EXHIBIT 4.4
TRUST AGREEMENT
between
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc.,
as Depositor,
and
[_______________________________]
as Owner Trustee
Dated as of ___________, 200_
Table of Contents
Page
----
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01. Capitalized Terms...............................................................................1
Section 1.02. Other Definitional Provisions...................................................................4
ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
Section 2.01. Name............................................................................................4
Section 2.02. Office..........................................................................................5
Section 2.03. Purposes and Powers.............................................................................5
Section 2.04. Appointment of Owner Trustee....................................................................5
Section 2.05. Initial Capital Contribution of Owner Trust Estate..............................................5
Section 2.06. Declaration of Trust............................................................................6
Section 2.07. Liability of the Owners.........................................................................6
Section 2.08. Title to Trust Property.........................................................................6
Section 2.09. Situs of Trust..................................................................................6
Section 2.10. Representations and Warranties of the Depositor.................................................7
Section 2.11. Federal Income Tax Allocations..................................................................8
ARTICLE III
TRUST CERTIFICATES AND TRANSFER OF INTERESTS
Section 3.01. Initial Ownership...............................................................................8
Section 3.02. The Trust Certificates..........................................................................8
Section 3.03. Authentication of Trust Certificates............................................................9
Section 3.04. Registration of Transfer and Exchange of Trust Certificates.....................................9
Section 3.05. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Trust Certificates........................................10
Section 3.06. Persons Deemed Owners..........................................................................10
Section 3.07. Access to List of Certificateholders' Names and Addresses......................................10
Section 3.08. Maintenance of Office or Agency................................................................11
Section 3.09. Appointment of Paying Agent....................................................................11
Section 3.10. Ownership by Depositor of Trust Certificates...................................................11
Section 3.11. Book-Entry Trust Certificates..................................................................12
Section 3.12. Notices to Clearing Agency.....................................................................12
Section 3.13. Definitive Trust Certificates..................................................................13
ARTICLE IV
ACTIONS BY OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 4.01. Prior Notice to Owners with Respect to Certain Matters.........................................13
Section 4.02. Action by Owners with Respect to Certain Matters...............................................14
Section 4.03. Action by Owners with Respect to Bankruptcy....................................................14
i
Section 4.04. Restrictions on Owners' Power..................................................................14
Section 4.05. Majority Control...............................................................................14
ARTICLE V
APPLICATION OF TRUST FUNDS; CERTAIN DUTIES
Section 5.01. Establishment of Trust Account.................................................................14
Section 5.02. Application of Trust Funds.....................................................................15
Section 5.03. Method of Payment..............................................................................15
Section 5.04. No Segregation of Moneys; No Interest..........................................................16
Section 5.05. Accounting and Reports to the Noteholders, Owners, the Internal Revenue Service and
Others.........................................................................................16
Section 5.06. Signature on Returns; Tax Matters Partner......................................................16
ARTICLE VI
AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 6.01. General Authority..............................................................................16
Section 6.02. General Duties.................................................................................16
Section 6.03. Action upon Instruction........................................................................17
Section 6.04. No Duties Except as Specified in this Agreement or in Instructions.............................18
Section 6.05. No Action Except Under Specified Documents or Instructions.....................................18
Section 6.06. Restrictions...................................................................................18
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 7.01. Acceptance of Trusts and Duties................................................................18
Section 7.02. Furnishing of Documents........................................................................19
Section 7.03. Representations and Warranties.................................................................19
Section 7.04. Reliance; Advice of Counsel....................................................................20
Section 7.05. Not Acting in Individual Capacity..............................................................20
Section 7.06. Owner Trustee Not Liable for Trust Certificates or Mortgage Loans..............................21
Section 7.07. Owner Trustee May Own Trust Certificates and Notes.............................................21
ARTICLE VIII
COMPENSATION OF OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 8.01. Owner Trustee's Fees and Expenses..............................................................21
Section 8.02. Indemnification................................................................................21
Section 8.03. Payments to the Owner Trustee..................................................................22
ii
ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION OF TRUST AGREEMENT
Section 9.01. Termination of Trust Agreement.................................................................22
ARTICLE X
SUCCESSOR OWNER TRUSTEES AND ADDITIONAL OWNER TRUSTEES
Section 10.01. Eligibility Requirements for Owner Trustee.....................................................23
Section 10.02. Resignation or Removal of Owner Trustee........................................................23
Section 10.03. Successor Owner Trustee........................................................................24
Section 10.04. Merger or Consolidation of Owner Trustee.......................................................24
Section 10.05. Appointment of Co-Trustee or Separate Trustee..................................................25
ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 11.01. Supplements and Amendments.....................................................................26
Section 11.02. No Legal Title to Owner Trust Estate in Owners.................................................27
Section 11.03. Limitations on Rights of Others................................................................27
Section 11.04. Notices........................................................................................27
Section 11.05. Severability...................................................................................27
Section 11.06. Separate Counterparts..........................................................................28
Section 11.07. Successors and Assigns.........................................................................28
Section 11.08. No Petition....................................................................................28
Section 11.09. No Recourse....................................................................................28
Section 11.10. Headings.......................................................................................28
Section 11.11. GOVERNING LAW..................................................................................28
Section 11.12. Depositor Payment Obligation...................................................................28
EXHIBITS
EXHIBIT A Form of Trust Certificate
EXHIBIT B Form of Certificate of Trust
EXHIBIT C Form of Certificate Depository Agreement
iii
TRUST AGREEMENT (the "Trust Agreement") dated as of ________, 200_,
between Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc., a Delaware corporation, as
depositor (the "Depositor"), and [____________], a [__________________], as
owner trustee (the "Owner Trustee").
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01. Capitalized Terms. For all purposes of this Agreement,
the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:
Administration Agreement: The Administration Agreement dated as of
________1, 200_, among the Trust, the Indenture Trustee and
[_________________________], as Administrator.
Agreement: This Trust Agreement, as the same may be amended and
supplemented from time to time.
Assignment: The assignment of right, title and interest of the
Depositor in the Mortgage Loans to the Trust.
Basic Documents: The Master Servicing Agreement, the Indenture, the
Administration Agreement and the other documents and certificates delivered in
connection therewith.
Benefit Plan: The meaning assigned to such term in Section 11.13.
Book-Entry Trust Certificate: A beneficial interest in the Trust
Certificates, ownership and transfers of which shall be made through book
entries by a Clearing Agency as described in Section 3.10.
Business Trust Statute: Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the Delaware Code,
12 Del. Code ss. 3801 et seq., as the same may be amended from time to time.
Certificate: Any of the Book-Entry Trust Certificates or Definitive
Trust Certificates.
"Certificate Distribution Account": The meaning assigned to such
term in Section 5.01.
Certificate of Trust: The Certificate of Trust in the form of
Exhibit B filed for the Trust pursuant to Section 3810(a) of the Business
Trust Statute.
Certificate Owner: With respect to a Book-Entry Trust Certificate, a
Person who is the beneficial owner of such Book-Entry Trust Certificate, as
reflected on the books of the Clearing Agency, or on the books of a Person
maintaining an account with such Clearing Agency
1
(directly as a Clearing Agency Participant or as an indirect participant, in
each case in accordance with the rules of such Clearing Agency).
Certificate Register and Certificate Registrar: The register
mentioned in and the registrar appointed pursuant to Section 3.04.
Certificateholder or Holder: A Person in whose name a Trust
Certificate is registered.
Clearing Agency: An organization registered as a "clearing agency"
pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act.
Clearing Agency Participant: 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.
Code: The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and Treasury
Regulations promulgated thereunder.
Corporate Trust Office: With respect to the Owner Trustee, the
principal corporate trust office of the Owner Trustee located at
[____________________________], or at such other address as the Owner Trustee
may designate by notice to the Owners, the Depositor and the Company, or the
principal corporate trust office of any successor Owner Trustee at the address
designated by such successor Owner Trustee by notice to the Owners, the
Depositor and the Company.
Definitive Trust Certificates: The meaning set forth in Section
3.10.
Depositor: Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc. in its capacity as
depositor hereunder.
Eligible Distribution Account: An account that is (i) maintained
with a depository institution whose debt obligations at the time of any
deposit therein have the highest short-term debt rating by the Rating
Agencies, (ii) one or more accounts with a depository institution which
accounts are fully insured by either the Savings Association Insurance Fund or
the Bank Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
established by such fund, (iii) a segregated trust account maintained with the
Owner Trustee or an affiliate of the Owner Trustee in its fiduciary capacity
or (iv) otherwise acceptable to each Rating Agency as evidenced by a letter
from each Rating Agency to the Owner Trustee, without reduction or withdrawal
of their then currently ratings of the Certificates.
ERISA: The meaning assigned thereto in Section 11.13.
Exchange Act: The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Expenses: The meaning assigned to such term in Section 8.02.
Indemnified Parties: The meaning assigned to such term in Section
8.02.
2
Indenture: The Indenture dated as of ________, 200_ between the
Trust and [_____________________________], as Indenture Trustee.
Initial Certificate Balance: $__________.
Master Servicing Agreement: The Master Servicing Agreement dated as
of ________1, 200_, among the Trust, as issuer and
[_________________________], as master servicer, as the same may be amended or
supplemented from time to time.
Mortgage Loans: A pool of [adjustable rate] home equity revolving
credit line loans made or to be made in the future under certain home equity
revolving credit line loan agreements.
Owner: Each Holder of a Trust Certificate.
Owner Trust Estate: All right, title and interest of the Trust in
and to the property and rights assigned to the Trust pursuant to the
Assignment, all funds on deposit from time to time in the Trust Accounts and
the Certificate Distribution Account and all other property of the Trust from
time to time, including any rights of the Owner Trustee and the Trust pursuant
to the Master Servicing Agreement and the Administration Agreement.
Owner Trustee: [____________________], a [_________] banking
corporation, not in its individual capacity but solely as owner trustee under
this Agreement, and any successor Owner Trustee hereunder.
Paying Agent: Any paying agent or co-paying agent appointed pursuant
to Section 3.09 and shall initially be [_____________].
Rating Agency: Any nationally recognized statistical rating
organization asked to rate the Certificates.
Record Date: With respect to any Distribution Date, the close of
business on the day prior to such Distribution Date occurs or, if Definitive
Trust Certificates are issued pursuant to Section 3.13, the last day of the
month preceding such Distribution Date.
Secretary of State: The Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
Treasury Regulations: Regulations, including proposed or temporary
Regulations, promulgated under the Code. References herein to specific
provisions of proposed or temporary regulations shall include analogous
provisions of final Treasury Regulations or other successor Treasury
Regulations.
Trust: The trust established by this Agreement.
Trust Account: Any account set up by the Owner Trustee pursuant to
the provisions of Section 5.01.
3
Trust Certificate: A certificate evidencing the beneficial interest
of an Owner in the Trust, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit
A.
Section 1.02. Other Definitional Provisions. (a) Capitalized terms
used and not otherwise defined herein have the meanings assigned to them in
the Master Servicing Agreement or, if not defined therein, in the Indenture.
(b) All terms defined in this Agreement shall have the defined
meanings when used in any certificate or other document made or delivered
pursuant hereto unless otherwise defined therein.
