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EXHIBIT 99.2
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
This ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT, dated as of May 1, 1998 (as from time
to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect, this
"Agreement"), is by and among FORD CREDIT AUTO OWNER TRUST 1998-B, a Delaware
business trust (the "Issuer"), FORD MOTOR CREDIT COMPANY, a Delaware
corporation, as administrator (the "Administrator"), and THE CHASE MANHATTAN
BANK, a New York corporation, not in its individual capacity but solely as
Indenture Trustee (the "Indenture Trustee").
WHEREAS, the Issuer is issuing the Notes pursuant to the Indenture and
the Certificates pursuant to the Trust Agreement and has entered into certain
agreements in connection therewith, including (i) the Sale and Servicing
Agreement, (ii) the Note Depository Agreement and (iii) the Indenture (the Sale
and Servicing Agreement, the Note Depository Agreement and the Indenture being
referred to hereinafter collectively as the "Related Agreements");
WHEREAS, the Issuer and the Owner Trustee desire to have the
Administrator perform certain duties of the Issuer and the Owner Trustee under
the Related Agreements and to provide such additional services consistent with
the terms of this Agreement and the Related Agreements as the Issuer and the
Owner Trustee may from time to time request; and
WHEREAS, the Administrator has the capacity to provide the services
required hereby and is willing to perform such services for the Issuer and the
Owner Trustee on the terms set forth herein;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained
herein, and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency
of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto, intending to be legally
bound, agree as follows:
1. Definitions and Usage. Except as otherwise specified herein
or as the context may otherwise require, capitalized terms used but not
otherwise defined herein are defined in Appendix A hereto, which also contains
rules as to usage that shall be applicable herein.
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2. Duties of the Administrator. (a) Duties with Respect to the
Indenture and the Note Depository Agreement. (i) The Administrator agrees to
perform all its duties as Administrator and the duties of the Issuer under the
Note Depository Agreement. In addition, the Administrator shall consult with
the Owner Trustee regarding the duties of the Issuer under the Indenture and
the Note Depository Agreement. The Administrator shall monitor the performance
of the Issuer and shall advise the Owner Trustee when action is necessary to
comply with the Issuer's duties under the Indenture and the Note Depository
Agreement. The Administrator shall prepare for execution by the Issuer, or
shall cause the preparation by other appropriate Persons of, all such
documents, reports, filings, instruments, certificates and opinions that it
shall be the duty of the Issuer to prepare, file or deliver pursuant to the
Indenture and the Note Depository Agreement. In furtherance of the foregoing,
the Administrator shall take all appropriate action that is the duty of the
Issuer to take pursuant to the Indenture including, without limitation, such of
the foregoing as are required with respect to the following matters under the
Indenture (references are to sections of the Indenture):
(A) the duty to cause the Note Register to be kept and to
give the Indenture Trustee notice of any appointment of a new Note
Registrar and the location, or change in location, of the Note
Register (Section 2.5);
(B) the determination as to whether the requirements of
UCC Section 8-401(1) are met and the preparation of an Issuer Request
requesting the Indenture Trustee to authenticate and deliver
replacement Notes in lieu of mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
Notes (Section 2.6);
(C) the notification of Noteholders of the final
principal payment on their Notes (Section 2.8(b));
(D) the preparation of or obtaining of the documents and
instruments required for authentication of the Notes and delivery of
the same to the Indenture Trustee (Section 2.2);
(E) the preparation, obtaining or filing of the
instruments, opinions and certificates and
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other documents required for the release of property from the lien of
the Indenture (Section 2.10);
(F) the preparation of Definitive Notes in accordance
with the instructions of the Clearing Agency (Section 2.13);
(G) the maintenance of an office in the Borough of
Manhattan, The City of New York, for registration of transfer or
exchange of Notes if the Indenture Trustee ceases to maintain such an
office (Section 3.2);
(H) the duty to cause newly appointed Note Paying Agents,
if any, to deliver to the Indenture Trustee the instrument specified
in the Indenture regarding funds held in trust (Section 3.3);
(I) the direction to the Indenture Trustee to deposit
monies with Note Paying Agents, if any, other than the Indenture
Trustee (Section 3.3);
(J) the obtaining and preservation of the Issuer's
qualification to do business in each jurisdiction in which such
qualification is or shall be necessary to protect the validity and
enforceability of the Indenture, the Notes, the Collateral and each
other instrument or agreement included in the Indenture Trust Estate
(Section 3.4);
(K) the preparation of all supplements and amendments to
the Indenture and all financing statements, continuation statements,
instruments of further assurance and other instruments and the taking
of such other action as is necessary or advisable to protect the
Indenture Trust Estate (Sections 3.5 and 3.7(c));
(L) the delivery of the Opinion of Counsel on the Closing
Date and the annual delivery of Opinions of Counsel as to the
