDIX A
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MASTER DEFINITIONS
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NY #569889 v17
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INDENTURE, dated as of August 10, 2006,
by and
between JCP&L TRANSITION FUNDING II LLC, a Delaware limited liability
company, as Issuer, and The Bank of New York, a New York banking corporation,
in
its capacity as trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Transition
Bonds,
itself and each Swap Counterparty, if any (in its collective capacities,
the
“Trustee”).
The Issuer has duly authorized the execution
and
delivery of this Indenture to provide for one or more Series, issuable
as
provided in this Indenture. Each such Series will be issued only under
a
separate Series Supplement to this Indenture duly executed and delivered
by the
Issuer and the Trustee. The Issuer is entering into this Indenture, and
the
Trustee is accepting the trusts created hereby, each for good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged
and
each intending to be legally bound hereby.
GRANTING CLAUSE
The Issuer hereby Grants to the Trustee
for the
benefit of (i) the Holders of the Transition Bonds from time to time
issued and
outstanding, (ii) the Trustee and (iii) each Swap Counterparty (but only to
the extent specified in any Series Supplement), all of the Issuer’s right, title
and interest whether now owned or hereafter acquired, in, to and under:
(a) all
Bondable Transition Property, including, without limitation, the Bondable
Transition Property transferred by the Seller to the Issuer from time
to time
pursuant to the Sale Agreement and all proceeds thereof; (b) the Sale
Agreement;
(c) all Bills of Sale delivered by the Seller pursuant to the Sale Agreement;
(d) the Intercreditor Agreement; (e) the Servicing Agreement; (f) the
Administration Agreement; (g) each Interest Rate Swap Agreement, if any;
(h) the Collection Account and all sub-accounts thereof (including, without
limitation, the General Subaccount, each Series Overcollateralization
Subaccount, each Series Capital Subaccount, the Reserve Subaccount, each
Series
Subaccount, any Class Subaccount and any Defeasance Subaccount) and all
cash,
securities, instruments, investment property or other assets deposited
in or
credited to the Collection Account or any subaccount thereof from time
to time
or purchased with funds therefrom; (i) all investment property and all
other property of whatever kind owned from time to time by the Issuer
other than
(x) any cash released to any Swap Counterparty by the Trustee from the
related
Class Subaccount pursuant to Section 8.02(f) and the related Series
Supplement, (y) any cash or other property released to the Issuer by the
Trustee from any Series Capital Subaccount pursuant to Section 8.02(g)(x)
and (z) the proceeds from the sale of the Transition Bonds used to pay (1)
the costs of issuance of the Transition Bonds and the Upfront Transaction
Costs
and Capital Reduction Costs (as those terms are defined in the Financing
Order)
and (2) the purchase price of the Bondable Transition Property paid
pursuant to the Sale Agreement; (j) all present and future claims, demands,
causes and choses in action in respect of any or all of the foregoing;
and (k)
all payments on or under and all proceeds of every kind and nature whatsoever
in
respect of any or all of the foregoing, including all proceeds of the
conversion, voluntary or involuntary, into cash or other liquid property,
all
cash proceeds, accounts, accounts receivable, general intangibles, notes,
drafts, acceptances, chattel paper, checks, deposit accounts, insurance
proceeds, condemnation awards, rights to payment of any and every kind
and other
forms of obligations and receivables, instruments and other property
which at
any time constitute all or part of or are included in the proceeds of
any of the
foregoing (collectively, the “Collateral”).
1
Such Grants are made to the Trustee to have
and to
hold in trust to secure the payment of Principal of and premium, if any,
and
interest on, and any other amounts owing in respect of, the Transition
Bonds and
all fees, expenses, counsel fees and other amounts due and owing to the
Trustee
and, if and to the extent provided in any Series Supplement, any amounts
due and
owing to each Swap Counterparty, (collectively, the “Secured Obligations”)
equally and ratably without prejudice, preference, priority or distinction,
except as expressly provided in this Indenture, and to secure performance
by the
Issuer of all of the Issuer’s other obligations under this Indenture, all as
provided in this Indenture.
The Trustee, as trustee on behalf of the
Holders
of the Transition Bonds, acknowledges such Grant, accepts the trusts
hereunder
in accordance with the provisions hereof and agrees to perform its duties
herein
required.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INCORPORATION
BY
REFERENCE
SECTION 1.01 DEFINITIONS
Capitalized terms used but not otherwise
defined in this Indenture have the
respective meanings set forth in Appendix A hereto unless the context
otherwise
requires.
SECTION 1.02 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
OF THE TRUST INDENTURE ACT Whenever this Indenture refers to a provision
of the TIA, the provision is incorporated by reference in and made
a part of
this Indenture. Each of the following TIA terms used in this Indenture
has the
following meaning:
“Commission” means the U.S. Securities and
Exchange Commission, and any successor thereof.
“indenture securities” means the Transition
Bonds.
“indenture to be qualified” means this Indenture.
“indenture trustee” or “institutional trustee”
means the Trustee.
All other TIA terms used in this Indenture that are defined by the
TIA,
defined by TIA reference to another statute or defined by Commission
rule have
the meanings assigned to them by such definitions.
SECTION 1.03 RULES OF CONSTRUCTION. For
purposes of this Indenture:
(a) An accounting term not otherwise
defined has the meaning assigned to it in accordance with generally
accepted
accounting principles of the United States of America as in effect
from time to
time;
(b) “including” means including
without limitation;
(c) with respect to terms defined in
Appendix A hereto, words in the singular include the plural and words
in the
plural include the singular;
(d) unless otherwise specified,
references herein to Sections or Articles are to Sections or Articles
of this
Indenture; and
2
(e) the words “herein”, “hereof”,
“hereunder” and other words of similar import refer
to this Indenture as a whole
and not to any particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
ARTICLE II
THE TRANSITION BONDS
SECTION 2.01 FORM.
(a) The Transition Bonds and the
Trustee’s certificate of authentication shall be in substantially the forms
set
forth in the exhibits to the related Series Supplement, with such appropriate
insertions, omissions, substitutions and other variations as are required
or
permitted by this Indenture or by the related Series Supplement and
may have
such letters, numbers or other marks of identification and such legends
or
endorsements placed thereon as may, consistently herewith, be determined
by the
Manager of the Issuer executing such Transition Bonds, as evidenced
by his or
her execution of such Transition Bonds. Any portion of the text of
any
Transition Bond may be set forth on the reverse thereof, with an appropriate
reference thereto on the face of the Transition Bond. Each Transition
Bond shall
be dated the date of its authentication.
(b) The Transition Bonds shall be
typewritten, printed, lithographed or engraved or produced by any combination
of
these methods (with or without steel engraved borders), all as determined
by the
Manager of the Issuer executing such Transition Bonds, as evidenced
by his or
her execution of such Transition Bonds.
(c) Each Transition Bond shall bear
upon its face the designation so selected for the Series and Class,
if any, to
which it belongs. The terms of all Transition Bonds of the same Series
shall be
the same, unless such Series is comprised of one or more Classes, in
which case
the terms of all Transition Bonds of the same Class shall be the
same.
(d) Each Transition Bond shall state
that the Competition Act provides that the State of New Jersey pledges
and
agrees with the Holders of the Transition Bonds that “the State will not limit,
alter or impair any bondable transition property or other rights vested
in an
electric public utility or an assignee or pledgee thereof or a financing
entity
or vested in the holders of any transition bonds pursuant to a bondable
stranded
costs rate order until such transition bonds, together with the interest
and
acquisition or redemption premium, if any, thereon, are fully paid
and
discharged or until such agreements are fully performed on the part
of the
electric public utility, any assignee or pledgee thereof or the financing
entity
or in any way limit, alter, impair or reduce the value or amount of
the bondable
transition property approved by a bondable stranded costs rate
order”.
SECTION 2.02 EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION
AND DELIVERY.
(a) The Transition Bonds shall be
executed on behalf of the Issuer by a Manager. The signature of any
such Manager
on the Transition Bonds may be manual or facsimile.
(b) Transition Bonds bearing the
manual or facsimile signature of an individual who was at any time
a Manager
shall bind the Issuer, notwithstanding that such individuals or any
of them have
ceased to hold such offices prior to the authentication and delivery
of such
Transition Bonds.
3
(c) At any time and from time to time
after the execution and delivery of this Indenture, the Issuer may
deliver
Transition Bonds executed on behalf of the Issuer to the Trustee pursuant
to an
Issuer Order for authentication; and the Trustee shall authenticate
and deliver
such Transition Bonds as in this Indenture and in such Issuer Order
provided and
not otherwise.
(d) No Transition Bond shall be
entitled to any benefit under this Indenture or be valid or obligatory
for any
purpose, unless there appears on such Transition Bond a certificate
of
authentication substantially in the form provided for in the related
Series
Supplement executed by the Trustee by the manual signature of one of
its
authorized signatories, and such certificate upon any Transition Bond
shall be
conclusive evidence, and the only evidence, that such Transition Bond
has been
duly authenticated and delivered hereunder.
(e) The Trustee may appoint an
authenticating agent acceptable to the Issuer to authenticate Transition
Bonds.
An authenticating agent may authenticate Transition Bonds whenever
the Trustee
may do so. Each reference in this Indenture to authentication by the
Trustee
includes authentication by such agent. An authenticating agent has
the same
rights as the Paying Agent and the Transition Bond Registrar to deal
with the
Issuer or any Affiliate of the Issuer.
SECTION 2.03 DENOMINATIONS; TRANSITION
BONDS ISSUABLE IN SERIES..
(a) The Transition Bonds of each
Series shall be issuable as registered Transition Bonds in the Authorized
Denominations specified in the Series Supplement therefor.
(b) The Transition Bonds may, at the
election of and as authorized by a Manager and set forth in a Series
Supplement,
be issued in one or more Series (each of which may be comprised of
one or more
Classes), and shall be designated generally as the “Transition Bonds” of the
Issuer, with such further particular designations added or incorporated
in such
title for the Transition Bonds of any particular Series or Class as
a Manager of
the Issuer may determine and be set forth in the Series Supplement
therefor.
(c) Each Series shall be created by a
Series Supplement authorized by a Manager and establishing the terms
and
provisions of such Series and, if applicable, any Classes thereof.
The several
Series and any Classes thereof may differ as between Series and Classes,
in
respect of any of the following matters:
(i) designation of the Series and
each Class thereof;
(ii) the aggregate initial principal
amount of the Series and each Class thereof;
(iii) the Interest Rate or Interest
Rates of the Series and each Class thereof or the formula, if any,
used to
calculate the applicable Interest Rate or Interest Rates for the Series
and each
Class thereof;
(iv) the Payment Dates of the Series
and each Class thereof;
(v) the Expected Final Payment Date
of the Series and each Class thereof;
4
(vi) the Final Maturity Date of the
Series and each Class thereof;
(vii) the Series Issuance Date of the
Series;
(viii) the place or places for
payments with respect to the Series and each Class thereof;
(ix) the Authorized Denominations for
the Series and each Class thereof;
(x) the provisions, if any, for
redemption by the Issuer of the Series and each Class thereof;
(xi) the Expected Amortization
Schedule for the Series and each Class thereof;
(xii) the Overcollateralization
Amount with respect to the Series;
(xiii) the Required Capital Amount
with respect to the Series;
(xiv) the Calculation Dates and
Adjustment Dates for the Series;
(xv) the credit enhancement, if any,
applicable to the Series and each Class thereof; and
(xvi) any other terms of the Series
or each Class that are not inconsistent with the provisions of this
Indenture.
SECTION 2.04 TEMPORARY TRANSITION
BONDS..
(a) Pending the preparation of
definitive Transition Bonds pursuant to Section 2.13, or, in the case
of
Transition Bonds held in a book-entry only system by a Clearing Agency,
any
Manager on behalf of the Issuer may execute, and upon receipt of an
Issuer Order
the Trustee shall authenticate and deliver, temporary Transition Bonds
which are
printed, lithographed, typewritten, mimeographed or otherwise produced,
of the
tenor of the definitive Transition Bonds in lieu of which they are
issued and
with such variations not inconsistent with the terms of this Indenture
and the
related Series Supplement as the Manager executing such Transition
Bonds may
determine, as evidenced by his or her execution of such Transition
Bonds.
(b) If temporary Transition Bonds are
issued, the Issuer will cause definitive Transition Bonds to be prepared
without
unreasonable delay except where temporary Transition Bonds are held
in a
book-entry only system by a Clearing Agency in which case the Issuer
shall not
be required to prepare definitive Transition Bonds. After the preparation
of
definitive Transition Bonds, the temporary Transition Bonds shall be
exchangeable for definitive Transition Bonds upon surrender of the
temporary
Transition Bonds at the office or agency of the Issuer to be maintained
as
provided in Section 3.02, without charge to any Holder. Upon surrender
for
cancellation of any one or more temporary Transition Bonds, a Manager
on behalf
of the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate and
deliver in
exchange therefor a like Series (and, if applicable, Class) and aggregate
initial principal amount of definitive Transition Bonds in Authorized
Denominations. Until so exchanged, the temporary Transition Bonds shall
in all
respects be entitled to the same benefits under this Indenture as definitive
Transition Bonds.
5
SECTION 2.05 REGISTRATION; REGISTRATION
OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE.
(a) The Issuer shall cause to be kept
a register (the “Transition Bond Register”) in which, subject to such reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe, the Issuer shall provide for the registration
of Transition Bonds and the registration of transfers of Transition
Bonds. The
Trustee shall be the registrar (the Trustee or any successor thereof
in such
capacity, the “Transition Bond Registrar”) for the purpose of registering
Transition Bonds and transfers of Transition Bonds as herein provided.
Upon any
resignation of any Transition Bond Registrar, the Issuer shall promptly
appoint
a successor or, if it elects not to make such an appointment, shall
assume the
duties of Transition Bond Registrar.
(b) If a Person other than the
Trustee is appointed by the Issuer as Transition Bond Registrar, the
Issuer
shall give the Trustee and any transfer, paying or listing agent of
the Issuer
appointed pursuant to Section 3.02(b) prompt written notice of the
appointment
of such Transition Bond Registrar and of the location, and any change
in the
location, of the Transition Bond Register; the Trustee and any such
agent shall
have the right to inspect the Transition Bond Register at all reasonable
times
and to obtain copies thereof; and the Trustee and any such agent shall
have the
right to conclusively rely upon a certificate executed on behalf of
the
Transition Bond Registrar by a duly authorized officer thereof as to
the names
and addresses of the Holders of the Transition Bonds and the original
and
Outstanding Amounts and number of such Transition Bonds (separately
stated by
Series and, if applicable, Class).
(c) Upon surrender for registration
of transfer of any Transition Bond at the office or agency of the Issuer
to be
maintained as provided in Section 3.02, a Manager on behalf of the
Issuer shall
execute, and the Trustee shall authenticate and the Transition Bondholder
shall
obtain from the Trustee, in the name of the designated transferee or
transferees, one or more new Transition Bonds in any Authorized Denominations,
of a like Series (and, if applicable, Class) and aggregate initial
principal
amount.
(d) At the option of the Holder,
Transition Bonds may be exchanged for other Transition Bonds of a like
Series
(and, if applicable, Class) and aggregate initial principal amount
in Authorized
Denominations, upon surrender of the Transition Bonds to be exchanged
at such
office or agency as provided in Section 3.02. Whenever any Transition
Bonds are
so surrendered for exchange, a Manager on behalf of the Issuer shall
execute,
and the Trustee shall authenticate and the Transition Bondholder shall
obtain
from the Trustee, the Transition Bonds which the Transition Bondholder
making
the exchange is entitled to receive.
(e) All Transition Bonds issued upon
any registration of transfer or exchange of Transition Bonds shall
be the valid
obligations of the Issuer, evidencing the same debt, and entitled to
the same
benefits under this Indenture, as the Transition Bonds surrendered
upon such
registration of transfer or exchange.
(f) Every Transition Bond presented
or surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly
endorsed
by, or be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory
to the Trustee duly executed by, the Holder thereof or such Holder’s attorney
duly authorized in writing, with such signature guaranteed by an Eligible
Guarantor Institution in the form set forth in such Transition Bond.
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(g) No service charge shall be made
to a Holder for any registration of transfer or exchange of Transition
Bonds,
but, other than in respect of exchanges made pursuant to Sections 2.04
or 9.06
not involving any transfer, the Issuer may require payment by such
Holder of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may
be imposed
in connection with any registration of transfer or exchange of Transition
Bonds,
and the fees and expenses of the Trustee.
(h) The preceding provisions of this
Section 2.05 notwithstanding, the Issuer shall not be required to make,
and the
Transition Bond Registrar need not register, transfers or exchanges
of
Transition Bonds selected for redemption or transfers or exchanges
of any
Transition Bond for a period of fifteen days preceding the date on
which final
payment of Principal is to be made with respect to such Transition
Bond.
SECTION 2.06 MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST
OR STOLEN TRANSITION BONDS..
(a) If (i) any mutilated Transition
Bond is surrendered to the Trustee, or the Trustee receives evidence
to its
satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Transition Bond,
and (ii)
there is delivered to the Trustee such security or indemnity as may
be required
by it to hold the Issuer and the Trustee harmless, then, in the absence
of
notice to the Issuer, the Transition Bond Registrar or the Trustee
that such
Transition Bond has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, a Manager
on behalf
of the Issuer shall execute, and upon a Manager’s written request the Trustee
shall authenticate and deliver, in exchange for or in lieu of any such
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Transition Bond, a replacement
Transition
Bond of like Series (and, if applicable, Class), tenor and initial
principal
amount in Authorized Denominations, bearing a number not contemporaneously
outstanding; provided, however, that if any such destroyed, lost or
stolen
Transition Bond, but not a mutilated Transition Bond, shall have become
or
within seven days shall be due and payable, or shall have been called
for
redemption, instead of issuing a replacement Transition Bond, the Issuer
may pay
such destroyed, lost or stolen Transition Bond when so due or payable
or upon
the Redemption Date without surrender thereof. If, after the delivery
of such
replacement Transition Bond or payment of a destroyed, lost or stolen
Transition
Bond pursuant to the proviso to the preceding sentence, a protected
purchaser of
the original Transition Bond in lieu of which such replacement Transition
Bond
was issued presents for payment such original Transition Bond, the
Issuer and
the Trustee shall be entitled to recover such replacement Transition
Bond (or
such payment) from the Person to whom it was delivered or any Person
taking such
replacement Transition Bond from such Person to whom such replacement
Transition
Bond was delivered or any assignee of such Person, except a protected
purchaser,
and shall be entitled to recover upon the security or indemnity provided
therefor to the extent of any loss, damage, cost or expense incurred
by the
Issuer or the Trustee in connection therewith.
(b) Every replacement Transition Bond
issued pursuant to this Section 2.06 in replacement of any mutilated,
destroyed,
lost or stolen Transition Bond shall constitute an original additional
contractual obligation of the Issuer, whether or not the mutilated,
destroyed,
lost or stolen Transition Bond shall be at any time enforceable by
anyone, and
shall be entitled to all the benefits of this Indenture equally and
proportionately with any and all other Transition Bonds duly issued
hereunder.
Upon the issuance of any new Transition Bond under this Section, the
Issuer may
require the payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental
charge that may be imposed in relation thereto and any other reasonable
expenses
(including the fees and expenses of the Trustee and its counsel) connected
therewith.
(c) The provisions of this Section
2.06 are exclusive and shall preclude (to the extent lawful) all other
rights
and remedies with respect to the replacement or payment of mutilated,
destroyed,
lost or stolen Transition Bonds.
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SECTION 2.07 PERSONS DEEMED OWNER |
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Transition
Bond,
the Issuer, the Trustee and any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee
may treat the
Person in whose name any Transition Bond is registered (as of the day
of
determination) as the owner of such Transition Bond for the purpose
of receiving
payments of Principal of and interest on such Transition Bond and for
all other
purposes whatsoever, whether or not such Transition Bond be overdue,
and neither
the Issuer, the Trustee nor any agent of the Issuer or the Trustee
shall be
affected by notice to the contrary.
SECTION 2.08 PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND
INTEREST; INTEREST ON OVERDUE PRINCIPAL; PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST RIGHTS
PRESERVED.
(a) The Transition Bonds shall accrue
interest as provided in the form of Transition Bond attached to the
Series
Supplement for such Transition Bonds, at the applicable Interest Rate
or
Interest Rates specified therein, and such interest shall be payable
on each
Payment Date as specified therein. Any installment of interest or Principal
payable on any Transition Bond which is punctually paid or duly provided
for by
the Issuer on the applicable Payment Date shall be paid to the Person
in whose
name such Transition Bond is registered on the Record Date for such
Payment
Date, in the manner specified in the related Series Supplement, and
if not
specified therein, either (i) by check mailed first-class, postage
prepaid to
such Person’s address as it appears on the Transition Bond Register on such
Record Date or (ii) with respect to Transition Bonds registered on
a Record Date
in the name of the nominee of the Clearing Agency (initially, such
nominee to be
Cede & Co.), by wire transfer in immediately available funds to the account
designated by such nominee, except for the final installment of Principal
payable with respect to such Transition Bond on a Payment Date, which
shall be
payable as provided in clause (b) below. The funds represented by any
such
checks or other amounts returned undelivered shall be held in accordance
with
Section 3.03.
(b) The Principal of each Transition
Bond of each Series (and, if applicable, Class) shall be payable in
installments
on each Payment Date specified in the Expected Amortization Schedule
included in
the Series Supplement for such Transition Bonds, but only to the extent
that
moneys are available for such payment pursuant to Section 8.02; provided,
that
installments of Principal not paid when scheduled to be paid shall
be paid upon
receipt of moneys available for such purpose, in the sequential order
set forth
in the applicable Expected Amortization Schedule. Failure to pay in
accordance
with such Expected Amortization Schedule because moneys are not so
available
pursuant to Section 8.02 to make such payments shall not constitute
a Default or
Event of Default under this Indenture. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the entire
Outstanding Principal amount of the Transition Bonds of any Series
or Class
shall be due and payable, if not previously paid, either (i) on the
Final
Maturity Date therefor, (ii) on the date on which the Transition Bonds
of all
Series have been declared immediately due and payable in accordance
with Section
5.02 or (iii) on the Redemption Date, if any, therefor. The Trustee
shall notify
the Person in whose name a Transition Bond is registered, and any other
Person
required under the relevant Series Supplement, at the close of business
on the
second Record Date preceding the Payment Date on which the Issuer expects
that
the final installment of Principal of and interest on such Transition
Bond will
be paid. Such notice shall be mailed no later than five days prior
to such final
Payment Date and, subject to the Issuer’s right to pay without surrender
pursuant to Section 2.06(a), shall specify that such final installment
of
Principal will be payable only upon presentation and surrender of such
Transition Bond and shall specify the place where such Transition Bond
may be
presented and surrendered for payment of such installment. Notices
in connection
with redemptions of Transition Bonds also shall be mailed to Transition
Bondholders as provided in Section 10.03.
8
(c) If the Issuer defaults in a
payment of interest on the Transition Bonds of any Series, or is in
default with
respect to any amount payable to any Swap Counterparty, the Issuer
shall pay
such defaulted interest or such other amount, as the case may be, plus
interest
on such defaulted interest or on such other amount at the applicable
Interest
Rate or Interest Rates in any lawful manner (subject to the availability
of such
amounts in the related Class Subaccount, in the case of interest owed
with
respect to any Transition Bonds which have floating rates of interest).
The
Issuer may pay such defaulted interest to the Persons who are Transition
Bondholders and to any Swap Counterparty, as applicable, at the rate
specified
in the related Series Supplement or Interest Rate Swap Agreement, respectively,
on a subsequent special record date, which date shall be at least five
Business
Days prior to the payment date. The Issuer shall fix or cause to be
fixed any
such special record date and payment date, and, at least fifteen days
before any
such special record date, the Issuer shall mail to each affected Transition
Bondholder and the Trustee a notice that states the special record
date, the
payment date and the amount of defaulted interest to be paid.
SECTION 2.09 CANCELLATION All
Transition Bonds surrendered for payment, registration of transfer,
exchange or
redemption shall, if surrendered to any Person other than the Trustee,
be
delivered to the Trustee and shall be promptly canceled by the Trustee.
The
Issuer may at any time deliver to the Trustee for cancellation any
Transition
Bonds previously authenticated and delivered hereunder which the Issuer
may have
acquired in any manner whatsoever, and all Transition Bonds so delivered
shall
be promptly canceled by the Trustee. No Transition Bonds shall be authenticated
in lieu of or in exchange for any Transition Bonds canceled as provided
in this
Section 2.09, except as expressly permitted by this Indenture. All
canceled
Transition Bonds may be held or disposed of by the Trustee in accordance
with
its standard retention or disposal policy as in effect at the time
unless the
Issuer shall direct by an Issuer Order that they be destroyed or returned
to it;
provided, that such Issuer Order is timely and the Transition Bonds
have not
been previously disposed of by the Trustee.
SECTION 2.10 AMOUNT; AUTHENTICATION AND
DELIVERY OF TRANSITION BONDS.
(a) The Issuer may issue Transition
Bonds of a new Series as a Financing Issuance or a Refunding Issuance.
(b) Transition Bonds of a new Series
may from time to time be executed by a Manager on behalf of the Issuer
and
delivered to the Trustee for authentication and thereupon the same
shall be
authenticated and delivered by the Trustee upon an Issuer Request and
upon
delivery by the Issuer, at the Issuer’s expense, to the Trustee of the
following:
(i) Trust Action. An Issuer
Order authorizing and directing the authentication and delivery of
the
Transition Bonds by the Trustee and specifying the principal amount
of
Transition Bonds to be authenticated.
(ii) Authorizing
Certificate. A certified resolution of the Managers authorizing the
execution and delivery of the Series Supplement for the Transition
Bonds applied
for and the execution, authentication and delivery of such Transition
Bonds.
(iii) Series Supplement. A
Series Supplement for the Series being issued, which shall set forth
the
provisions and form of the Transition Bonds of such Series (and, if
applicable,
each Class thereof).
(iv) Certificates of the
Issuer and the Seller.
9
(A) An Issuer Officer’s Certificate
dated as of the Series Issuance Date, stating:
(1) that no Default has occurred and
is continuing under this Indenture and that the issuance of the Transition
Bonds
being issued on such Series Issuance Date will not result in any Default;
(2) that the Issuer has not assigned
any interest or participation in the Collateral except for the Grant
contained
in this Indenture; that the Issuer has the power and authority to Grant
a
perfected security interest in the Collateral to the Trustee as security
hereunder; and that the Issuer, subject to the terms of this Indenture,
has
Granted to the Trustee a perfected security interest that is first
priority in
all of the Issuer’s right, title and interest in, to and under the Collateral
free and clear of any Lien, except the Lien of this Indenture;
(3) that the Issuer has appointed a
firm of Independent registered public accountants as contemplated in
Section
8.05;
(4) that attached thereto are duly
executed, true and complete copies of the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement and the Servicing Agreement;
(5) that all financing statements
with respect to the Collateral which are required to be filed under
the New
Jersey UCC, the Delaware UCC or the uniform commercial code of any
other
jurisdiction by the terms of the Sale Agreement, the Servicing Agreement
or this
Indenture have been or will be filed as required; and
(6) that all conditions precedent
provided in this Indenture relating to the authentication and delivery
of the
Transition Bonds have been complied with.
(B) A Seller Officers’ Certificate,
dated as of the Series Issuance Date, to the effect that, in the case
of the
Bondable Transition Property to be transferred to the Issuer on such
date,
immediately prior to the conveyance thereof to the Issuer pursuant
to the Sale
Agreement:
(1) no entity, other than the
Seller, had any ownership interest in such Bondable Transition Property
at any
time; to the extent of the Seller’s interest in the Bondable Transition
Property, such interest in the Bondable Transition Property will be
validly
transferred and sold to the Issuer free and clear of all Liens (other
than Liens
created by the Issuer pursuant to this Indenture) and such transfer
will be
perfected; the Seller has the power and authority to sell and assign
such
interest in the Bondable Transition Property to the Issuer; the Seller
has duly
authorized such sale and assignment to the Issuer; and the Seller’s state of
incorporation is the State of New Jersey;
(2) the attached copy of the
Financing Order creating such Bondable Transition Property is true
and correct
and is in full force and effect; and
10
(3) if the Series Issuance Date is
after the date hereof, the representations and warranties contained
in Sections
3.08(b), (d)(iv), (d)(v) and (f)(i)-(iii) of the Sale Agreement are
true as if
made on the date of conveyance of the Bondable Transition Property.