(c) As used in this Agreement and in any certificate or other
document made or delivered pursuant hereto or thereto, accounting terms not
defined in this Agreement or in any such certificate or other document, and
accounting terms partly defined in this Agreement or in any such certificate
or other document to the extent not defined, shall have the respective
meanings given to them under generally accepted accounting principles. To the
extent that the definitions of accounting terms in this Agreement or in any
such certificate or other document are inconsistent with the meanings of such
terms under generally accepted accounting principles, the definitions
contained in this Agreement or in any such certificate or other document shall
control.
(d) The words "hereof," "herein," "hereunder" and words of similar
import when used in this Agreement shall refer to this Agreement as a whole
and not to any particular provision of this Agreement; Section and Exhibit
references contained in this Agreement are references to Sections and Exhibits
in or to this Agreement unless otherwise specified; and the term "including"
shall mean "including without limitation".
(e) The definitions contained in this Agreement are applicable to
the singular as well as the plural forms of such terms and to the masculine as
well as to the feminine and neuter genders of such terms.
(f) Any agreement, instrument or statute defined or referred to
herein or in any instrument or certificate delivered in connection herewith
means such agreement, instrument or statute as from time to time amended,
modified or supplemented and includes (in the case of agreements or
instruments) references to all attachments thereto and instruments
incorporated therein; references to a Person are also to its permitted
successors and assigns.
ARTICLE II
ORGANIZATION
Section 2.01. Name. The Trust created hereby shall be known as
"[_____________] Home Equity Loan Trust 19 - ," in which name the Owner
Trustee may conduct the business of the Trust, make and execute contracts and
other instruments on behalf of the Trust and xxx and be sued.
4
Section 2.02. Office. The office of the Trust shall be in care of
the Owner Trustee at the Corporate Trust Office or at such other address in
Delaware as the Owner Trustee may designate by written notice to the Owners,
the Depositor and the Company.
Section 2.03. Purposes and Powers. (a) The purpose of the Trust is
to engage in the following activities:
(i) to issue the Notes pursuant to the Indenture and the Trust
Certificates pursuant to this Agreement and to sell the Notes and the
Trust Certificates;
(ii) with the proceeds of the sale of the Notes and the Trust
Certificates, to purchase the Mortgage Loans, and to pay the
organizational, start-up and transactional expenses of the Trust and to
pay the balance to the Depositor pursuant to the Master Servicing
Agreement;
(iii) to assign, grant, transfer, pledge, mortgage and convey the
Trust Estate pursuant to the Indenture and to hold, manage and distribute
to the Owners pursuant to the terms of the Master Servicing Agreement any
portion of the Trust Estate released from the Lien of, and remitted to
the Trust pursuant to, the Indenture;
(iv) to enter into and perform its obligations under the Basic
Documents to which it is to be a party;
(v) to engage in those activities, including entering into
agreements, that are necessary, suitable or convenient to accomplish the
foregoing or are incidental thereto or connected therewith; and
(vi) subject to compliance with the Basic Documents, to engage in
such other activities as may be required in connection with conservation
of the Owner Trust Estate and the making of distributions to the Owners
and the Noteholders.
The Trust is hereby authorized to engage in the foregoing activities. The
Trust shall not engage in any activity other than in connection with the
foregoing or other than as required or authorized by the terms of this
Agreement or the Basic Documents.
Section 2.04. Appointment of Owner Trustee. The Depositor hereby
appoints the Owner Trustee as trustee of the Trust effective as of the date
hereof, to have all the rights, powers and duties set forth herein.
Section 2.05. Initial Capital Contribution of Owner Trust Estate.
The Depositor hereby sells, assigns, transfers, conveys and sets over to the
Owner Trustee, as of the date hereof, the sum of $[_____________]. The Owner
Trustee hereby acknowledges receipt in trust from the Depositor, as of the
date hereof, of the foregoing contribution, which shall constitute the initial
Owner Trust Estate and shall be deposited in the Certificate Distribution
Account. The Depositor shall pay organizational expenses of the Trust as they
may arise or shall, upon the request of the Owner Trustee, promptly reimburse
the Owner Trustee for any such expenses paid by the Owner Trustee.
5
Section 2.06. Declaration of Trust. The Owner Trustee hereby
declares that it will hold the Owner Trust Estate in trust upon and subject to
the conditions set forth herein for the use and benefit of the Owners, subject
to the obligations of the Trust under the Basic Documents. It is the intention
of the parties hereto that the Trust constitute a business trust under the
Business Trust Statute and that this Agreement constitute the governing
instrument of such business trust. It is the intention of the parties hereto
that, solely for income and franchise tax purposes, the Trust shall be treated
as a partnership, with the assets of the partnership being the Mortgage Loans
and other assets held by the Trust, the partners of the partnership being the
Certificateholders, and the Notes being debt of the partnership. The parties
agree that, unless otherwise required by appropriate tax authorities, the
Trust will file or cause to be filed annual or other necessary returns,
reports and other forms consistent with the characterization of the Trust as a
partnership for such tax purposes. Effective as of the date hereof, the Owner
Trustee shall have all rights, powers and duties set forth herein and in the
Business Trust Statute with respect to accomplishing the purposes of the
Trust.
Section 2.07. Liability of the Owners. (a) The Depositor shall be
liable directly to and will indemnify any injured party for all losses,
claims, damages, liabilities and expenses of the Trust (including Expenses, to
the extent not paid out of the Owner Trust Estate) to the extent that the
Depositor would be liable if the Trust were a partnership under the Delaware
Revised Uniform Limited Partnership Act in which the Depositor were a general
partner; provided, however, that the Depositor shall not be liable for any
losses incurred by a Certificateholder in the capacity of an investor in the
Trust Certificates, or a Noteholder in the capacity of an investor in the
Notes. In addition, any third party creditors of the Trust (other than in
connection with the obligations described in the preceding sentence for which
the Depositor shall not be liable) shall be deemed third party beneficiaries
of this paragraph and paragraph (c) below. The obligations of the Depositor
under this paragraph shall be evidenced by the Trust Certificates described in
Section 3.10, which for purposes of the Business Trust Statute shall be deemed
to be a separate class of Trust Certificates from all other Trust Certificates
issued by the Trust; provided that the rights and obligations evidenced by all
Trust Certificates, regardless of class shall, except as provided in this
Section be identical.
(b) No Owner, other than to the extent set forth in paragraph (a),
shall have any personal liability for any liability or obligation of the
Trust.
Section 2.08. Title to Trust Property. Legal title to all the Owner
Trust Estate shall be vested at all times in the Trust as a separate legal
entity except where applicable law in any jurisdiction requires title to any
part of the Owner Trust Estate to be vested in a trustee or trustees, in which
case title shall be deemed to be vested in the Owner Trustee, a co-trustee
and/or a separate trustee, as the case may be.
Section 2.09. Situs of Trust. The Trust will be located and
administered in the State of Delaware. All bank accounts maintained by the
Owner Trustee on behalf of the Trust shall be located in the State of Delaware
or the State of ________. The Trust shall not have any employees in any state
other than Delaware; provided, however, that nothing herein shall restrict or
prohibit the Owner Trustee from having employees within or without the State
of Delaware. Payments will be received by the Trust only in Delaware or
________, and payments will be
6
made by the Trust only from Delaware or ________. The only office of the Trust
will be at the Corporate Trust Office in Delaware.
Section 2.10. Representations and Warranties of the Depositor. The
Depositor hereby represents and warrants to the Owner Trustee that:
(a) The Depositor is duly organized and validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware,
with power and authority to own its properties and to conduct its
business as such properties are currently owned and such business is
presently conducted.
(b) The Depositor is duly qualified to do business as a foreign
corporation in good standing and has obtained all necessary licenses and
approvals in all jurisdictions in which the ownership or lease of its
property or the conduct of its business shall require such
qualifications.
(c) The Depositor has the power and authority to execute and deliver
this Agreement and to carry out its terms; the Depositor has full power
and authority to sell and assign the property to be sold and assigned to
and deposited with the Trust and the Depositor has duly authorized such
sale and assignment and deposit to the Trust by all necessary corporate
action; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement
have been duly authorized by the Depositor by all necessary corporate
action.
(d) The consummation of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement and the fulfillment of the terms hereof do not conflict with,
result in any breach of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute
(with or without notice or lapse of time) a default under, the
certificate of incorporation or bylaws of the Depositor, or any
indenture, agreement or other instrument to which the Depositor is a
party or by which it is bound; nor result in the creation or imposition
of any Lien upon any of its properties pursuant to the terms of any such
indenture, agreement or other instrument (other than pursuant to the
Basic Documents); nor violate any law or, to the best of the Depositor's
knowledge, any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Depositor of
any court or of any federal or state regulatory body, administrative
agency or other governmental instrumentality having jurisdiction over the
Depositor or its properties.
(e) To the Depositor's best knowledge, there are no proceedings or
investigations pending or threatened before any court, regulatory body,
administrative agency or other governmental instrumentality having
jurisdiction over the Depositor or its properties: (A) asserting the
invalidity of this Agreement, (B) seeking to prevent the consummation of
any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or (C) seeking any
determination or ruling that might materially and adversely affect the
performance by the Depositor of its obligations under, or the validity or
enforceability of, this Agreement.
(f) The representations and warranties of the Depositor in Sections
[___________] of the [________________________] are true and correct.
7
Section 2.11. Federal Income Tax Allocations. Net income of the
Trust for any month as determined for federal income tax purposes (and each
item of income, gain, loss and deduction entering into the computation
thereof) shall be allocated:
(a) among the Certificate Owners as of the first Record Date
following the end of such month, in proportion to their ownership of principal
amount of Trust Certificates on such date, net income in an amount up to the
sum of (i) the Certificateholders' Monthly Interest Distributable Amount for
such month, (ii) interest on the excess, if any, of the Certificateholders'
Interest Distributable Amount for the preceding Distribution Date over the
amount in respect of interest that is actually deposited in the Certificate
Distribution Account on such preceding Distribution Date, to the extent
permitted by law, at the Pass-Through Rate from such preceding Distribution
Date through the current Distribution Date, (iii) the portion of the market
discount on the Mortgage Loans accrued during such month that is allocable to
the excess, if any, of the initial aggregate principal amount of the Trust
Certificates over their initial aggregate issue price, (iv) any amount
expected to be distributed to the Certificateholders pursuant to the Master
Servicing Agreement (to the extent not previously allocated pursuant to this
clause), (v) any Certificateholders' Prepayment Premium distributable to the
Certificateholders with respect to such month and (vi) any other amounts of
income payable to the Certificateholders for such month; such sum to be
reduced by any amortization by the Trust of premium on Mortgage Loans that
corresponds to any excess of the issue price of Certificates over their
principal amount; and
(b) to the Depositor, to the extent of any remaining net income. If
the net income of the Trust for any month is insufficient for the allocations
described in clause (a) above, subsequent net income shall first be allocated
to make up such shortfall before being allocated as provided in the preceding
sentence. Net losses of the Trust, if any, for any month as determined for
federal income tax purposes (and each item of income, gain, loss and deduction
entering into the computation thereof) shall be allocated to the Depositor to
the extent the Depositor is reasonably expected to bear the economic burden of
such net losses, and any remaining net losses shall be allocated among the
Certificate Owners as of the first Record Date following the end of such month
in proportion to their ownership of principal amount of Trust Certificates on
such Record Date. The Depositor is authorized to modify the allocations in
this paragraph if necessary or appropriate, in its sole discretion, for the
allocations to fairly reflect the economic income, gain or loss to the
Depositor or to the Certificate Owners, or as otherwise required by the Code.