Indenture Trust Estate, and the annual delivery of the Officer's
Certificate and certain other statements as to compliance with the
Indenture (Sections 3.6 and 3.9);
(M) the identification to the Indenture Trustee in an
Officer's Certificate of any Person
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with whom the Issuer has contracted to perform its duties under the
Indenture (Section 3.7(b));
(N) the notification of the Indenture Trustee and the
Rating Agencies of an Event of Servicing Termination under the Sale
and Servicing Agreement and, if such Event of Servicing Termination
arises from the failure of the Servicer to perform any of its duties
under the Sale and Servicing Agreement with respect to the
Receivables, the taking of all reasonable steps available to remedy
such failure (Section 3.7(d));
(O) the preparation and obtaining of documents and
instruments required for the consolidation or merger of the Issuer
with another entity or the transfer by the Issuer of its properties or
assets (Section 3.10);
(P) the duty to cause the Servicer to comply with
Sections 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12, 3.13 and 4.9 and Article VII of the
Sale and Servicing Agreement (Section 3.14);
(Q) the delivery of written notice to the Indenture
Trustee and the Rating Agencies of each Event of Default under the
Indenture and each default by the Servicer or the Seller under the
Sale and Servicing Agreement and by Ford Credit or the Seller under
the Purchase Agreement (Section 3.19);
(R) the monitoring of the Issuer's obligations as to the
satisfaction and discharge of the Indenture and the preparation of an
Officer's Certificate and the obtaining of the Opinions of Counsel and
the Independent Certificate relating thereto (Section 4.1);
(S) the monitoring of the Issuer's obligations as to the
satisfaction, discharge and defeasance of the Notes and the
preparation of an Officer's Certificate and the obtaining of an
opinion of a nationally recognized firm of independent certified
public accountants, a written certification thereof and the Opinions
of Counsel relating thereto (Section 4.2);
(T) the preparation of an Officer's Certificate to the
Indenture Trustee after the occurrence
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of any event which with the giving of notice and the lapse of time
would become an Event of Default under Section 5.1(iii) of the
Indenture, its status and what action the Issuer is taking or proposes
to take with respect thereto (Section 5.1);
(U) the compliance with any written directive of the
Indenture Trustee with respect to the sale of the Indenture Trust
Estate at one or more public or private sales called and conducted in
any manner permitted by law if an Event of Default shall have occurred
and be continuing (Section 5.4);
(V) the preparation and delivery of notice to Noteholders
of the removal of the Indenture Trustee and the appointment of a
successor Indenture Trustee (Section 6.8);
(W) the preparation of any written instruments required
to confirm more fully the authority of any co-trustee or separate
trustee and any written instruments necessary in connection with the
resignation or removal of any co-trustee or separate trustee (Sections
6.8 and 6.10);
(X) the furnishing of the Indenture Trustee with the
names and addresses of Noteholders during any period when the
Indenture Trustee is not the Note Registrar (Section 7.1);
(Y) the preparation and, after execution by the Issuer,
the filing with the Commission, any applicable state agencies and the
Indenture Trustee of documents required to be filed on a periodic
basis with, and summaries thereof as may be required by rules and
regulations prescribed by, the Commission and any applicable state
agencies and the transmission of such summaries, as necessary, to the
Noteholders (Section 7.3);
(Z) the opening of one or more accounts in the Issuer's
name, the preparation and delivery of Issuer Orders, Officer's
Certificates and Opinions of Counsel and all other actions necessary
with respect to investment and reinvestment, to the extent permitted,
of funds in such accounts (Sections 8.2 and 8.3);
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(AA) the preparation of an Issuer Request and Officer's
Certificate and the obtaining of an Opinion of Counsel and Independent
Certificates, if necessary, for the release of the Indenture Trust
Estate (Sections 8.4 and 8.5);
(BB) the preparation of Issuer Orders and the obtaining of
Opinions of Counsel with respect to the execution of supplemental
indentures and the mailing to the Noteholders of notices with respect
to such supplemental indentures (Sections 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3);
(CC) the execution and delivery of new Notes conforming to
any supplemental indenture (Section 9.6);
(DD) the notification of Noteholders of redemption of the
Notes or duty to cause the Indenture Trustee to provide such
notification (Section 10.2);
(EE) the preparation of all Officer's Certificates, Issuer
Requests and Issuer Orders and the obtaining of Opinions of Counsel
and Independent Certificates with respect to any requests by the
Issuer to the Indenture Trustee to take any action under the Indenture
(Section 11.1(a));
(FF) the preparation of Officer's Certificates and the
obtaining of Independent Certificates, if necessary, for the release
of property from the lien of the Indenture (Section 11.1(b));
(GG) the notification of the Rating Agencies, upon the
failure of the Indenture Trustee to give such notification, of the
information required pursuant to Section 11.4 of the Indenture
(Section 11.4);
(HH) the preparation and delivery to Noteholders and the
Indenture Trustee of any agreements with respect to alternate payment
and notice provisions (Section 11.6); and
(II) the recording of the Indenture, if applicable
(Section 11.15).