(v) Issuer Opinion of
Counsel. An Issuer Opinion of Counsel, or any other opinion or opinions
on
which the Trustee may conclusively rely, portions of which may be delivered
by
counsel for the Issuer and portions of which may be delivered by counsel
for the
Seller and/or the Servicer, as appropriate, dated as of the Series
Issuance
Date, subject to customary qualifications, substantially to the collective
effect that:
(A) the Issuer has the power and
authority to execute and deliver the related Series Supplement and
this
Indenture and to issue the Transition Bonds being issued, each of the
related
Series Supplement and this Indenture and such Transition Bonds has
been duly
authorized, executed and delivered, and the Issuer is duly organized,
validly
existing as a limited liability company and in good standing under
the laws of
the jurisdiction of its organization and is in good standing in any
jurisdiction
where it is required to be qualified;
(B) no authorization, approval or
consent of any governmental body is required for the valid issuance,
authentication or delivery of such Transition Bonds, except for any
such
authorization, approval or consent as has already been obtained and
such
registrations as are required under the blue sky and securities laws
of any
State;
(C) the Transition Bonds being issued,
when executed and authenticated in accordance with the provisions of
this
Indenture and delivered, will constitute valid and binding obligations
of the
Issuer entitled to the benefits of this Indenture and the related Series
Supplement;
(D) the Financing Order with respect
to the related Transition Bonds is final and non-appealable;
(E) this Indenture, the Sale
Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement and the Servicing Agreement
are valid and
binding agreements of the Issuer, enforceable against the Issuer in
accordance
with their respective terms except as such enforceability may be subject
to
bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, reorganization, receivership and
other
similar laws affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally
and
general principles of equity (regardless of whether such enforceability
is
considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
(F) the Sale Agreement is a valid and
binding agreement of the Seller, enforceable against the Seller in
accordance
with its terms except as such enforceability may be subject to bankruptcy,
insolvency, moratorium, reorganization, receivership and other similar
laws
affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and general
principles
of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in
a proceeding
in equity or at law);
11
(G) the Servicing Agreement is a valid
and binding agreement of the Servicer, enforceable against the Servicer
in
accordance with its terms except as such enforceability may be subject
to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership, moratorium and
other laws
affecting the rights and remedies of creditors generally and general
principles
of equity (regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in
a proceeding
in equity or at law);
(H)
(1) the provisions of the Sale
Agreement together with the related Xxxx of Sale are effective to create,
in
favor of the Issuer, a valid security interest (as such term is defined
in
Section 1-201 of the New Jersey UCC) in the Seller’s rights in the Bondable
Transition Property described in the Xxxx of Sale (the “Transferred Bondable
Transition Property”), which security interest if characterized as a transfer
for security will secure the amount paid by the Issuer for such Transferred
Bondable Transition Property; it being noted that the term “security interest”
for the purposes of this paragraph includes both a sale and a transfer
for
security of an account and no opinion will be expressed as to the proper
characterization of the transfer of the Transferred Bondable Transition
Property
by the Seller to the Issuer;
(2) the security interest in favor
of the Issuer in the Transferred Bondable Transition Property has been
perfected; and
(3) no other security interest of
any other creditor of the Seller is equal or prior to the security
interest of
the Issuer in the Transferred Bondable Transition Property;
(I) upon the giving of value by the
Trustee to the Issuer with respect to the Collateral,
(1) this Indenture creates in favor
of the Trustee, to secure payment of the Secured Obligations, a valid
security
interest in the rights of the Issuer in, to and under that portion
of the
Collateral subject to Article 9 of the New Jersey UCC, including the
Transferred
Bondable Transition Property (the “Article 9 Collateral”),
(2) upon filing of the related
financing statements in accordance with the New Jersey UCC and the
Delaware UCC,
such security interest will be perfected, and
(3) based solely on a review of the
search reports under the New Jersey UCC and the Delaware UCC, no other
security
interest of any other creditor of the Issuer is equal or prior to the
security
interest of the Trustee in the Article 9 Collateral;
(J) this Indenture has been duly
qualified under the Trust Indenture Act and either the related Series
Supplement
for the Transition Bonds applied for has been duly qualified under
the Trust
Indenture Act or no such qualification of such Series Supplement is
necessary;
12
(K) all instruments furnished to the
Trustee hereunder conform to the requirements of this Indenture and
constitute
all of the documents required to be delivered hereunder for the Trustee
to
authenticate and deliver the Transition Bonds applied for, and all
conditions
precedent provided for in this Indenture relating to the authentication
and
delivery of the Transition Bonds have been complied with;
(L) either
(1) the registration statement
covering the Transition Bonds is effective under the Securities Act
of 1933, as
amended, and, to the best of such counsel’s knowledge and information, no stop
order suspending the effectiveness of such registration statement has
been
issued under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, nor have proceedings
therefor been instituted or threatened by the Commission or
(2) the Transition Bonds are exempt
from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933,
as amended;
(M) this Indenture has been duly
authorized, executed and delivered by the Issuer;
(N) the Sale Agreement and the
Servicing Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by each of
the parties thereto; and
(O) the Issuer is not now and,
following the issuance of the Transition Bonds, will not be, required
to be
registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(vi) Issuer Officer’s Certificate
Regarding Accountant’s Certificate or Opinion. An Issuer Officer’s
Certificate, dated as of the Series Issuance Date, to the effect that
the Issuer
has received a letter addressed to the Issuer complying with the requirements
of
Section 11.01, of a firm of Independent registered public accountants
of
recognized national reputation to the effect that (A) such accountants
are
Independent with respect to the Issuer within the meaning of this Indenture
and
(B) with respect to the Collateral, they have made certain specified
recalculations of calculations and information provided by the Issuer
for the
purpose of determining that, based on certain specified assumptions
used in
calculating the Transition Bond Charge with respect to the related
Transferred
Bondable Transition Property, as of the Series Issuance Date for such
Series,
after giving effect to the issuance of such Series and the application
of the
proceeds therefrom, and taking into account any amounts on deposit
in the
Reserve Subaccount, the Transition Bond Charge will be sufficient to
pay (1)
assumed Operating Expenses when incurred, plus (2) any amounts due under
each Interest Rate Swap Agreement, if any when due, plus (3) the
Overcollateralization Amount, if any, for such Series set forth in
the
Prospectus (as such term is defined in the Underwriting Agreement),
plus
(4) interest on the Transition Bonds at their respective Interest Rates
when due as set forth in the Prospectus, plus (5) principal of the
Transition Bonds in accordance with the Expected Amortization Schedule
set forth
in the related Series Supplement, as of each Payment Date and found
such
calculations to be mathematically correct.
13
(vii) Required Capital
Amount. Evidence satisfactory to the Trustee that the Required Capital
Amount for such Series has been credited to the Capital Subaccount
for such
Series.
(viii) Rating Agency
Approval. If there are any Outstanding Series or Classes, or any
outstanding transition bonds issued by JCP&L Transition Funding LLC,
including the Series 2002-A Transition Bonds issued on June 11, 2002
(the
“Series 2002-A Transition Bonds”), written notice from each Rating Agency that
such action will not result in a reduction or withdrawal of the then
current
rating or ratings by such Rating Agency of any such Outstanding Series
or Class
or outstanding Series 2002-A Transition Bonds.
(ix) Xxxx of Sale. If the
issuance of an additional Series is a Financing Issuance, the Xxxx
of Sale
delivered to the Issuer under the Sale Agreement with respect to the
Bondable
Transition Property being purchased with the proceeds of such Financing
Issuance.
(x) Moneys for Refunding. If
the issuance of a Series is a Refunding Issuance, the amount of money
necessary
to pay premiums, if any, and the outstanding Principal balance of and
interest
on the Transition Bonds being refunded to the Redemption Date for the
Transition
Bonds being refunded upon redemption, such money to be deposited into
a separate
account with the Trustee.
SECTION 2.11 BOOK-ENTRY TRANSITION
BONDS Unless otherwise specified in the related Series Supplement, each
Series, upon original issuance, will be issued in the form of a typewritten
Transition Bond or Transition Bonds representing the Book-Entry Transition
Bonds, to be delivered to the Trustee as custodian for The Depository
Trust
Company, the initial Clearing Agency, by, or on behalf of, the Issuer.
Such
Transition Bond shall initially be registered on the Transition Bond
Register in
the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of the initial Clearing Agency, and no
Transition Bond Owner will receive a definitive Transition Bond representing
such Transition Bond Owner’s interest in such Transition Bond, except as
provided in Section 2.13. Unless and until definitive, fully registered
Transition Bonds (the “Definitive Transition Bonds”) have been issued to
Transition Bondholders pursuant to Section 2.13:
(a) the provisions of this Section
2.11 shall be in full force and effect;
(b) the Transition Bond Registrar and
the Trustee shall be entitled to deal with the then acting Clearing
Agency for
all purposes of this Indenture (including the payment of Principal
of and
interest on the Transition Bonds and the giving of instructions or
directions
hereunder) as the sole Holder of the Transition Bonds, and shall have
no
obligation to the Transition Bond Owners;
(c) to the extent that the provisions
of this Section 2.11 conflict with any other provisions of this Indenture,
the
provisions of this Section 2.11 shall control;
(d) the rights of Transition Bond
Owners shall be exercised only through the then acting Clearing Agency
and shall
be limited to those established by law and agreements between such
Transition
Bond Owners and the Clearing Agency or the Clearing Agency Participants.
Pursuant to the DTC Agreement, unless and until Definitive Transition
Bonds are
issued pursuant to Section 2.13, the initial Clearing Agency will make
book-entry transfers among the Clearing Agency Participants and receive
and
transmit payments of Principal of and interest on the Transition Bonds
to such
Clearing Agency Participants; and
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(e) whenever this Indenture requires
or permits actions to be taken based upon instructions or directions
of Holders
evidencing a specified percentage of the Outstanding Amount of the
Transition
Bonds or a Series or Class thereof, the Clearing Agency shall be deemed
to
represent such percentage only to the extent that it has received instructions
to such effect from Transition Bond Owners or Clearing Agency Participants
owning or representing, respectively, such required percentage of the
beneficial
interest in the Transition Bonds or such Series or Class and has delivered
such
instructions to the Trustee.
SECTION 2.12 NOTICES TO CLEARING AGENCY
| Whenever a notice or other communication to the Transition Bondholders
is
required under this Indenture, unless and until Definitive Transition
Bonds
shall have been issued to Transition Bond Owners pursuant to Section
2.13, the
Trustee shall give all such notices and communications specified herein
to be
given to Transition Bondholders to the Clearing Agency, and shall have
no
obligation to the Transition Bond Owners.
SECTION 2.13 DEFINITIVE TRANSITION
BONDS.
(a) If (i) the Issuer advises the
Trustee in writing that the then acting Clearing Agency is no longer
willing or
able to properly discharge its responsibilities as depository with
respect to
any Series or Class and the Issuer is unable to locate a qualified
successor,
(ii) the Issuer, at its option, advises the Trustee in writing that
it elects to
terminate the book-entry system through the Clearing Agency with respect
to any
Series or Class or (iii) after the occurrence of an Event of Default,
Transition
Bond Owners representing beneficial interests aggregating at least
a majority of
the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series advise
the Trustee
through the Clearing Agency in writing that the continuation of a book-entry
system through the Clearing Agency is no longer in the best interests
of the
Transition Bond Owners, then the Clearing Agency shall notify all affected
Transition Bond Owners and the Trustee of the occurrence of any such
event and
of the availability of Definitive Transition Bonds to affected Transition
Bond
Owners requesting the same. Upon surrender to the Trustee of the typewritten
Transition Bond or Transition Bonds representing the Book-Entry Transition
Bonds
by the Clearing Agency, accompanied by registration instructions, a
Manager on
behalf of the Issuer shall execute and the Trustee shall authenticate
the
Definitive Transition Bonds in accordance with the instructions of
the Clearing
Agency. None of the Issuer, the Transition Bond Registrar or the Trustee
shall
be liable for any delay in delivery of such instructions and may conclusively
rely on, and shall be protected in relying on, such instructions. Upon
the
issuance of Definitive Transition Bonds, the Trustee shall recognize
the Holders
of the Definitive Transition Bonds as Transition Bondholders.
(b) Definitive Transition Bonds will
be transferable and exchangeable at the offices of the Transition Bond
Registrar.
15
ARTICLE
III
COVENANTS
SECTION 3.01 PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND
INTEREST The Issuer will duly and punctually pay, or will cause the
Servicer to duly and punctually pay, the Principal of and interest
on the
Transition Bonds in accordance with the terms of the Transition Bonds
and this
Indenture; provided, however, that except on the Final Maturity Date
or the
Redemption Date for a Series or Class or upon the acceleration of the
Transition
Bonds pursuant to Section 5.02, the Issuer shall only be obligated
to pay the
Principal of such Transition Bonds on each Payment Date therefor to
the extent
moneys are available for such payment pursuant to Section 8.02. Amounts
properly
withheld under the Code by any Person from a payment to any Transition
Bondholder of interest or Principal shall be considered as having been
paid by
the Issuer to such Transition Bondholder for all purposes of this Indenture.
SECTION 3.02 MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR
AGENCY..
(a) So long as any of the Transition
Bonds remain Outstanding, the Issuer will maintain in the Borough of
Manhattan,
The City of New York, an office or agency where Transition Bonds may
be
surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, and where notices
and
demands to or upon the Issuer in respect of the Transition Bonds and
this
Indenture may be served. The Issuer hereby initially appoints the Trustee
to
serve as its agent for the foregoing purposes. The Issuer will give
prompt
written notice to the Trustee and any agent appointed pursuant to clause
(b)
below of the location and identity, and of any change in the location
or
identity, of any such office or agency. If at any time the Issuer shall
fail to
maintain any such office or agency or shall fail to furnish the Trustee
and each
such agent with the address thereof, such surrenders, notices and demands
may be
made or served at the Corporate Trust Office, and the Issuer hereby
appoints the
Trustee as its agent to receive all such surrenders, notices and demands.
(b) To the extent any of the
Transition Bonds are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the
rules of
such exchange so require, (i) the Issuer will maintain in Luxembourg
(A) an office and a transfer agent where Transition Bonds may be
surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange, (B) an office and a
listing agent where notices and demands to or upon the Issuer in respect
of the
Transition Bonds and this Indenture may be served, and (C) an office and a
paying agent where payments in respect of the Transition Bonds may
be made and
(ii) any reference in this Indenture to the office or agency of the Issuer
referenced in Section 3.02(a) shall also refer to such offices, and
the
transfer, listing and paying agents, of the Issuer in Luxembourg, as
applicable.
The Issuer shall give the Trustee and any other agent appointed under
this
Section 3.02(b) prompt written notice of the location and identity,
and of any
change in the location or identity, of any such office or agency.
SECTION 3.03 MONEY FOR PAYMENTS TO BE
HELD IN TRUST.
(a) As provided in Section 8.02(a),
all payments of Principal of and interest on the Transition Bonds that
are to be
made from amounts withdrawn from the Collection Account pursuant to
Section
8.02(g) or Section 4.03 shall be made on behalf of the Issuer by the
Trustee or
by another Paying Agent, and no amounts so withdrawn from the Collection
Account
for payments of Transition Bonds shall be paid over to the Issuer except
as
provided in this Section 3.03 and in Section 8.02.
(b) The Issuer shall cause each
Paying Agent other than the Trustee to execute and deliver to the Trustee
an
instrument in which such Paying Agent shall agree with the Trustee
(and if the
Trustee acts as Paying Agent, it hereby so agrees), subject to the
provisions of
this Section 3.03, that such Paying Agent will:
16
(i) hold all sums held by it for the
payment of Principal of or interest on the Transition Bonds in trust
for the
benefit of the Persons entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid
to such
Persons or otherwise disposed of as herein provided and pay such sums
to such
Persons as herein provided;
(ii) give the Trustee written notice
of any Default by the Issuer (or any other obligor upon the Transition
Bonds) of
which the Paying Agent has actual knowledge in the making of any payment
required to be made with respect to the Transition Bonds;
(iii) at any time during the
continuance of any such Default, upon the written request of the Trustee,
forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums so held in trust by such Paying
Agent;
(iv) immediately resign as a Paying
Agent and forthwith pay to the Trustee all sums held by the Paying
Agent in
trust for the payment of Transition Bonds if at any time the Paying
Agent ceases
to meet the standards required to be met by a Paying Agent at the time
of its
appointment; and
(v) comply with all requirements of
the Code with respect to the withholding from any payments made by
it on any
Transition Bonds of any applicable withholding taxes imposed thereon
and with
respect to any applicable reporting requirements in connection
therewith.
(c) The Issuer may at any time, for
the purpose of obtaining the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture
or for
any other purpose, by Issuer Order direct any Paying Agent to pay to
the Trustee
all sums held in trust by such Paying Agent, such sums to be held by
the Trustee
upon the same trusts as those upon which the sums were held by such
Paying
Agent; and upon such payment by any Paying Agent to the Trustee, such
Paying
Agent shall be released from all further liability with respect to
such
money.
(d) Subject to applicable laws with
respect to escheat of funds, any money held by the Trustee or any Paying
Agent
in trust for the payment of any amount of Principal of or interest
on any
Transition Bond and remaining unclaimed for two years after such amount
has
become due and payable shall be discharged from such trust and be paid
to the
Issuer upon Issuer Order; and the Holder of such Transition Bond shall
thereafter, as an unsecured general creditor, look only to the Issuer
for
payment thereof (but only to the extent of the amounts so paid to the
Issuer),
and all liability of the Trustee or such Paying Agent with respect
to such trust
money shall thereupon cease; provided, however, that the Trustee or
such Paying
Agent, before being required to make any such repayment, may at the
expense of
the Issuer cause to be published once, in a newspaper published in
the English
language, customarily published on each Business Day and of general
circulation
in The City of New York, and in an Authorized Newspaper, notice that
such money
remains unclaimed and that, after a date specified therein, which shall
not be
less than thirty days from the date of such publication, any unclaimed
balance
of such money then remaining will be repaid to the Issuer. The Trustee
may also
adopt and employ, at the expense of the Issuer, any other reasonable
means of
notification of such repayment (including mailing notice of such repayment
to
Holders whose Transition Bonds have been called but have not been surrendered
for redemption or whose right to or interest in moneys due and payable
but not
claimed is determinable from the records of the Trustee or of any Paying
Agent,
at the last address of record for each such Holder).
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SECTION 3.04 EXISTENCE Subject to
Section 3.10, the Issuer shall keep in full effect its existence, rights
and
franchises as a limited liability company under the laws of the State
of
Delaware (unless it becomes, or any successor Issuer hereunder is or
becomes,
organized under the laws of any other State or of the United States
of America,
in which case the Issuer will keep in full effect its existence, rights
and
franchises under the laws of such other jurisdiction) and will obtain
and
preserve its qualification to do business in each jurisdiction in which
such
qualification is or shall be necessary to protect the validity and
enforceability of this Indenture, the Transition Bonds, the other Basic
Documents, the Collateral and each other instrument or agreement referenced
herein or therein.
SECTION 3.05 PROTECTION OF
COLLATERAL (a) The Issuer shall from time to time execute and deliver all
such supplements and amendments hereto and all such filings, financing
statements, continuation statements, instruments of further assurance
and other
instruments, and shall take such other action necessary or advisable
to:
(i) maintain and preserve the Lien
and security interest (and the priority thereof) of this Indenture
or carry out
more effectively the purposes hereof;
(ii) perfect, publish notice of or
protect the validity of any Grant made or to be made by this
Indenture;
(iii) enforce any of the Collateral,
including its rights under each Interest Rate Swap Agreement;
(iv) preserve and defend title to the
Collateral and the rights of the Trustee and the Transition Bondholders
in the
Collateral against the claims of all Persons and parties; and
(v) pay any and all taxes levied or
assessed upon all or any part of the Collateral.
(b) The Issuer hereby designates the
Trustee as its agent and attorney-in-fact to execute any filing with
the BPU,
financing statement, continuation statement or other instrument required
by the
Trustee pursuant to this Section 3.05.
SECTION 3.06 OPINIONS AS TO
COLLATERAL..
(a) Promptly after the execution and
delivery of this Indenture, promptly after each Series Issuance Date,
if any,
and on or before May 31 in each calendar year, while any Series is
outstanding,
commencing May 31, 2007, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee an
Issuer
Opinion of Counsel either stating that, in the opinion of such counsel,
such
action has been taken pursuant to the New Jersey UCC and Delaware UCC
so as to
maintain the effectiveness of the Lien and security interest created
by this
Indenture and reciting the details of such action or stating that in
the opinion
of such counsel no such action is necessary to maintain such Lien and
security
interest, and no other Lien or security interest is equal or prior
to the Lien
and security interest of the Trustee in the Collateral. Such Issuer
Opinion of
Counsel shall also describe the execution and filing of any filings
pursuant to
the New Jersey UCC and the Delaware UCC of financing statements, continuation
statements and other instruments that will, in the opinion of such
counsel, be
required to maintain the Grant, Lien and security interest of this
Indenture
until May 31 in the following calendar year.
18
(b) Prior to the effectiveness of
any amendment to the Sale Agreement or the Servicing Agreement, the
Issuer shall
furnish to the Trustee an Issuer Opinion of Counsel either (i) stating
that, in
the opinion of such counsel, all actions, with respect to filings,
including
filings pursuant to the New Jersey UCC and the Delaware UCC, have been
taken
that are necessary fully to maintain the Lien and security interest
of the
Issuer in the Transferred Bondable Transition Property and the Lien
and security
interest of the Trustee in the Transferred Bondable Transitional Property
and
the other Collateral, respectively, and reciting the details of such
filings or
referring to prior Issuer Opinions of Counsel in which such details
are given,
or (ii) stating that, in the opinion of such counsel, no such action
shall be
necessary to maintain such Liens and security interests.
SECTION 3.07 PERFORMANCE OF
OBLIGATIONS.
(a) The Issuer (i) shall diligently
pursue any and all actions to enforce its rights under each instrument
or
agreement included in the Collateral and (ii) shall not take any action
and will
use its best efforts not to permit any action to be taken by others
that would
release any Person from any of such Person’s covenants or obligations under any
such instrument or agreement or that would result in the amendment,
hypothecation, subordination, termination or discharge of, or impair
the
validity or effectiveness of, any such instrument or agreement, except,
in each
case, as expressly provided in this Indenture, the Sale Agreement,
the Servicing
Agreement, any Interest Rate Swap Agreement or any other Basic
Document.
(b) The Issuer may contract with
other Persons to assist it in performing its duties under this Indenture,
and
any performance of such duties by a Person identified to the Trustee
in an
Issuer Officer’s Certificate shall be deemed to be action taken by the Issuer.
Initially, the Issuer has contracted with the Administrator to assist
the Issuer
in performing its duties under this Indenture.
(c) The Issuer shall punctually
perform and observe all of its obligations and agreements contained
in the Sale
Agreement, this Indenture and any supplements hereto, the Servicing
Agreement,
each Interest Rate Swap Agreement and in all other instruments and
agreements
included in the Collateral.
SECTION 3.08 NEGATIVE COVENANTS
The Issuer shall not:
(a) except as expressly permitted by
this Indenture, the Sale Agreement, the Servicing Agreement, any Interest
Rate
Swap Agreement or any other Basic Document, sell, transfer, exchange
or
otherwise dispose of any of the Collateral, unless directed to do so
by the
Trustee in accordance with Article V;
(b) claim any credit on, or make any
deduction from the Principal or premium, if any, or interest payable
in respect
of, the Transition Bonds (other than amounts properly withheld from
such
payments under the Code or pursuant to any Interest Rate Swap Agreement)
or
assert any claim against any present or former Transition Bondholder
by reason
of the payment of taxes levied or assessed upon the Issuer or any part
of the
Collateral; or
19
(c) (i) permit the validity or
effectiveness of this Indenture to be impaired, or permit the Lien
of this
Indenture to be amended, hypothecated, subordinated, terminated or
discharged,
or permit any Person to be released from any covenants or obligations
with
respect to the Transition Bonds under this Indenture except, as to
each of the
foregoing, as may be expressly permitted hereby, (ii) permit any Lien
(other
than the Lien created by this Indenture) to be created on or extend
to or
otherwise arise upon or burden the Collateral or any part thereof,
any interest
therein or the proceeds thereof or (iii) permit the Lien of this Indenture
not
to constitute a continuing valid first priority security interest in
the
Collateral.
SECTION 3.09 ANNUAL STATEMENT AS TO
COMPLIANCE The Issuer will deliver to the Trustee, within 120 days after
the end of each fiscal year of the Issuer (commencing with the fiscal
year
2006), an Issuer Officer’s Certificate stating, as to the Manager signing such
Issuer Officer’s Certificate, that:
(a) a review of the activities of the
Issuer during such year (or relevant portion thereof) and of performance
under
this Indenture has been made under such Manager’s supervision; and
(b) to the best of such Manager’s
knowledge, based on such review, the Issuer has complied with all conditions
and
covenants under this Indenture throughout such calendar year (or relevant
portion thereof), or, if there has been a default in complying with
any such
condition or covenant, describing each such default and the nature
and status
thereof.
SECTION 3.10 ISSUER MAY CONSOLIDATE,
ETC , ONLY ON CERTAIN TERMS. The Issuer shall not consolidate or merge
with
or into any other Person or sell, in one or a series of related transactions,
substantially all of its assets to any other Person or dissolve,
unless:
(a) the Person (if other than the
Issuer) formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger or to whom
substantially all of such assets are sold shall be a Person organized
and
existing under the laws of the United States of America or any State
and shall
expressly assume by an indenture supplemental hereto, executed and
delivered to
the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee, the due and punctual
payment
of the Principal of and premium, if any, and interest on all Transition
Bonds
and the performance of every agreement and covenant of this Indenture
on the
part of the Issuer to be performed or observed, all as provided herein
and in
the applicable Series Supplement or Series Supplements;
(b) the Person (if other than the
Issuer) formed by or surviving such consolidation or merger or to whom
substantially all of such assets are sold shall expressly assume all
obligations
and succeed to all rights of the Issuer under the Sale Agreement, the
Administration Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and each Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement pursuant to an assignment and assumption agreement executed
and
delivered to the Trustee, in form satisfactory to the Trustee;
(c) immediately after giving effect
to such consolidation, merger or sale, no Default or Event of Default
shall have
occurred and be continuing;
(d) prior notice of such
consolidation, merger or sale shall be given to the Rating Agencies
and the then
current ratings on any Outstanding Transition Bonds shall not be withdrawn
or
downgraded in connection with such consolidation, merger or sale;
20
(e) the Issuer shall have received an
Issuer Opinion of Counsel (and shall have delivered copies thereof
to the
Trustee) to the effect that such consolidation, merger or sale (i)
will not have
any material adverse tax consequence to the Issuer or any Transition
Bondholder,
(ii) complies with this Indenture and all of the conditions precedent
herein
relating to such transaction and (iii) will result in the Trustee maintaining
a
continuing valid first priority perfected security interest in the
Collateral;
(f) neither the Bondable Transition
Property nor the Financing Order nor the rights of the Seller, the
Servicer or
the Issuer under the Competition Act or the Financing Order shall be
impaired
thereby; and
(g) any action as is necessary to
maintain the Lien created by this Indenture shall have been taken.
SECTION 3.11 SUCCESSOR OR
TRANSFEREE.
(a) Upon any consolidation or merger
of the Issuer in accordance with Section 3.10, the Person formed by
or surviving
such consolidation or merger (if other than the Issuer) shall succeed
to, and be
substituted for, and may exercise every right and power of, the Issuer
under
this Indenture with the same effect as if such Person had been named
as the
Issuer herein.
(b) Upon any sale by the Issuer of
substantially all of its assets in accordance with Section 3.10, JCP&L
Transition Funding II LLC will be released from every covenant and
agreement of
this Indenture to be observed or performed on the part of the Issuer
with
respect to the Transition Bonds and from every covenant and agreement
of the
Sale Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Servicing Agreement
and each
Interest Rate Swap Agreement to be observed or performed on the part
of the
Issuer.
SECTION 3.12 NO OTHER BUSINESS
The Issuer shall not engage in any business
other than purchasing and owning
Bondable Transition Property, issuing Transition Bonds from time to
time,
pledging its interest in the Collateral to the Trustee under this Indenture
in
order to secure the Transition Bonds and other Secured Obligations,
entering
into the Basic Documents and all other agreements relating to the Transition
Bonds and performing its obligations thereunder and performing activities
that
are necessary, suitable or convenient to accomplish these purposes
or are
incidental thereto.