ARTICLE III
TRUST CERTIFICATES AND TRANSFER OF INTERESTS
Section 3.01. Initial Ownership. Upon the formation of the Trust by
the contribution by the Depositor pursuant to Section 2.05 and until the
issuance of the Trust Certificates, the Depositor shall be the sole
beneficiary of the Trust.
Section 3.02. The Trust Certificates. The Trust Certificates shall
be issued in minimum denominations of $[_______] and in integral multiples of
$1,000 in excess thereof; provided, however, that the Trust Certificates
issued to the Depositor pursuant to Section 3.10 may be issued in such
denomination as required to include any residual amount. The Trust
8
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Trust by manual or facsimile
signature of an authorized officer of the Owner Trustee. Trust Certificates
bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of individuals who were, at the
time when such signatures shall have been affixed, authorized to sign on
behalf of the Trust, shall be validly issued and entitled to the benefit of
this Agreement, notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them shall
have ceased to be so authorized prior to the authentication and delivery of
such Trust Certificates or did not hold such offices at the date of
authentication and delivery of such Trust Certificates.
A transferee of a Trust Certificate shall become a Certificateholder
and shall be entitled to the rights and subject to the obligations of a
Certificateholder hereunder upon such transferee's acceptance of a Trust
Certificate duly registered in such transferee's name pursuant to Section
3.04.
Each Trust Certificate issued in accordance with this Trust
Agreement shall be deemed fully paid and non-assessable
Section 3.03. Authentication of Trust Certificates. Concurrently
with the initial sale of the Mortgage Loans to the Trust pursuant to the
Master Servicing Agreement, the Owner Trustee shall cause the Trust
Certificates in an aggregate principal amount equal to the Initial Certificate
Balance to be executed on behalf of the Trust, authenticated and delivered to
or upon the written order of the Depositor, signed by its chairman of the
board, its president, any vice president, secretary or any assistant
treasurer, without further corporate action by the Depositor, in authorized
denominations. No Trust Certificate shall entitle its Holder to any benefit
under this Agreement or be valid for any purpose unless there shall appear on
such Trust Certificate a certificate of authentication substantially in the
form set forth in Exhibit A, executed by the Owner Trustee or [____________],
as the Owner Trustee's authenticating agent, by manual signature; such
authentication shall constitute conclusive evidence that such Trust
Certificate shall have been duly authenticated and delivered hereunder. All
Trust Certificates shall be dated the date of their authentication.
Section 3.04. Registration of Transfer and Exchange of Trust
Certificates. The Certificate Registrar shall keep or cause to be kept, at the
office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 3.08, a Certificate Register
in which, subject to such reasonable regulations as it may prescribe, the
Owner Trustee shall provide for the registration of Trust Certificates and of
transfers and exchanges of Trust Certificates as herein provided.
[___________] shall be the initial Certificate Registrar.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Trust Certificate
at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 3.08, the Owner Trustee
shall execute, authenticate and deliver (or shall cause [_______________] as
its authenticating agent to authenticate and deliver), in the name of the
designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Trust Certificates in
authorized denominations of a like aggregate amount dated the date of
authentication by the Owner Trustee or any authenticating agent. At the option
of a Holder, Trust Certificates may be exchanged for other Trust Certificates
of authorized denominations of a like aggregate amount upon surrender of the
Trust Certificates to be exchanged at the office or agency maintained pursuant
to Section 3.08.
9
Every Trust Certificate presented or surrendered for registration of
transfer or exchange shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer
in form satisfactory to the Owner Trustee and the Certificate Registrar duly
executed by the Holder or such Holder's attorney duly authorized in writing.
Each Trust Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange
shall be cancelled and subsequently disposed of by the Owner Trustee in
accordance with its customary practice.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of Trust Certificates, but the Owner Trustee or the Certificate
Registrar may require payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or
governmental charge that may be imposed in connection with any transfer or
exchange of Trust Certificates.
The preceding provisions of this Section notwithstanding, the Owner
Trustee shall not make, and the Certificate Registrar shall not register
transfers or exchanges of, Trust Certificates for a period of 15 days
preceding the due date for any payment with respect to the Trust Certificates.
Section 3.05. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Trust
Certificates. If (a) any mutilated Trust Certificate shall be surrendered to
the Certificate Registrar, or if the Certificate Registrar shall receive
evidence to its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Trust
Certificate and (b) there shall be delivered to the Certificate Registrar and
the Owner Trustee such security or indemnity as may be required by them to
save each of them harmless, then in the absence of notice that such Trust
Certificate has been acquired by a bona fide purchaser, the Owner Trustee on
behalf of the Trust shall execute and the Owner Trustee or [_______________],
as the Owner Trustee's authenticating agent, shall authenticate and deliver,
in exchange for or in lieu of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
Trust Certificate, a new Trust Certificate of like tenor and denomination. In
connection with the issuance of any new Trust Certificate under this Section
the Owner Trustee or the Certificate Registrar may require the payment of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection therewith. Any duplicate Trust Certificate issued
pursuant to this Section shall constitute conclusive evidence of ownership in
the Trust, as if originally issued, whether or not the lost, stolen or
destroyed Trust Certificate shall be found at any time.
Section 3.06. Persons Deemed Owners. Prior to due presentation of a
Trust Certificate for registration of transfer, the Owner Trustee, the
Certificate Registrar or any Paying Agent may treat the Person in whose name
any Trust Certificate is registered in the Certificate Register as the owner
of such Trust Certificate for the purpose of receiving distributions pursuant
to Section 5.02 and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of the Owner
Trustee, the Certificate Registrar or any Paying Agent shall be bound by any
notice to the contrary.
Section 3.07. Access to List of Certificateholders' Names and
Addresses. The Owner Trustee shall furnish or cause to be furnished to the
Master Servicer and the Depositor, within 15 days after receipt by the Owner
Trustee of a written request therefor from the Master Servicer or the
Depositor, a list, in such form as the Master Servicer or the Depositor may
reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Certificateholders as of
the most recent Record Date. If three or more Certificateholders or one or
more Holders of Trust Certificates evidencing not less than 25% of the
Certificate Balance apply in writing to the Owner Trustee,
10
and such application states that the applicants desire to communicate with
other Certificateholders with respect to their rights under this Agreement or
under the Trust Certificates and such application is accompanied by a copy of
the communication that such applicants propose to transmit, then the Owner
Trustee shall, within five Business Days after the receipt of such
application, afford such applicants access during normal business hours to the
current list of Certificateholders. Each Holder, by receiving and holding a
Trust Certificate, shall be deemed to have agreed not to hold any of the
Depositor, the Depositor, the Certificate Registrar or the Owner Trustee
accountable by reason of the disclosure of its name and address, regardless of
the source from which such information was derived.
Section 3.08. Maintenance of Office or Agency. The Owner Trustee
shall maintain in the Borough of Manhattan, The City of New York, an office or
offices or agency or agencies where Trust Certificates may be surrendered for
registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon
the Owner Trustee in respect of the Trust Certificates and the Basic Documents
may be served. The Owner Trustee initially designates
[_______________________________] as its office for such purposes. The Owner
Trustee shall give prompt written notice to the Certificateholders of any
change in the location of the Certificate Register or any such office or
agency.
Section 3.09. Appointment of Paying Agent. The Paying Agent shall
make distributions to Certificateholders from the Certificate Distribution
Account pursuant to Section 5.02 and shall report the amounts of such
distributions to the Owner Trustee. Any Paying Agent shall have the revocable
power to withdraw funds from the Certificate Distribution Account for the
purpose of making the distributions referred to above. The Owner Trustee may
revoke such power and remove the Paying Agent if the Owner Trustee determines
in its sole discretion that the Paying Agent shall have failed to perform its
obligations under this Agreement in any material respect. The Paying Agent
initially shall be [___________], and any co-paying agent chosen by
[___________] and acceptable to the Owner Trustee. [____________] shall be
permitted to resign as Paying Agent upon 30 days' written notice to the Owner
Trustee. In the event that [___________] shall no longer be the Paying Agent,
the Owner Trustee shall appoint a successor to act as Paying Agent (which
shall be a bank or trust company). The Owner Trustee shall cause such
successor Paying Agent or any additional Paying Agent appointed by the Owner
Trustee to execute and deliver to the Owner Trustee an instrument in which
such successor Paying Agent or additional Paying Agent shall agree with the
Owner Trustee that, as Paying Agent, such successor Paying Agent or additional
Paying Agent will hold all sums, if any, held by it for payment to the
Certificateholders in trust for the benefit of the Certificateholders entitled
thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Certificateholders. The Paying
Agent shall return all unclaimed funds to the Owner Trustee and upon removal
of a Paying Agent such Paying Agent shall also return all funds in its
possession to the Owner Trustee. The provisions of Sections 7.01, 7.03, 7.04
and 8.01 shall apply to the Owner Trustee also in its role as Paying Agent,
for so long as the Owner Trustee shall act as Paying Agent and, to the extent
applicable, to any other paying agent appointed hereunder. Any reference in
this Agreement to the Paying Agent shall include any co-paying agent unless
the context requires otherwise.
Section 3.10. Ownership by Depositor of Trust Certificates. The
Depositor shall on the Closing Date purchase Trust Certificates representing
at least __% of the Initial Certificate Balance and shall thereafter retain
beneficial and record ownership of Trust
11
Certificates representing at least __% of the Certificate Balance. Any
attempted transfer of any Trust Certificate that would reduce such interest of
the Depositor below __% of the Certificate Balance shall, to the extent
permitted by applicable law, be void. The Owner Trustee shall cause any Trust
Certificate issued to the Depositor to contain a legend stating "THIS
CERTIFICATE IS NON TRANSFERABLE TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW".
Section 3.11. Book-Entry Trust Certificates. The Trust Certificates,
upon original issuance, will be issued in the form of a typewritten Trust
Certificate or Trust Certificates representing Book-Entry Trust Certificates,
to be delivered to The Depository Trust Depositor, the initial Clearing
Agency, by, or on behalf of, the Trust; provided, however, that one Definitive
Trust Certificate may be issued to the Depositor pursuant to Section 3.11.
Such Trust Certificate or Trust Certificates shall initially be registered on
the Certificate Register in the name of Cede & Co., the nominee of the initial
Clearing Agency, and no Certificate Owner will receive a definitive Trust
Certificate representing such Certificate Owner's interest in such Trust
Certificate, except as provided in Section 3.13. Unless and until definitive,
fully registered Trust Certificates (the "Definitive Trust Certificates") have
been issued to Certificate Owners pursuant to Section 3.13:
(a) The provisions of this Section shall be in full force and
effect;
(b) The Certificate Registrar and the Owner Trustee shall be
entitled to deal with the Clearing Agency for all purposes of this Agreement
(including the payment of principal of and interest on the Trust Certificates
and the giving of instructions or directions hereunder) as the sole Holder of
the Trust Certificates and shall have no obligation to the Certificate Owners;
(c) To the extent that the provisions of this Section conflict with
any other provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of this Section shall
control;
(d) The rights of Certificate Owners shall be exercised only through
the Clearing Agency and shall be limited to those established by law and
agreements between such Certificate Owners and the Clearing Agency and/or the
Clearing Agency Participants. Pursuant to the Certificate Depository
Agreement, unless and until Definitive Trust Certificates are issued pursuant
to Section 3.13, 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 Trust Certificates to such Clearing Agency
Participants; and
(e) Whenever this Agreement requires or permits actions to be taken
based upon instructions or directions of Holders of Trust Certificates
evidencing a specified percentage of the Certificate Balance, the Clearing
Agency shall be deemed to represent such percentage only to the extent that it
has received instructions to such effect from Certificate Owners and/or
Clearing Agency Participants owning or representing, respectively, such
required percentage of the beneficial interest in the Trust Certificates and
has delivered such instructions to the Owner Trustee.