(ii) The Administrator will:
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(A) pay the Indenture Trustee from time to time
reasonable compensation for all services rendered by the Indenture
Trustee under the Indenture (which compensation shall not be limited
by any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of
an express trust);
(B) except as otherwise expressly provided in the
Indenture, reimburse the Indenture Trustee upon its request for all
reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances incurred or made by
the Indenture Trustee in accordance with any provision of the
Indenture (including the reasonable compensation, expenses and
disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense,
disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its negligence or
bad faith;
(C) indemnify the Indenture Trustee and its agents for,
and hold them harmless against, any losses, liability or expense
incurred without negligence or bad faith on their part, arising out of
or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the
transactions contemplated by the Indenture, including the reasonable
costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) of defending
themselves against any claim or liability in connection with the
exercise or performance of any of their powers or duties under the
Indenture; and
(D) indemnify the Owner Trustee and its agents for, and
hold them harmless against, any losses, liability or expense incurred
without negligence or bad faith on their part, arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of the transactions
contemplated by the Trust Agreement, including the reasonable costs
and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) of defending
themselves against any claim or liability in connection with the
exercise or performance of any of their powers or duties under the
Trust Agreement.
(b) Additional Duties. (i) In addition to the duties of the
Administrator set forth above, the Administrator shall perform such
calculations and shall prepare or shall cause the preparation by other
appropriate persons of, and shall execute on behalf of the Issuer or the Owner
Trustee, all such documents, reports,
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filings, instruments, certificates and opinions that it shall be the duty of
the Issuer or the Owner Trustee to prepare, file or deliver pursuant to the
Related Agreements, and at the request of the Owner Trustee shall take all
appropriate action that it is the duty of the Issuer or the Owner Trustee to
take pursuant to the Related Agreements. Subject to Section 6 of this
Agreement, and in accordance with the directions of the Owner Trustee, the
Administrator shall administer, perform or supervise the performance of such
other activities in connection with the Collateral (including the Related
Agreements) as are not covered by any of the foregoing provisions and as are
expressly requested by the Owner Trustee and are reasonably within the
capability of the Administrator.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or
the Related Agreements to the contrary, the Administrator shall be
responsible for performance of the duties of the Owner Trustee set
forth in Section 3.2 of the Trust Agreement with respect to
establishing and maintaining a Capital Account for each
Certificateholder.
(iii) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or
the Related Agreements to the contrary, the Administrator shall be
responsible for promptly notifying the Owner Trustee in the event that
any withholding tax is imposed on the Trust's payments (or allocations
of income) to a Certificateholder as contemplated in Section 5.2(c) of
the Trust Agreement. Any such notice shall specify the amount of any
withholding tax required to be withheld by the Owner Trustee pursuant
to such provision.
(iv) Notwithstanding anything in this Agreement or
the Related Agreements to the contrary, the Administrator shall be
responsible for performance of the duties of the Trust or the Owner
Trustee set forth in Section 5.5(a), (b), (c) and (d), the penultimate
sentence of Section 5.5 and Section 5.6(a) of the Trust Agreement with
respect to, among other things, accounting and reports to
Certificateholders.