SECTION 3.13 NO BORROWING The
Issuer shall not issue, incur, assume, guarantee or otherwise become
liable,
directly or indirectly, for any indebtedness except for the Transition
Bonds and
except as contemplated by the Basic Documents and the Underwriting
Agreement.
SECTION 3.14 GUARANTEES, LOANS,
ADVANCES AND OTHER LIABILITIES . Except as contemplated by the Basic
Documents,
the Issuer shall not make any loan or advance or credit to, or guarantee
(directly or indirectly or by an instrument having the effect of assuring
another’s payment or performance on any obligation or capability of so doing
or
otherwise), endorse or otherwise become contingently liable, directly
or
indirectly, in connection with the obligations, stock or dividends
of, or own,
purchase, repurchase or acquire (or agree contingently to do so) any
stock,
obligations, assets or securities of, or any other interest in, or
make any
capital contribution to, any other Person, other than any Eligible
Investments.
21
SECTION 3.15 CAPITAL EXPENDITURES
The Issuer shall not make any expenditure
(by long-term or operating lease or
otherwise) for capital assets (either realty or personalty) other than
Bondable
Transition Property purchased from the Seller pursuant to, and in accordance
with, the Sale Agreement.
SECTION 3.16 RESTRICTED PAYMENTS
The Issuer shall not, directly or indirectly,
(a) pay any dividend or make any
distribution (by reduction of capital or otherwise), whether in cash,
property,
securities or a combination thereof, to any owner of a beneficial interest
in
the Issuer or otherwise with respect to any ownership or equity interest
in, or
ownership security of, the Issuer, (b) redeem, purchase, retire or
otherwise
acquire for value any such ownership or equity interest or security
or (c) set
aside or otherwise segregate any amounts for any such purpose; provided,
however, that if no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing
or
would otherwise result from such payment, the Issuer may make, or cause
to be
made, any such distributions to any owner of a limited liability company
interest in the Issuer or otherwise with respect to any ownership or
equity
interest or security in or of the Issuer using funds either distributed
to the
Issuer pursuant to Section 8.02(g) or which are not otherwise subject
to the
Lien of this Indenture, to the extent that such distributions would
not cause
the book value of the remaining equity in the Issuer to decline below
0.5% of
the initial principal amount of all Series which remain outstanding.
The Issuer
will not, directly or indirectly, make payments to or distributions
from the
Collection Account except in accordance with the Basic Documents.
SECTION 3.17 NOTICE OF EVENTS OF
DEFAULT | The Issuer agrees to deliver to the Trustee and the Rating
Agencies
written notice in the form of an Issuer Officer’s Certificate of any Default or
Event of Default hereunder or under any of the Basic Documents, its
status and
what action the Issuer is taking or proposes to take with respect thereto
within
five Business Days after the occurrence thereof.
SECTION 3.18 INSPECTION The
Issuer agrees that, on reasonable prior notice, it will permit any
representative of the Trustee, during the Issuer’s normal business hours, to
examine all the books of account, records, reports and other papers
of the
Issuer, to make copies and extracts therefrom, to cause such books
to be audited
annually by Independent registered public accountants, and to discuss
the
Issuer’s affairs, finances and accounts with the Issuer’s officers, employees
and Independent registered public accountants, all at such reasonable
times and
as often as may be reasonably requested. The Trustee shall and shall
cause its
representatives to hold in confidence all such information except to
the extent
disclosure may be required by law (and all reasonable applications
for
confidential treatment are unavailing) and except to the extent that
the Trustee
may reasonably determine that such disclosure is consistent with its
obligations
hereunder.
SECTION 3.19 ADJUSTED
OVERCOLLATERALIZATION BALANCE SCHEDULES . Not later than the date on which
a new Series is issued or any outstanding Series is redeemed or defeased,
the
Issuer shall deliver to the Trustee a replacement Schedule A to the
related
Series Supplement, adjusted to reflect such issuance, redemption or
defeasance
and setting forth the Scheduled Overcollateralization Level for each
Payment
Date with respect to each Series.
22
SECTION 3.20 SALE AGREEMENT,
INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT, SERVICING AGREEMENT AND INTEREST RATE SWAP
AGREEMENT
COVENANTS.
(a) The Issuer agrees to take all
such lawful actions to enforce its rights under the Sale Agreement,
the
Intercreditor Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and each Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement and to compel or secure the performance and observance by
the Seller,
the Servicer and each Swap Counterparty, of each of their respective
obligations
to the Issuer under or in connection with the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and applicable Interest Rate Swap
Agreement,
respectively, in accordance with the terms thereof. So long as no Event
of
Default occurs and is continuing, but subject to Section 3.20(f), the
Issuer may
exercise any and all rights, remedies, powers and privileges lawfully
available
to the Issuer under or in connection with the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and each Interest Rate Swap
Agreement.
(b) If an Event of Default occurs and
is continuing, the Trustee may, and, at the direction (which direction
shall be
in writing) of (i) with respect to the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement or the Servicing Agreement, the Holders of a majority of
the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series, voting together
as a
single class, or (ii) with respect to any Interest Rate Swap Agreement, the
Holders of that percentage of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds of
the related Class specified in the related Series Supplement, shall
exercise all
rights, remedies, powers, privileges and claims of the Issuer against
the
Seller, the Servicer or Swap Counterparty under or in connection with
the Sale
Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and related Interest Rate Swap Agreement,
respectively, including the right or power to take any action to compel
or
secure performance or observance by the Seller, the Servicer or Swap
Counterparty of each of their respective obligations to the Issuer
thereunder
and to give any consent, request, notice, direction, approval, extension
or
waiver under the Sale Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement, and any right of the Issuer to take such action shall be
suspended.
(c) With the consent of the Trustee,
the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement and the Servicing Agreement
may
be amended, provided notice of the substance of the amendment is given
to each
Rating Agency, at any time and from time to time, without the consent
of the
Transition Bondholders, or the counterparty under any Interest Rate
Swap
Agreement; provided, however, such amendment may not adversely affect
in any
material respect the interests of any Transition Bondholder or any
counterparty
under any Interest Rate Swap Agreement without the consent of the Holders
of a
majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of each
Series or
Class and each such counterparty, in each case materially and adversely
affected
thereby. Further, with the written consent of the Trustee and the related
counterparty under an Interest Rate Swap Agreement, such Interest Rate
Swap
Agreement may be amended, at any time and from time to time, so long
as prior
notice is provided to the Rating Agencies and the then current ratings
on any
Outstanding Transition Bonds are not withdrawn or downgraded by the
Rating
Agencies. However, such amendment may not adversely affect in any material
respect the interest of any Transition Bondholder or counterparty under
an
Interest Rate Swap Agreement without the written consent of sixty-six
and two
thirds percent of the Holders of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds
of each Series or Class and each such counterparty materially and adversely
affected thereby.
23
(d) If the Issuer, the Seller, the
Servicer or any Swap Counterparty proposes to amend, modify, waive,
supplement,
terminate or surrender, or agree to any amendment, modification, waiver,
supplement, termination, or surrender of, the terms of the Sale Agreement,
the
Intercreditor Agreement, the Servicing Agreement or any Interest Rate
Swap
Agreement, or waives timely performance or observance thereunder by
the Seller,
the Servicer or any Swap Counterparty, respectively, in each case in
such a way
as would materially and adversely affect the interests of any Class
of any
Series of Transition Bondholders or the counterparty under any Interest
Rate
Swap Agreement, the Issuer shall first notify the Rating Agencies of
the
proposed amendment, modification, supplement, waiver, termination or
surrender.
After sending such notification to the Rating Agencies, the Issuer
shall notify
the Trustee in writing and the Trustee shall notify the Transition
Bondholders
and each counterparty under an Interest Rate Swap Agreement, of the
proposal.
With respect to any such proposed action related to the Sale Agreement
and the
Servicing Agreement, the Trustee shall consent to such proposed action
only (i)
with the written consent of the Holders of a majority of the Outstanding
Amount
of the Transition Bonds of each Class of each Series and each counterparty
under
an Interest Rate Swap Agreement, in each case materially and adversely
affected
thereby and (ii) upon written notice of the substance of the proposed
action to
the Rating Agencies and the Rating Agencies’ subsequent confirmation that the
then current ratings on any Outstanding Transition Bonds will not be
withdrawn
or downgraded by the Rating Agencies (except that with regard to Moody’s and
Fitch it will be sufficient to provide ten days’ prior notice of any such
action). With respect to any such proposed action related to any Interest
Rate
Swap Agreement, the Trustee shall consent to such proposed action only
(y) with the written consent of the Holders representing sixty-six and
two-thirds percent of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds
of the
related Series or Class, and each counterparty under an Interest Rate
Swap
Agreement, in each case materially and adversely affected thereby and
(z) upon written notice of the substance of the proposed action to the
Rating Agencies and the Rating Agencies’ subsequent confirmation that the then
current ratings on any Outstanding Transition Bonds will not be withdrawn
or
downgraded by the Rating Agencies (except that with regard to Moody’s and Fitch
it will be sufficient to provide ten days’ prior notice of any such action). If
any such amendment, modification, supplement, waiver, termination or
surrender
shall be so consented to by the Trustee or such Holders, the Issuer
agrees to
execute and deliver, in its own name and at its own expense, such agreements,
instruments, consents and other documents as shall be necessary or
appropriate
in the circumstances. For so long as any of the Transition Bonds are
listed on
the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the rules of that exchange so require,
notice
of such proposed action will be published by an agent to be appointed
by the
Issuer in an Authorized Newspaper promptly following its
effectiveness.
(e) If the Issuer or the Servicer
proposes to amend, modify, waive, supplement, terminate or surrender
in any
material respect, or to agree to any material amendment, modification,
waiver,
supplement, termination or surrender of, the Transition Bond Charge
Adjustment
Process, the Issuer shall notify the Trustee in writing and the Trustee
shall
notify the Transition Bondholders of such proposal and the Trustee
shall consent
thereto only with the written consent of the Holders of a majority
of the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of each Series, voting together
as a
single class, materially and adversely affected thereby; provided,
notice of the
substance of such proposal is provided to the Rating Agencies and the
Rating
Agencies subsequently confirm that the then current ratings on any
Outstanding
Transition Bonds will not be withdrawn or downgraded by the Rating
Agencies
(except that with regard to Moody’s and Fitch it will be sufficient to provide
ten days’ prior notice of any such action).
24
(f) Promptly following a default by
either the Seller, the Servicer or any Swap Counterparty under the
Sale
Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Servicing Agreement or
related
Interest Rate Swap Agreement, respectively, and at the Issuer’s expense, the
Issuer agrees to take all such lawful actions as the Trustee may request
to
compel or secure the performance and observance by the Seller, the
Servicer or
Swap Counterparty, as applicable, of each of their respective obligations
to the
Issuer under or in connection with the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement, the Servicing Agreement or related Interest Rate Swap Agreement
in
accordance with the terms thereof, and to exercise any and all rights,
remedies,
powers and privileges lawfully available to the Issuer under or in
connection
with the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Servicing
Agreement or
Interest Rate Swap Agreement, respectively, to the extent and in the
manner
directed by the Trustee, including the transmission of notices of default
on the
part of the Seller, the Servicer or Swap Counterparty thereunder and
the
institution of legal or administrative actions or proceedings to compel
or
secure performance by the Seller, the Servicer or Swap Counterparty
of each of
their respective obligations under the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor
Agreement, the Servicing Agreement and related Interest Rate Swap
Agreement.
(g) If the Issuer shall have
knowledge of the occurrence of a Servicer Default under the Servicing
Agreement
or an event of default, termination event or downgrade event under
any Interest
Rate Swap Agreement, the Issuer shall promptly give written notice
thereof to
the Trustee and the Rating Agencies, and shall specify in such notice
the
action, if any, the Issuer is taking with respect to such default or
event of
default.
(h) If a Servicer Default shall arise
from the failure of the Servicer to perform any of its duties or obligations
under the Servicing Agreement with respect to the Bondable Transition
Property
or the Transition Bond Charge, the Issuer shall take all reasonable
steps
available to it to remedy such failure. The Issuer shall not take any
action to
terminate the Servicer’s rights and powers under the Servicing Agreement
following a Servicer Default without the prior written consent of the
Trustee
and of the Holders of a majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds of all Series.
(i) As promptly as possible after the
giving of notice of termination to the Servicer and the Rating Agencies
of the
Servicer’s rights and powers pursuant to Section 6.01 of the Servicing
Agreement, the Trustee, with the written consent of the Holders evidencing
not
less than a majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds
of all
Series, may appoint a successor Servicer (the “Successor Servicer”), and such
Successor Servicer shall accept its appointment by a written assumption
in a
form acceptable to the Issuer and the Trustee. A Person shall qualify
as a
Successor Servicer only if such Person satisfies the requirements of
Section
6.04 of the Servicing Agreement. In connection with any such appointment,
the
Issuer may make such arrangements for the compensation of such Successor
Servicer as it and such Successor Servicer shall agree, subject to
the
limitations set forth below and in the Servicing Agreement, and, in
accordance
with Section 6.04 of the Servicing Agreement, the Issuer shall enter
into an
agreement with such Successor Servicer for the servicing of the Bondable
Transition Property (such agreement to be in form and substance satisfactory
to
the Trustee).
(j) Upon termination of the
Servicer’s rights and powers pursuant to the Servicing Agreement, the Trustee
shall promptly notify the Issuer, the Transition Bondholders and the
Rating
Agencies of such termination. As soon as a Successor Servicer is appointed,
the
Issuer shall notify the Trustee, the Transition Bondholders and the
Rating
Agencies in writing of such appointment, specifying in such notice
the name and
address of such Successor Servicer.
25
(k) The Issuer shall not take any
action to terminate or assign a Swap Counterparty’s rights and powers under any
Interest Rate Swap Agreement or replace a Swap Counterparty following
an event
of default, termination event or downgrade event under an Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement without (i) the prior written consent of the Trustee and of the
Holders of that percentage of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds, if
any such consent is required under the related Series Supplement, of
the related
Series and Class, if any, specified in the related Series Supplement,
and
(ii) satisfying any other requirements set forth in the related Series
Supplement and Interest Rate Swap Agreement.
(l) Upon termination or assignment of
a Swap Counterparty’s rights and powers, pursuant to an Interest Rate Swap
Agreement, the Trustee shall promptly inform the Issuer, the Transition
Bondholders of the related Class and the Rating Agencies of such termination
or
assignment. As soon as a replacement Swap Counterparty is appointed,
the Issuer
shall notify the Trustee, the Transition Bondholders of the related
Class and
the Rating Agencies in writing of such appointment, specifying in such
notice
the name and address of such replacement Swap Counterparty.
SECTION 3.21 TAXES So long as any
of the Transition Bonds are outstanding, the Issuer shall pay or cause
to be
paid all material taxes, assessments and governmental charges imposed
upon it or
any of its properties or assets or with respect to any of its franchises,
business, income or property before any penalty accrues thereon if
the failure
to pay any such taxes, assessments and governmental charges would,
after any
applicable grace periods, notices or other similar requirements, result
in a
Lien on the Collateral.
ARTICLE IV
SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE;
DEFEASANCE
SECTION 4.01 SATISFACTION AND DISCHARGE
OF INDENTURE; DEFEASANCE..
(a) The Transition Bonds of any
Series, all moneys payable with respect thereto and this Indenture
as it applies
to such Series shall cease to be of further effect and the Lien hereunder
shall
be released with respect to such Series, interest shall cease to accrue
on the
Transition Bonds of such Series and the Trustee, on written demand
of and at the
expense of the Issuer, shall execute proper instruments acknowledging
satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect to the Transition
Bonds of such Series, when
(i) either
(A) all Transition Bonds of such
Series theretofore authenticated and delivered (other than (1) Transition
Bonds
that have been destroyed, lost or stolen and that have been replaced
or paid as
provided in Section 2.06 and (2) Transition Bonds for whose payment
money has
theretofore been deposited in trust or segregated and held in trust
by the
Issuer and thereafter repaid to the Issuer or discharged from such
trust, as
provided in Section 3.03(d)) have been delivered to the Trustee for
cancellation; or
26
(B) the Expected Final Payment Date or
Redemption Date has occurred with respect to all Transition Bonds of
such Series
not theretofore delivered to the Trustee for cancellation, and the
Issuer has
irrevocably deposited or caused to be irrevocably deposited with the
Trustee
cash, in trust for such purpose, in an amount sufficient to pay and
discharge
the entire indebtedness on such Transition Bonds not theretofore delivered
to
the Trustee on the Expected Final Payment Date or Redemption Date,
as
applicable, therefor;
(ii) the Issuer has paid or caused to
be paid all other sums payable hereunder by the Issuer with respect
to such
Series; and
(iii) the Issuer has delivered to the
Trustee an Issuer Officer’s Certificate, an Issuer Opinion of Counsel and (if
required by the TIA or the Trustee) an Independent Certificate from
a firm of
certified public accountants, each meeting the applicable requirements
of
Section 11.01 and each stating that all conditions precedent herein
provided for
relating to the satisfaction and discharge of this Indenture with respect
to
Transition Bonds of such Series have been complied with.
(b) Subject to Sections 4.01(c) and
4.02, the Issuer at any time may terminate (i) all its obligations
under this
Indenture with respect to the Transition Bonds of any Series (“Legal Defeasance
Option”) or (ii) its obligations under Sections 3.04, 3.05, 3.06 (other than
with respect to amounts in the Defeasance Subaccount), 3.07, 3.08,
3.09, 3.10,
3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16, 3.17, 3.18, 3.19 and 3.20 and the operation
of
Section 5.01(d) (“Covenant Defeasance Option”) with respect to any Series. The
Issuer may exercise the Legal Defeasance Option with respect to any
Series
notwithstanding its prior exercise of the Covenant Defeasance Option
with
respect to such Series.
(c) If the Issuer exercises the Legal
Defeasance Option with respect to any Series, the maturity of the Transition
Bonds of such Series may not be (i) accelerated pursuant to Section
5.02 or (ii)
except as provided in Section 4.02, redeemed. If the Issuer exercises
the
Covenant Defeasance Option with respect to any Series, the maturity
of the
Transition Bonds of such Series may not be accelerated because of an
Event of
Default specified in Section 5.01(d).
(d) Upon satisfaction of the
conditions set forth herein to the exercise of the Legal Defeasance
Option or
the Covenant Defeasance Option with respect to any Series, the Trustee,
on
written demand of and at the expense of the Issuer, shall execute proper
instruments acknowledging satisfaction and discharge of the obligations
that are
terminated pursuant to such exercise.
(e) Notwithstanding Sections 4.01(a)
and 4.01(b), (i) the rights of registration of transfer and exchange,
(ii) the
rights of substitution of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Transition
Bonds,
(iii) the rights of Transition Bondholders to receive payments of Principal
and
interest, but only from the amounts deposited with the Trustee for
such
payments, (iv) Sections 4.03 and 4.04, (v) the rights, obligations
and
immunities of the Trustee hereunder (including the rights of the Trustee
under
Section 6.07 and the obligations of the Trustee under Section 4.03)
and (vi) the
rights of Transition Bondholders under this Indenture with respect
to the
property deposited with the Trustee payable to all or any of them,
shall survive
until the Transition Bonds of the Series as to which this Indenture
or certain
obligations hereunder have been satisfied and discharged pursuant to
Section
4.01(a) or 4.01(b) and have been paid in full. Thereafter, the obligations
in
Sections 6.07 and 4.04 with respect to such Series shall survive.
27
SECTION 4.02 CONDITIONS TO
DEFEASANCE.
(a) The Issuer may exercise the Legal
Defeasance Option or the Covenant Defeasance Option with respect to
any Series
only if:
(i) the Issuer irrevocably deposits
or causes to be deposited in trust with the Trustee cash or U.S. Government
Obligations maturing as to Principal and interest in such amounts and
at such
times as will insure the availability of cash for the payment of Principal
of
and premium, if any, and interest on such Series to the Expected Final
Payment
Date or Redemption Date therefor, as applicable, such deposit to be
made in the
Defeasance Subaccount for such Series;
(ii) the Issuer delivers to the
Trustee a certificate from a nationally recognized firm of Independent
registered public accountants expressing its opinion that the payments
of
Principal and interest when due and without reinvestment of the deposited
U.S.
Government Obligations plus any deposited cash without investment will
provide
cash at such times and in such amounts (but, in the case of the Legal
Defeasance
Option only, not more than such amounts) as will be sufficient to pay
in respect
of the Transition Bonds of such Series (A) subject to clause (B), Principal
in
accordance with the Expected Amortization Schedule therefor, (B) if
such Series
is to be redeemed, the Redemption Price therefor on the Redemption
Date therefor
and (C) interest when due;
(iii) in the case of the Legal
Defeasance Option, ninety-five days pass after the deposit is made
and during
such ninety-five day period no Default specified in Section 5.01(e)
or 5.01(f)
occurs which is continuing at the end of the period; provided, however,
that in
determining whether a default under Section 5.01(e) has occurred, the
requirement that the decree or order shall remain unstayed and in effect
for
ninety days shall be disregarded;
(iv) no Default has occurred and is
continuing on the day of such deposit and after giving effect
thereto;
(v) in the case of the Legal
Defeasance Option, the Issuer delivers to the Trustee an Issuer Opinion
of
Counsel stating that (A) the Issuer has received from, or there has
been
published by, the Internal Revenue Service a ruling, or (B) since the
date of
execution of this Indenture, there has been a change in the applicable
Federal
income tax law, in either case to the effect that, and based thereon
such
opinion shall confirm that, the Holders of the Transition Bonds of
such Series
will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes
as a
result of the exercise of such Legal Defeasance Option and will be
subject to
Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the
same times
as would have been the case if such defeasance had not occurred;
(vi) in the case of the Covenant
Defeasance Option, the Issuer delivers to the Trustee an Issuer Opinion
of
Counsel to the effect that the Holders of the Transition Bonds of such
Series
will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes
as a
result of the exercise of such Covenant Defeasance Option and will
be subject to
Federal income tax on the same amounts, in the same manner and at the
same times
as would have been the case if such defeasance had not occurred; and
28
(vii) the Issuer delivers to the
Trustee an Issuer Officer’s Certificate and an Issuer Opinion of Counsel, each
stating that all conditions precedent to the satisfaction and discharge
of the
Transition Bonds of such Series to the extent contemplated by this
Article IV
have been complied with.
(b) Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Section 4.02 to the contrary, no delivery of cash
or U.S.
Government Obligations to the Trustee under this Section 4.02 shall
terminate
any obligations of the Issuer under this Indenture with respect to
any
Transition Bonds which are to be redeemed prior to the Expected Final
Payment
Date therefor until such Transition Bonds shall have been irrevocably
called or
designated for redemption on a date thereafter on which such Transition
Bonds
may be redeemed in accordance with the provisions of this Indenture
and proper
notice of such redemption shall have been given in accordance with
the
provisions of this Indenture or the Issuer shall have given the Trustee,
in form
satisfactory to the Trustee, irrevocable instructions to give, in the
manner and
at the times prescribed herein, notice of redemption of such Series.
SECTION 4.03 APPLICATION OF TRUST
MONEY All moneys or U.S. Government Obligations deposited with the Trustee
pursuant to Sections 4.01 or 4.02 with respect to any Series shall
be held in
trust in the Defeasance Subaccount for such Series and applied by the
Trustee,
in accordance with the provisions of the Transition Bonds and this
Indenture, to
the payment, either directly or through any Paying Agent, as the Trustee
may
determine, to the Holders of the particular Transition Bonds for the
payment or
redemption of which such moneys have been deposited with the Trustee,
of all
sums due and to become due thereon for Principal, premium, if any,
and interest.
Such moneys shall be segregated and held apart solely for paying such
Transition
Bonds and such Transition Bonds shall not be entitled to any amounts
on deposit
in the Collection Account other than amounts on deposit in the Defeasance
Subaccount for such Transition Bonds.
SECTION 4.04 REPAYMENT OF MONEYS HELD
BY PAYING AGENT In connection with the satisfaction and discharge of this
Indenture, or the exercise of the Covenant Defeasance Option or the Legal
Defeasance Option with respect to the Transition Bonds of any Series,
all moneys
then held by any Paying Agent other than the Trustee under the provisions
of
this Indenture or the Intercreditor Agreement with respect to such Transition
Bonds shall, upon demand of the Issuer, be paid to the Trustee to be
held and
applied according to Section 3.03 and thereupon such Paying Agent shall
be
released from all further liability with respect to such moneys.
ARTICLE
V
REMEDIES
SECTION 5.01 EVENTS OF DEFAULT |“Event
of Default,” wherever used herein, means any one or more of the following events
(whatever the reason for such Event of Default and whether it shall
be voluntary
or involuntary or be effected by operation of law or pursuant to any
judgment,
decree or order of any court or any order, rule or regulation of any
administrative or governmental body):
(a) default in the payment of any
interest on any Transition Bond when the same becomes due and payable
and the
continuation of such default for five Business Days;
(b) default in the payment of the
then unpaid Principal of any Transition Bond of any Series or Class
on the Final
Maturity Date therefor;
29
(c) default in the payment of the
Redemption Price for any Transition Bond on the Redemption Date
therefor;
(d) default in the observance or
performance of any covenant or agreement of the Issuer made in this
Indenture
(other than a covenant or agreement, a default in the observance or
performance
of which is specifically dealt with in clause (a), (b) or (c) above),
or any
material representation or warranty of the Issuer made in this Indenture
or in
any certificate or other writing delivered pursuant hereto or in connection
herewith proving to have been incorrect in any material respect as
of the time
when made, and any such default shall continue or not be cured, for
a period of
thirty days after the earlier of (i) the date that there shall have
been given,
by registered or certified mail, to the Issuer by the Trustee or to
the Issuer
and the Trustee by the Holders of at least twenty-five percent of the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of any Series or Class,
a written
notice specifying such default or incorrect representation or warranty
and
requiring it to be remedied and stating that such notice is a “Notice of
Default” hereunder or (ii) the date the Issuer has knowledge of the
default;
(e) the filing of a decree or order
for relief by a court having jurisdiction in the premises in respect
of the
Issuer or any substantial part of the Collateral in an involuntary
case or
proceeding under any applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency
or other
similar law now or hereafter in effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator,
assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator or similar official for
the Issuer or
for any substantial part of the Collateral, or ordering the winding-up
or
liquidation of the Issuer’s affairs, and such decree or order shall remain
unstayed and in effect for a period of ninety consecutive days;
(f) the commencement by the Issuer of
a voluntary case or proceeding under any applicable Federal or state
bankruptcy,
insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect, or the
consent by
the Issuer to the entry of an order for relief in an involuntary case
under any
such law, or the consent by the Issuer to the appointment or taking
possession
by a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator
or similar
official for the Issuer or for any substantial part of the Collateral,
or the
making by the Issuer of any assignment for the benefit of creditors,
or the
failure by the Issuer generally to pay its debts as such debts become
due, or
the taking of action by the Issuer in furtherance of any of the foregoing;
or
(g) any act or failure to act by the
State of New Jersey or any of its agencies (including the BPU), officers
or
employees that violates or is not in accordance with the pledge and
agreement of
the State of New Jersey in Section 17(a) of the Competition Act (N.J.S.A.
48:3-66(a)).
SECTION 5.02 ACCELERATION OF MATURITY;
RESCISSION AND ANNULMENT.
(a) If an Event of Default (other
than an Event of Default under Section 5.01(g)) occurs and is continuing,
then
and in every such case either the Trustee or the Holders of not less
than a
majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series,
voting
together as a single class, may, but need not, declare all the Transition
Bonds
to be immediately due and payable, by a notice in writing to the Issuer
(and to
the Trustee if given by Transition Bondholders), and upon any such
declaration
the unpaid Principal amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series,
together with
accrued and unpaid interest thereon through the date of acceleration,
shall
become immediately due and payable.
30
(b) At any time after such
declaration of acceleration of maturity has been made and before a
judgment or
decree for payment of the money due has been obtained by the Trustee
as provided
in this Article V, the Holders of not less than a majority of the Outstanding
Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series, voting together as a
single class,
by written notice to the Issuer and the Trustee, may rescind and annul
such
declaration and its consequences, provided that:
(i) the Issuer has paid or deposited
with the Trustee, for deposit in the General Subaccount of the Collection
Account, a sum sufficient to pay:
(A) all payments of Principal of and
interest on all Transition Bonds of all Series and all other amounts
that would
then be due hereunder or upon such Transition Bonds if the Event of
Default
giving rise to such acceleration had not occurred; and
(B) all sums paid or advanced by the
Trustee hereunder and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements
and
advances of the Trustee and its agents and counsel; and
(ii) all Events of Default, other
than the nonpayment of the principal of the Transition Bonds of all
Series that
has become due solely by such acceleration, have been cured or waived
as
provided in Section 5.12.