Section 3.12. Notices to Clearing Agency. Whenever a notice or other
communication to the Certificateholders is required under this Agreement,
unless and until Definitive Trust Certificates shall have been issued to
Certificate Owners pursuant to Section
12
3.13, the Owner Trustee shall give all such notices and communications
specified herein to be given to Certificateholders to the Clearing Agency, and
shall have no obligations to the Certificate Owners.
Section 3.13. Definitive Trust Certificates. If (i) the
Administrator advises the Owner Trustee in writing that the Clearing Agency is
no longer willing or able to properly discharge its responsibilities with
respect to the Trust Certificates and the Administrator is unable to locate a
qualified successor, (ii) the Administrator at its option advises the Owner
Trustee in writing that it elects to terminate the book-entry system through
the Clearing Agency or (iii) after the occurrence of an Event of Default or a
Master Servicer Default, Certificate Owners representing beneficial interests
aggregating at least a majority of the Certificate Balance advise the Clearing
Agency in writing that the continuation of a book-entry system through the
Clearing Agency is no longer in the best interest of the Certificate Owners,
then the Clearing Agency shall notify all Certificate Owners and the Owner
Trustee of the occurrence of any such event and of the availability of the
Definitive Trust Certificates to Certificate Owners requesting the same. Upon
surrender to the Owner Trustee of the typewritten Trust Certificate or Trust
Certificates representing the Book-Entry Trust Certificates by the Clearing
Agency, accompanied by registration instructions, the Owner Trustee shall
execute and authenticate the Definitive Trust Certificates in accordance with
the instructions of the Clearing Agency. Neither the Certificate Registrar nor
the Owner 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 Trust Certificates, the
Owner Trustee shall recognize the Holders of the Definitive Trust Certificates
as Certificateholders. The Definitive Trust Certificates shall be printed,
lithographed or engraved or may be produced in any other manner as is
reasonably acceptable to the Owner Trustee, as evidenced by its execution
thereof.
ARTICLE IV
ACTIONS BY OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 4.01. Prior Notice to Owners with Respect to Certain
Matters. With respect to the following matters, the Owner Trustee shall not
take action unless at least 30 days before the taking of such action, the
Owner Trustee shall have notified the Certificateholders in writing of the
proposed action and the Owners shall not have notified the Owner Trustee in
writing prior to the 30th day after such notice is given that such Owners have
withheld consent or provided alternative direction:
(a) the initiation of any claim or lawsuit by the Trust (except
claims or lawsuits brought in connection with the collection of the Mortgage
Loans) and the compromise of any action, claim or lawsuit brought by or
against the Trust (except with respect to the aforementioned claims or
lawsuits for collection of the Mortgage Loans;
(b) the election by the Trust to file an amendment to the
Certificate of Trust (unless such amendment is required to be filed under the
Business Trust Statute);
(c) the amendment of the Indenture by a supplemental indenture in
circumstances where the consent of any Noteholder is required;
13
(d) the amendment of the Indenture by a supplemental indenture in
circumstances where the consent of any Noteholder is not required and such
amendment materially adversely affects the interest of the Owners;
(e) the amendment, change or modification of the Administration
Agreement, except to cure any ambiguity or to amend or supplement any
provision in a manner or add any provision that would not materially adversely
affect the interests of the Owners; or
(f) the appointment pursuant to the Indenture of a successor Note
Registrar, Paying Agent or Indenture Trustee or pursuant to this Agreement of
a successor Certificate Registrar, or the consent to the assignment by the
Note Registrar, Paying Agent or Indenture Trustee or Certificate Registrar of
its obligations under the Indenture or this Agreement, as applicable.
Section 4.02. Action by Owners with Respect to Certain Matters. The
Owner Trustee shall not have the power, except upon the direction of the
Owners, to (a) remove the Administrator under the Administration Agreement
pursuant to Section [ ] thereof, (b) appoint a successor Administrator
pursuant to Section [ ] of the Administration Agreement, (c) remove the Master
Servicer under the Master Servicing Agreement pursuant to Section [ ] thereof
or (d) except as expressly provided in the Basic Documents, sell the Mortgage
Loans after the termination of the Indenture. The Owner Trustee shall take the
actions referred to in the preceding sentence only upon written instructions
signed by the Owners.
Section 4.03. Action by Owners with Respect to Bankruptcy. The Owner
Trustee shall not have the power to commence a voluntary proceeding in
bankruptcy relating to the Trust without the unanimous prior approval of all
Owners and the delivery to the Owner Trustee by each such Owner of a
certificate certifying that such Owner reasonably believes that the Trust is
insolvent.
Section 4.04. Restrictions on Owners' Power. The Owners shall not
direct the Owner Trustee to take or to refrain from taking any action if such
action or inaction would be contrary to any obligation of the Trust or the
Owner Trustee under this Agreement or any of the Basic Documents or would be
contrary to Section 2.03, nor shall the Owner Trustee be obligated to follow
any such direction, if given.
Section 4.05. Majority Control. Except as expressly provided herein,
any action that may be taken by the Owners under this Agreement may be taken
by the Holders of Trust Certificates evidencing not less than a majority of
the Certificate Balance. Except as expressly provided herein, any written
notice of the Owners delivered pursuant to this Agreement shall be effective
if signed by Holders of Trust Certificates evidencing not less than a majority
of the Certificate Balance at the time of the delivery of such notice.
ARTICLE V
APPLICATION OF TRUST FUNDS; CERTAIN DUTIES
Section 5.01. Establishment of Trust Account. The Owner Trustee, for
the benefit of the Certificateholders, shall establish and maintain in the
name of the Trust an Eligible
14
Deposit Account (the "Certificate Distribution Account"), bearing a
designation clearly indicating that the funds deposited therein are held for
the benefit of the Certificateholders.
The Owner Trustee shall possess all right, title and interest in all
funds on deposit from time to time in the Certificate Distribution Account and
in all proceeds thereof. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the
Certificate Distribution Account shall be under the sole dominion and control
of the Owner Trustee for the benefit of the Certificateholders. If, at any
time, the Certificate Distribution Account ceases to be an Eligible Deposit
Account, the Owner Trustee (or the Depositor on behalf of the Owner Trustee,
if the Certificate Distribution Account is not then held by the Owner Trustee
or an affiliate thereof) shall within 10 Business Days (or such longer period,
not to exceed 30 calendar days, as to which each Rating Agency may consent)
establish a new Certificate Distribution Account as an Eligible Deposit
Account and shall transfer any cash and/or any investments to such new
Certificate Distribution Account.
Section 5.02. Application of Trust Funds. (a) On each Distribution
Date, the Owner Trustee will distribute to Certificateholders, on a pro rata
basis, amounts deposited in the Certificate Distribution Account.
(b) On each Distribution Date, the Owner Trustee shall send to each
Certificateholder the statement or statements provided to the Owner Trustee by
the Master Servicer pursuant to Section [____] of the Master Servicing
Agreement with respect to such Distribution Date.
(c) In the event that any withholding tax is imposed on the Trust's
payment (or allocations of income) to an Owner, such tax shall reduce the
amount otherwise distributable to the Owner in accordance with this Section.
The Owner Trustee is hereby authorized and directed to retain from amounts
otherwise distributable to the Owners sufficient funds for the payment of any
tax that is legally owed by the Trust (but such authorization shall not
prevent the Owner Trustee from contesting any such tax in appropriate
proceedings, and withholding payment of such tax, if permitted by law, pending
the outcome of such proceedings). The amount of any withholding tax imposed
with respect to an Owner shall be treated as cash distributed to such Owner at
the time it is withheld by the Trust and remitted to the appropriate taxing
authority. If there is a possibility that withholding tax is payable with
respect to a distribution (such as a distribution to a non-U.S. Owner), the
Owner Trustee may in its sole discretion withhold such amounts in accordance
with this paragraph (c).
Section 5.03. Method of Payment. Subject to Section 9.01(c),
distributions required to be made to Certificateholders on any Distribution
Date shall be made to each Certificateholder of record on the preceding Record
Date either by wire transfer, in immediately available funds, to the account
of such Holder at a bank or other entity having appropriate facilities
therefor, if such Certificateholder shall have provided to the Certificate
Registrar appropriate written instructions at least five Business Days prior
to such Distribution Date and such Holder's Trust Certificates in the
aggregate evidence a denomination of not less than $[____________], or, if
not, by check mailed to such Certificateholder at the address of such holder
appearing in the Certificate Register.
15
Section 5.04. No Segregation of Moneys; No Interest. Subject to
Sections 5.01 and 5.02, moneys received by the Owner Trustee hereunder need
not be segregated in any manner except to the extent required by law or the
Master Servicing Agreement and may be deposited under such general conditions
as may be prescribed by law, and the Owner Trustee shall not be liable for any
interest thereon.
Section 5.05. Accounting and Reports to the Noteholders, Owners, the
Internal Revenue Service and Others. The Owner Trustee shall (a) maintain (or
cause to be maintained) the books of the Trust on a calendar year basis and
the accrual method of accounting, (b) deliver to each Owner, as may be
required by the Code and applicable Treasury Regulations, such information as
may be required (including Schedule K-1) to enable each Owner to prepare its
federal and state income tax returns, (c) file such tax returns relating to
the Trust (including a partnership information return, IRS Form 1065) and make
such elections as from time to time may be required or appropriate under any
applicable state or federal statute or any rule or regulation thereunder so as
to maintain the Trust's characterization as a partnership for federal income
tax purposes, (d) cause such tax returns to be signed in the manner required
by law and (e) collect or cause to be collected any withholding tax as
described in and in accordance with Section 5.02(c) with respect to income or
distributions to Owners. The Owner Trustee shall elect under Section 1278 of
the Code to include in income currently any market discount that accrues with
respect to the Mortgage Loans. The Owner Trustee shall not make the election
provided under Section 754 of the Code.
Section 5.06. Signature on Returns; Tax Matters Partner. (a) The
Owner Trustee shall sign on behalf of the Trust the tax returns of the Trust,
unless applicable law requires an Owner to sign such documents, in which case
such documents shall be signed by the Depositor.
(b) The Depositor shall be designated the "tax matters partner" of
the Trust pursuant to Section 6231(a)(7)(A) of the Code and applicable
Treasury Regulations.
ARTICLE VI
AUTHORITY AND DUTIES OF OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 6.01. General Authority. The Owner Trustee is authorized and
directed to execute and deliver the Basic Documents to which the Trust is to
be a party and each certificate or other document attached as an exhibit to or
contemplated by the Basic Documents to which the Trust is to be a party and
any amendment or other agreement or instrument, in each case, in such form as
the Depositor shall approve, as evidenced conclusively by the Owner Trustee's
execution thereof. In addition to the foregoing, the Owner Trustee is
authorized, but shall not be obligated, to take all actions required of the
Trust pursuant to the Basic Documents. The Owner Trustee is further authorized
from time to time to take such action as the Administrator recommends with
respect to the Basic Documents.