(v) The Administrator will provide prior to June
15, 1998 a certificate of an Authorized Officer in form and substance
satisfactory to the Owner Trustee as to whether any tax withholding is
then required and, if required, the procedures to be followed with
respect
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thereto to comply with the requirements of the Code. The
Administrator shall be required to update the letter in each instance
that any additional tax withholding is subsequently required or any
previously required tax withholding shall no longer be required.
(vi) The Administrator shall perform the duties of
the Administrator specified in Section 10.2 of the Trust Agreement
required to be performed in connection with the resignation or removal
of the Owner Trustee, and any other duties expressly required to be
performed by the Administrator pursuant to the Trust Agreement.
(vii) In carrying out the foregoing duties or any of
its other obligations under this Agreement, the Administrator may
enter into transactions or otherwise deal with any of its Affiliates;
provided, however, that the terms of any such transactions or dealings
shall be in accordance with any directions received from the Issuer
and shall be, in the Administrator's opinion, no less favorable to the
Issuer than would be available from unaffiliated parties.
(c) Non-Ministerial Matters. (i) With respect to matters that in
the reasonable judgment of the Administrator are non-ministerial, the
Administrator shall not take any action unless within a reasonable time before
the taking of such action, the Administrator shall have notified the Owner
Trustee of the proposed action and the Owner Trustee shall not have withheld
consent or provided an alternative direction. For the purpose of the preceding
sentence, "non-ministerial matters" shall include, without limitation:
(A) the amendment of or any supplement to the Indenture;
(B) the initiation of any claim or lawsuit by the Issuer
and the compromise of any action, claim or lawsuit brought by or
against the Issuer (other than in connection with the collection of
the Receivables or Permitted Investments);
(C) the amendment, change or modification of the Related
Agreements;
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(D) the appointment of successor Note Registrars,
successor Note Paying Agents and successor Indenture Trustees pursuant
to the Indenture or the appointment of successor Administrators or
Successor Servicers, or the consent to the assignment by the Note
Registrar, Note Paying Agent or Indenture Trustee of its obligations
under the Indenture; and
(E) the removal of the Indenture Trustee.
(ii) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this
Agreement, the Administrator shall not be obligated to, and shall not, (x) make
any payments to the Noteholders under the Related Agreements, (y) sell the
Indenture Trust Estate pursuant to Section 5.4 of the Indenture or (z) take any
other action that the Issuer directs the Administrator not to take on its
behalf.
3. Records. The Administrator shall maintain appropriate books
of account and records relating to services performed hereunder, which books of
account and records shall be accessible for inspection by the Issuer and the
Seller at any time during normal business hours.
4. Compensation. As compensation for the performance of the
Administrator's obligations under this Agreement and, as reimbursement for its
expenses related thereto, the Administrator shall be entitled to $2,500
annually which shall be solely an obligation of the Seller.
5. Additional Information To Be Furnished to the Issuer. The
Administrator shall furnish to the Issuer from time to time such additional
information regarding the Collateral as the Issuer shall reasonably request.
6. Independence of the Administrator. For all purposes of this
Agreement, the Administrator shall be an independent contractor and shall not
be subject to the supervision of the Issuer or the Owner Trustee with respect
to the manner in which it accomplishes the performance of its obligations
hereunder. Unless expressly authorized by the Issuer, the Administrator shall
have no authority to act for or represent the Issuer or the Owner Trustee in
any way and shall not otherwise be deemed an agent of the Issuer or the Owner
Trustee.
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7. No Joint Venture. Nothing contained in this Agreement (i)
shall constitute the Administrator and either of the Issuer or the Owner
Trustee as members of any partnership, joint venture, association, syndicate,
unincorporated business or other separate entity, (ii) shall be construed to
impose any liability as such on any of them or (iii) shall be deemed to confer
on any of them any express, implied or apparent authority to incur any
obligation or liability on behalf of the others.
8. Other Activities of Administrator. Nothing herein shall
prevent the Administrator or its Affiliates from engaging in other businesses
or, in its sole discretion, from acting in a similar capacity as an
administrator for any other person or entity even though such person or entity
may engage in business activities similar to those of the Issuer, the Owner
Trustee or the Indenture Trustee.
9. Term of Agreement; Resignation and Removal of Administrator.
(a) This Agreement shall continue in force until the termination of the Issuer
in accordance with Section 9.1 of the Trust Agreement, upon which event this
Agreement shall automatically terminate.
(b) Subject to Sections 9(e) and 9(f), the Administrator may
resign its duties hereunder by providing the Issuer with at least sixty (60)
days' prior written notice.