(c) No such rescission shall affect
any subsequent Default or impair any right consequent thereto.
SECTION 5.03 COLLECTION OF INDEBTEDNESS
AND SUITS FOR ENFORCEMENT BY TRUSTEE..
(a) The Issuer covenants that if (i)
Default is made in the payment of any interest on any Transition Bond
when such
interest becomes due and payable and such Default continues for five
Business
Days, (ii) Default is made in the payment of the then unpaid Principal
of any
Transition Bond on the Final Maturity Date therefor or (iii) Default
is made in
the payment of the Redemption Price or for any Transition Bond on the
Redemption
Date therefor, the Issuer shall, upon demand of the Trustee, pay to
it, for the
benefit of the Holders of the Transition Bonds of such Series, such
amount as
shall be sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of collection,
including the
reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the
Trustee and
its agents and counsel and the whole amount then due and payable on
such
Transition Bonds for Principal and interest, with interest upon the
overdue
payment of principal and, to the extent payment at such rate of interest
shall
be legally enforceable, upon overdue installments of interest, at the
respective
Interest Rate of such Series or the applicable Class of such Series.
(b) In case the Issuer shall fail
forthwith to pay the amounts specified in clause (a) above upon such
demand, the
Trustee, in its own name and as trustee of an express trust, may institute
a
Proceeding for the collection of the sums so due and unpaid, and may
prosecute
such Proceeding to judgment or final decree, and may enforce the same
against
the Issuer or other obligor upon such Transition Bonds and collect
in the manner
provided by law out of the property of the Issuer or other obligor
upon such
Transition Bonds, wherever situated, the moneys adjudged or decreed
to be
payable.
31
(c) If an Event of Default occurs and
is continuing, the Trustee may, as more particularly provided in Section
5.04,
in its discretion, proceed to protect and enforce its rights and the
rights of
the Transition Bondholders, by such appropriate Proceedings as the
Trustee shall
deem most effective to protect and enforce any such rights, whether
for the
specific enforcement of any covenant or agreement in this Indenture
or in aid of
the exercise of any power granted herein, or to enforce any other proper
remedy
or legal or equitable right vested in the Trustee by this Indenture
or by law
including foreclosing or otherwise enforcing the Lien on the Bondable
Transition
Property securing the Transition Bonds. The Trustee shall request a
court of
competent jurisdiction to permit the BPU to issue and enforce any order
for
sequestration of revenues arising with respect to such Bondable Transition
Property.
(d) In case there shall be pending,
relative to the Issuer or any other obligor upon the Transition Bonds
or any
Person having or claiming an ownership interest in the Collateral,
Proceedings
under Title 11 of the United States Code or any other applicable Federal
or
state bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law, or in case a receiver,
assignee or trustee in bankruptcy or reorganization, liquidator, sequestrator
or
similar official shall have been appointed for or taken possession
of the Issuer
or its property or such other obligor or Person, or in case of any
other
comparable judicial Proceedings relative to the Issuer or other obligor
upon the
Transition Bonds, or to the creditors or property of the Issuer or
such other
obligor, the Trustee, irrespective of whether the Principal of any
Transition
Bonds shall then be due and payable as therein expressed or by declaration
or
otherwise and irrespective of whether the Trustee shall have made any
demand
pursuant to the provisions of this Section 5.03, shall be entitled
and
empowered, by intervention in such Proceedings or otherwise:
(i) to file and prove a claim or
claims for the whole amount of Principal and interest owing and unpaid
in
respect of the Transition Bonds and to file such other papers or documents
as
may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Trustee
(including any claim for reasonable compensation to the Trustee and
each
predecessor Trustee, and their respective agents, attorneys and counsel,
and for
reimbursement of all expenses and liabilities incurred, and all advances
made,
by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee, except as a result of
negligence or
bad faith) and of the Transition Bondholders allowed in such
Proceedings;
(ii) unless prohibited by applicable
law and regulations, to vote on behalf of the Holders in any election
of a
trustee, a standby trustee or Person performing similar functions in
any such
Proceedings;
(iii) to collect and receive any
moneys or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims
and to
distribute all amounts received with respect to the claims of the Transition
Bondholders and of the Trustee on their behalf; and
(iv) to file such proofs of claim and
other papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order
to have the
claims of the Trustee or the Holders allowed in any judicial proceedings
relative to the Issuer, its creditors and its property;
and any trustee, receiver, liquidator, custodian or other similar
official
in any such Proceeding is hereby authorized by each of such Transition
Bondholders to make payments to the Trustee, and, in the event that the
Trustee
shall consent to the making of payments directly to such Transition Bondholders,
to pay to the Trustee such amounts as shall be sufficient to cover reasonable
compensation to the Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective
agents, attorneys and counsel, and all other expenses and liabilities
incurred,
and all advances made, by the Trustee and each predecessor Trustee except
as a
result of negligence or bad faith.
32
(e) Nothing herein contained shall be
deemed to authorize the Trustee to authorize or consent to or vote
for or accept
or adopt on behalf of any Transition Bondholder any plan of reorganization,
arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Transition Bonds
or the
rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Trustee to vote in
respect of
the claim of any Transition Bondholder in any such proceeding except,
as
aforesaid, to vote for the election of a trustee in bankruptcy or similar
Person.
(f) All rights of action and of
asserting claims under this Indenture, or under any of the Transition
Bonds, may
be enforced by the Trustee without the possession of any of the Transition
Bonds
or the production thereof in any trial or other Proceedings relative
thereto,
and any such action or Proceedings instituted by the Trustee shall
be brought in
its own name as trustee of an express trust, and any recovery of judgment,
subject to the payment of the expenses, disbursements and compensation
of the
Trustee, each predecessor Trustee and their respective agents and attorneys,
shall be for the ratable benefit of the Holders of the Transition
Bonds.
(g) In any Proceedings brought by the
Trustee (and also any Proceedings involving the interpretation of any
provision
of this Indenture to which the Trustee shall be a party), the Trustee
shall be
held to represent all the Holders of the Transition Bonds, and it shall
not be
necessary to make any Transition Bondholder a party to any such
Proceedings.
SECTION 5.04 REMEDIES.
(a) If an Event of Default other than
Section 5.01(g) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee may do one or
more of the
following (subject to Section 5.05):
(i) institute Proceedings in its own
name and as trustee of an express trust for the collection of all amounts
then
payable on the Transition Bonds or under this Indenture with respect
thereto,
whether by declaration or otherwise, enforce any judgment obtained,
and collect
from the Issuer and any other obligor upon such Transition Bonds moneys
adjudged
due;
(ii) institute Proceedings from time
to time for the complete or partial foreclosure of this Indenture with
respect
to the Collateral;
(iii) exercise any remedies of a
secured party under the New Jersey UCC , the Delaware UCC or the Competition
Act
or any other applicable law and take any other appropriate action to
protect and
enforce the rights and remedies of the Trustee and the Holders of the
Transition
Bonds;
(iv) sell the Collateral or any
portion thereof or rights or interest therein, at one or more public
or private
sales called and conducted in any manner permitted by law; and
(v) exercise all rights, remedies,
powers, privileges and claims of the Issuer against the Seller, the
Administrator, the Servicer or any Swap Counterparty under or in connection
with
the Sale Agreement, the Intercreditor Agreement, the Administration
Agreement,
the Servicing Agreement or the related Interest Rate Swap Agreement,
respectively, as provided in Section 3.20(b);
33
provided, however, that the Trustee may not sell or otherwise liquidate
any
portion of the Collateral following an Event of Default, other than an
Event of
Default described in Section 5.01(a), 5.01(b) or 5.01(c), with respect
to any
Series unless (A) the Holders of one hundred percent of the Outstanding
Amount
of the Transition Bonds of all Series consent in writing thereto, (B)
the
proceeds of such sale or liquidation distributable to the Transition
Bondholders
of all Series are sufficient to discharge in full all amounts then due
and
unpaid upon such Transition Bonds for Principal and premium, if any,
and accrued
and unpaid interest or (C) the Trustee determines, after having been
advised in
writing by the Servicer, that the Collateral will not continue to provide
sufficient funds for all payments on the Transition Bonds of all Series
as they
would have become due if the Transition Bonds had not been declared due
and
payable and the Trustee obtains the written consent of Holders of at
least
sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds of all Series. In determining such sufficiency or insufficiency
with
respect to clauses (B) and (C), the Trustee may, but need not, obtain
and
conclusively rely upon an opinion of an Independent investment banking
or
certified public accounting firm of national reputation as to the feasibility
of
such proposed action and as to the sufficiency of the Collateral for
such
purpose.
(b) If an Event of Default under
Section 5.01(g) occurs and is continuing, the Trustee, for the benefit
of the
Holders, shall be entitled and empowered to the extent permitted by
applicable
law to institute or participate in Proceedings reasonably necessary
to compel
performance of or to enforce the pledge and agreement of the State
of New Jersey
in Section 17(a) of the Competition Act (N.J.S.A. 48:3-66(a)) and to
collect any monetary damages incurred by the Holders or the Trustee
as a result
of any such Event of Default, and may prosecute any such Proceeding
to final
judgment or decree. Such remedy shall be the only remedy that the Trustee
may
exercise if the only Event of Default that has occurred and is continuing
is an
Event of Default under Section 5.01(g).
SECTION 5.05 OPTIONAL PRESERVATION OF
THE COLLATERAL If the Transition Bonds have been declared to be due and
payable under Section 5.02 following an Event of Default and such declaration
and its consequences have not been rescinded and annulled, the Trustee
may, but
need not, elect, as provided in Section 5.11(c), to maintain possession
of the
Collateral and not sell or liquidate the same. It is the desire of
the parties
hereto and the Transition Bondholders that there be at all times sufficient
funds for the payment of Principal of and interest on the Transition
Bonds, and
the Trustee shall take such desire into account when determining whether
or not
to maintain possession of the Collateral or sell or liquidate the same.
In
determining whether to maintain possession of the Collateral or sell
or
liquidate the same, the Trustee may, but need not, obtain and conclusively
rely
upon an opinion of an Independent investment banking or certified public
accounting firm of national reputation as to the feasibility of such
proposed
action and as to the sufficiency of the Collateral for such purpose.
SECTION 5.06 LIMITATION OF
PROCEEDINGS.
(a) No Holder of any Transition Bond
of any Series shall have any right to institute any Proceeding, judicial
or
otherwise, to avail itself of any remedies provided in the Competition
Act or to
avail itself of the right to foreclose on the Bondable Transition Property
or
otherwise enforce the Lien on the Bondable Transition Property, with
respect to
this Indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or trustee, or
for any
other remedy hereunder, unless:
34
(i) such Holder has previously given
written notice to the Trustee of a continuing Event of Default;
(ii) the Holders of not less than
twenty-five percent of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds
of all
Series have made written request of the Trustee to institute such Proceeding
in
respect of such Event of Default in its own name as Trustee
hereunder;
(iii) such Holder or Holders have
offered to the Trustee security or indemnity reasonably satisfactory
to the
Trustee against the costs, expenses and liabilities to be incurred
in complying
with such request;
(iv) the Trustee for sixty days after
its receipt of such notice, request and offer of indemnity has failed
to
institute such Proceeding; and
(v) no direction inconsistent with
such written request has been given to the Trustee during such sixty
day period
by the Holders of a majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds
of all Series;
it being understood and intended that no one or more Holders shall
have any
right in any manner whatever by virtue of, or by availing of, any provision
of
this Indenture to affect, disturb or prejudice the rights of any other
Holders
or to obtain or to seek to obtain priority or preference over any other
Holders
or to enforce any right under this Indenture, except in the manner herein
provided.
(b) In the event the Trustee shall
receive conflicting or inconsistent requests and indemnity from two
or more
groups of Holders, each representing less than a majority of the Outstanding
Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series, the Trustee in its sole
discretion
may determine what action, if any, shall be taken, notwithstanding
any other
provisions of this Indenture.
SECTION 5.07 UNCONDITIONAL RIGHTS OF
TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS TO RECEIVE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST Notwithstanding
any other provisions in this Indenture, the Holder of any Transition
Bond shall
have the right, which is absolute and unconditional, and shall not
be impaired
without the consent of each such Holder, (a) to receive payment of
(i) the
interest, if any, on such Transition Bond on or after the due dates
thereof
expressed in such Transition Bond or in this Indenture, (ii) the unpaid
Principal, if any, of such Transition Bonds on or after the Final Maturity
Date
therefor or (iii) in the case of redemption, the unpaid Principal,
if any, and
interest, if any, on such Transition Bond on or after the Redemption
Date
therefor and (b) to institute suit for the enforcement of any such
payment, and
such right shall not be impaired without the consent of such Holder.
SECTION 5.08 RESTORATION OF RIGHTS AND
REMEDIES If the Trustee or any Transition Bondholder has instituted any
Proceeding to enforce any right or remedy under this Indenture and
such
Proceeding has been discontinued or abandoned for any reason or has
been
determined adversely to the Trustee or to such Transition Bondholder,
then and
in every such case the Issuer, the Trustee and the Transition Bondholders
shall,
subject to any determination in such Proceeding, be restored severally
and
respectively to their former positions hereunder, and thereafter all
rights and
remedies of the Trustee and the Transition Bondholders shall continue
as though
no such Proceeding had been instituted.
35
SECTION 5.09 RIGHTS AND REMEDIES
CUMULATIVE No right or remedy herein conferred upon or reserved to the
Trustee or to the Transition Bondholders is intended to be exclusive
of any
other right or remedy, and every right and remedy shall, to the extent
permitted
by law, be cumulative and in addition to every other right and remedy
given
hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or otherwise.
The
assertion or employment of any right or remedy hereunder, or otherwise,
shall
not prevent the concurrent assertion or employment of any other appropriate
right or remedy.
SECTION 5.10 DELAY OR OMISSION NOT A
WAIVER No delay or omission of the Trustee or any Transition Bondholder to
exercise any right or remedy accruing upon any Default or Event of
Default shall
impair any such right or remedy or constitute a waiver of any such
Default or
Event of Default or an acquiescence therein. Every right and remedy
given by
this Article V or by law to the Trustee or to the Transition Bondholders
may be
exercised from time to time, and as often as may be deemed expedient,
by the
Trustee or by the Transition Bondholders, as the case may be.
SECTION 5.11 CONTROL BY A MAJORITY OF
TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS The Holders of a majority of the Outstanding Amount
of the Transition Bonds of all Series (or, if less than all Series
or Classes
are affected, the affected Series or Class or Classes), voting together
as a
single class, shall have the right to direct the time, method and place
of
conducting any Proceeding for any remedy available to the Trustee with
respect
to the Transition Bonds of such Series or Class or Classes or exercising
any
trust or power conferred on the Trustee with respect to such Series
or Class or
Classes; provided that
(a) such direction shall not be in
conflict with any rule of law or with this Indenture;
(b) subject to the express terms of
Section 5.04, any direction to the Trustee to sell or liquidate the
Collateral
shall be by the Holders of not less than one hundred percent of the
Outstanding
Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series;
(c) if the conditions set forth in
Section 5.05 have been satisfied and the Trustee elects to retain the
Collateral
pursuant to such Section 5.05 and elects not to sell or liquidate the
same, then
any direction to the Trustee by Holders of less than one hundred percent
of the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series to sell or
liquidate
the Collateral shall be of no force and effect; and
(d) the Trustee may take any other
action deemed proper by the Trustee that is not inconsistent with such
direction;
provided, however, that, subject to Section 6.01, the Trustee need
not take
any action that it determines might involve it in liability for which
it
reasonably believes it will not be indemnified to its reasonable satisfaction
against the costs, expenses and liabilities which might be incurred by
it in
complying with such request. The Trustee also need not take any action
that it
determines might materially and adversely affect the rights of any Transition
Bondholders not consenting to such action.
36
SECTION 5.12 WAIVER OF PAST
DEFAULTS
(a) Prior to the declaration of the acceleration of the maturity of
the Transition Bonds of all Series as provided in Section 5.02, the Holders
of
not less than a majority of the Outstanding Amount of the Transition
Bonds of
all Series, voting together as a single class, may waive any past Default
or
Event of Default and its consequences except a Default (i) in payment
of
Principal of and premium, if any, or interest on any of the Transition
Bonds or
(ii) in respect of a covenant or provision hereof which cannot be modified
or
amended without the waiver or consent of the Holder of each Transition
Bond of
all Series or Classes affected. In the case of any such waiver, the Issuer,
the
Trustee and the Holders of the Transition Bonds shall be restored to
their
former positions and rights hereunder, respectively, but no such waiver
shall
extend to any subsequent or other Default or impair any right consequent
thereto.
(b) Upon any such waiver, such
Default shall cease to exist and be deemed to have been cured and not
to have
occurred, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed
to have
been cured and not to have occurred, for every purpose of this Indenture,
but no
such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other Default or Event
of Default
or impair any right consequent thereto.
SECTION 5.13 UNDERTAKING FOR
COSTS All parties to this Indenture agree, and each Holder of any
Transition Bond by such Holder’s acceptance thereof shall be deemed to have
agreed, that any court may in its discretion require, in any suit for
the
enforcement of any right or remedy under this Indenture, or in any
suit against
the Trustee for any action taken, suffered or omitted by it as Trustee,
the
filing by any party litigant in such suit of an undertaking to pay
the costs of
such suit, and that such court may in its discretion assess reasonable
costs,
including reasonable attorneys’ fees, against any party litigant in such suit,
having due regard to the merits and good faith of the claims or defenses
made by
such party litigant; provided, however, the provisions of this Section
5.13
shall not apply to (a) any suit instituted by the Trustee, (b) any
suit
instituted by any Transition Bondholder, or group of Transition Bondholders,
in
each case holding in the aggregate more than ten percent of the Outstanding
Amount of the Transition Bonds of a Series or (c) any suit instituted
by any
Transition Bondholder for the enforcement of the payment of (i) interest
on any
Transition Bond on or after the due dates expressed in such Transition
Bond and
in this Indenture, (ii) the unpaid Principal, if any, of any Transition
Bond on
or after the Final Maturity Date therefor or (iii) in the case of redemption,
the unpaid Principal of and interest on any Transition Bond on or after
the
Redemption Date therefor.
SECTION 5.14 WAIVER OF STAY OR
EXTENSION LAWS The Issuer covenants (to the extent that it may lawfully do
so) that it will not at any time insist upon, or plead, or in any manner
whatsoever, claim or take the benefit or advantage of, any stay or
extension law
wherever enacted, now or at any time hereafter in force, that may affect
the
covenants or the performance of this Indenture. The Issuer (to the
extent that
it may lawfully do so) hereby expressly waives all benefit or advantage
of any
such law, and covenants that it will not hinder, delay or impede the
execution
of any power herein granted to the Trustee, but will suffer and permit
the
execution of every such power as though no such law had been
enacted.
SECTION 5.15 ACTION ON TRANSITION BONDS
| The Trustee’s right to seek and recover judgment on the Transition Bonds or
under this Indenture shall not be affected by the seeking, obtaining
or
application of any other relief under or with respect to this Indenture.
Neither
the Lien of this Indenture nor any rights or remedies of the Trustee
or the
Transition Bondholders shall be impaired by the recovery of any judgment
by the
Trustee against the Issuer or by the levy of any execution under such
judgment
upon any portion of the Collateral or upon any of the assets of the
Issuer.
SECTION 5.16 APPLICATION OF TRUST
MONEY Any money collected by the Trustee pursuant to this Article V shall
be applied in accordance with Section 8.02 hereof.
37
ARTICLE VI
THE TRUSTEE
SECTION 6.01 DUTIES AND LIABILITIES OF
TRUSTEE..
(a) If an Event of Default has
occurred and is continuing, the Trustee shall exercise the rights and
powers
vested in it by this Indenture and use the same degree of care and
skill in
their exercise as a prudent Person would exercise or use under the
circumstances
in the conduct of such Person’s own affairs.
(b) Except during the continuance of
an Event of Default:
(i) the Trustee undertakes to perform
such duties and only such duties as are specifically set forth in this
Indenture
and no implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this Indenture
against the Trustee; and
(ii) in the absence of bad faith on
its part, the Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the
statements
and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon certificates
or
opinions furnished to the Trustee and conforming to the requirements
of this
Indenture.
(c) The Trustee may not be relieved
from liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure
to act or
its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) this clause (c) does not limit
the effect of clause (b) of this Section 6.01;
(ii) the Trustee shall not be liable
for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer
unless it
is proved that the Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent
facts;
and
(iii) the Trustee shall not be liable
with respect to any action it takes or omits to take in good faith
in accordance
with a direction received by it hereunder.
(d) Every provision of this Indenture
that in any way relates to the Trustee is subject to clauses (a), (b)
and (c) of
this Section 6.01.
(e) The Trustee shall not be liable
for interest on any money received by it except as provided in this
Indenture.
(f) Money held in trust by the
Trustee need not be segregated from other funds held by the Trustee
except to
the extent required by law or the terms of this Indenture, the Sale
Agreement,
the Intercreditor Agreement or the Servicing Agreement or any Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement.
38
(g) No provision of this Indenture
shall require the Trustee to expend or risk its own funds or otherwise
incur any
liability, financial or otherwise, in the performance of any of its
duties
hereunder or in the exercise of any of its rights or powers, if it
shall have
reasonable grounds to believe that repayments of such funds or indemnity
reasonably satisfactory to it against such risk or liability is not
reasonably
assured to it.
(h) Every provision of this Indenture
relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or affording
protection to
the Trustee shall be subject to the provisions of this Section 6.01
and to the
provisions of the TIA.
(i) Under no circumstances shall the
Trustee be liable for any indebtedness of the Issuer, the Servicer,
the Seller
or any Swap Counterparty evidenced by or arising under the Transition
Bonds or
any Basic Document.
(j) If so requested by the Issuer, or
by the Servicer on behalf of the Issuer, for the purpose of satisfying
the
Issuer’s reporting obligations under the Exchange Act with respect to any
class
of Transition Bonds, the Trustee shall (i) notify the Issuer in writing
of (A)
any material litigation or governmental proceedings pending against
the Trustee
and (B) any affiliations or relationships that develop following the
Closing
Date between the Trustee and any party to any of the Basic Documents,
and (ii)
provide to the Issuer a written description of such proceedings, affiliations
or
relationships.
(k) On or before March 15 of each
calendar year, if, during the prior year, the Issuer was obligated
to file
reports under the Exchange Act, the Trustee shall deliver to the Issuer
a report
(in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Issuer) regarding
the
Trustee’s assessment of compliance with the Servicing Criteria during the
immediately preceding calendar year, as required under Rules 13a-18
and 15d-18
of the Exchange Act and Item 1122 of Regulation AB. Such report shall
be
addressed to the Issuer and signed by an authorized officer of the
Trustee, and
shall address each of the Servicing Criteria. The Trustee shall also
deliver to
the Issuer a report of a registered public accounting firm reasonably
acceptable
to the Issuer that attests to, and reports on, the assessment of compliance
made
by the Trustee and delivered pursuant to the first sentence of this
Section
6.01(k). Such attestation shall be in accordance with Rules 1-02(a)(3)
and
2-02(g) of Regulation S-X under the Securities Act and the Exchange
Act.
SECTION 6.02 RIGHTS OF
TRUSTEE.
(a) The Trustee may conclusively rely
on any document believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed
or
presented by the proper Person. The Trustee need not investigate any
fact or
matter stated in any such document.
(b) Before the Trustee acts or
refrains from acting, it may require an Issuer Officer’s Certificate or an
Issuer Opinion of Counsel. The Trustee shall not be liable for any
action it
takes or omits to take in good faith in reliance on an Issuer Officer’s
Certificate or an Issuer Opinion of Counsel.
(c) The Trustee may execute any of
the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either
directly
or by or through agents, attorneys, a custodian or nominee, and the
Trustee
shall not be responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part
of, or for
the supervision of, any such agent, attorney, custodian or nominee
appointed
with due care by it hereunder.
39
(d) The Trustee shall not be liable
for any action it takes or omits to take in good faith which it believes
to be
authorized or within its rights or powers; provided, however, that
the Trustee’s
conduct does not constitute willful misconduct, negligence or bad
faith.
(e) The Trustee may consult with
counsel, and the advice or opinion of such counsel with respect to
legal matters
relating to this Indenture and the Transition Bonds shall be full and
complete
authorization and protection from liability in respect to any action
taken,
omitted or suffered by it hereunder in good faith and in accordance
with the
advice or opinion of such counsel.
SECTION 6.03 INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF
TRUSTEE The Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the
owner or pledgee of Transition Bonds and may otherwise deal with the
Issuer or
its Affiliates with the same rights it would have if it were not Trustee.
Any
Paying Agent, Transition Bond Registrar, co-registrar or co-paying
agent, or
agent appointed pursuant to Section 3.02(b) may do the same with like
rights;
provided, however, the Trustee must comply with Sections 6.11 and
6.12.
SECTION 6.04 TRUSTEE’S DISCLAIMER
The Trustee shall not be responsible for
and makes no representation as to the
validity or adequacy of this Indenture or the Transition Bonds. The
Trustee
shall not be accountable for the Issuer’s use of the proceeds from the
Transition Bonds, and the Trustee shall not be responsible for any
statement of
the Issuer in this Indenture or in any document issued in connection
with the
sale of the Transition Bonds or in the Transition Bonds other than
the Trustee’s
certificate of authentication. The Trustee shall not be responsible
for the
form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, value or validity of any
of the
Collateral, or for or in respect of the validity or sufficiency of
the
Transition Bonds (other than the certificate of authentication for
the
Transition Bonds) or the Basic Documents and the Trustee shall in no
event
assume or incur any liability, duty or obligation to any Holder of
a Transition
Bond, other than as expressly provided for in this Indenture. The Trustee
shall
not be liable for the default or misconduct of the Issuer, the Seller,
the
Servicer or the Member or any Manager of the Issuer under any Basic
Document or
otherwise, or the default or misconduct of any counterparty under any
Interest
Rate Swap Agreement, and the Trustee shall have no obligation or liability
to
perform the obligations of the Issuer.
SECTION 6.05 NOTICE OF DEFAULTS
If a Default occurs and is continuing
with respect to any Class or Series and if
it is actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Trustee, the Trustee
shall
mail to each Rating Agency and to each Holder of all Series notice
of the
Default within ninety days after it occurs. Except in the case of a
Default in
payment of Principal of or interest on any Transition Bond, the Trustee
may
withhold the notice if and so long as a committee of its Responsible
Officers in
good faith determines that withholding the notice is in the interests
of
Transition Bondholders.
SECTION 6.06 REPORTS BY TRUSTEE TO
HOLDERS.
(a) The Trustee shall deliver to each
Holder such information as may be required to enable such Holder to
prepare its
Federal and state income tax returns.
(b) With respect to each Series and
Class, on or prior to each Payment Date therefor, the Trustee shall
deliver a
statement prepared by the Trustee to each Holder of such Series and
Class which
shall include (to the extent applicable) the following information
(and any
other information so specified in the Series Supplement for such Series)
as to
the Transition Bonds of such Series and Class with respect to such
Payment Date
or the period since the previous Payment Date, as applicable:
40
(i) the amount paid to Holders of the
Transition Bonds of such Series and Class in respect of Principal,
such amount
to be expressed as a dollar amount per thousand;
(ii) the amount paid to Holders of
the Transition Bonds of such Series and Class in respect of interest,
such
amount to be expressed as a dollar amount per thousand;
(iii) the Transition Bond Balance,
after giving effect to the payments to be made on such Payment Date,
and the
Projected Transition Bond Balance, in each case for such Series and
Class and as
of such Payment Date;
(iv) the amount on deposit in the
Overcollateralization Subaccount for such Series and the Scheduled
Overcollateralization Level for such Series as of such Payment Date;
(v) the amount on deposit in the
Series Capital Subaccount for such Series and the Required Capital
Amount for
that Series as of such Payment Date;
(vi) the amount, if any, on deposit
in the Reserve Subaccount as of such Payment Date;
(vii) the amount to be paid to each
Swap Counterparty;
(viii) the amounts paid to the
Trustee since the preceding Payment Date;
(ix) the amount paid to or withheld
by the Servicer since the preceding Payment Date; and
(x) the amount of any other transfers
and payments made pursuant to this Indenture.