Section 6.02. General Duties. It shall be the duty of the Owner
Trustee to discharge (or cause to be discharged) all of its responsibilities
pursuant to the terms of this Agreement and the Basic Documents to which the
Trust is a party and to administer the Trust in
16
the interest of the Owners, subject to the Basic Documents and in accordance
with the provisions of this Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Owner Trustee shall be deemed to have discharged its duties and
responsibilities hereunder and under the Basic Documents to the extent the
Administrator has agreed in the Administration Agreement to perform any act or
to discharge any duty of the Owner Trustee hereunder or under any Basic
Document, and the Owner Trustee shall not be held liable for the default or
failure of the Administrator to carry out its obligations under the
Administration Agreement.
Section 6.03. Action upon Instruction. (a) Subject to Article IV and
in accordance with the terms of the Basic Documents, the Owners may by written
instruction direct the Owner Trustee in the management of the Trust. Such
direction may be exercised at any time by written instruction of the Owners
pursuant to Article IV.
(b) The Owner Trustee shall not be required to take any action
hereunder or under any Basic Document if the Owner Trustee shall have
reasonably determined, or shall have been advised by counsel, that such action
is likely to result in liability on the part of the Owner Trustee or is
contrary to the terms hereof or of any Basic Document or is otherwise contrary
to law.
(c) Whenever the Owner Trustee is unable to decide between
alternative courses of action permitted or required by the terms of this
Agreement or under any Basic Document, the Owner Trustee shall promptly give
notice (in such form as shall be appropriate under the circumstances) to the
Owners requesting instruction as to the course of action to be adopted, and to
the extent the Owner Trustee acts in good faith in accordance with any written
instruction of the Owners received, the Owner Trustee shall not be liable on
account of such action to any Person. If the Owner Trustee shall not have
received appropriate instruction within 10 days of such notice (or within such
shorter period of time as reasonably may be specified in such notice or may be
necessary under the circumstances) it may, but shall be under no duty to, take
or refrain from taking such action not inconsistent with this Agreement or the
Basic Documents, as it shall deem to be in the best interests of the Owners,
and shall have no liability to any Person for such action or inaction.
(d) In the event that the Owner Trustee is unsure as to the
application of any provision of this Agreement or any Basic Document or any
such provision is ambiguous as to its application, or is, or appears to be, in
conflict with any other applicable provision, or in the event that this
Agreement permits any determination by the Owner Trustee or is silent or is
incomplete as to the course of action that the Owner Trustee is required to
take with respect to a particular set of facts, the Owner Trustee may give
notice (in such form as shall be appropriate under the circumstances) to the
Owners requesting instruction and, to the extent that the Owner Trustee acts
or refrains from acting in good faith in accordance with any such instruction
received, the Owner Trustee shall not be liable on account of such action or
inaction to any Person. If the Owner Trustee shall not have received
appropriate instruction within 10 days of such notice (or within such shorter
period of time as reasonably may be specified in such notice or may be
necessary under the circumstances) it may, but shall be under no duty to, take
or refrain from taking such action not inconsistent with this Agreement or the
Basic Documents, as it shall deem to be in the best interests of the Owners,
and shall have no liability to any Person for such action or inaction.
17
Section 6.04. No Duties Except as Specified in this Agreement or in
Instructions. The Owner Trustee shall not have any duty or obligation to
manage, make any payment with respect to, register, record, sell, dispose of,
or otherwise deal with the Owner Trust Estate, or to otherwise take or refrain
from taking any action under, or in connection with, any document contemplated
hereby to which the Owner Trustee is a party, except as expressly provided by
the terms of this Agreement or in any document or written instruction received
by the Owner Trustee pursuant to Section 6.03; and no implied duties or
obligations shall be read into this Agreement or any Basic Document against
the Owner Trustee. The Owner Trustee shall have no responsibility for filing
any financing or continuation statement in any public office at any time or to
otherwise perfect or maintain the perfection of any security interest or lien
granted to it hereunder or to prepare or file any Securities and Exchange
Commission filing for the Trust or to record this Agreement or any Basic
Document. The Owner Trustee nevertheless agrees that it will, at its own cost
and expense, promptly take all action as may be necessary to discharge any
liens on any part of the Owner Trust Estate that result from actions by, or
claims against, the Owner Trustee that are not related to the ownership or the
administration of the Owner Trust Estate.
Section 6.05. No Action Except Under Specified Documents or
Instructions. The Owner Trustee shall not manage, control, use, sell, dispose
of or otherwise deal with any part of the Owner Trust Estate except (i) in
accordance with the powers granted to and the authority conferred upon the
Owner Trustee pursuant to this Agreement, (ii) in accordance with the Basic
Documents and (iii) in accordance with any document or instruction delivered
to the Owner Trustee pursuant to Section 6.03.
Section 6.06. Restrictions. The Owner Trustee shall not take any
action (a) that is inconsistent with the purposes of the Trust set forth in
Section 2.03 or (b) that, to the actual knowledge of the Owner Trustee, would
result in the Trust's becoming taxable as a corporation for federal income tax
purposes. The Owners shall not direct the Owner Trustee to take action that
would violate the provisions of this Section.
ARTICLE VII
CONCERNING THE OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 7.01. Acceptance of Trusts and Duties. The Owner Trustee
accepts the trusts hereby created and agrees to perform its duties hereunder
with respect to such trusts but only upon the terms of this Agreement. The
Owner Trustee also agrees to disburse all moneys actually received by it
constituting part of the Owner Trust Estate upon the terms of the Basic
Documents and this Agreement. The Owner Trustee shall not be answerable or
accountable hereunder or under any Basic Document under any circumstances,
except (i) for its own willful [malfeasance, bad faith or gross] negligence or
(ii) in the case of the inaccuracy of any representation or warranty contained
in Section 7.03 expressly made by the Owner Trustee. In particular, but not by
way of limitation (and subject to the exceptions set forth in the preceding
sentence):
(a) The Owner Trustee shall not be liable for any error of judgment
made by a Trust Officer of the Owner Trustee;
18
(b) The Owner Trustee shall not be liable with respect to any action
taken or omitted to be taken by it in accordance with the instructions of the
Administrator or any Owner;
(c) No provision of this Agreement or any Basic Document shall
require the Owner Trustee to expend or risk funds or otherwise incur any
financial liability in the performance of any of its rights or powers
hereunder or under any Basic Document if the Owner Trustee shall have
reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate
indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured or provided
to it;
(d) Under no circumstances shall the Owner Trustee be liable for
indebtedness evidenced by or arising under any of the Basic Documents,
including the principal of and interest on the Notes;
(e) The Owner Trustee shall not be responsible for or in respect of
the validity or sufficiency of this Agreement or for the due execution hereof
by the Depositor or for the form, character, genuineness, sufficiency, value
or validity of any of the Owner Trust Estate, or for or in respect of the
validity or sufficiency of the Basic Documents, other than the certificate of
authentication on the Trust Certificates, and the Owner Trustee shall in no
event assume or incur any liability, duty, or obligation to any Noteholder or
to any Owner, other than as expressly provided for herein or expressly agreed
to in the Basic Documents;
(f) The Owner Trustee shall not be liable for the default or
misconduct of the Administrator, [the Seller or] Depositor, the Indenture
Trustee or the Master Servicer under any of the Basic Documents or otherwise
and the Owner Trustee shall have no obligation or liability to perform the
obligations of the Trust under this Agreement or the Basic Documents that are
required to be performed by the Administrator under the Administration
Agreement, the Indenture Trustee under the Indenture or the Master Servicer
[or the Seller] or Depositor under the Master Servicing Agreement; and
(g) The Owner Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any
of the rights or powers vested in it by this Agreement, or to institute,
conduct or defend any litigation under this Agreement or otherwise or in
relation to this Agreement or any Basic Document, at the request, order or
direction of any of the Owners, unless such Owners have offered to the Owner
Trustee security or indemnity satisfactory to it against the costs, expenses
and liabilities that may be incurred by the Owner Trustee therein or thereby.
The right of the Owner Trustee to perform any discretionary act enumerated in
this Agreement or in any Basic Document shall not be construed as a duty, and
the Owner Trustee shall not be answerable for other than its [willful
malfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence] in the performance of any such
act.
Section 7.02. Furnishing of Documents. The Owner Trustee shall
furnish to the Owners promptly upon receipt of a written request therefor,
duplicates or copies of all reports, notices, requests, demands, certificates,
financial statements and any other instruments furnished to the Owner Trustee
under the Basic Documents.
Section 7.03. Representations and Warranties. The Owner Trustee
hereby represents and warrants to the Depositor, for the benefit of the
Owners, that:
19
(a) It is a banking corporation duly organized and validly existing
in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware. It has all requisite
corporate power and authority to execute, deliver and perform its obligations
under this Agreement.
(b) It has taken all corporate action necessary to authorize the
execution and delivery by it of this Agreement, and this Agreement will be
executed and delivered by one of its officers who is duly authorized to
execute and deliver this Agreement on its behalf.
(c) Neither the execution nor the delivery by it of this Agreement,
nor the consummation by it of the transactions contemplated hereby nor
compliance by it with any of the terms or provisions hereof will contravene
any federal or Delaware law, governmental rule or regulation governing the
banking or trust powers of the Owner Trustee or any judgment or order binding
on it, or constitute any default under its charter documents or bylaws or any
indenture, mortgage, contract, agreement or instrument to which it is a party
or by which any of its properties may be bound.
Section 7.04. Reliance; Advice of Counsel. (a) The Owner Trustee
shall incur no liability to anyone in acting upon any signature, instrument,
notice, resolution, request, consent, order, certificate, report, opinion,
bond, or other document or paper believed by it to be genuine and believed by
it to be signed by the proper party or parties. The Owner Trustee may accept a
certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors or other governing
body of any corporate party as conclusive evidence that such resolution has
been duly adopted by such body and that the same is in full force and effect.
As to any fact or matter the method of determination of which is not
specifically prescribed herein, the Owner Trustee may for all purposes hereof
rely on a certificate, signed by the president or any vice president or by the
treasurer or other authorized officers of the relevant party, as to such fact
or matter and such certificate shall constitute full protection to the Owner
Trustee for any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith in
reliance thereon.
(b) In the exercise or administration of the trusts hereunder and in
the performance of its duties and obligations under this Agreement or the
Basic Documents, the Owner Trustee (i) may act directly or through its agents
or attorneys pursuant to agreements entered into with any of them, and the
Owner Trustee shall not be liable for the conduct or misconduct of such agents
or attorneys if such agents or attorneys shall have been selected by the Owner
Trustee with reasonable care, and (ii) may consult with counsel, accountants
and other skilled Persons to be selected with reasonable care and employed by
it. The Owner Trustee shall not be liable for anything done, suffered or
omitted in good faith by it in accordance with the written opinion or advice
of any such counsel, accountants or other such Persons and not contrary to
this Agreement or any Basic Document.
Section 7.05. Not Acting in Individual Capacity. Except as provided
in this Article VII, in accepting the trusts hereby created
[_____________________] acts solely as Owner Trustee hereunder and not in its
individual capacity, and all Persons having any claim against the Owner
Trustee by reason of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any
Basic Document shall look only to the Owner Trust Estate for payment or
satisfaction thereof.