(c) If any Transition Bonds are
listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the rules of such exchange
so
require, the listing agent shall arrange for publication in an Authorized
Newspaper that such statement shall be available with the Issuer’s listing agent
in Luxembourg appointed pursuant to Section 3.02(b).
(d) The Trustee’s responsibility for
disbursing the information described in clause (b) above to Holders
is limited
to the availability, timeliness and accuracy of the information provided
by the
Servicer pursuant to Section 3.05 and Annex 1 of the Servicing
Agreement.
41
SECTION 6.07 COMPENSATION AND
INDEMNITY.
(a) The Issuer shall pay to the
Trustee from time to time reasonable compensation for its services.
The
Trustee’s compensation shall not be limited by any law on compensation of a
trustee of an express trust. The Issuer shall reimburse the Trustee
for all
reasonable out-of-pocket expenses, disbursements and advances incurred
or made
by it, including costs of collection, in addition to the compensation
for its
services. Such expenses shall include the reasonable compensation and
expenses,
disbursements and advances of the Trustee’s agents, counsel, accountants and
experts. Notwithstanding the Issuer’s obligations set forth above in Section
6.07(a), the Issuer shall indemnify and hold harmless the Trustee and
its
officers, directors, employees and agents, to the extent permitted
by law, from
and against any and all costs, damages, expenses, losses, taxes (other
than
taxes imposed on the Trustee in connection with any fees earned in
accordance
with this Indenture) liabilities or other amounts whatsoever (including
reasonable counsel fees and expenses) incurred by the Trustee in connection
with
the administration of this trust, the enforcement of this trust and
all of the
Trustee’s rights, powers and duties under this Indenture and the performance
by
the Trustee of the duties and obligations of the Trustee under or pursuant
to
this Indenture and any Series Supplement. The Trustee shall notify
the Issuer
promptly of any claim for which it may seek indemnity. Failure by the
Trustee to
so notify the Issuer shall not relieve the Issuer of its obligations
hereunder.
(b) The Issuer shall defend such
claim and the Trustee may have separate counsel and the Issuer shall
pay the
fees and expenses of such counsel. The Issuer need not reimburse any
expense or
indemnify against any loss, liability or expense incurred by the Trustee
(i)
through the Trustee’s own willful misconduct, negligence or bad faith or (ii) to
the extent the Trustee was reimbursed for or indemnified against any
such loss,
liability or expense by the Seller pursuant to the Sale Agreement or
by the
Servicer pursuant to the Servicing Agreement.
(c) When the Trustee incurs expenses
after the occurrence of an Event of Default specified in Section 5.01(e)
or
5.01(f) with respect to the Issuer, the expenses are intended to constitute
expenses of administration under Title 11 of the United States Code
or any other
applicable Federal or state bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law.
The
obligations of the Issuer under this Section 6.07 shall survive the
termination
of this Indenture and the earlier resignation or removal of the Trustee.
To
secure the Issuer’s payment obligations in this Section 6.07, the Trustee shall
have a Lien prior to the Transition Bonds on all money or property
held or
collected by the Trustee, in its capacity as Trustee, except that held
in trust
to pay Principal and interest on particular Transition Bonds in accordance
with
the priorities established in Section 8.02.
SECTION 6.08 REPLACEMENT OF
TRUSTEE.
(a) The Trustee may resign at any
time upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Issuer. The Issuer may remove
the Trustee with or without cause at any time, with prior notice to
the Rating
Agencies, upon thirty days’ prior written notice to the Trustee, and shall
remove the Trustee if:
(i) the Trustee fails to comply with
Section 6.11;
(ii) the Trustee is adjudged a
bankrupt or insolvent;
(iii) a receiver or other public
officer takes charge of the Trustee or its property; or
42
(iv) the Trustee otherwise becomes
incapable of acting.
(b) If the Trustee resigns or is
removed or if a vacancy exists in the office of Trustee for any reason
(the
Trustee in such event being referred to herein as the “Retiring Trustee”), the
Issuer shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee.
(c) The Holders of a majority in
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series, voting together
as a
single class, may remove the Trustee by so notifying the Issuer and
the Trustee
and such Holders may appoint a successor Trustee.
(d) A successor Trustee shall deliver
a written acceptance of its appointment to the Retiring Trustee and
to the
Issuer. Thereupon the resignation or removal of the Retiring Trustee
shall
become effective, and the successor Trustee shall have all the rights,
powers
and duties of the Trustee under this Indenture and the Intercreditor
Agreement.
No resignation or removal of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.08
shall
become effective until the acceptance of the appointment by a successor
Trustee.
The successor Trustee shall mail a notice of its succession to the
Transition
Bondholders. The Retiring Trustee shall promptly transfer all property
held by
it as Trustee to the successor Trustee.
(e) If a successor Trustee does not
take office within thirty days after the Retiring Trustee resigns or
is removed,
the Retiring Trustee, the Issuer or the Holders of a majority in Outstanding
Amount of the Transition Bonds of all Series may petition any court
of competent
jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Trustee.
(f) If the Trustee fails to comply
with Section 6.11, any Transition Bondholder may petition any court
of competent
jurisdiction for the removal of the Trustee and the appointment of
a successor
Trustee.
(g) Notwithstanding the replacement
of the Trustee pursuant to this Section 6.08, the Issuer’s obligations under
Section 6.07 shall continue for the benefit of the Retiring Trustee.
SECTION 6.09 SUCCESSOR TRUSTEE BY
MERGER.
(a) If the Trustee consolidates with,
merges or converts into, or transfers all or substantially all of its
corporate
trust business or assets to, another corporation or banking association,
the
resulting, surviving or transferee corporation or banking association
shall,
without any further act, be the successor Trustee. Notice of any such
event
shall be promptly given to each Rating Agency by the successor
Trustee.
(b) In case at the time such
successor or successors by merger, conversion, consolidation or transfer
shall
succeed to the trusts created by this Indenture any of the Transition
Bonds
shall have been authenticated but not delivered, any such successor
to the
Trustee may adopt the certificate of authentication of any Retiring
Trustee, and
deliver such Transition Bonds so authenticated; and in case at that
time any of
the Transition Bonds shall not have been authenticated, any successor
to the
Trustee may authenticate such Transition Bonds either in the name of
any
Retiring Trustee hereunder or in the name of the successor to the Trustee;
and
in all such cases such certificates shall have the full force and effect
granted
by the Transition Bonds or by this Indenture and this force and effect
shall be
equal to any certificate issued by the Trustee.
43
SECTION 6.10 APPOINTMENT OF CO-TRUSTEE
OR SEPARATE TRUSTEE.
(a) Notwithstanding any other
provisions of this Indenture, at any time, for the purpose of meeting
any legal
requirement of any jurisdiction in which any part of the Collateral
may at the
time be located, the Trustee shall have the power and may execute and
deliver
all instruments to appoint one or more Persons to act as a co-trustee
or
co-trustees, or separate trustee or separate trustees, of all or any
part of the
Collateral, and to vest in such Person or Persons, in such capacity
and for the
benefit of the Transition Bondholders, such title to the Collateral,
or any part
hereof, and, subject to the other provisions of this Section 6.10,
such powers,
duties, obligations, rights and trusts as the Trustee may consider
necessary or
desirable. No co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be required
to meet
the terms of eligibility as a successor trustee under Section 6.11
and no notice
to the Transition Bondholders of the appointment of any co-trustee
or separate
trustee shall be required under Section 6.08. Notice of any such appointment
shall be promptly given to each Rating Agency by the Trustee.
(b) Every co-trustee and separate
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 Trustee shall be conferred
or imposed
upon and exercised or performed by the Trustee and such co-trustee
or separate
trustee jointly (it being understood that such co-trustee or separate
trustee is
not authorized to act separately without the 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 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 Collateral
or any
portion thereof in any such jurisdiction) shall be exercised and performed
singly by such co-trustee or separate trustee, but solely at the direction
of
the Trustee;
(ii) no trustee hereunder shall be
personally liable by reason of any act or omission of any other trustee
hereunder; and
(iii) the Trustee may at any time
accept the resignation of or remove any co-trustee or separate
trustee.
(c) Any notice, request or other
writing given to the Trustee shall be deemed to have been given to
each of the
then co-trustees and separate trustees, as effectively as if given
to each of
them. Every instrument appointing any co-trustee or separate trustee
shall refer
to this Indenture and the conditions of this Article VI. Each co-trustee
and
separate 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 Indenture, specifically including every
provision of
this Indenture relating to the conduct of, affecting the liability
of, or
affording protection to, the Trustee. Every such instrument shall be
filed with
the Trustee.
(d) Any co-trustee or separate
trustee 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 Indenture on its behalf and
in its name.
If any co-trustee or separate trustee 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.
44
SECTION 6.11 ELIGIBILITY;
DISQUALIFICATION The Trustee shall at all times satisfy the requirements
of TIA Section 310(a) and Section 26(a)(i) of the Investment Company
Act of
1940, as amended. The Trustee shall have a combined capital and surplus
of at
least $50,000,000 as set forth in its most recent published annual
report of
condition and it shall have a long term debt rating of “BBB-” or better by
Standard & Poor’s, “Baa3” or better by Moody’s and “BBB-” or better by
Fitch. The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section 310(b), including
the optional
provision permitted by the second sentence of TIA Section 310(b)(9);
provided,
however, that there shall be excluded from the operation of TIA Section
310(b)(1) any indenture or indentures under which other securities
of the Issuer
are outstanding if the requirements for such exclusion set forth in
TIA Section
310(b)(1) are met. If at any time the Trustee shall cease to be eligible
in
accordance with the provisions of this section, it shall resign or
be removed
immediately in the manner and with the effect specified in Section
6.08.
SECTION 6.12 PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF
CLAIMS AGAINST THE ISSUER The Trustee shall comply with TIA Section
311(a), excluding any creditor relationship listed in TIA Section 311(b).
A
Trustee who has resigned or been removed shall be subject to TIA Section
311(a)
to the extent indicated.
SECTION 6.13 REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES OF THE TRUSTEE The Trustee hereby represents and warrants
that:
(a) the Trustee is a banking
corporation validly existing in good standing under the laws of the
State of New
York; and
(b) the Trustee has full power,
authority and legal right to execute, deliver and perform this Indenture
and the
Basic Documents to which the Trustee is a party and has taken all necessary
action to authorize the execution, delivery and performance by it of
this
Indenture and such Basic Documents.
SECTION 6.14 RIGHT OF TRUSTEE IN
CAPACITY OF REGISTRAR OR PAYING AGENT. In the event that the Trustee
is also
acting in the capacity of Paying Agent or Transition Bond Registrar
hereunder,
the rights, protections, immunities and indemnities afforded to the
Trustee
shall also be afforded to the Trustee in its capacity as Paying Agent
or
Transition Bond Registrar.
ARTICLE VII
TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS’ LISTS AND
REPORTS
SECTION 7.01 ISSUER TO FURNISH TRUSTEE
NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS The Issuer shall furnish or
cause to be furnished to the Trustee (a) not more than five days after
the
earlier of (i) each Record Date with respect to each Series and (ii)
three
months after the last Record Date with respect to each Series, a list,
in such
form as the Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses
of the
Holders of such Series as of such Record Date, (b) at such other times
as the
Trustee may request in writing, within thirty days after receipt by
the Issuer
of any such request, a list of similar form and content as of a date
not more
than ten days prior to the time such list is furnished; provided, however,
that
so long as the Trustee is the Transition Bond Registrar, no such list
shall be
required to be furnished.
45
SECTION 7.02 PRESERVATION OF
INFORMATION; COMMUNICATIONS TO TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS.
(a) The Trustee shall preserve, in as
current a form as is reasonably practicable, the names and addresses
of the
Holders contained in the most recent list furnished to the Trustee
as provided
in Section 7.01 and the names and addresses of Holders received by
the Trustee
in its capacity as Transition Bond Registrar. The Trustee may destroy
any list
furnished to it as provided in such Section 7.01 upon receipt of a
new list so
furnished.
(b) Transition Bondholders may
communicate with other Transition Bondholders pursuant to Section 312(b)
of the
TIA, with respect to their rights under this Indenture or under the
Transition
Bonds.
(c) The Issuer, the Trustee and the
Transition Bond Registrar shall have the protection of Section 312(c)
of the
TIA.
SECTION 7.03 REPORTS BY
ISSUER.
(a) The Issuer shall:
(i) file with the Trustee within
fifteen days after the Issuer is required to file the same with the
Commission,
copies of the annual reports and of the information, documents and
other reports
(or copies of such portions of any of the foregoing as the Commission
may from
time to time by rules and regulations prescribe) which the Issuer is
required to
file with the Commission pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange
Act;
(ii) file with the Trustee and the
Commission, in accordance with rules and regulations prescribed from
time to
time by the Commission, such additional information, documents and
reports with
respect to compliance by the Issuer with the conditions and covenants
of this
Indenture as may be required from time to time by such rules and regulations;
and
(iii) supply to the Trustee (and the
Trustee shall transmit by mail to all Transition Bondholders described
in TIA
Section 313(c)), such summaries of any information, documents and reports
required to be filed by the Issuer pursuant to clauses (i) and (ii)
of this
Section 7.03(a) as may be required by rules and regulations prescribed
from time
to time by the Commission.
(b) Unless the Issuer otherwise
determines, the fiscal year of the Issuer shall end on December 31
of each year.
SECTION 7.04 REPORTS BY
TRUSTEE.
(a) If required by TIA Section
313(a), within sixty days after the end of each fiscal year of the
Issuer,
commencing with the year after the issuance of the Transition Bonds
of each
Series, the Trustee shall mail to each Holder of such Series as required
by TIA
Section 313(c) a brief report dated as of such date that complies with
TIA
Section 313(a). The Trustee also shall comply with TIA Section 313(b);
provided,
however, that the initial report so issued shall be delivered not more
than
twelve months after the initial issuance of each Series.
46
(b) A copy of each TIA Section 313(a)
report at the time of its mailing to Transition Bondholders shall be
filed by
the Trustee with the Commission and each stock exchange, if any, on
which the
Transition Bonds are listed (to the extent required by the rules of
such
exchange or exchanges). The Issuer shall notify the Trustee if and
when the
Transition Bonds are listed on any stock exchange.
SECTION 7.05 PROVISION OF SERVICER
REPORTS Upon the written request of any Transition Bondholder to the
Trustee addressed to the Corporate Trust Office, the Trustee shall
provide such
Transition Bondholder with a copy of the Officer’s Certificate referred to in
Section 3.06 of the Servicing Agreement and the Annual Accountant’s Report
referred to in Section 3.07 of the Servicing Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII
ACCOUNTS, DISBURSEMENTS
AND
RELEASES
SECTION 8.01 COLLECTION OF MONEY
Except as otherwise expressly provided
herein, the Trustee may demand payment or
delivery of, and shall receive and collect, directly and without intervention
or
assistance of any fiscal agent or other intermediary, all money and
other
property payable to or receivable by the Trustee pursuant to this Indenture.
The
Trustee shall apply all such money received by it as provided in this
Indenture.
Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Indenture, if any default
occurs
in the making of any payment or performance under any agreement or
instrument
that is part of the Collateral, the Trustee may take such action as
may be
appropriate to enforce such payment or performance, including the institution
and prosecution of appropriate Proceedings. Any such action shall be
without
prejudice to any right to claim a Default or Event of Default under
this
Indenture and any right to proceed thereafter as provided in Article
V.
47
SECTION 8.02 COLLECTION
ACCOUNT.
(a) (i) On or prior to the Series
Issuance Date for the first Series issued hereunder, the Issuer shall
open, at
the Trustee’s Corporate Trust Office, or at another Eligible Institution, one or
more segregated non-interest bearing trust accounts in the Trustee’s name for
the benefit of the Holders (collectively, the “Collection Account”). The
Collection Account shall initially be divided into subaccounts, which
need not
be separate bank accounts: a general subaccount (the “General Subaccount”),
unless otherwise provided in the related Series Supplement, an
overcollateralization subaccount for each Series (each, an
“Overcollateralization Subaccount” or the “Series Overcollateralization
Subaccount”), a capital subaccount for each Series (each, a “Capital Subaccount”
or the “Series Capital Subaccount”), a reserve subaccount (the “Reserve
Subaccount”), a series subaccount for each Series (each, a “Series Subaccount”)
and a class subaccount for any Class of any Series which has a floating
rate of
interest as specified in any Series Supplement (each, a “Class Subaccount”). If
so provided in any Series Supplement, the Series Capital Subaccount
for the
related Series may be divided into separate subaccounts bearing the
designations
specified in such Series Supplement for the purpose of tracing deposits
to and
withdrawals from such Series Capital Subaccount, provided that in such
case the
terms Series Capital Subaccount and Capital Subaccount with respect
to such
Series shall refer collectively to all such subaccounts except as specified
in
such Series Supplement for purposes of such tracing. On or prior to
the Series
Issuance Date for each Series issued after the Series Issuance Date
for the
first Series issued hereunder, the Issuer shall establish an additional
Series
Subaccount therefor and a Class Subaccount for any Class of such Series
which
has a floating rate of interest and in respect of which the Issuer
has entered
into an Interest Rate Swap Agreement, as Subaccounts of the Collection
Account.
Prior to depositing funds or U.S. Government Obligations in the Collection
Account pursuant to Sections 4.01 or 4.02, the Issuer shall establish
defeasance
subaccounts (each, a “Defeasance Subaccount”) for each Series for which funds
shall be deposited, as subaccounts of the Collection Account. All amounts
in the
Collection Account not allocated to any other Subaccount shall be allocated
to
the General Subaccount. Prior to the initial Payment Date, all amounts
in the
Collection Account (other than funds deposited into the Capital Subaccount,
up
to the Required Capital Amount) shall be allocated to the General Subaccount.
All payments received by the Trustee from any Swap Counterparty at
any time
shall be deposited in the related Class Subaccount. All references
to the
Collection Account shall be deemed to include reference to all subaccounts
contained therein. Withdrawals from and deposits to each of the foregoing
subaccounts of the Collection Account shall be made as set forth in
Sections
4.01, 4.02, 4.03 and 8.02(d) through (n). The Collection Account shall
at all
times be maintained as an Eligible Account and only the Trustee shall
have
access to the Collection Account for the purpose of making deposits
in and
withdrawals from the Collection Account in accordance with this Indenture.
If at
any time the Collection Account ceases to be an Eligible Account, the
Trustee
shall, within ten days, establish a new Collection Account as an Eligible
Account. Funds in the Collection Account shall not be commingled by
the Issuer
with any other moneys, and shall not be commingled by the Trustee.
All moneys
deposited from time to time in the Collection Account, all deposits
therein
pursuant to this Indenture, and all investments made in Eligible Investments
with such moneys, including all income or other gain from such investments,
shall be held by the Trustee in the Collection Account as part of the
Collateral
as herein provided.
48
(ii) Notwithstanding any other provision of
this Indenture, the Collection Account shall be a “securities account” (as
defined in Section 8-501(a) of the New Jersey UCC) and shall be established
with
the Trustee, acting as a “securities intermediary” (as defined in Section
8-102(a)(14) of the New Jersey UCC), and, in its capacity as securities
intermediary, the Trustee hereby agrees that (A) the Collection Account
shall be
a securities account of the Trustee, (B) each item of property (whether
cash,
cash equivalents, instruments, investments, investment property or other)
credited to the Collection Account shall be treated as a “financial asset”
within the meaning of Section 8-102(a)(9) of the New Jersey UCC, (C)
such
securities intermediary shall treat the Trustee as an “entitlement holder” (as
defined in Section 8-102(a)(7) of the New Jersey UCC) entitled to exercise
the
rights that comprise each financial asset credited to the Collection
Account,
(D) such securities intermediary shall comply with entitlement orders
originated
by the Trustee without the further consent of the Issuer or any other
Person or
entity, (E) such securities intermediary has not agreed to comply with
the
instructions of any person with respect to the Collection Account or
any
security entitlements or financial assets relating thereto (other than
pursuant
to this Indenture) and shall not agree with any person other than the
Trustee to
comply with entitlement orders originated by such other person in respect
of the
Collection Account or any security entitlement or financial asset carried
in the
Collection Account, (F) the Collection Account and all property credited
to it
shall not be subject to any Lien, security interest, right of set-off
in favor
of such securities intermediary or anyone claiming through it (other
than the
Trustee) and in the event such securities intermediary or anyone claiming
through it (other than the Trustee) has or subsequently obtains by agreement,
operation of law or otherwise a security interest in the Collection Account,
the
securities intermediary agrees that such security interest shall be subordinate
to the security interest of the Trustee, (G) such securities intermediary
shall
not have any knowledge without any independent investigation of any adverse
claim to the Collection Account or to the security entitlements with
respect
thereto, (H) the securities intermediary’s jurisdiction (as defined in Section
8-110(e) of the New Jersey UCC) shall be the State of New Jersey and
this
Indenture is the agreement that governs the Collection Account for purposes
of
the New Jersey UCC, (I) all securities and other property underlying
any
financial assets credited to the Collection Account shall be registered
in the
name of the Trustee or endorsed to the Trustee or in blank, and (J) such
securities intermediary shall not change the name or account number (other
than
in the normal course of operations in order to comply with internal system
requirements) for the Collection Account without the prior written consent
of
the Trustee or otherwise in accordance with this Indenture. The Trustee,
in its
capacity as securities intermediary, and the parties hereto agree that
the
Collection Account shall be under the control (within the meaning of
Section
8-106 of the New Jersey UCC) of the Trustee and no other person. Each
party
hereto and the Trustee, in its capacity as securities intermediary, agree
that
from time to time it shall promptly execute and deliver all instruments
and
documents, and take all actions, that may be reasonably necessary or
that the
Trustee may reasonably request in order to perfect and protect the security
interest granted or intended to be granted hereby or to enable the Trustee
to
exercise and enforce its rights and remedies hereunder with respect to
the
Collection Account and all proceeds thereof.
49
(b) Funds in the Collection Account
shall be invested and reinvested in Eligible Investments by the Trustee
upon an
Issuer Order; provided, however, that no funds in the Defeasance Subaccount
for
any Series shall be invested in Eligible Investments or otherwise,
except that
U.S. Government Obligations deposited by the Issuer with the Trustee
pursuant to
Section 4.02 shall remain as such. Except as provided in Section 8.02(g)(x),
all
income or other gain from investments of moneys deposited in the Collection
Account shall be deposited by the Trustee in the Collection Account,
and any
loss resulting from such investments shall be charged to the Collection
Account.
The Issuer shall not direct the Trustee to make any investment of any
funds or
to sell any investment held in the Collection Account unless the security
interest granted and perfected in such account will continue to be
perfected in
such investment or the proceeds of such sale, in either case without
any further
action by any Person, and, in connection with any direction to the
Trustee to
make any such investment or sale, if requested by the Trustee, the
Issuer shall
deliver to the Trustee an Issuer Opinion of Counsel, acceptable to
the Trustee,
to such effect. Subject to Section 6.01(c), the Trustee shall not in
any way be
held liable for the selection of Eligible Investments or for investment
losses
incurred thereon except for losses attributable to the Trustee’s failure to make
payments on such Eligible Investments issued by the Trustee, in such
entity’s
commercial capacity as principal obligor and not as Trustee, in accordance
with
their terms. The Trustee shall have no liability in respect of losses
incurred
as a result of the liquidation of any Eligible Investment prior to
its stated
maturity or the failure of the Issuer to provide timely written investment
direction. The Trustee shall have no obligation to invest or reinvest
any
amounts held hereunder in the absence of written investment direction
pursuant
to an Issuer Order.
(c) Any TBC Collections remitted by
the Servicer to the Trustee, all investment earnings on the subaccounts
in the
Collection Account other than any Capital Subaccount, any Indemnity
Amounts
remitted to the Trustee by the Seller or the Servicer or otherwise
received by
the Trustee, any other proceeds of Collateral received by the Servicer,
the
Issuer or the Trustee and any amounts paid by any Swap Counterparty
under an
Interest Rate Swap Agreement received by the Servicer, the Issuer or
the
Trustee, shall be deposited in the General Subaccount.
(d) On each Payment Date, first (i)
any expenses, including legal fees and expenses, Indemnity Amounts
(up to a
maximum of $10 million in the aggregate for the then current and all
prior
Payment Dates and $2,500,000 for any particular Payment Date and for
all Series
unless the Issuer has received confirmation from S&P that a further amount
will not result in a reduction or withdrawal of the then current rating
of the
Outstanding Transition Bonds) and any other amounts due and owing to
the Trustee
pursuant to the Basic Documents for such quarter so long as no Event
of Default
would result from the payment of such Indemnity Amounts (as limited
above) or
such other amounts, shall, at the direction of the Servicer, be paid
to the
Trustee; and after all payments required to be made under subsection
(i) hereof,
then (ii) the fees payable to the Independent Managers in an amount
equal to
$500 for such quarter and any other amounts due and owing to the Independent
Managers pursuant to the Issuer LLC Agreement shall, at the direction
of the
Servicer, be paid to the Independent Managers.
(e) On each Payment Date, after the
distributions made pursuant to clause (d) above, the Quarterly Servicing
Fee and
any unpaid Quarterly Servicing Fees shall, at the written direction
of the
Servicer, be paid to the Servicer to the extent that such amounts have
not been
withheld by the Servicer from TBC Collections pursuant to Section 5.07
of the
Servicing Agreement.
50
(f) On each Payment Date, or such
other date related to such Payment Date as may be specified in the
related
Series Supplement, the Trustee, at the written direction of the Servicer,
shall
allocate to each Class Subaccount the amounts specified in the related
Series
Supplement. Such amounts shall be so allocated after taking into account
all
allocations and payments required in connection with such Payment Date
under
clauses (d) and (e) above and (g)(i) through (iii) below; provided
that in the
event of any shortfall of amounts to be allocated pursuant to clause
(g)(iii)
among more than one Class of the applicable Series, amounts shall be
allocated
to such Class Subaccount on a Pro Rata basis with all other Classes
of the
relevant Series. Amounts in each Class Subaccount shall be applied
as provided
in the related Series Supplement.
(g) On each Payment Date, or before
each Payment Date to the extent otherwise specified in the related
Series
Supplement with respect to any Class Subaccount, by 12:00 noon (prevailing
New
York City time), or if such day is not a Business Day, on the following
Business
Day, the Trustee shall, at the written direction of the Servicer, apply
all
amounts on deposit in the General Subaccount of the Collection Account
and any
investment earnings on the subaccounts in the Collection Account, except
for
earnings in the Capital Subaccount, after distribution in accordance
with
clauses (d) and (e) above, and, subject to the qualifications therein,
after
allocation to any Class Subaccount in accordance with clause (f) above
and
payment to each related Swap Counterparty in accordance with the related
Series
Supplement, in the following priority:
(i) the administration fee payable
under, and determined in accordance with, the Administration Agreement
in an
amount not to exceed the Administrator’s actual cost, shall be paid to the
Administrator;
(ii) so long as no Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing or would be caused by such payment,
all Operating
Expenses other than distributions in accordance with clauses (d), (e)
and (g)(i)
above shall be paid to the Persons entitled thereto in accordance with
the
priorities set forth in this § 8.02, provided that the amount paid on such
Payment Date pursuant to this clause (g)(ii) may not exceed an annual
aggregate
of $250,000 for all Series;
(iii) payment of interest as
follows:
(A) First, payment of accrued and unpaid interest on each Series from
any prior period, including payment of amounts payable, if any, to
each Swap
Counterparty in accordance with the related Interest Rate Swap Agreement,
which
amount of unpaid interest shall be allocated to the corresponding Series
Subaccount;
(B) Then, payment of the current interest then due on each Series,
including payment of amounts payable to each Swap Counterparty in accordance
with the related Interest Rate Swap Agreement, which amount of current
interest
shall be allocated to the corresponding Series Subaccount (provided,
that, to
the extent provided in any Series Supplement with respect to interest
on any
floating rate Class, such amount shall be equal to the applicable amount
specified in the related Series Supplement payable with respect to
that Class)
and if there are insufficient funds to make such allocation in full,
amounts
shall be allocated on a Pro Rata basis to the corresponding Series
Subaccount;
(iv) an amount equal to the Principal
of each Class of each Series payable as a result of acceleration pursuant
to
Section 5.02, the Principal of each Series or Class payable because
such Payment
Date is on or after the Final Maturity Date of such Series or Class,
and the
Principal of each Series or Class payable on the Redemption Date for
an optional
redemption for such Series or Class shall be allocated to the corresponding
Series Subaccount and, to the extent there are insufficient funds to
make such
allocation in full, amounts shall be allocated on a Pro Rata basis;
51
(v) an amount equal to the Principal
scheduled to be paid on each Class of each Series on such Payment Date
according
to the Expected Amortization Schedule, excluding any amounts provided
for
pursuant to clause (g)(iv) above, shall be allocated to the corresponding
Series
Subaccount and, if there are insufficient funds to make such allocation
in full,
amounts shall be allocated on a Pro Rata basis;
(vi) all remaining unpaid Operating
Expenses and Indemnity Amounts shall be paid to the Persons entitled
thereto in
accordance with the priorities set forth in this Section 8.02;
(vii) an amount necessary to
replenish any shortfalls in the Capital Subaccount for each Series
below the
Required Capital Amount for such Series shall be allocated to the Capital
Subaccount for such Series, Pro Rata, based on the Outstanding Principal
balance
of each Series;
(viii) an amount shall be allocated
to the Overcollateralization Subaccount for each Series sufficient
to cause the
amount in the Overcollateralization Subaccount for such Series to equal
the
Scheduled Overcollateralization Level for such Series as of that Payment
Date,
Pro Rata, based on the Outstanding Principal balance of each Series;
(ix) any termination or breakage
amounts payable by the Issuer under any Interest Rate Swap Agreement
on such
Payment Date shall be paid to the Persons entitled thereto (provided,
however,
that for the avoidance of doubt, payments under this clause (ix) shall
be paid
on an unsecured basis and shall be paid after payment on such Payment
Date of
all amounts provided in (d), (e), (f) and (g)(i) through (viii)
above);
(x) so long as no Event of Default
has occurred and is continuing, an amount equal to investment earnings
on
amounts in the Capital Subaccount shall be released to the Issuer;
(xi) the balance, if any, shall be
allocated to the Reserve Subaccount; and
(xii) following repayment of all
amounts payable hereunder and with respect to all outstanding Series,
subclause
(g)(xi) shall cease to apply and the balance, if any, shall be released
to the
Issuer free from the Lien of this Indenture.
(h) For purposes of allocations among
Series prior to an acceleration of the maturity of Transition Bonds
pursuant to
Section 5.02, except as otherwise provided in any Series Supplement,
“Pro Rata”
means with respect to any Series a ratio: (i) in the case of a payment
of
interest on any Payment Date, the numerator of which is the amount
of interest
payable on such Series on such Payment Date and, with respect to any
Class of
such Series of floating rate Transition Bonds, the Gross Fixed Amount
for that
class (as such term is defined by the related Series Supplement) on
such Payment
Date, and the denominator of which is the aggregate amount of interest
payable
on all Series on such Payment Date; (ii) in the case of a payment of
Principal
on any Payment Date, the numerator of which is the aggregate amount
of Principal
scheduled to be paid or payable, as the case may be, on such Payment
Date with
respect to such Series and the denominator of which is the sum of the
aggregate
amounts of Principal scheduled to be paid or payable, as the case may
be, with
respect to all Outstanding Series on such Payment Date; and (iii) in
the case of
a payment or allocation on any Payment Date other than of interest
or Principal,
the numerator of which is the Outstanding Principal amount of such
Series
immediately prior such Payment Date and the denominator of which is
the
aggregate Outstanding Principal amount of all Series immediately prior
such
Payment Date.
52
(i) If, on any Payment Date, funds on
deposit in the General Subaccount are insufficient to make the payments
and
allocations contemplated by subclauses (d), (e), (f) and (g)(i) through
(v),
(vii) and (viii) above for all Series, the Trustee shall, at the written
direction of the Servicer, draw from amounts on deposit in the following
subaccounts in the following order up to the amount of such shortfall,
in order
to make such payments and allocations:
(i) from the Reserve Subaccount for
all Series, Pro Rata, for payments and allocations contemplated by
subclauses
(d), (e), (f) and (g)(i) through (v), (vii) and (viii);
(ii) from the Overcollateralization
Subaccount for such Series, Pro Rata, for payments and allocations
contemplated
by subclauses (d), (e), (f) and (g)(i) through (v); and
(iii) from the Capital Subaccount for
such Series, Pro Rata, for payments and allocations contemplated by
subclauses
(d), (e), (f) and (g)(i) through (v);
provided that no amounts from the Reserve Subaccount, the
Overcollateralization Subaccount for such Series or the Capital Subaccount
for
such Series shall be allocated to any Class Subaccount pursuant to subclause
(g)(iii) to the extent a shortfall in amounts available to pay interest
due on
the related Class is due solely to a failure by a Swap Counterparty to
make
payments due under the related Interest Rate Swap Agreement.
(j) On each Payment Date for each
Series prior to an acceleration of the maturity of Transition Bonds
pursuant to
Section 5.02, the amounts on deposit in such Series Subaccount shall
be
allocated, at the written direction of the Servicer, in the following
order of
priority: (i) to pay interest due and payable on the Transition Bonds
of such
Series with respect to such Payment Date to the Holders of such Series;
and (ii)
the balance, if any, up to the amount of Principal scheduled to be
paid or
payable on the Transition Bonds of such Series on such Payment Date,
to pay such
Principal to the Holders of such Series.
(k) Prior to an acceleration of the
Transition Bonds pursuant to Section 5.02, payments of interest with
respect to
each Series comprised of two or more Classes shall be allocated among
the
Classes within such Series on a Pro Rata basis. All payments of Principal
shall
be made in the order set forth in the Expected Amortization Schedule
established
with respect to each Series and within such Series, in order of Class,
and all
payments of Principal that were not made on the scheduled Payment Date
therefor
shall be made in the order that they were scheduled for payment.
(l) For purposes of allocations among
Classes within a Series prior to an acceleration of the maturity of
Transition
Bonds pursuant to Section 5.02, except as otherwise provided in the
related
Series Supplement, “Pro Rata” means with respect to any Class a ratio: (i) in
the case of a payment of interest with respect to any Payment Date,
the
numerator of which is the amount of interest payable to such Class
on such
Payment Date, or in the case of any Class of floating rate Transition
Bonds, the
Gross Fixed Amount for that class (as such term is defined by the related
Series
Supplement) on such Payment Date, and the denominator of which is the
aggregate
amount of interest payable on all Classes within such Series on such
Payment
Date; and (ii) in the case of a payment of Principal on any Payment
Date, the
numerator of which is the aggregate amount of Principal scheduled to
be paid or
payable, as the case may be, on such Payment Date with respect to such
Class and
the denominator of which is the sum of the aggregate amounts of Principal
scheduled to be paid or payable, as the case may be, with respect to
all
Outstanding Classes within such Series on such Payment Date.
53
(m) Prior to an acceleration of the
Transition Bonds pursuant to Section 5.02, all payments of Principal
and
interest to Holders of a single Class, or of a single Series without
Classes,
shall be made on a proportionate basis based on the respective Principal
amounts
of such Transition Bonds held by such Holders.
(n) Upon an acceleration of the
maturity of the Transition Bonds pursuant to Section 5.02, the aggregate
amount
of Principal of and interest accrued and unpaid on each Transition
Bond shall be
payable, without priority of interest over Principal or of Principal
over
interest and without regard to Series or Class, in the proportion that
the
aggregate amount of Principal of and interest accrued and unpaid on
such
Transition Bond bears to the aggregate amount of Principal of and interest
accrued and unpaid on all Transition Bonds.
(o) Notwithstanding any other
provision in this Indenture to the contrary, in the event of an acceleration
of
the maturity of Transition Bonds and a subsequent liquidation of the
Collateral
in accordance with Section 5.04(a), if so required by any Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement, the proceeds of such liquidation allocated to the related
Class of
floating rate Transition Bonds in accordance with this Section 8.02
shall be
deposited in the related Class Subaccount and allocated between and
paid to the
Holders of such floating rate Class, on the one hand, and the related
Swap
Counterparty, on the other hand, pro rata based on the aggregate amount
of
Principal and interest due and payable on such floating rate Class
and the
aggregate amount payable to the related Swap Counterparty in accordance
with
such Interest Rate Swap Agreement.
SECTION 8.03 RELEASE OF
COLLATERAL.
(a) All money and other property
withdrawn from the Collection Account by the Trustee for payment to
the Issuer
as provided in this Indenture in accordance with Section 8.02 shall
be deemed
released from this Indenture when so withdrawn and applied in accordance
with
the provisions of Article VIII, without further notice to, or release
or consent
by, the Trustee.
(b) Other than as provided for in
clause (a) above, the Trustee shall release property from the Lien
of this
Indenture only as and to the extent permitted by the Basic Documents
and only
upon receipt of an Issuer Request accompanied by an Issuer Officer’s
Certificate, an Issuer Opinion of Counsel and Independent Certificates
in
accordance with TIA Sections 314(c) and 314(d)(1) meeting the applicable
requirements of Section 11.01 or an Issuer Opinion of Counsel in lieu
of such
Independent Certificates to the effect that the TIA does not require
any such
Independent Certificate.
(c) Subject to the payment of its
fees and expenses pursuant to Section 6.07, the Trustee may, and when
required
by the provisions of this Indenture shall, execute instruments to release
property from the Lien of this Indenture, or convey the Trustee’s interest in
the same, in a manner and under circumstances that are not inconsistent
with the
provisions of this Indenture. No party relying upon an instrument executed
by
the Trustee as provided in this Article VIII shall be bound to ascertain
the
Trustee’s authority, inquire into the satisfaction of any conditions precedent
or see to the application of any moneys.
(d) Subject to Section 8.03(b), the
Trustee shall, at such time as there are no Transition Bonds Outstanding
and all
sums due the Trustee pursuant to Section 6.07 have been paid, release
any
remaining portion of the Collateral that secured the Transition Bonds
from the
Lien of this Indenture and release to the Issuer or any other Person
entitled
thereto any funds or investments then on deposit in or credited to
the
Collection Account.
54
SECTION 8.04 ISSUER OPINION OF
COUNSEL The Trustee shall receive at least five days written notice when
requested by the Issuer to take any action pursuant to Section 8.03,
accompanied
by copies of any instruments involved, and the Trustee shall also require,
as a
condition to such action, an Issuer Opinion of Counsel, in form and
substance
satisfactory to the Trustee, stating the legal effect of any such action,
outlining the steps required to complete the same, and concluding that
all
conditions precedent to the taking of such action have been complied
with and
such action will not materially and adversely impair the security for
the
Transition Bonds or the rights of the Transition Bondholders in contravention
of
the provisions of this Indenture; provided, however, that such Issuer
Opinion of
Counsel shall not be required to express an opinion as to the fair
value of the
Collateral. The Issuer Opinion of Counsel may be based (without further
examination or investigation), insofar as it relates to or is dependent
upon
factual matters, information with respect to which is in the possession
of the
Issuer, upon a certificate of, or representations by, an officer or
officers of
the Issuer, and insofar as it relates to or is dependent upon matters
which are
subject to verification by accountants or other experts, upon a certificate
or
opinion of, or representations by, such accountant or other expert,
unless such
counsel has actual knowledge that the certificate or opinion or representations
with respect to the matters upon which the opinion may be based as
aforesaid are
erroneous.
SECTION 8.05 REPORTS BY INDEPENDENT
ACCOUNTANTS The Issuer shall appoint a firm of Independent registered
public accountants of recognized national reputation for purposes of
preparing
and delivering the reports or certificates of such accountants required
by this
Indenture and the related Series Supplements. Upon any resignation
by such firm,
the Issuer shall promptly appoint a successor thereto that shall also
be a firm
of Independent registered public accountants of recognized national
reputation.
If the Issuer shall fail to appoint a successor to a firm of Independent
registered public accountants that has resigned within fifteen days
after such
resignation, the Trustee shall promptly notify the Issuer of such failure
in
writing. If the Issuer shall not have appointed a successor within
ten days
thereafter, the Trustee shall promptly appoint a successor firm of
Independent
registered public accountants of recognized national reputation. The
fees of
such firm of Independent registered public accountants and its successor
shall
be payable by the Issuer.
ARTICLE IX
SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
SECTION 9.01 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
WITHOUT CONSENT OF TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS.
(a) Without the consent of the
Holders of any Transition Bonds or any counterparty under any Interest
Rate Swap
Agreement but with prior notice to the Rating Agencies, the Issuer
and the
Trustee, when authorized by an Issuer Order, at any time and from time
to time,
may enter into one or more indentures supplemental hereto (which shall
conform
to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act as in force at the date
of the
execution thereof), in form satisfactory to the Trustee, for any of
the
following purposes:
(i) to correct or amplify the
description of the Collateral, or to better assure, convey and confirm
to the
Trustee the Collateral, or to subject to the Lien of this Indenture
additional
property;
(ii) to evidence the succession, in
compliance with the applicable provisions hereof, of another person
to the
Issuer, and the assumption by any applicable successor of the covenants
of the
Issuer contained herein and in the Transition Bonds;
55
(iii) to add to the covenants of the
Issuer, for the benefit of the Transition Bondholders, or to surrender
any right
or power herein conferred upon the Issuer;
(iv) to convey, transfer, assign,
mortgage or pledge any property to the Trustee;
(v) to cure any ambiguity, to correct
or supplement any provision herein or in any Supplemental Indenture
which may be
inconsistent with any other provision herein or in any Supplemental
Indenture or
to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions arising
under
this Indenture or in any Supplemental Indenture; provided, however,
that (A)
such action shall not, as evidenced by an Issuer Opinion of Counsel,
adversely
affect in any material respect the interests of any Transition Bondholder
or any
counterparty under any Interest Rate Swap Agreement and (B) the then
current
ratings on any Outstanding Transition Bonds shall not be withdrawn
or downgraded
by the Rating Agencies;
(vi) to evidence and provide for the
acceptance of the appointment hereunder by a successor Trustee with
respect to
the Transition Bonds and to add to or change any of the provisions
of this
Indenture as shall be necessary to facilitate the administration of
the trusts
hereunder by more than one Trustee, pursuant to the requirements of
Article VI;
(vii) to modify, eliminate or add to
the provisions of this Indenture to such extent as shall be necessary
to effect
the qualification of this Indenture under the TIA or under any similar
or
successor federal statute hereafter enacted and to add to this Indenture
such
other provisions as may be expressly required by the TIA;
(viii) to set forth the terms of any
additional Series that has not theretofore been authorized by a Supplemental
Indenture, provided that the then current ratings on any Outstanding
Transition
Bonds or any outstanding Series 2002-A Transition Bonds have not been
withdrawn
or downgraded by the Rating Agencies and will not be withdrawn or downgraded
as
a result of the issuance of such additional Series; or
(ix) to provide for one or more
Interest Rate Swap Agreements with respect to any Series or Class which
bears a
floating rate of interest or any Series or Class with specified credit
enhancement; provided, however, that:
(A) such action shall not, as
evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel, adversely affect in any material
respect the
interests of any Transition Bondholder or any counterparty under any
Interest
Rate Swap Agreement;
(B) the then current ratings on any
Outstanding Transition Bonds or any outstanding Series 2002-A Transition
Bonds
shall not be withdrawn or downgraded by the Rating Agencies.
(x) to authorize the appointment of
any listing agent, transfer agent or paying agent or additional registrar
for
any Class of any Series required or advisable in connection with the
listing of
any Class or any Series on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange or any other
stock
exchange, and otherwise to amend this Indenture to incorporate any
changes
requested or required by any governmental authority, stock exchange
authority,
listing agent, transfer agent or paying agent or additional registrar
for any
Class or any Series in connection with that listing.
56
(b) The Trustee is hereby authorized
to join in the execution of any such Supplemental Indenture and to
make any
further appropriate agreements and stipulations that may be therein
contained.
SECTION 9.02 SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES
WITH CONSENT OF TRANSITION BONDHOLDERS.
(a) The Issuer and the Trustee, when
authorized by an Issuer Order, also may, upon prior notice to the Rating
Agencies (in each case, accompanied by the form of the proposed supplemental
indenture) and with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority
of
the Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds of each Series or Class
to be
affected thereby, voting as a single class, by Act of such Holders
delivered to
the Issuer and the Trustee, enter into an indenture or indentures supplemental
hereto for the purpose of adding any provisions to, or changing in
any manner or
eliminating any of the provisions of, this Indenture or of modifying
in any
manner the rights of the Holders of the Transition Bonds under this
Indenture;
provided, however, that no such Supplemental Indenture shall, without
the
consent of the Holder of each Outstanding Transition Bond of each Series
or
Class and each counterparty under each Interest Rate Swap Agreement
affected
thereby:
(i) change the date of payment of any
installment of Principal of or premium, if any, or interest on any
Transition
Bond, or reduce the Principal amount thereof, the interest rate thereon
or the
redemption price or the premium, if any, with respect thereto, change
the
provisions of any Interest Rate Swap Agreement relating to the amount,
calculation or timing of payments, change the provisions of this Indenture
and
the related applicable Supplemental Indenture or Series Supplement
relating to
the application of collections on, or the proceeds of the sale of,
the
Collateral to payment of Principal of or premium, if any, or interest
on the
Transition Bonds, or change the currency in which any Transition Bond
or the
interest thereon, is payable;
(ii) impair the right to institute
suit for the enforcement of the provisions of this Indenture requiring
the
application of funds available therefor, as provided in Article V,
to the
payment of any such amount due on the Transition Bonds on or after
the
respective due dates thereof (or, in the case of redemption, on or
after the
Redemption Date);
(iii) reduce the percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds or of a Series or Class
thereof, the
consent of the Holders of which is required for any such Supplemental
Indenture,
or the consent of the Holders of which is required for any waiver of
compliance
with provisions of this Indenture or defaults hereunder and their consequences
provided for in this Indenture or modify or alter the provisions of
the proviso
to the definition of the term “Outstanding”;
(iv) reduce the percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds required to direct the Trustee
to
direct the Issuer to sell or liquidate the Collateral pursuant to Section
5.04
or to preserve the Collateral pursuant to Section 5.11;
(v) modify this Section 9.02(a),
except to increase any percentage specified in this Section 9.02(a)
or to
provide that this Section 9.02(a) or the Basic Documents cannot be
modified or
waived without the consent of each Holder of Outstanding Transition
Bonds
affected thereby;
57
(vi) reduce the percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of a Series or Class, the consent of the Holders
of which is
required for any amendments to the Sale Agreement, the Administration
Agreement,
the Servicing Agreement or any Interest Rate Swap Agreement entered
into in
connection with any Series or Class;
(vii) modify any of the provisions of
this Indenture in such a manner so as to affect the amount of any payment
of
interest, Principal or premium, if any, payable on any Transition Bond
on any
Payment Date or change the Redemption Dates, Expected Amortization
Schedules or
Final Maturity Date of any Series or Class, or the method of calculation
of
interest on any floating rate Transition Bond;
(viii) decrease the
Overcollateralization Amount or Required Capital Amount with respect
to any
Series or the Scheduled Overcollateralization Level with respect to
any Payment
Date;
(ix) modify or alter the provisions
of this Indenture regarding the voting of Transition Bonds held by
the Issuer,
the Seller, an Affiliate of either of them or any obligor on the Transition
Bonds;
(x) decrease the percentage of the
Outstanding Amount of Transition Bonds required to amend the Sections
of this
Indenture which specify the applicable percentage of the Outstanding
Amount of
the Transition Bonds necessary to amend this Indenture or any other
Basic
Document; or
(xi) permit the creation of any Lien
ranking prior to or on parity with the Lien of this Indenture with
respect to
any part of the Collateral, or, except as otherwise permitted or contemplated
herein, terminate the Lien of this Indenture on any property at any
time subject
hereto or deprive the Holder of any Transition Bond of the security
provided by
the Lien of this Indenture.
(b) It shall not be necessary for any
Act of Transition Bondholders under this Section 9.02 to approve the
particular
form of any proposed Supplemental Indenture, but it shall be sufficient
if such
Act shall approve the substance thereof.
(c) Promptly after the execution by
the Issuer and the Trustee of any Supplemental Indenture pursuant to
this
Section 9.02, the Trustee shall mail to the Holders of the Transition
Bonds to
which such Supplemental Indenture relates a notice setting forth in
general
terms the substance of such Supplemental Indenture. Any failure of
the Trustee
to mail such notice, or any defect therein, shall not, however, in
any way
impair or affect the validity of any such Supplemental Indenture. If
any
Transition Bonds are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the
rules of
such exchange so require, the listing agent shall arrange for publication
in an
Authorized Newspaper that such notice shall be available with the Issuer’s
listing agent in Luxembourg appointed pursuant to Section 3.02(b).
SECTION 9.03 EXECUTION OF SUPPLEMENTAL
INDENTURES In executing, or permitting the additional trusts created by,
any Supplemental Indenture permitted by this Article IX or the modifications
thereby of the trusts created by this Indenture, the Trustee shall
be entitled
to receive, and subject to Sections 6.01 and 6.02 shall be fully protected
in
relying upon, an Issuer Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution
of such
Supplemental Indenture is authorized or permitted by this Indenture.
The Trustee
may, but shall not be obligated to, enter into any such Supplemental
Indenture
that affects the Trustee’s own rights, duties, liabilities or immunities under
this Indenture or otherwise.
58
SECTION 9.04 EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTAL
INDENTURE Upon the execution of any Supplemental Indenture pursuant to the
provisions hereof, this Indenture shall be and be deemed to be modified
and
amended in accordance therewith with respect to each Series or Class
affected
thereby, and the respective rights, limitations of rights, obligations,
duties,
liabilities and immunities under this Indenture of the Trustee, the
Issuer, the
Holders of the Transition Bonds and each counterparty under an Interest
Rate
Swap Agreement shall thereafter be determined, exercised and enforced
hereunder
subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and all
the terms
and conditions of any such Supplemental Indenture shall be and be deemed
to be
part of the terms and conditions of this Indenture for any and all
purposes.
SECTION 9.05 CONFORMITY WITH TRUST
INDENTURE ACT Every amendment of this Indenture and every Supplemental
Indenture executed pursuant to this Article IX shall conform to the
requirements
of the TIA as then in effect so long as this Indenture shall then be
qualified
under the TIA.
SECTION 9.06 REFERENCE IN TRANSITION
BONDS TO SUPPLEMENTAL INDENTURES | Transition Bonds authenticated and
delivered
after the execution of any Supplemental Indenture pursuant to this
Article IX
may, and if required by the Trustee shall, bear a notation in form
approved by
the Trustee as to any matter provided for in such Supplemental Indenture.
If the
Issuer or the Trustee shall so determine, new Transition Bonds so modified
as to
conform, in the opinion of the Trustee and the Issuer, to any such
Supplemental
Indenture may be prepared and executed by the Issuer and authenticated
and
delivered by the Trustee in exchange for Outstanding Transition Bonds.
ARTICLE X
REDEMPTION OF TRANSITION
BONDS
SECTION 10.01 OPTIONAL REDEMPTION BY
ISSUER If so provided in the related Series Supplement and provided that
there is no Interest Rate Swap Agreement with respect to any Class
of that
Series in effect, the Issuer may, at its option, redeem all, but not
less than
all, of the Transition Bonds of a Series on any Payment Date if, after
giving
effect to payments that would otherwise be made on such Payment Date,
the
Outstanding Amount of any such Series has been reduced to less than
five percent
of the initial principal balance of such Series. The redemption price
in any
case shall be equal to the outstanding Principal amount of the Transition
Bonds
to be redeemed plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon at the Interest
Rate to
the Redemption Date (the “Redemption Price”). If the Issuer elects to redeem the
Transition Bonds of a Series pursuant to this Section 10.01, it shall
furnish
notice of such election to (a) the Trustee, not later than twenty-five
days
prior to the Redemption Date for such redemption and (b) the Rating
Agencies,
not later than ten days prior to such Redemption Date, whereupon all
such
Transition Bonds shall be due and payable on such Redemption Date upon
the
furnishing of a notice complying with Section 10.03 to each Holder
of the
Transition Bonds of such Series pursuant to this Section 10.01.
SECTION 10.02 MANDATORY REDEMPTION BY
ISSUER The Issuer shall redeem the Transition Bonds of a Series on the
Redemption Date or Dates, if any, in the amounts required, if any,
and at the
redemption price specified in the Series Supplement for such Series,
which in
any case shall be not less than the outstanding Principal amount of
the
Transition Bonds to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon
to
such Redemption Date. If the Issuer is required to redeem the Transition
Bonds
of a Series pursuant to this Section 10.02, it shall furnish notice
of such
requirement to the Trustee not later than twenty-five days prior to
the
Redemption Date for such redemption whereupon all such Transition Bonds
shall be
due and payable on the Redemption Date upon the furnishing of a notice
complying
with Section 10.03 to each Holder of the Transition Bonds of such Series
pursuant to this Section 10.02.
59
SECTION 10.03 FORM OF REDEMPTION
NOTICE.
(a) Unless otherwise specified in the
Series Supplement relating to a Series, notice of redemption under
Section 10.01
or 10.02 shall be given by the Trustee by first-class mail, postage
prepaid,
mailed not less than five days nor more than forty-five days prior
to the
applicable Redemption Date to each Holder to be redeemed, as of the
close of
business on the Record Date preceding the applicable Redemption Date
at such
Holder’s address appearing in the Transition Bond Register.
(b) All notices of redemption shall
state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the amount of such Transition
Bonds to be redeemed;
(iii) the Redemption Price;
and
(iv) the place where such Transition
Bonds are to be surrendered for payment of the Redemption Price (which
shall be
the office or agency of the Issuer to be maintained as provided in
Section
3.02).
(c) Notice of redemption of the
Transition Bonds to be redeemed shall be given by the Trustee in the
name and at
the expense of the Issuer. Failure to give notice of redemption, or
any defect
therein, to any Holder of any Transition Bond selected for redemption
shall not
impair or affect the validity of the redemption of any other Transition
Bond.
Notice of optional redemption shall be irrevocable once given. For
so long as
any Transition Bonds are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and
the rules
of that exchange so require, notice of redemption also will be given
by
publication in a daily newspaper in Luxembourg not less than 10 days
prior to
the date of redemption.
(d) With respect to any notice of
redemption of Transition Bonds at the election of the Issuer, unless,
upon the
giving of such notice, such Transition Bonds shall be deemed to have
been paid
in accordance with Section 10.01, such notice may state that such redemption
shall be conditioned upon the receipt by the Paying Agent, on or prior
to the
Redemption Date, of money sufficient to pay the Redemption Price and
that if
such money shall not have been so received, such notice shall be of
no force or
effect and the Issuer shall not be required to redeem such Transition
Bonds. In
the event that such notice of redemption contains such a condition
and the
Redemption Price is not so received, the redemption shall not be made
and within
a reasonable time thereafter notice shall be given, in the manner in
which the
notice of redemption was given, that such Redemption Price was not
so received
and such redemption was not required to be made, and the Paying Agent
shall
promptly return to the surrendering Holders all Transition Bonds that
had been
surrendered for payment upon such redemption.
60
SECTION 10.04 PAYMENT OF REDEMPTION
PRICE If notice of redemption has been duly mailed or duly waived by the
Holders of all Transition Bonds called for redemption, then the Transition
Bonds
called for redemption shall be payable on the applicable Redemption
Date at the
applicable Redemption Price. No further interest will accrue on the
Principal
amount of any Transition Bonds called for redemption after the Redemption
Date,
and the Holders of such Transition Bonds will have no rights with respect
thereto, if payment of the Redemption Price has been duly provided
for on or
before the Redemption Date declared therefor. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
the
Holders of the Transition Bonds shall be entitled to payment of interest
on the
Redemption Price accrued at the related Interest Rates to the extent
the Issuer
fails to pay the Redemption Price on the Redemption Date. Payment of
the
Redemption Price shall be made by the Trustee to or upon the order
of the
Holders of the Transition Bonds called for redemption upon surrender
of such
Transition Bonds, and the Transition Bonds so redeemed shall cease
to be of
further effect and the Lien hereunder shall be released with respect
to such
Transition Bonds.
ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.01 COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATES
AND OPINIONS, ETC.
(a) Upon any application or request
by the Issuer to the Trustee to take any action under any provision
of this
Indenture, the Issuer shall furnish to the Trustee (i) an Issuer Officer’s
Certificate stating that all conditions precedent, if any, provided
for in this
Indenture relating to the proposed action have been complied with,
(ii) an
Issuer Opinion of Counsel stating that in the opinion of such counsel
all such
conditions precedent, if any, have been complied with and (iii) (if
required by
the TIA) an Independent Certificate from a firm of Independent registered
public
accountants meeting the applicable requirements of this Section 11.01,
except
that, in the case of any such application or request as to which the
furnishing
of such documents is specifically required by any provision of this
Indenture,
no additional certificate or opinion need be furnished.