20
Section 7.06. Owner Trustee Not Liable for Trust Certificates or
Mortgage Loans. The recitals contained herein and in the Certificates (other
than the signature and countersignature of the Owner Trustee on the Trust
Certificates) shall be taken as the statements of the Depositor, and the Owner
Trustee assumes no responsibility for the correctness thereof. The Owner
Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or sufficiency of this
Agreement, of any Basic Document or of the Trust Certificates (other than the
signature and countersignature of the Owner Trustee on the Trust Certificates)
or the Notes, or of any Mortgage Loan or related documents. The Owner Trustee
shall at no time have any responsibility or liability for or with respect to
the legality, validity and enforceability of any Mortgage Loan, or for or with
respect to the sufficiency of the Owner Trust Estate or its ability to
generate the payments to be distributed to Certificateholders under this
Agreement or the Noteholders under the Indenture, including, without
limitation: the existence, condition and ownership of any property securing a
Mortgage Loan; the existence and enforceability of any insurance thereon; the
validity of the assignment of any Mortgage Loan to the Trust or of any
intervening assignment; the performance or enforcement of any Mortgage Loan;
the compliance by the Depositor, or the Master Servicer with any warranty or
representation made under any Basic Document or in any related document or the
accuracy of any such warranty or representation, or any action of the
Administrator, the Indenture Trustee or the Master Servicer or any subservicer
taken in the name of the Owner Trustee.
Section 7.07. Owner Trustee May Own Trust Certificates and Notes.
The Owner Trustee in its individual or any other capacity may become the owner
or pledgee of Trust Certificates or Notes and may deal with the Depositor, the
Administrator, the Indenture Trustee and the Master Servicer in banking
transactions with the same rights as it would have if it were not Owner
Trustee.
ARTICLE VIII
COMPENSATION OF OWNER TRUSTEE
Section 8.01. Owner Trustee's Fees and Expenses. The Owner Trustee
shall receive as compensation for its services hereunder such fees as have
been separately agreed upon before the date hereof between the Depositor and
the Owner Trustee, and the Owner Trustee shall be entitled to be reimbursed by
the Depositor for its other reasonable expenses hereunder, including the
reasonable compensation, expenses and disbursements of such agents,
representatives, experts and counsel as the Owner Trustee may employ in
connection with the exercise and performance of its rights and its duties
hereunder.
Section 8.02. Indemnification. The Depositor shall be liable as
primary obligor for, and shall indemnify the Owner Trustee and its successors,
assigns, agents and servants (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") from
and against, any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, taxes,
claims, actions and suits, and any and all reasonable costs, expenses and
disbursements (including reasonable legal fees and expenses) of any kind and
nature whatsoever (collectively, "Expenses") which may at any time be imposed
on, incurred by, or asserted against the Owner Trustee or any Indemnified
Party in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement, the Basic
Documents, the Owner Trust Estate, the administration of the Owner Trust
Estate or the action or inaction of the Owner Trustee hereunder, except only
that the Depositor
21
shall not be liable for or required to indemnify an Indemnified Party from and
against Expenses arising or resulting from any of the matters described in the
third sentence of Section 7.01. The indemnities contained in this Section
shall survive the resignation or termination of the Owner Trustee or the
termination of this Agreement. In any event of any claim, action or proceeding
for which indemnity will be sought pursuant to this Section, the Owner
Trustee's choice of legal counsel shall be subject to the approval of the
Depositor, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.
Section 8.03. Payments to the Owner Trustee. Any amounts paid to the
Owner Trustee pursuant to this Article VIII shall be deemed not to be a part
of the Owner Trust Estate immediately after such payment.
ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION OF TRUST AGREEMENT
Section 9.01. Termination of Trust Agreement. (a) This Agreement
(other than Article VIII) and the Trust shall terminate and be of no further
force or effect upon the final distribution by the Owner Trustee of all moneys
or other property or proceeds of the Owner Trust Estate in accordance with the
terms of the Indenture, the Master Servicing Agreement and Article V. The
bankruptcy, liquidation, dissolution, death or incapacity of any Owner shall
not (x) operate to terminate this Agreement or the Trust or (y) entitle such
Owner's legal representatives or heirs to claim an accounting or to take any
action or proceeding in any court for a partition or winding up of all or any
part of the Trust or Owner Trust Estate or (z) otherwise affect the rights,
obligations and liabilities of the parties hereto.
(b) Except as provided in Section 9.01(a), neither the Depositor nor
any Owner shall be entitled to revoke or terminate the Trust.
(c) Notice of any termination of the Trust, specifying the
Distribution Date upon which Certificateholders shall surrender their Trust
Certificates to the Paying Agent for payment of the final distribution and
cancellation, shall be given by the Owner Trustee by letter to
Certificateholders mailed within five Business Days of receipt of notice of
such termination from the Master Servicer stating (i) the Distribution Date
upon or with respect to which final payment of the Trust Certificates shall be
made upon presentation and surrender of the Trust Certificates at the office
of the Paying Agent therein designated, (ii) the amount of any such final
payment and (iii) that the Record Date otherwise applicable to such
Distribution Date is not applicable, payments being made only upon
presentation and surrender of the Trust Certificates at the office of the
Paying Agent therein specified. The Owner Trustee shall give such notice to
the Certificate Registrar (if other than the Owner Trustee) and the Paying
Agent at the time such notice is given to Certificateholders. Upon
presentation and surrender of the Trust Certificates, the Paying Agent shall
cause to be distributed to Certificateholders amounts distributable on such
Distribution Date pursuant to Section 5.02.
In the event that all of the Certificateholders shall not surrender
their Trust Certificates for cancellation within six months after the date
specified in the above mentioned written notice, the Owner Trustee shall give
a second written notice to the remaining
22
Certificateholders to surrender their Trust Certificates for cancellation and
receive the final distribution with respect thereto. If within one year after
the second notice all the Trust Certificates shall not have been surrendered
for cancellation, the Owner Trustee may take appropriate steps, or may appoint
an agent to take appropriate steps, to contact the remaining
Certificateholders concerning surrender of their Trust Certificates, and the
cost thereof shall be paid out of the funds and other assets that shall remain
subject to this Agreement. Any funds remaining in the Trust after exhaustion
of such remedies shall be distributed by the Owner Trustee to the Depositor.
(d) Upon the winding up of the Trust and its termination, the Owner
Trustee shall cause the Certificate of Trust to be cancelled by filing a
certificate of cancellation with the Secretary of State in accordance with the
provisions of Section 3810 of the Business Trust Statute.
ARTICLE X
SUCCESSOR OWNER TRUSTEES AND ADDITIONAL OWNER TRUSTEES
Section 10.01. Eligibility Requirements for Owner Trustee. The Owner
Trustee shall at all times be a corporation satisfying the provisions of
Section 3807(a) of the Business Trust Statute; authorized to exercise
corporate trust powers; having a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000 and subject to supervision or examination by federal or state
authorities; and having (or having a parent that has) a rating of at least
[____] by [__________]. If such corporation shall publish reports of condition
at least annually pursuant to law or to the requirements of the aforesaid
supervising or examining authority, then for the purpose of this Section, the
combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published. In case at any time the Owner Trustee shall cease to
be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this Section, the Owner
Trustee shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect specified
in Section 10.02.
Section 10.02. Resignation or Removal of Owner Trustee. The Owner
Trustee may at any time resign and be discharged from the trusts hereby
created by giving written notice thereof to the Administrator. Upon receiving
such notice of resignation, the Administrator shall promptly appoint a
successor Owner Trustee by written instrument, in duplicate, one copy of which
instrument shall be delivered to the resigning Owner Trustee and one copy to
the successor Owner Trustee. If no successor Owner Trustee shall have been so
appointed and have accepted appointment within 30 days after the giving of
such notice of resignation, the resigning Owner Trustee may petition any court
of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of a successor Owner Trustee.
If at any time the Owner Trustee shall cease to be eligible in
accordance with the provisions of Section 10.01 and shall fail to resign after
written request therefor by the Administrator, or if at any time the Owner
Trustee shall be legally unable to act, or shall be adjudged bankrupt or
insolvent, or a receiver of the Owner Trustee or of its property shall be
appointed, or any public officer shall take charge or control of the Owner
Trustee or of its property or affairs for the purpose of rehabilitation,
conservation or liquidation, then the
23
Administrator may remove the Owner Trustee. If the Administrator shall remove
the Owner Trustee under the authority of the immediately preceding sentence,
the Administrator shall promptly appoint a successor Owner Trustee by written
instrument, in duplicate, one copy of which instrument shall be delivered to
the outgoing Owner Trustee so removed and one copy to the successor Owner
Trustee, and shall pay all fees owed to the outgoing Owner Trustee.
Any resignation or removal of the Owner Trustee and appointment of a
successor Owner Trustee pursuant to any of the provisions of this Section
shall not become effective until acceptance of appointment by the successor
Owner Trustee pursuant to Section 10.03 and payment of all fees and expenses
owed to the outgoing Owner Trustee. The Administrator shall provide notice of
such resignation or removal of the Owner Trustee to each of the Rating
Agencies.
Section 10.03. Successor Owner Trustee. Any successor Owner Trustee
appointed pursuant to Section 10.02 shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to
the Administrator and to its predecessor Owner Trustee an instrument accepting
such appointment under this Agreement, and thereupon the resignation or
removal of the predecessor Owner Trustee shall become effective, and such
successor Owner Trustee, without any further act, deed or conveyance, shall
become fully vested with all the rights, powers, duties and obligations of its
predecessor under this Agreement, with like effect as if originally named as
Owner Trustee. The predecessor Owner Trustee shall upon payment of its fees
and expenses deliver to the successor Owner Trustee all documents and
statements and monies held by it under this Agreement; and the Administrator
and the predecessor Owner Trustee shall execute and deliver such instruments
and do such other things as may reasonably be required for fully and certainly
vesting and confirming in the successor Owner Trustee all such rights, powers,
duties and obligations.
No successor Owner Trustee shall accept appointment as provided in
this Section unless at the time of such acceptance such successor Owner
Trustee shall be eligible pursuant to Section 10.01.
Upon acceptance of appointment by a successor Owner Trustee pursuant
to this Section, the Administrator shall mail notice thereof to all
Certificateholders, the Indenture Trustee, the Noteholders and the Rating
Agencies. If the Administrator shall fail to mail such notice within 10 days
after acceptance of such appointment by the successor Owner Trustee, the
successor Owner Trustee shall cause such notice to be mailed at the expense of
the Administrator.
Section 10.04. Merger or Consolidation of Owner Trustee. Any
corporation into which the Owner Trustee may be merged or converted or with
which it may be consolidated, or any corporation resulting from any merger,
conversion or consolidation to which the Owner Trustee shall be a party, or
any corporation succeeding to all or substantially all of the corporate trust
business of the Owner Trustee, shall be the successor of the Owner Trustee
hereunder, without the execution or filing of any instrument or any further
act on the part of any of the parties hereto, anything herein to the contrary
notwithstanding; provided, that such corporation shall be eligible pursuant to
Section 10.01 and, provided, further, that the Owner Trustee shall mail notice
of such merger or consolidation to the Rating Agencies.
24
Section 10.05. Appointment of Co-Trustee or Separate Trustee.
Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Agreement, at any time, for the
purpose of meeting any legal requirements of any jurisdiction in which any
part of the Owner Trust Estate may at the time be located, the Administrator
and the Owner Trustee acting jointly shall have the power and shall execute
and deliver all instruments to appoint one or more Persons approved by the
Administrator and Owner Trustee to act as co-trustee, jointly with the Owner
Trustee, or as separate trustee or separate trustees, of all or any part of
the Owner Trust Estate, and to vest in such Person, in such capacity, such
title to the Trust or any part thereof and, subject to the other provisions of
this Section , such powers, duties, obligations, rights and trusts as the
Administrator and the Owner Trustee may consider necessary or desirable. If
the Administrator shall not have joined in such appointment within 15 days
after the receipt by it of a request so to do, the Owner Trustee alone shall
have the power to make such appointment. No co-trustee or separate trustee
under this Agreement shall be required to meet the terms of eligibility as a
successor Owner Trustee pursuant to Section 10.01 and no notice of the
appointment of any co-trustee or separate trustee shall be required pursuant
to Section 10.03.
Each separate trustee and co-trustee shall, to the extent permitted
by law, be appointed and act subject to the following provisions and
conditions:
(a) All rights, powers, duties and obligations conferred or imposed
upon the Owner Trustee shall be conferred upon and exercised or performed by
the Owner Trustee and such separate trustee or co-trustee jointly (it being
understood that such separate trustee or co-trustee is not authorized to act
separately without the Owner Trustee joining in such act), except to the
extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in which any particular act or
acts are to be performed, the Owner Trustee shall be incompetent or
unqualified to perform such act or acts, in which event such rights, powers,
duties and obligations (including the holding of title to the Owner Trust
Estate or any portion thereof in any such jurisdiction) shall be exercised and
performed singly by such separate trustee or co-trustee, but solely at the
direction of the Owner Trustee;
(b) No trustee under this Agreement shall be personally liable by
reason of any act or omission of any other trustee under this Agreement; and
(c) The Administrator and the Owner Trustee acting jointly may at
any time accept the resignation of or remove any separate trustee or
co-trustee.
Any notice, request or other writing given to the Owner Trustee
shall be deemed to have been given to each of the then separate trustees and
co-trustees, as effectively as if given to each of them. Every instrument
appointing any separate trustee or co-trustee shall refer to this Agreement
and the conditions of this Article. Each separate trustee and co-trustee, upon
its acceptance of the trusts conferred, shall be vested with the estates or
property specified in its instrument of appointment, either jointly with the
Owner Trustee or separately, as may be provided therein, subject to all the
provisions of this Agreement, specifically including every provision of this
Agreement relating to the conduct of, affecting the liability of, or affording
protection to, the Owner Trustee. Each such instrument shall be filed with the
Owner Trustee and a copy thereof given to the Administrator.
25
Any separate trustee or co-trustee may at any time appoint the Owner
Trustee as its agent or attorney-in-fact with full power and authority, to the
extent not prohibited by law, to do any lawful act under or in respect of this
Agreement on its behalf and in its name. If any separate trustee or co-trustee
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 Owner Trustee, to the extent permitted by law, without the
appointment of a new or successor co-trustee or separate trustee.
ARTICLE XI
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 11.01. Supplements and Amendments. This Agreement may be
amended by the Depositor and the Owner Trustee, with prior written notice to
the Rating Agencies, without the consent of any of the Noteholders or the
Certificateholders, to cure any ambiguity, to correct or supplement any
provisions in this Agreement or for the purpose of adding any provisions to or
changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions in this Agreement
or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Noteholders or the
Certificateholders; provided, however, that such action shall not, as
evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel satisfactory to the Owner Trustee,
adversely affect in any material respect the interests of any Noteholder or
Certificateholder.
This Agreement may also be amended from time to time by the
Depositor and the Owner Trustee, with prior written notice to the Rating
Agencies, with the consent of the Holders (as defined in the Indenture) of
Notes evidencing not less than a majority of the Principal Balance of the
Notes and the consent of the Holders of Certificates evidencing not less than
a majority of the Certificate Balance, for the purpose of adding any
provisions to or changing in any manner or eliminating any of the provisions
of this Agreement or of modifying in any manner the rights of the Noteholders
or the Certificateholders; provided, however, that no such amendment shall (a)
increase or reduce in any manner the amount of, or accelerate or delay the
timing of, collections of payments on Mortgage Loans or distributions that
shall be required to be made for the benefit of the Noteholders or the
Certificateholders or (b) reduce the aforesaid percentage of the Principal
Balance of the Notes and the Certificate Balance required to consent to any
such amendment, without the consent of the holders of all the outstanding
Notes and Certificates.
Promptly after the execution of any such amendment or consent, the
Owner Trustee shall furnish written notification of the substance of such
amendment or consent to each Certificateholder, the Indenture Trustee and each
of the Rating Agencies.
It shall not be necessary for the consent of Certificateholders,
Noteholders or the Indenture Trustee pursuant to this Section to approve the
particular form of any proposed amendment or consent, but it shall be
sufficient if such consent shall approve the substance thereof. The manner of
obtaining such consents (and any other consents of Certificateholders provided
for in this Agreement or in any other Basic Document) and of evidencing the
authorization of the execution thereof by Certificateholders shall be subject
to such reasonable requirements as the Owner Trustee may prescribe.
26
Promptly after the execution of any amendment to the Certificate of
Trust, the Owner Trustee shall cause the filing of such amendment with the
Secretary of State.
Prior to the execution of any amendment to this Agreement or the
Certificate of Trust, the Owner Trustee shall be entitled to receive and rely
upon an Opinion of Counsel stating that the execution of such amendment is
authorized or permitted by this Agreement. The Owner Trustee may, but shall
not be obligated to, enter into any such amendment that affects the Owner
Trustee's own rights, duties or immunities under this Agreement or otherwise.
Section 11.02. No Legal Title to Owner Trust Estate in Owners. The
Owners shall not have legal title to any part of the Owner Trust Estate. The
Owners shall be entitled to receive distributions with respect to their
undivided ownership interest therein only in accordance with Articles V and
IX. No transfer, by operation of law or otherwise, of any right, title or
interest of the Owners to and in their ownership interest in the Owner Trust
Estate shall operate to terminate this Agreement or the trusts hereunder or
entitle any transferee to an accounting or to the transfer to it of legal
title to any part of the Owner Trust Estate.
Section 11.03. Limitations on Rights of Others. Except for Section
2.07, the provisions of this Agreement are solely for the benefit of the Owner
Trustee, the Depositor, the Owners, the Administrator and, to the extent
expressly provided herein, the Indenture Trustee and the Noteholders, and
nothing in this Agreement (other than Section 2.07), whether express or
implied, shall be construed to give to any other Person any legal or equitable
right, remedy or claim in the Owner Trust Estate or under or in respect of
this Agreement or any covenants, conditions or provisions contained herein.
Section 11.04. Notices. (a) Unless otherwise expressly specified or
permitted by the terms hereof, all notices shall be in writing and shall be
deemed given upon receipt by the intended recipient or three Business Days
after mailing if mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid (except that notice
to the Owner Trustee shall be deemed given only upon actual receipt by the
Owner Trustee), if to the Owner Trustee, addressed to the Corporate Trust
Office; if to the Depositor, addressed to Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc.,
0000 Xxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000, Attention: [_______________]; or, as
to each party, at such other address as shall be designated by such party in a
written notice to each other party.
(b) Any notice required or permitted to be given to a
Certificateholder shall be given by first-class mail, postage prepaid, at the
address of such Holder as shown in the Certificate Register. Any notice so
mailed within the time prescribed in this Agreement shall be conclusively
presumed to have been duly given, whether or not the Certificateholder
receives such notice.
Section 11.05. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is
prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall, as to such
jurisdiction, be ineffective to the extent of such prohibition or
unenforceability without invalidating the remaining provisions hereof, and any
such prohibition or unenforceability in any jurisdiction shall not invalidate
or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.
27
Section 11.06. Separate Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed
by the parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed
and delivered shall be an original, but all such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
Section 11.07. Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements
contained herein shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, each of
the Depositor, the Owner Trustee and its successors and each Owner and its
successors and permitted assigns, all as herein provided. Any request, notice,
direction, consent, waiver or other instrument or action by an Owner shall
bind the successors and assigns of such Owner.
Section 11.08. No Petition. The Owner Trustee, by entering into this
Agreement, each Certificateholder, by accepting a Trust Certificate, and the
Indenture Trustee and each Noteholder, by accepting the benefits of this
Agreement, hereby covenant and agree that they will not at any time institute
against the Trust, or join in any institution against the Trust of, any
bankruptcy proceedings under any United States federal or state bankruptcy or
similar law in connection with any obligations relating to the Trust
Certificates, the Notes, this Agreement or any of the Basic Documents.
Section 11.09. No Recourse. Each Certificateholder by accepting a
Trust Certificate acknowledges that such Certificateholder's Trust
Certificates represent beneficial interests in the Trust only and do not
represent interests in or obligations of the Depositor, the Master Servicer,
the Depositor, the Administrator, the Owner Trustee, the Indenture Trustee or
any Affiliate thereof and no recourse may be had against such parties or their
assets, except as may be expressly set forth or contemplated in this
Agreement, the Trust Certificates or the Basic Documents.
Section 11.10. Headings. The headings of the various Articles and
Sections herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not define or
limit any of the terms or provisions hereof.
Section 11.11. GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, 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 11.12. Depositor Payment Obligation. The Depositor shall be
responsible for payment of the Administrator's fees under the Administration
Agreement and shall reimburse the Administrator for all expenses and
liabilities of the Administrator incurred thereunder.
Section 11.13. The Trust Certificates may not be acquired by (a) an
employee benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to
the provisions of Title I of ERISA, (b) a plan described in Section 4975(e)(1)
of the Code or (c) any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by
reason of a plan's investment in the entity (each, a `Benefit Plan'). By
accepting and holding this Trust Certificate, the Holder hereof shall be
deemed to have represented and warranted that it is not a Benefit Plan.
28
* * * * * *
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Trust
Agreement to be duly executed by their respective officers hereunto duly
authorized, as of the day and year first above written.
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc.,
as Depositor,
by: ______________________________________
Name:
Title:
[_______________________________________],
not in its individual capacity but solely
as Owner Trustee,
by: ______________________________________
Name:
Title:
29
EXHIBIT A
FORM OF TRUST CERTIFICATE
UNLESS THIS CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE
DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY, A NEW YORK CORPORATION ("DTC"), TO THE ISSUER OR ITS
AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT, AND ANY CERTIFICATE
ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH OTHER NAME AS IS
REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO
CEDE & CO. OR TO SUCH OTHER ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED
REPRESENTATIVE OF DTC), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR
OTHERWISE BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER
HEREOF, CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
NUMBER $_________
R-__________ CUSIP NO. _________
[_____________ ] HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 200__-__
[_____]% HOME EQUITY LOAN ASSET BACKED CERTIFICATES, SERIES 200__-__
evidencing a fractional undivided beneficial ownership interest in the Trust,
as defined below, the property of which includes a pool of [adjustable rate]
home equity revolving credit line loans caused to be sold to the Trust by
[_______________].
(This Trust Certificate does not represent an interest in or obligation of
Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc., or any of its respective affiliates, except
to the extent described below.)
THIS CERTIFIES THAT [________________________] is the registered owner of
[____________________] DOLLARS nonassessable, fully paid, fractional undivided
interest in [___________] HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 200__-__ (the "Trust") formed
by Xxxxxx Xxxxxxx ABS Capital I Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
"Depositor"), and [_______________], a [__________] (the "Owner Trustee").
A-1
OWNER TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the Trust Certificates referred to in the within-mentioned
Trust Agreement.