(b) Every certificate or opinion with
respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in
this
Indenture shall include:
(i) a statement that each signatory
of such certificate or opinion has read or has caused to be read such
covenant
or condition and the definitions herein relating thereto;
(ii) a brief statement as to the
nature and scope of the examination or investigation upon which the
statements
or opinions contained in such certificate or opinion are based;
(iii) a statement that, in the
opinion of each such signatory, such signatory has made such examination
or
investigation as is necessary to enable such signatory to express an
informed
opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied
with;
and
(iv) a statement as to whether, in
the opinion of each such signatory, such condition or covenant has
been complied
with.
61
SECTION 11.02 FORM OF DOCUMENTS
DELIVERED TO TRUSTEE.
(a) In any case where several matters
are required to be certified by, or covered by an opinion of, any specified
Person, it is not necessary that all such matters be certified by,
or covered by
the opinion of, only one such Person, or that they be so certified
or covered by
only one document, but one such Person may certify or give an opinion
with
respect to some matters and one or more other such Persons as to other
matters,
and any such Person may certify or give an opinion as to such matters
in one or
several documents.
(b) Any certificate or opinion of an
Authorized Officer of the Issuer may be based, insofar as it relates
to legal
matters, upon a certificate or opinion of, or representations by, counsel,
unless such officer knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know,
that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to
the matters
upon which such certificate or opinion is based are erroneous. Any
such
certificate of an Authorized Officer or Issuer Opinion of Counsel may
be based,
insofar as it relates to factual matters, upon a certificate or opinion
of, or
representations by, an officer or officers of the Servicer, the Seller
or the
Issuer, stating that the information with respect to such factual matters
is in
the possession of the Servicer, the Seller or the Issuer, unless such
Authorized
Officer or counsel knows, or in the exercise of reasonable care should
know,
that the certificate or opinion or representations with respect to
such matters
are erroneous.
(c) Where any Person is required to
make, give or execute two or more applications, requests, consents,
certificates, statements, opinions or other instruments under this
Indenture,
they may, but need not, be consolidated and form one instrument.
(d) Whenever in this Indenture, in
connection with any application or certificate or report to the Trustee,
it is
provided that the Issuer shall deliver any document as a condition
of the
granting of such application, or as evidence of the Issuer’s compliance with any
term hereof, it is intended that the truth and accuracy, at the time
of the
granting of such application or at the effective date of such certificate
or
report (as the case may be), of the facts and opinions stated in such
document
shall in such case be conditions precedent to the right of the Issuer
to have
such application granted or to the sufficiency of such certificate
or report.
The foregoing shall not, however, be construed to affect the Trustee’s right to
conclusively rely upon the truth and accuracy of any statement or opinion
contained in any such document as provided in Article VI.
SECTION 11.03 ACTS OF TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS.
(a) Any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action provided
by
this Indenture to be given or taken by Transition Bondholders may be
embodied in
and evidenced by one or more instruments of substantially similar tenor
signed
by such Transition Bondholders in person or by agents 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,
where it is hereby expressly required, to the Issuer. Such instrument
or
instruments (and the action embodied therein and evidenced thereby)
are herein
sometimes referred to as the “Act” of the Transition Bondholders signing such
instrument or instruments. Proof of execution of any such instrument
or of a
writing appointing any such agent shall be sufficient for any purpose
of this
Indenture and (subject to Section 6.01) conclusive in favor of the
Trustee and
the Issuer, if made in the manner provided in this Section 11.03.
(b) The fact and date of the
execution by any person of any such instrument or writing may be proved
in any
manner that the Trustee deems sufficient.
62
(c) The ownership of Transition Bonds
shall be proved by the Transition Bond Register.
(d) Any request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or other action by
the Holder
of any Transition Bond shall bind the Holder of every Transition Bond
issued
upon the registration 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
Issuer in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action
is made upon
such Transition Bond.
SECTION 11.04 NOTICES, ETC , TO
TRUSTEE, ISSUER AND RATING AGENCIES.
(a) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver
or Act of Transition Bondholders or other documents provided or permitted
by
this Indenture to be made upon, given or furnished to or filed with
(i) the Trustee by any Transition
Bondholder or by the Issuer or
(ii) the Issuer by the Trustee or by
any Transition Bondholder
The Bank of New York
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0 Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attn: Asset Backed Securities
shall be sufficient for every purpose hereunder if in English and
in
writing, and sent by United States first-class mail, reputable overnight
courier
service, facsimile transmission or electronic mail (confirmed by telephone,
United States first-class mail or reputable overnight courier service
in the
case of notice by facsimile transmission or electronic mail) or any other
customary means of communication, and any such request, demand, authorization,
direction, notice, consent, waiver or Act shall be effective when delivered
or
transmitted, or if mailed five days after deposit in the United States
first-class mail with proper postage for first-class mail prepaid, in
the case
of the Trustee, addressed to the Trustee at its Corporate Trust Office,
and in
the case of the Issuer, addressed to: JCP&L Transition Funding II LLC, 000
Xxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, with a copy to JCP&L
Transition Funding, c/o FirstEnergy Service Company, 00 Xxxxx Xxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxx, Xxxx 00000, Attention: Managers, or at any other address previously
furnished in writing to the Trustee by the Issuer. The Issuer shall promptly
transmit any notice received by it from the Transition Bondholders to
the
Trustee.
(b) Notices required to be given to
the Rating Agencies by the Issuer, the Trustee or a Manager shall be
in writing,
delivered personally, via facsimile transmission, by reputable overnight
courier
or by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to: (i) in the case of Moody’s: Xxxxx’x
Investors Service, Inc., Attention: ABS Monitoring Department, 00 Xxxxxx
Xxxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000; (ii) in the case of Standard & Poor’s: Standard
& Poor’s, ABS Surveillance Group, 00 Xxxxx Xxxxxx, 00xx Xxxxx,
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000-0000; fax: 000-000-0000; and (iii) in the
case of
Fitch: Fitch, Inc., Xxx Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000,
Attention:
ABS Surveillance.
63
SECTION 11.05 NOTICES TO TRANSITION
BONDHOLDERS; WAIVER.
(a) Where this Indenture provides for
notice to Transition Bondholders of any event, such notice shall be
sufficiently
given (unless otherwise herein expressly provided) if in writing and
delivered
by first-class mail, postage prepaid, to each Transition Bondholder
affected by
such event, at the address of such Transition Bondholder as it appears
on the
Transition Bond Register, not later than the latest date, and not earlier
than
the earliest date, prescribed for the giving of such notice. In any
case where
notice to Transition Bondholders is given by mail, neither the failure
to mail
such notice nor any defect in any notice so mailed to any particular
Transition
Bondholder shall affect the sufficiency of such notice with respect
to other
Transition Bondholders, and any notice that is mailed in the manner
herein
provided shall conclusively be presumed to have been duly given.
(b) Where this Indenture provides for
notice in any manner, such notice may be waived in writing by any Person
entitled to receive such notice, either before or after the event,
and such
waiver shall be the equivalent of such notice. Waivers of notice by
Transition
Bondholders shall be filed with the Trustee but such filing shall not
be a
condition precedent to the validity of any action taken in reliance
upon such a
waiver.
(c) In case it shall be impractical
to deliver notice in accordance with clause (a) of this Section 11.05
to the
Holders when such notice is required to be given pursuant to any provision
of
this Indenture, then any manner of giving such notice as shall be satisfactory
to the Trustee shall be deemed to be a sufficient giving of such notice.
(d) Where this Indenture provides for
notice to the Rating Agencies, failure to give such notice shall not
affect any
other rights or obligations created hereunder, and shall not under
any
circumstance constitute a Default or Event of Default.
SECTION 11.06 ALTERNATE PAYMENT AND
NOTICE PROVISIONS Notwithstanding any provision of this Indenture or any
of the Transition Bonds to the contrary, the Issuer may enter into
any agreement
with any Holder of a Transition Bond providing for a method of payment,
or
notice by the Trustee or any Paying Agent to such Holder, that is different
from
the methods provided for in this Indenture for such payments or notices.
The
Issuer will furnish to the Trustee a copy of each such agreement and
the Trustee
will cause payments to be made and notices to be given in accordance
with such
agreements.
SECTION 11.07 CONFLICT WITH TRUST
INDENTURE ACT.
(a) If any provision hereof limits,
qualifies or conflicts with another provision hereof that is required
to be
included in this Indenture by any of the provisions of the TIA, such
required
provision shall control.
(b) The provisions of TIA Sections
310 through 317 that impose duties on any person (including the provisions
automatically deemed included herein unless expressly excluded by this
Indenture) are a part of and govern this Indenture, whether or not
physically
contained herein.
SECTION 11.08 EFFECT OF HEADINGS AND
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Article and Section headings herein and the
Table of Contents are for convenience only and shall not affect the
construction
hereof.
64
SECTION 11.09 SUCCESSORS AND
ASSIGNS.
(a) All covenants and agreements in
this Indenture and the Transition Bonds by the Issuer shall bind its
successors
and permitted assigns, whether so expressed or not, unless expressly
agreed to
the contrary.
(b) All agreements of the Trustee in
this Indenture shall bind its successors.
(c) The Trustee shall provide prior
notice to the Rating Agencies of any assignment of obligations under
this
Indenture.
SECTION 11.10 SEVERABILITY | In case
any provision in this Indenture or in the Transition Bonds shall be
invalid,
illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and enforceability
of the
remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or impaired
thereby.
SECTION 11.11 BENEFITS OF INDENTURE |
Nothing in this Indenture or in the Transition Bonds, express or implied,
shall
give to any Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors
hereunder, and the Transition Bondholders, and any other party secured
hereunder, and any other Person with an ownership interest in any part
of the
Collateral, any benefit or any legal or equitable right, remedy or
claim under
this Indenture.
SECTION 11.12 LEGAL HOLIDAYS In
any case where the date on which any payment is due shall not be a
Business Day,
then (notwithstanding any other provision of the Transition Bonds or
this
Indenture) payment need not be made on such date, but may be made on
the next
succeeding Business Day with the same force and effect as if made on
the date on
which nominally due, and no interest shall accrue for the period from
and after
any such nominal date.
SECTION 11.13 GOVERNING LAW THIS
INDENTURE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE
STATE OF NEW JERSEY, WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ITS CONFLICT OF LAW PROVISIONS,
AND
THE OBLIGATIONS, RIGHTS AND REMEDIES OF THE PARTIES HEREUNDER SHALL
BE
DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH LAWS.
SECTION 11.14 COUNTERPARTS | This
Indenture may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which
so
executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts
shall
together constitute but one and the same instrument.
SECTION 11.15 ISSUER OBLIGATION
No recourse may be taken, directly or
indirectly, with respect to the
obligations of the Issuer or the Trustee on the Transition Bonds or
under this
Indenture or any certificate or other writing delivered in connection
herewith
or therewith, against (i) the Member or any Manager, employee or agent
of the
Issuer or (ii) any stockholder, officer, director, employee or agent
of the
Trustee (it being understood that none of the Trustee’s obligations are in its
individual capacity).
65
SECTION 11.16 NO PETITION The
Trustee, by entering into this Indenture, and each Transition Bondholder,
by
accepting a Transition Bond, hereby covenants and agrees (or shall
be deemed to
have covenanted and agreed) that it shall not at any time institute
against the
Issuer, or join in the institution against the Issuer of, or acquiesce,
petition
or otherwise invoke or cause the Issuer to invoke the process of any
court or
government authority for the purpose of commencing or sustaining a
case against
the Issuer under any Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar
law or
appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator
or
other similar official of the Issuer or any substantial part of the
property of
the Issuer or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs
of the
Issuer.
SECTION 11.17 INTERCREDITOR AGREEMENT
The Trustee is hereby authorized and directed by the Issuer to execute
and
deliver the Intercreditor Agreement. The Intercreditor Agreement shall
be
binding on the Holders.
1
66
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Issuer and the Trustee
have caused this Indenture to be duly executed and delivered by a Manager
and an
officer, respectively, thereof, each thereunto duly authorized, all as
of the
day and year first above written.
|
|
|
JCP&L TRANSITION FUNDING II LLC
as Issuer |
By:
Name: Xxxxxxx
X. Xxxxx
Title: Manager,
Senior Vice
President
|
|
|
|
THE BANK OF NEW YORK,
as Trustee
|
By:
Name: Xxxxxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx
Title: Assistant
Vice
President
|
Signature Page to Indenture
67
APPENDIX A
MASTER DEFINITIONS
The definitions contained in this Appendix A are applicable to the
singular
as well as the plural forms of such terms.
Act has the meaning specified in Section 11.03 (a)
of the
Indenture.
Adjustment Date means (a) June 1 of each year through June
1, 2020, (b) as long as the Transition Bonds are outstanding, March 1,
June 1,
September 1, and December 1 of each year, beginning September 1, 2020
and (c)
any other date which is thirty days after a Calculation Date.
Adjustment Request means an application filed by the
Servicer with the BPU for a Transition Bond Charge Adjustment pursuant
to
Section 5(b) of the Issuer Annex.
Administration Agreement means the Administration
Agreement dated as of August 10, 2006, between FirstEnergy Service, as
administrator, and the Issuer, as the same may be amended or supplemented
from
time to time.
Administrator means FirstEnergy Service, as administrator
under the Administration Agreement, and each successor to FirstEnergy
Service,
in the same capacity, pursuant to Section 14 of the Administration
Agreement.
Advice Letter means, with respect to any Series, the
Issuance Advice Letter, in the form attached as Appendix B to the Financing
Order, to be filed with the BPU not later than five Business Days after
the
issuance and sale of the Transition Bonds.
Affiliate means, with respect to any specified Person, any
other Person controlling or controlled by or under common control with
such
specified Person. For the purposes of this definition, control when used
with
respect to any specified Person means the power to direct the management
and
policies of such Person, directly or indirectly, whether through the
ownership
of voting securities, by contract or otherwise; and the terms controlling
and
controlled have meanings correlative to the foregoing.
Annual Accountant’s Report has the meaning assigned to
that term in Section 3.07 of the Servicing Agreement.
Annual Reconciliation Date means the last Business Day of
May of each year, commencing with May 2007 and continuing through May
2020 (or
such earlier month as the Servicer shall have specified to the Issuer
and the
Trustee by not less than thirty days prior written notice).
Article 9 Collateral has the meaning specified in Section
2.10(b)(v)(I)(1) of the Indenture.
Authorized Denominations means, with respect to any Series
or Class, $1,000 and integral multiples of $1,000 above that amount,
provided,
however, that one bond of each Class may have denomination of less than
$1,000,
or such other denominations as may be specified in the Series Supplement
therefor.
Authorized Newspaper means the Luxemburger Wort or any
other newspaper published in Luxembourg on a daily basis.
Authorized Officer means, with respect to the Issuer, (A)
any Manager or (B) any person designated as an “Officer” under the Issuer LLC
Agreement and authorized thereby to act on behalf of the Issuer.
Basic Documents means the Sale Agreement, the
Intercreditor Agreement, the Servicing Agreement, the Indenture and all
supplements thereto, the Administration Agreement, each Xxxx of Sale,
the
Formation Documents and each Interest Rate Swap Agreement, as each may
be
amended or supplemented from time to time.
Billing Month means a calendar month during which the
Transition Bond Charge is billed to Customers.
Xxxx of Sale means each xxxx of sale issued by the Seller
to the Issuer pursuant to the Sale Agreement evidencing the sale of Bondable
Transition Property by the Seller to the Issuer.
Bondable Stranded Costs means those bondable stranded
costs, within the meaning specified in the Competition Act, approved
for
recovery in the Financing Order.
Bondable Transition Property has the meaning assigned to
that term in the Competition Act and the Financing Order.
Bondable Transition Property Documentation means all
documents related to the Transferred Bondable Transition Property, including
copies of the Petition and the Financing Order and all documents filed
with the
BPU in connection with any Transition Bond Charge Adjustment.
Book-Entry Transition Bonds means beneficial interests in
the Transition Bonds, ownership and transfers of which shall be made
through
book entries by a Clearing Agency as described in Section 2.11 of the
Indenture.
BPU means the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities,
and
any successor thereof.
BPU Regulations means any regulations, orders, guidelines
or directives promulgated, issued or adopted by the BPU.
Business Day means any day other than a Saturday or Sunday
or a day on which banking institutions in New York, New York or, with
respect to
any Transition Bonds listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, in Luxembourg,
are
required or authorized by law or executive order to close.
Calculation Date means (a) May 1 of each year until May 1,
2020, (b) February 1, May 1, August 1 and November 1 of each year beginning
August 1, 2020 and for so long as the Transition Bonds are outstanding,
and (c)
any other day on which the Servicer files an Adjustment Request.
Capital Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Class means, with respect to any Series, any one of
the
classes of Transition Bonds of that Series, as specified in the Series
Supplement for that Series.
Class Final Maturity Date means the Final Maturity Date of
a Class, as specified in the Series Supplement for the related Series.
Class Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Clearing Agency means an organization registered as a
“clearing agency” pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act.
A-2
Clearing Agency Participant means a broker, dealer, bank,
other financial institution or other Person for whom from time to time
a
Clearing Agency effects book-entry transfers and pledges of securities
deposited
with the Clearing Agency.
Closing Date means August 10, 2006.
Code means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
from time to time, and Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
Collateral has the meaning specified in the first
paragraph of the Granting Clause of the Indenture.
Collection Account has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Collection Period means the period from and including the
first day of a calendar month to but excluding the first day of the next
calendar month.
Commission means the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission, and any successor thereof.
Competition Act means the Electric Discount and Energy
Competition Act, New Jersey Statutes Annotated, Title 48, Chapter 3,
Article 7,
as heretofore amended.
Corporate Trust Office means the principal office of the
Trustee at which at any particular time its corporate trust business
shall be
administered, which office at date of the execution of the Indenture
is located
at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0 Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: Asset
Backed
Securities, Phone: 000-000-0000 Fax: 000-000-0000 or at such other address
as
the Trustee may designate from time to time by notice to the Transition
Bondholders and the Issuer, or the principal corporate trust office of
any
successor Trustee (the address of which the successor Trustee will notify
the
Transition Bondholders and the Issuer in writing).
Covenant Defeasance Option has the meaning specified in
Section 4.01(b) of the Indenture.
Customer means each person who is a retail consumer of
electricity and who accesses JCP&L’s transmission and distribution system,
other than certain end users that are connected to JCP&L’s transmission and
distribution system but who self-generate from on-site facilities, regardless
of
whether such consumer elects to purchase electricity from a Third Party.
Daily Remittance Date means, if the Servicer has not
satisfied the conditions of Section 5.11(b) of the Servicing Agreement,
each
Business Day commencing on the second Business Day following the date
on which
the Servicer receives TBC Collections.
Default means any occurrence that is, or with notice or
the lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default.
Defeasance Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Definitive Transition Bonds has the meaning specified in
Section 2.11 of the Indenture.
Delaware UCC means the Uniform Commercial Code, as in
effect in the State of Delaware, as amended from time to time.
Designee Certification means the designee certification
dated August 4, 2006, substantially in the form attached as Appendix
A to the
Financing Order.
A-3
DTC Agreement means the agreement between the Issuer and
The Depository Trust Company, as the initial Clearing Agency, dated on
or about
August 8, 2006, relating to the Transition Bonds, as the same may be
amended or
supplemented from time to time.
Eligible Account means either:
(a) a segregated non-interest bearing
trust account with an Eligible Institution; or
(b)
|
a segregated non-interest bearing trust account with the
corporate
trust department of a depository institution organized under
the laws of
the United States of America or any State (or any domestic
branch of a
foreign bank), having corporate trust powers and acting as
trustee for
funds deposited in such account, so long as any of the securities
of such
depositary institution shall have a credit rating from each
Rating Agency
in one of its generic rating categories which signifies investment
grade.
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Eligible Guarantor Institution means a firm or other
entity identified in Rule 17Ad-15 under the Exchange Act as “an eligible
guarantor institution,” including (as such terms are defined therein):
(a) a bank;
(b)
|
a broker, dealer, municipal securities broker or dealer
or government
securities broker or dealer;
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(c)
|
a credit union;
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(d)
|
a national securities exchange, registered securities association
or
clearing agency; or
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(e)
|
a savings association that is a participant in a securities
transfer
association.
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Eligible Institution means:
(a)
|
the corporate trust department of the Trustee, so long
as any of the
securities of the Trustee have a credit rating from each Rating
Agency in
one of its generic rating categories which signifies investment
grade; or
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(b)
|
a depository institution organized under the laws of the
United
States of America or any State (or any domestic branch of a
foreign bank),
which
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(i) has either
(A)
|
with respect to any Eligible Investment having a maturity
of greater
than one month, a long-term unsecured debt rating of “AAA” by Standard
& Poor’s and Fitch and “Aaa” by Moody’s, or
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(B)
|
with respect to any Eligible Investment having a maturity
of one
month or less, a certificate of deposit rating of “A-1+” by Standard &
Poor’s, “P-1” by Moody’s and “F1” by Fitch, or any other long-term,
short-term or certificate of deposit rating acceptable to the
Rating
Agencies, and
|
(ii) whose deposits are insured by the
FDIC.
A-4
Eligible Investments mean book-entry securities,
negotiable instruments or securities represented by instruments in bearer
or
registered form which evidence:
(a)
|
direct obligations of, and obligations fully and unconditionally
guaranteed as to timely payment by, the United States of America;
|
(b)
|
demand deposits, time deposits or certificates of deposit
of any
depository institution or trust company (any depositary institution
or
trust company being referred to in this definition as a “financial
institution”) incorporated under the laws of the United States of America
or any State thereof (or any domestic branch of a foreign bank)
and
subject to supervision and examination by Federal or State
banking or
depositary institution authorities; provided, however, that
at the time of
the investment or contractual commitment to invest therein,
the commercial
paper or other short-term unsecured debt obligations (other
than such
obligations the rating of which is based on the credit of a
Person other
than such depositary institution or trust company) thereof
shall have a
credit rating from each of the Rating Agencies in the highest
investment
category granted thereby;
|
(c)
|
commercial paper or other short term obligations of any
corporation
organized under the laws of the United States of America (other
than
JCP&L and any of its Affiliates) whose ratings, at the time of
the
investment or contractual commitment to invest therein, from
each of the
Rating Agencies are in the highest investment category granted
thereby;
|
(d)
|
demand deposits, time deposits and certificates of deposit
which are
fully insured by the FDIC;
|
(e)
|
investments in money market funds having a rating from
each of the
Rating Agencies in the highest investment category granted
thereby
(including funds for which the Trustee or any of its Affiliates
act as
investment manager or advisor);
|
(f)
|
bankers’ acceptances issued by any depositary institution or trust
company referred to in clause (b) above;
|
(g)
|
repurchase obligations with respect to any security that
is a direct
obligation of, or fully guaranteed by, the United States of
America or any
agency or instrumentality thereof the obligations of which
are backed by
the full faith and credit of the United States of America,
in either case
entered into with a depositary institution or trust company
(acting as
principal) described in clause (b) above;
|
(h)
|
repurchase obligations with respect to any security or
whole loan
entered into with
|
(i) a financial institution
(acting as principal) described in clause (b) above,
(ii)
|
a broker/dealer (acting as principal) registered as a broker
or
dealer under Section 15 of the Exchange Act (any broker/dealer
being
referred to in this definition as a “broker/dealer”), the unsecured
short-term debt obligations of which are rated “P-1” by Moody’s and “A-1+”
by Standard & Poor’s at the time of entering into the repurchase
obligation or
|
A-5
(iii)
|
an unrated broker/dealer, acting as principal, that is
a wholly-owned
subsidiary of a non-bank or bank holding company the unsecured
short-term
debt obligations of which are rated “P-1” by Moody’s and “A-1+” by
Standard & Poor’s at the time of purchase;
or
|
(i)
|
any other investment permitted by each Rating Agency;
|
provided, however, that, with respect to Moody’s only, the obligor related
to clauses (b), (c), (d), (f), (g) and (h) above must have both a long
term
rating of at least “A1” and a short term rating of at least “P-1”, and provided
further, that, unless otherwise permitted by each Rating Agency, upon
the
failure of any Eligible Institution to maintain any applicable rating
set forth
in this definition or the definition of Eligible Institution, the related
investments at such institution shall be reinvested in Eligible Investments
at a
successor Eligible Institution within ten days, and provided, further,
that, any
Eligible Investment must not:
(A)
|
be sold, liquidated or otherwise disposed of at a loss,
prior to the
maturity thereof, or
|
(B)
|
mature later than (i) the date on which the proceeds of
such Eligible
Investment will be required to be on deposit in the Collection
Account in
order for the Trustee to make all required and scheduled payments
and
deposits into subaccounts under the Indenture, if such Eligible
Investment
is held by an Affiliate of the Trustee, or (ii) the Business
Day prior to
the date on which the proceeds of such Eligible Investment
will be
required to be on deposit in the Collection Account in order
for the
Trustee to make all required and scheduled payments and deposits
into
Subaccounts under the Indenture, if such Eligible Investment
is not held
by an Affiliate of the Trustee.
|
Event of Default has the meaning specified in Section 5.01
of the Indenture.
Exchange Act means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.
Executive Officer means, with respect to any corporation,
the chief executive officer, chief operating officer, chief financial
officer,
chief information officer, president, executive vice president, any vice
president, the secretary or the treasurer of such corporation; and with
respect
to any limited liability company, any manager thereof.
Expected Amortization Schedule means, with respect to each
Series or, if applicable, each Class, the expected amortization schedule
for
principal thereof, as specified in the Series Supplement therefor.
Expected Final Payment Date means, with respect to each
Series or, if applicable, each Class, the Payment Date related to the
date when
all interest and principal is scheduled to be paid with respect to that
Series
or Class in accordance with the Expected Amortization Schedule, as specified
in
the Series Supplement therefor.
FDIC means the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
or
its successor.
Final Maturity Date means, for each Series or, if
applicable, each Class, the Payment Date related to the date by which
all
Principal of and interest on such Series or Class is required to be paid,
as
specified in the Series Supplement therefor.
A-6
Financing Issuance means an issuance of a new Series under
the Indenture to provide funds to finance the purchase by the Issuer
of Bondable
Transition Property.
Financing Order means the bondable stranded costs rate
order, dated June 8, 2006, issued with respect to the Issuer’s Transition Bonds
by the BPU pursuant to the Competition Act and any subsequent bondable
stranded
costs rate order, if any, issued with respect to any of the Issuer’s Transition
Bonds by the BPU.
FirstEnergy Service means FirstEnergy Service Company, an
Ohio corporation, or its successor.
Fitch means Fitch, Inc., or its successor.
Formation Documents means, collectively, the Issuer LLC
Agreement, the Issuer Certificate of Formation and any other document
pursuant
to which the Issuer is formed or governed, as each may be amended or
supplemented from time to time.
General Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Grant means mortgage, pledge, bargain, sell, warrant,
alienate, remise, release, convey, assign, transfer, create and xxxxx
x Xxxx
upon and a security interest in and right of set-off against, deposit,
set over
and confirm. A Grant of the Collateral or of any other agreement or instrument
shall include all rights, powers and options (but none of the obligations)
of
the granting party thereunder, including the immediate and continuing
right to
claim for, collect, receive and give receipt for principal, interest
and other
payments in respect of the Collateral and all other moneys payable thereunder,
to give and receive notices and other communications, to make waivers
or other
agreements, to exercise all rights and options, to bring Proceedings
in the name
of the granting party or otherwise and generally to do and receive anything
that
the granting party is or may be entitled to do or receive thereunder
or with
respect thereto.
Holder or Transition Bondholder means the Person in whose
name a Transition Bond of any Series or Class is registered in the Transition
Bond Register.
Indemnification Event means an event which triggers
JCP&L’s obligation to indemnify the Issuer and the Trustee, for itself and
on behalf of the Transition Bondholders, and each of their respective
managers,
officers, directors, employees and agents, pursuant to Section 5.01 of
the Sale
Agreement.
Indemnity Amount means the amount paid by the Servicer,
the Issuer or JCP&L to the Trustee, for the Trustee itself or on behalf of
the Transition Bondholders, in respect of indemnification obligations
pursuant
to the Indenture, the Sale Agreement or the Servicing Agreement.
Indenture means the Indenture dated as of August 10, 2006,
by and between the Issuer and the Trustee, as the same may be amended
or
supplemented from time to time by one or more Supplemental Indentures,
and shall
include each Series Supplement and the forms and terms of the Transition
Bonds
established thereunder.