[_______________________], [___________________________],
as Owner Trustee or as Owner Trustee
by: ______________________ by: [______________________],
Authorized Signatory as Authenticating Agent
by: [______________________],
Authorized Signatory
The Trust was created pursuant to a Trust Agreement, dated as of
_____, 200__ (the "Trust Agreement"), between the Depositor and
[____________], as owner trustee (the "Owner Trustee"), a summary of certain
of the pertinent provisions of which is set forth below. To the extent not
otherwise defined herein, the capitalized terms used herein have the meanings
assigned to them in the Trust Agreement or the Master Servicing Agreement
dated as of ___________, 200__ (as amended and supplemented from time to time,
the "Master Servicing Agreement"), among the Trust, the Depositor and
[_______________], as servicer (the "Master Servicer"), as applicable.
This Certificate is one of a duly authorized issue of Home Equity
Loan Asset-Backed Certificates, Series 200__-__ (herein called the "Trust
Certificates"). Also issued under the Indenture dated as of ___________, 200__
between the Trust and [________________], as indenture trustee, are the
[_______] classes of Notes designated as [__________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________] (collectively, the "Notes"). This Trust
Certificate is issued under and is subject to the terms, provisions and
conditions of the Trust Agreement, to which Trust Agreement the Holder of this
Trust Certificate by virtue of its acceptance hereof assents and by which such
Holder is bound. The property of the Trust consists of a pool of [adjustable
rate] home equity loan revolving credit line loans made or to be made in the
future (the "Mortgage Loans"), under certain home equity revolving credit line
loan agreements and secured first, second and third or deeds of trust or
mortgages on residential properties that are primarily one- to four-family
properties (the "Mortgaged Properties"); the collections in respect of the
Mortgage Loans received after the Cut-off Date; property that secured a
Mortgage Loan which has been acquired by foreclosure or deed in lieu of
foreclosure; [a surety bond] [a letter of credit]; an assignment of the
Depositor's rights under the [________________]; rights under certain hazard
insurance policies covering the Mortgaged Properties; and certain other
property. [The rights of the Holders of the Trust Certificates are
subordinated to the rights of the Holders of the Notes, as set forth in the
Master Servicing Agreement.]
Under the Trust Agreement, there will be distributed on the
[_______] day of each month or, if such [_______] day is not a Business Day,
the next Business Day (each, a "Distribution Date"), commencing on
___________, 200__, to the Person in whose name the Trust Certificates is
registered at the close of business on the first day of the month or, if
A-2
Definitive Certificates are issued, the [_______] day of the prior month (the
"Record Date"), such Certificateholder's fractional undivided interest in the
amount to be distributed to Certificateholders on such Distribution Date. No
distributions of principal will be made on any Certificate until all of the
Notes have been paid in full.
[The Holder of this Trust Certificate acknowledges and agrees that
its rights to receive distributions in respect of this Trust Certificate are
subordinated to the rights of the Noteholders as described in the Master
Servicing Agreement and the Indenture.]
It is the intent of the Depositor, the Master Servicer and the
Certificateholders that, for purposes of federal income, state and local
income and single business tax and any other income taxes, the Trust will be
treated as a partnership and the Certificateholders (including the Depositor)
will be treated as partners in that partnership. The Depositor and the other
Certificateholders, by acceptance of a Trust Certificate, agree to treat, and
to take no action inconsistent with the treatment of, the Trust Certificates
for such tax purposes as partnership interests in the Trust.
Each Certificateholder or Certificate Owner, by its acceptance of a
Trust Certificate or, in the case of a Certificate Owner, a beneficial
interest in a Trust Certificate, covenants and agrees that such
Certificateholder or Certificate Owner, as the case may be, will not at any
time institute against the Depositor, or join in any institution against the
Depositor of, any bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency or
liquidation proceedings, or other proceedings under any United States federal
or state bankruptcy or similar law in connection with any obligations relating
to the Trust Certificates, the Notes, the Trust Agreement or any of the Basic
Documents.
Distributions on this Trust Certificate will be made as provided in
the Trust Agreement by the Owner Trustee by wire transfer or check mailed to
the Certificateholder of record in the Certificate Register without the
presentation or surrender of this Trust Certificate or the making of any
notation hereon, except that with respect to Trust Certificates registered on
the Record Date in the name of the nominee of the Clearing Agency (initially,
such nominee to be Cede & Co.), payments will be made by wire transfer in
immediately available funds to the account designated by such nominee. Except
as otherwise provided in the Trust Agreement and notwithstanding the above,
the final distribution on this Trust Certificate will be made after due notice
by the Owner Trustee of the pendency of such distribution and only upon
presentation and surrender of this Trust Certificate at the office or agency
maintained for that purpose by the Owner Trustee in the Borough of Manhattan,
The City of New York.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Trust
Certificate set forth on the reverse hereof, which further provisions shall
for all purposes have the same effect as if set forth at this place.
Unless the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been
executed by an authorized officer of the Owner Trustee, by manual signature,
this Trust Certificate shall not entitle the Holder hereof to any benefit
under the Trust Agreement or the Master Servicing Agreement or be valid for
any purpose.
A-3
THIS TRUST CERTIFICATE SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE
LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE, 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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Owner Trustee, on behalf of the Trust and
not in its individual capacity, has caused this Trust Certificate to be duly
executed.
[Owner Trustee]
by: [__________________], not in its
individual capacity but solely as
Owner Trustee
Dated: by: __________________________________
Authorized Signatory
A-4
[REVERSE OF TRUST CERTIFICATE]
The Trust Certificates do not represent an obligation of, or an
interest in, the Depositor, the Master Servicer, the Owner Trustee or any
affiliates of any of them and no recourse may be had against such parties or
their assets, except as expressly set forth or contemplated herein or in the
Trust Agreement or the Basic Documents. In addition, this Trust Certificate is
not guaranteed by any governmental agency or instrumentality and is limited in
right of payment to certain collections and recoveries with respect to the
Mortgage Loans (and certain other amounts), all as more specifically set forth
herein and in the Master Servicing Agreement. A copy of each of the Master
Servicing Agreement and the Trust Agreement may be examined by any
Certificateholder upon written request during normal business hours at the
principal office of the Depositor and at such other places, if any, designated
by the Depositor.
The Trust Agreement permits, with certain exceptions therein
provided, the amendment thereof and the modification of the rights and
obligations of the Depositor and the rights of the Certificateholders under
the Trust Agreement at any time by the Depositor, and the Owner Trustee with
the consent of the Holders of the Trust Certificates and the Notes, each
voting as a class, evidencing not less than a majority of the Certificate
Balance and the outstanding principal balance of the Notes of each such class.
Any such consent by the Holder of this Trust Certificate shall be conclusive
and binding on such Holder and on all future Holders of this Trust Certificate
and of any Trust Certificate issued upon the transfer hereof or in exchange
herefor or in lieu hereof, whether or not notation of such consent is made
upon this Trust Certificate. The Trust Agreement also permits the amendment
thereof, in certain limited circumstances, without the consent of the Holders
of any of the Trust Certificates.
As provided in the Trust Agreement and subject to certain
limitations therein set forth, the transfer of this Trust Certificate is
registerable in the Certificate Register upon surrender of this Trust
Certificate for registration of transfer at the offices or agencies of the
Certificate Registrar maintained by the Owner Trustee in the Borough of
Manhattan, The City of New York, accompanied by a written instrument of
transfer in form satisfactory to the Owner Trustee and the Certificate
Registrar duly executed by the Holder hereof or such Holder's attorney duly
authorized in writing, and thereupon one or more new Trust Certificates of
authorized denominations evidencing the same aggregate interest in the Trust
will be issued to the designated transferee. The initial Certificate Registrar
appointed under the Trust Agreement is [_________________], New York, New
York.
Except as provided in the Trust Agreement, the Trust Certificates
are issuable only as registered Trust Certificates without coupons in
denominations of $[__________] and in integral multiples of $[_______] in
excess thereof. As provided in the Trust Agreement and subject to certain
limitations therein set forth, Trust Certificates are exchangeable for new
Trust Certificates of authorized denominations evidencing the same aggregate
denomination, as requested by the Holder surrendering the same. No service
charge will be made for any such registration of transfer or exchange, but the
Owner Trustee or the Certificate Registrar may require payment of a sum
sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge payable in connection
therewith.
A-5
The Owner Trustee, the Certificate Registrar and any agent of the
Owner Trustee or the Certificate Registrar may treat the Person in whose name
this Certificate is registered as the owner hereof for all purposes, and none
of the Owner Trustee, the Certificate Registrar or any such agent shall be
affected by any notice to the contrary.
The obligations and responsibilities created by the Trust Agreement
and the Trust created thereby shall terminate upon the payment to
Certificateholders of all amounts required to be paid to them pursuant to the
Trust Agreement and the Master Servicing Agreement and the disposition of all
property held as part of the Owner Trust Estate. The Master Servicer of the
Mortgage Loans may at its option purchase the Owner Trust Estate at a price
specified in the Master Servicing Agreement, and such purchase of the Mortgage
Loans and other property of the Trust will effect early retirement of the
Trust Certificates; however, such right of purchase is exercisable only as of
the last day of any Collection Period as of which the Pool Balance is less
than or equal to [____]% of the Original Pool Balance.
The Trust Certificates may not be acquired by (a) an employee
benefit plan (as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) that is subject to the
provisions of Title I of ERISA, (b) a plan described in Section 4975(e)(1) of
the Code or (c) any entity whose underlying assets include plan assets by
reason of a plan's investment in the entity (each, a `Benefit Plan'). By
accepting and holding this Trust Certificate, the Holder hereof shall be
deemed to have represented and warranted that it is not a Benefit Plan.
A-6
ASSIGNMENT
FOR VALUE RECEIVED the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and
transfers unto
PLEASE INSERT SOCIAL SECURITY OR OTHER IDENTIFYING NUMBER OF ASSIGNEE
______________________________________________________________________________
(Please print or type name and address, including postal zip code, of assignee)
______________________________________________________________________________
the within Trust Certificate, and all rights thereunder, hereby irrevocably
constituting and appointing
______________________________________________________________________________
to transfer said Trust Certificate on the books of the Certificate Registrar,
with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated:
____________________________________*
Signature Guaranteed:
________________*/
---------
* NOTICE: The signature to this assignment must correspond with the name as it
appears upon the face of the within Trust Certificate in every particular,
without alteration, enlargement or any change whatever. Such signature must be
guaranteed by a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange or a commercial
bank or trust company.
A-7
EXHIBIT B
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST OF
[___________] HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 200___
THIS Certificate of Trust of [___________] HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST
200__-__ (the "Trust"), dated _______________, 200__, is being duly executed
and filed by [_____________________], a [___________________________], as
trustee, to form a business trust under the Delaware Business Trust Act (12
Del. Code, ss. 3801 et seq.).
1. Name. The name of the business trust formed hereby is
[COUNTRYWIDE] HOME EQUITY LOAN TRUST 200__-__.
2. Delaware Trustee. The name and business address of the trustee of
the Trust in the State of Delaware is [______________], Delaware [____],
Attention: [_______________________________].
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the sole trustee of the
Trust, has executed this Certificate of Trust as of the date first above
written.
[_______________________],
not in its individual capacity but
solely as owner trustee under a
Trust Agreement dated
__________________, 200__
By:_______________________________________
Name:
Title:
B-1
EXHIBIT C
[Form of Certificate Depository Agreement]
C-1