Independent means, when used with respect to
(a) any specified Person (other than
registered public accountants), that the Person
(i)
|
is in fact independent of the Issuer, any other obligor
upon the
Transition Bonds, JCP&L and any Affiliate of any of the foregoing
Persons,
|
A-7
(ii)
|
does not have any direct financial interest or any material
indirect
financial interest in the Issuer, any such other obligor upon
the
Transition Bonds, JCP&L or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing
Persons and
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(iii)
|
is not connected with the Issuer, any such other obligor
upon the
Transition Bonds, JCP&L or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing
Persons as an officer, employee, promoter, underwriter, trustee,
partner,
director or person performing similar functions; and
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(b) with respect to registered public
accountants, means that such registered public accountants are independent
in
accordance with the Rules of the Public Company Accounting Oversight
Board.
Independent Certificate means a certificate or opinion to
be delivered to the Trustee under the circumstances described in, and
otherwise
complying with, the applicable requirements of Section 11.01 of the Indenture,
made by an Independent appraiser or other expert appointed by an Issuer
Order
and approved by the Trustee in the exercise of reasonable care, and such
opinion
or certificate shall state that the signer has read the definition of
“Independent” in this Appendix A and that the signer is Independent within the
meaning thereof.
Independent Manager has the meaning set forth in Section
1.01 of the Issuer LLC Agreement.
Initial Purchase Price has the meaning set forth in
Section 2.01(a) of the Sale Agreement.
Initial Transfer Date means the Series Issuance Date for
the first Series.
Initial Transferred Bondable Transition Property means the
Bondable Transition Property sold by the Seller to the Issuer as of the
Initial
Transfer Date pursuant to the Sale Agreement and the Xxxx of Sale delivered
on
or prior to the Initial Transfer Date as identified in such Xxxx of Sale.
Insolvency Event means, with respect to a specified
Person,
(a)
|
the filing of a decree or order for relief by a court having
jurisdiction in the premises in respect of such Person or any
substantial
part of its property in an involuntary case under any applicable
Federal
or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or
hereafter in
effect, or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian,
trustee, sequestrator or similar official for such Person or
for any
substantial part of its property, or ordering the winding-up
or
liquidation of such Person’s affairs, and such decree or order shall
remain unstayed and in effect for a period of ninety consecutive
days or
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(b)
|
the commencement by such Person of a voluntary case under
any
applicable Federal or State bankruptcy, insolvency or other
similar law
now or hereafter in effect, or the consent by such Person to
the entry of
an order for relief in an involuntary case under any such law,
or the
consent by such Person to the appointment of or taking possession
by a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee, sequestrator
or
similar official for such Person or for any substantial part
of its
property, or the making by such Person of any general assignment
for the
benefit of creditors, or the failure by such Person generally
to pay its
debts as such debts become due, or the taking of action by
such Person in
furtherance of any of the foregoing.
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A-8
Intercreditor Agreement means the Intercreditor Agreement
dated August 10, 2006 between the Issuer, JCP&L in various capacities, The
Bank of New York in various capacities, and JCP&L Transition Funding LLC, as
the same may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
Interest Rate means, with respect to each Series or Class,
the rate at which interest accrues on the Principal balance of Transition
Bonds
of such Series or Class, as specified in the Series Supplement therefor.
Interest Rate Swap Agreement means each ISDA Master
Agreement, together with the related schedule and confirmations, between
the
Issuer and a Swap Counterparty, as the same may be amended or supplemented
from
time to time, with respect to any Series or Class.
Issuer means JCP&L Transition Funding II LLC, a
Delaware limited liability company, or its successor under the Indenture
or the
party named as such in the Indenture until a successor replaces it and,
thereafter, means the successor.
Issuer Annex means Annex 1 to the Servicing Agreement.
Issuer Certificate of Formation means the Certificate of
Formation of the Issuer, dated March 29, 2004, which was filed with the
Delaware Secretary of State’s Office on March 29, 2004, as the same may be
amended or supplemented from time to time.
Issuer LLC Agreement means the Amended and Restated
Limited Liability Company Agreement of the Issuer between the Member
and the
Issuer, dated as of August 10, 2006, as the same may be amended or supplemented
from time to time.
Issuer Officer’s Certificate means a certificate signed by
any Authorized Officer of the Issuer, under the circumstances described
in, and
otherwise complying with, the applicable requirements of Section 11.01
of the
Indenture, and in a form reasonably satisfactory to and delivered to
the
Trustee. Unless otherwise specified, any reference in the Indenture to
an
Officer’s Certificate shall be to an Officer’s Certificate of any Authorized
Officer of the Issuer.
Issuer Opinion of Counsel means one or more written
opinions of counsel who may, except as otherwise expressly provided in
the
Indenture, be employees of or counsel to the Issuer or the Seller and
who shall
be reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, and which opinion or opinions
shall
be addressed to the Trustee, and shall be in a form reasonably satisfactory
to
the Trustee.
Issuer Order or Issuer Request means a written order or
request, respectively, signed in the name of the Issuer by any one of
its
Authorized Officers and in a form reasonably satisfactory to and delivered
to
the Trustee.
JCP&L means Jersey Central Power & Light Company,
a New Jersey corporation, or its successor.
Legal Defeasance Option has the meaning specified in
Section 4.01(b) of the Indenture.
Lien means a security interest, lien, mortgage, charge,
claim, pledge, equity or other encumbrance of any kind.
Losses means, collectively, any and all liabilities,
obligations, losses, damages, payments, costs or expenses of any kind
whatsoever.
A-9
Manager has the meaning set forth in Section 1.01 of the
Issuer LLC Agreement.
Market Transition Charge means the market transition
charge that JCP&L may impose on Customers pursuant to the Competition Act
and the Restructuring Order.
Member means JCP&L, as the sole member of the Issuer,
in its capacity as such member under the Issuer LLC Agreement.
Monthly Reconciliation Date means the last Business Day of
each month commencing with June 2020 (or such earlier month as the Servicer
shall have specified to the Issuer and the Trustee by not less than thirty
days
prior written notice).
Monthly Remittance Date means the first day of each
calendar month (or if such day is not a Business Day, the preceding Business
Day) beginning on September 1, 2006.
Moody’s means Xxxxx’x Investors Service, Inc., or its
successor.
MTC-Tax means the tax component included in the Market
Transition Charge which JCP&L is entitled to collect as authorized by the
Financing Order and the Restructuring Order.
New Jersey UCC means the Uniform Commercial Code, as in
effect in the State of New Jersey, as amended from time to time.
Operating Expenses means, with respect to the Issuer, all
fees, costs, expenses and indemnity payments owed by the Issuer, including,
without limitation, all amounts owed by the Issuer to the Trustee, the
Quarterly
Servicing Fee, the fees and expenses payable by the Issuer to the Administrator
under the Administration Agreement, the fees and expenses payable by
the Issuer
to the Independent Managers and Special Members of the Issuer, all Indemnity
Amounts, fees of the Rating Agencies, legal fees and expenses of the
Servicer
pursuant to Section 3.10 of the Servicing Agreement, legal and accounting
fees,
costs and expenses of the Issuer, and legal, accounting or other fees,
costs and
expenses of the Seller (including, without limitation, any costs and
expenses
incurred by the Seller pursuant to Section 4.08 of the Sale Agreement)
under or
in connection with the Basic Documents or the Financing Order.
Opinion of Counsel means one or more written opinions of
counsel who may be an employee of or counsel to JCP&L, the Issuer or any
other Person (as the context may require), which counsel shall be reasonably
acceptable to the Trustee, the Issuer or the Rating Agencies, as applicable,
and
which shall be in form reasonably satisfactory to the Trustee, if applicable.
Outstanding with respect to Transition Bonds means, as of
the date of determination, all Transition Bonds theretofore authenticated
and
delivered under the Indenture except:
(a)
|
Transition Bonds theretofore canceled by the Transition
Bond
Registrar or delivered to the Transition Bond Registrar for
cancellation;
|
(b)
|
Transition Bonds or portions thereof the payment for which
money in
the necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the
Trustee or
any Paying Agent in trust for the Holders of such Transition
Bonds;
provided, however, that if such Transition Bonds are to be
redeemed,
notice of such redemption has been duly given pursuant to the
Indenture or
provision therefor, satisfactory to the Trustee, made; and
|
A-10
(c)
|
Transition Bonds in exchange for or in lieu of other Transition
Bonds
which have been authenticated and delivered pursuant to the
Indenture
unless proof satisfactory to the Trustee is presented that
any such
Transition Bonds are held by a bona fide purchaser;
|
provided, however, that in determining whether the Holders of the
requisite
Outstanding Amount of the Transition Bonds or any Series or Class thereof
have
given any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent
or waiver
hereunder or under any Basic Document, Transition Bonds owned by the
Issuer, any
other obligor upon the Transition Bonds, JCP&L or any Affiliate of any of
the foregoing Persons shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding,
except that, in determining whether the Trustee shall be fully protected
in
relying upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice,
consent
or waiver, only Transition Bonds that the Trustee actually knows to be
so owned
shall be so disregarded. Transition Bonds so owned that have been pledged
in
good faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes
to the
satisfaction of the Trustee the pledgee’s right so to act with respect to such
Transition Bonds and that the pledgee is not the Issuer, any other obligor
upon
the Transition Bonds, JCP&L or any Affiliate of any of the foregoing
Persons.
Outstanding Amount means the aggregate principal amount of
all Outstanding Transition Bonds or, if the context requires, all Outstanding
Transition Bonds of a Series or Class Outstanding at the date of determination.
Overcollateralization means, with respect to any Payment
Date, an amount that, if deposited to the Overcollateralization Subaccount,
would cause the balance in such subaccount to equal the Scheduled
Overcollateralization Level for such Payment Date.
Overcollateralization Amount means, with respect to any
Series, the amount specified as such in the Series Supplement therefor.
Overcollateralization Subaccount has the meaning specified
in Section 8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Paying Agent means the Trustee or any other Person,
including any Person appointed pursuant to Section 3.02(b) of the Indenture,
that meets the eligibility standards for the Trustee specified in Section
6.11
of the Indenture and is authorized by the Issuer to make the payments
of
Principal of or premium, if any, or interest on the Transition Bonds
on behalf
of the Issuer.
Payment Date means, with respect to each Series or Class,
each date or dates respectively specified as Payment Dates for such Series
or
Class in the Series Supplement therefor.
Person means any individual, corporation, estate,
partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, trust (including
any beneficiary thereof), business trust, limited liability company,
unincorporated organization or government or any agency or political
subdivision
thereof.
Petition means the petition filed by JCP&L with the
BPU, dated February 14, 2003, as amended on September 14, 2003 and December
1,
2003.
Predecessor Transition Bond means, with respect to any
particular Transition Bond, every previous Transition Bond evidencing
all or a
portion of the same debt as that evidenced by such particular Transition
Bond;
and, for the purpose of this definition, any Transition Bond authenticated
and
delivered under Section 2.06 of the Indenture in lieu of a mutilated,
lost,
destroyed or stolen Transition Bond shall be deemed to evidence the same
debt as
the mutilated, lost, destroyed or stolen Transition Bond.
A-11
Principal means, with respect to any Payment Date and each
Series or Class:
(a)
|
the amount of principal scheduled to be paid on such Payment
Date in
accordance with the Expected Amortization
Schedule;
|
(b)
|
the amount of principal due on the Final Maturity Date
of any Series
or Class on such Payment Date;
|
(c)
|
the amount of principal due as a result of the occurrence
and
continuance of an Event of Default and acceleration of the
Transition
Bonds;
|
(d)
|
the amount of principal and premium, if any, due as a result
of a
redemption of Transition Bonds on such Payment Date; and
|
(e)
|
any overdue payments of principal.
|
Proceeding means any suit in equity, action at law or
other judicial or administrative proceeding.
Projected Transition Bond Balance means, as of any date,
the sum of the amounts provided for in the Expected Amortization Schedules
for
each outstanding Series as of such date.
Pro Rata shall have the meaning specified in Section
8.02(h) and Section 8.02(l) of the Indenture.
Prospectus shall have the meaning specified in Section
3.06 of the Sale Agreement.
Quarterly Servicing Fee means the fee payable to the
Servicer on a quarterly basis for services rendered, in accordance with
Section
5.07 of the Servicing Agreement.
Rating Agency means, as of any date, any rating agency
rating the Transition Bonds of any Class or Series at the time of issuance
thereof at the request of the Issuer. If no such organization or successor
is
any longer in existence, “Rating Agency” shall be a nationally recognized
statistical rating organization or other comparable Person designated
by the
Issuer, notice of which designation shall be given to the Trustee, the
Member
and the Servicer.
Reconciliation Date means an Annual Reconciliation Date or
a Monthly Reconciliation Date, as appropriate.
Record Date has the meaning set forth in each Series
Supplement.
Redemption Date means, with respect to each Series or
Class, the date for the redemption of the Transition Bonds of such Series
or
Class pursuant to Section 10.01 or 10.02 of the Indenture or the Series
Supplement for such Series or Class, which in each case shall be a Payment
Date.
Redemption Price has the meaning set forth in Section
10.01 of the Indenture.
Refunding Issuance means an issuance of a new Series under
the Indenture to pay the cost of refunding, through redemption or payment
on the
Expected Final Payment Date for a Series or Class, all or part of the
Transition
Bonds of such Series or Class to the extent permitted by the terms thereof.
Registered Holder means, as of any date, the Person in
whose name a Transition Bond is registered in the Transition Bond Register
on
such date.
A-12
Regulation AB means Subpart 229.1100 - Asset Backed
Securities, 17 C.F.R. §§229.1100-229.1123, as such may be amended from time to
time, and subject to such clarification and interpretation as have been
provided
by the Commission in the adopting release (Asset-Backed Securities, Securities
Act Release No. 33-8518, 70 Fed. Reg. 1,506, 1,531 (Jan. 7, 2005)) or
by the
staff of the Commission, or as may be provided by the Commission or its
staff
from time to time.
Released Parties has the meaning specified in Section
5.02(d) of the Servicing Agreement.
Remittance Date means a Daily Remittance Date or a Monthly
Remittance Date, as applicable.
Required Capital Amount means, with respect to any Series,
the amount required to be deposited in the Capital Subaccount on the
Series
Issuance Date of such Series, as specified in the related Series Supplement.
Reserve Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Responsible Officer means, with respect to the Trustee,
any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Trustee, including
any vice
president, assistant vice president, secretary, assistant secretary,
or any
other officer of the Trustee customarily performing functions similar
to those
performed by any of the above designated officers and also, with respect
to a
particular matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred
because of
such officer’s knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
Restructuring Order means the order of the BPU issued on
March 7, 2001 pursuant to Section 13 of the Competition Act (N.J.S.A.
48:3-61) with respect to JCP&L.
Retiring Trustee has the meaning specified in Section
6.08(b) of the Indenture.
Sale Agreement means the Bondable Transition Property Sale
Agreement dated August 10, 2006 between the Seller and the Issuer, as
the same
may be amended or supplemented from time to time.
Scheduled Overcollateralization Level means, with respect
to each Series and each Payment Date, the amount with respect to such
Series set
forth as such in Schedule A to the related Series Supplement, as such
Schedule A
has been adjusted in accordance with Section 3.19 of the Indenture to
reflect
redemptions or defeasances of Transition Bonds and issuances of additional
Series.
Secured Obligations has the meaning specified in the
second paragraph of the Granting Clause of the Indenture.
Securities Act means the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended.
Seller means JCP&L, in its capacity as seller of the
Bondable Transition Property to the Issuer pursuant to the Sale Agreement.
Seller Officers’ Certificate means a certificate signed
by:
(a)
|
the chairman of the board, the president, the vice chairman
of the
board, any executive vice president or any vice president of
JCP&L;
and
|
(b)
|
the chief financial officer, the treasurer, any assistant
treasurer,
the secretary or any assistant secretary of JCP&L.
|
A-13
Series means any series of Transition Bonds issued by
the
Issuer and authenticated by the Trustee pursuant to the Indenture, as
specified
in the Series Supplement therefor.
Series Capital Subaccount has the meaning specified in
Section 8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Series Final Maturity Date means the Final Maturity Date
for a Series.
Series Issuance Date means, with respect to any Series,
the date on which the Transition Bonds of such Series are to be originally
issued in accordance with Section 2.10 of the Indenture and the Series
Supplement for such Series.
Series Overcollateralization Subaccount has the meaning
specified in Section 8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Series Subaccount has the meaning specified in Section
8.02(a) of the Indenture.
Series Supplement means an indenture supplemental to the
Indenture that authorizes a particular Series, as the same may be amended
or
supplemented from time to time.
Servicer means JCP&L, as the servicer of the Bondable
Transition Property, and each successor to JCP&L (in the same capacity)
pursuant to Section 5.03 or 6.04 of the Servicing Agreement.
Servicer Default means an event specified in Section 6.01
of the Servicing Agreement.
Servicer Officers’ Certificate means a certificate signed
by:
(a)
|
the chairman of the board, the president, the vice chairman
of the
board, any executive vice president or any vice president of
the Servicer;
and
|
(b)
|
the chief financial officer, the treasurer, any assistant
treasurer,
the secretary or any assistant secretary of the Servicer.
|
Servicing Agreement means the Servicing Agreement dated as
of August 10, 2006, between the Issuer and the Servicer, as the same
may be
amended or supplemented from time to time.
Servicing Criteria means the criteria listed on Appendix B
of this Indenture.
Special Member has the meaning set forth in the Issuer LLC
Agreement.
Standard & Poor’s or S&P means Standard &
Poor’s Ratings Group, a division of The XxXxxx-Xxxx
Companies, or its successor.
State means any one of the fifty states of the United
States of America or the District of Columbia.
Subaccount means any of the subaccounts of the Collection
Account specified in Section 8.02 of the Indenture.
Subsequent Purchase Price has the meaning specified in
Section 2.01(d) of the Sale Agreement.
Subsequent Sale means the sale of additional Bondable
Transition Property by the Seller to the Issuer after the Initial Transfer
Date,
subject to the satisfaction of the conditions specified in the Sale Agreement
and the Indenture.
A-14
Subsequent Transfer Date means the date that a sale of
Subsequent Transferred Bondable Transition Property will be effective,
as
specified in a written notice provided by the Seller to the Issuer pursuant
to
the Sale Agreement.
Subsequent Transferred Bondable Transition Property means
Bondable Transition Property sold by the Seller to the Issuer as of a
Subsequent
Transfer Date pursuant to the Sale Agreement and the Xxxx of Sale delivered
on
or prior to the Subsequent Transfer Date as identified in such Xxxx of
Sale.
Successor Servicer has the meaning specified in Section
3.20(i) of the Indenture.
Supplemental Indenture means a supplemental indenture
entered into by the Issuer and the Trustee pursuant to Article IX of
the
Indenture.
Swap Counterparty means, with respect to any Interest Rate
Swap Agreement, the swap counterparty under that Interest Rate Swap
Agreement.
TBC Collections means amounts received by the Servicer in
respect of the Transition Bond Charge.
Termination Notice has the meaning specified in Section
6.01 of the Servicing Agreement.
Third Party means any third party, including any electric
power supplier, providing billing or metering services, licensed by the
BPU
pursuant to relevant provisions of the Competition Act, any BPU Regulations
and
the Financing Order.
Transfer Date means the Initial Transfer Date or any
Subsequent Transfer Date, as applicable.
Transferred Bondable Transition Property has the meaning
specified in Section 2.10(b)(v)(H)(1) of the Indenture.
Transition Bond means any of the transition bonds (as
defined in the Competition Act) issued by the Issuer pursuant to the
Indenture.
Transition Bond Balance means, as of any date, the
aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Series on such date.
Transition Bond Charge means the Transition Bond Charge
authorized by the BPU to be imposed on all Customers by JCP&L or its
successor to recover Bondable Stranded Costs pursuant to the Competition
Act and
the Financing Order.
Transition Bond Charge Adjustment means each adjustment to
the Transition Bond Charge related to the Transferred Bondable Transition
Property made in accordance with Section 4.01 of the Servicing Agreement
and the
Issuer Annex.
Transition Bond Charge Adjustment Process means the
process by which the Transition Bond Charge is adjusted pursuant to the
Servicing Agreement, the Competition Act, the Petition and the Financing
Order.
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Transition Bond Owner means, with respect to a Book-Entry
Transition Bond, the Person who is the beneficial owner of such Book-Entry
Transition Bond, as reflected on the books of the Clearing Agency, or
on the
books of a Person maintaining an account with such Clearing Agency (directly
as
a Clearing Agency Participant or as an indirect participant, in each
case in
accordance with the rules of such Clearing Agency).
Transition Bond Register has the meaning specified in
Section 2.05(a) of the Indenture.
Transition Bond Registrar has the meaning specified in
Section 2.05(a) of the Indenture.
Trust Indenture Act or TIA means the Trust Indenture Act
of 1939, as in force on the date hereof, unless otherwise specifically
provided.
Trustee has the meaning specified in the first paragraph
of the Indenture.
Underwriting Agreement means the Underwriting Agreement
dated August 4, 2006, among the Seller, the Issuer and Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx
& Co.,
on behalf of itself and as the representative of the several underwriters
named
therein.
U.S. Government Obligations means direct obligations (or
certificates representing an ownership interest in such obligations)
of the
United States of America (including any agency or instrumentality thereof)
for
the payment of which the full faith and credit of the United States of
America
is pledged and which are not callable at the issuer’s option.
A-16
APPENDIX B
SERVICING
CRITERIA
SERVICING CRITERIA TO BE
ADDRESSED
BY TRUSTEE IN ASSESSMENT
OF
COMPLIANCE
Reg AB Reference
|
Servicing Criteria
|
Applicable
Trustee
Responsibility
|
|
General Servicing Considerations
|
|
1122(d)(1)(i)
|
Policies and procedures are instituted to monitor any performance
or
other triggers and events of default in accordance with the
transaction
agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(1)(ii)
|
If any material servicing activities are outsourced to
third parties,
policies and procedures are instituted to monitor the third
party’s
performance and compliance with such servicing activities.
|
|
1122(d)(1)(iii)
|
Any requirements in the transaction agreements to maintain
a back-up
servicer for the pool assets are maintained.
|
|
1122(d)(1)(iv)
|
A fidelity bond and errors and omissions policy is in effect
on the
party participating in the servicing function throughout the
reporting
period in the amount of coverage required by and otherwise
in accordance
with the terms of the transaction agreements.
|
|
|
Cash Collection and Administration
|
|
1122(d)(2)(i)
|
Payments on pool assets are deposited into the appropriate
custodial
bank accounts and related bank clearing accounts no more than
two business
days following receipt, or such other number of days specified
in the
transaction agreements.
|
X
|
1122(d)(2)(ii)
|
Disbursements made via wire transfer on behalf of an obligor
or to an
investor are made only by authorized personnel.
|
X
|
1122(d)(2)(iii)
|
Advances of funds or guarantees regarding collections,
cash flows or
distributions, and any interest or other fees charged for such
advances,
are made, reviewed and approved as specified in the transaction
agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(2)(iv)
|
The related accounts for the transaction, such as cash
reserve
accounts or accounts established as a form of overcollateralization,
are
separately maintained (e.g., with respect to commingling of
cash) as set
forth in the transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(2)(v)
|
Each custodial account is maintained at a federally insured
depository institution as set forth in the transaction agreements.
For
purposes of this criterion, “federally insured depository institution”
with respect to a foreign financial institution means a foreign
financial
institution that meets the requirements of Rule 13k-1(b)(1)
of the
Securities Exchange Act.
|
|
1122(d)(2)(vi)
|
Unissued checks are safeguarded so as to prevent unauthorized
access.
|
|
1122(d)(2)(vii)
|
Reconciliations are prepared on a monthly basis for all
asset-backed
securities related bank accounts, including custodial accounts
and related
bank clearing accounts. These reconciliations are (A) mathematically
accurate; (B) prepared within 30 calendar days after the bank
statement
cutoff date, or such other number of days specified in the
transaction
agreements; (C) reviewed and approved by someone other than
the person who
prepared the reconciliation; and (D) contain explanations for
reconciling
items. These reconciling items are resolved within 90 calendar
days of
their original identification, or such other number of days
specified in
the transaction agreements.
|
|
|
Investor Remittances and Reporting
|
|
1122(d)(3)(i)
|
Reports to investors, including those to be filed with
the
Commission, are maintained in accordance with the transaction
agreements
and applicable Commission requirements. Specifically, such
reports (A) are
prepared in accordance with timeframes and other terms set
forth in the
transaction agreements; (B) provide information calculated
in accordance
with the terms specified in the transaction agreements; (C)
are filed with
the Commission as required by its rules and regulations; and
(D) agree
with investors’ or the trustee’s records as to the total unpaid principal
balance and number of pool assets serviced by the servicer.
|
|
1122(d)(3)(ii)
|
Amounts due to investors are allocated and remitted in
accordance
with timeframes, distribution priority and other terms set
forth in the
transaction agreements.
|
X
|
1122(d)(3)(iii)
|
Disbursements made to an investor are posted within two
business days
to the servicer’s investor records, or such other number of days specified
in the transaction agreements.
|
X
|
1122(d)(3)(iv)
|
Amounts remitted to investors per the investor reports
agree with
cancelled checks, or other form of payment, or custodial bank
statements.
|
X
|
|
Pool Asset Administration
|
|
1122(d)(4)(i)
|
Collateral or security on pool assets is maintained as
required by
the transaction agreements or related pool asset documents.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(ii)
|
Pool assets and related documents are safeguarded as required
by the
transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(iii)
|
Any additions, removals or substitutions to the asset pool
are made,
reviewed and approved in accordance with any conditions or
requirements in
the transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(iv)
|
Payments on pool assets, including any payoffs, made in
accordance
with the related pool asset documents are posted to the servicer’s obligor
records maintained no more than two business days after receipt,
or such
other number of days specified in the transaction agreements,
and
allocated to principal, interest or other items (e.g., escrow)
in
accordance with the related pool asset documents.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(v)
|
The servicer’s records regarding the pool assets agree with the
servicer’s records with respect to an obligor’s unpaid principal
balance.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(vi)
|
Changes with respect to the terms or status of an obligor's
pool
assets (e.g., loan modifications or re-agings) are made, reviewed
and
approved by authorized personnel in accordance with the transaction
agreements and related pool asset documents.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(vii)
|
Loss mitigation or recovery actions (e.g., forbearance
plans,
modifications and deeds in lieu of foreclosure, foreclosures
and
repossessions, as applicable) are initiated, conducted and
concluded in
accordance with the timeframes or other requirements established
by the
transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(viii)
|
Records documenting collection efforts are maintained during
the
period a pool asset is delinquent in accordance with the transaction
agreements. Such records are maintained on at least a monthly
basis, or
such other period specified in the transaction agreements,
and describe
the entity’s activities in monitoring delinquent pool assets including,
for example, phone calls, letters and payment rescheduling
plans in cases
where delinquency is deemed temporary (e.g., illness or
unemployment).
|
|
1122(d)(4)(ix)
|
Adjustments to interest rates or rates of return for pool
assets with
variable rates are computed based on the related pool asset
documents.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(x)
|
Regarding any funds held in trust for an obligor (such
as escrow
accounts): (A) such funds are analyzed, in accordance with
the obligor’s
pool asset documents, on at least an annual basis, or such
other period
specified in the transaction agreements; (B) interest on such
funds is
paid, or credited, to obligors in accordance with applicable
pool asset
documents and state laws; and (C) such funds are returned to
the obligor
within 30 calendar days of full repayment of the related pool
assets, or
such other number of days specified in the transaction
agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(xi)
|
Payments made on behalf of an obligor (such as tax or insurance
payments) are made on or before the related penalty or expiration
dates,
as indicated on the appropriate bills or notices for such payments,
provided that such support has been received by the servicer
at least 30
calendar days prior to these dates, or such other number of
days specified
in the transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(xii)
|
Any late payment penalties in connection with any payment
to be made
on behalf of an obligor are paid from the servicer’s funds and not charged
to the obligor, unless the late payment was due to the obligor’s error or
omission.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(xiii)
|
Disbursements made on behalf of an obligor are posted within
two
business days to the obligor’s records maintained by the servicer, or such
other number of days specified in the transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(xiv)
|
Delinquencies, charge-offs and uncollectible accounts are
recognized
and recorded in accordance with the transaction agreements.
|
|
1122(d)(4)(xv)
|
Any external enhancement or other support, identified in
Item
1114(a)(1) through (3) or Item 1115 of Regulation AB, is maintained
as set
forth in the transaction agreements.
|
|
B-1