(c) Subject to Sections 9(e) and 9(f), at the sole option of the
Issuer, the Administrator may be removed immediately upon written notice of
termination from the Issuer to the Administrator if any of the following events
shall occur:
(i) the Administrator shall default in the performance of
any of its duties under this Agreement and, after notice of such
default, shall not cure such default within ten (10) days (or, if such
default cannot be cured in such time, shall not give within ten (10)
days such assurance of cure as shall be reasonably satisfactory to the
Issuer);
(ii) a court having jurisdiction in the premises shall
enter a decree or order for relief, and such decree or order shall not
have been vacated within sixty (60) days, in respect of the
Administrator in any involuntary case under any applicable
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bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or hereafter in effect
or appoint a receiver, liquidator, assignee, custodian, trustee,
sequestrator or similar official for the Administrator or any
substantial part of its property or order the winding-up or
liquidation of its affairs; or
(iii) the Administrator shall commence a voluntary case under
any applicable bankruptcy, insolvency or other similar law now or
hereafter in effect, shall consent to the entry of an order for relief
in an involuntary case under any such law, shall consent to the
appointment of a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian,
sequestrator or similar official for the Administrator or any
substantial part of its property, shall consent to the taking of
possession by any such official of any substantial part of its
property, shall make any general assignment for the benefit of
creditors or shall fail generally to pay its debts as they become due.
The Administrator agrees that if any of the events specified in
clauses (ii) or (iii) of this Section 9(d) shall occur, it shall give written
notice thereof to the Issuer and the Indenture Trustee within seven (7) days
after the happening of such event.
(d) No resignation or removal of the Administrator pursuant to
this Section 9 shall be effective until (i) a successor Administrator shall
have been appointed by the Issuer and (ii) such successor Administrator shall
have agreed in writing to be bound by the terms of this Agreement in the same
manner as the Administrator is bound hereunder. The Issuer shall provide
written notice of any such resignation or removal to the Indenture Trustee,
with a copy to the Rating Agencies.
(e) The appointment of any successor Administrator shall be
effective only after satisfaction of the Rating Agency Condition with respect
to the proposed appointment.
(f) Subject to Sections 9(e) and 9(f), the Administrator
acknowledges that upon the appointment of a successor Servicer pursuant to the
Sale and Servicing Agreement, the Administrator shall immediately resign and
such successor Servicer shall automatically become the Administrator under this
Agreement.
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10. Action upon Termination, Resignation or Removal. Promptly
upon the effective date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section
9(a) or the resignation or removal of the Administrator pursuant to Section
9(b) or (c), respectively, the Administrator shall be entitled to be paid all
fees and reimbursable expenses accruing to it to the date of such termination,
resignation or removal. The Administrator shall forthwith upon such
termination pursuant to Section 9(a) deliver to the Issuer all property and
documents of or relating to the Collateral then in the custody of the
Administrator. In the event of the resignation or removal of the Administrator
pursuant to Section 9(b) or (c), respectively, the Administrator shall
cooperate with the Issuer and take all reasonable steps requested to assist the
Issuer in making an orderly transfer of the duties of the Administrator.
11. Notices. Any notice, report or other communication given
hereunder shall be in writing and addressed of follows:
(a) if to the Issuer or the Owner Trustee, to:
Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 1998-B
c/o PNC Bank, Delaware
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
(b) if to the Administrator, to:
Ford Motor Credit Company
Xxx Xxxxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
(c) If to the Indenture Trustee, to:
The Chase Manhattan Bank
Corporate Trust Administration
000 Xxxx 00xx Xxxxxx, 00xx xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Telephone: (000) 000-0000
Facsimile: (000) 000-0000
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or to such other address as any party shall have provided to the other parties
in writing. Any notice required to be in writing hereunder shall be deemed
given if such notice is mailed by certified mail, postage prepaid, or
hand-delivered to the address of such party as provided above.
12. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended from time to time
by a written amendment duly executed and delivered by the Issuer, the
Administrator and the Indenture Trustee, with the written consent of the Owner
Trustee, without the consent of the Noteholders and the Certificateholders, 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 Certificateholders; provided that such
amendment will not, as set forth in an Opinion of Counsel satisfactory to the
Indenture Trustee and the Owner Trustee, materially and adversely affect the
interest of any Noteholder or Certificateholder. This Agreement may also be
amended by the Issuer, the Administrator and the Indenture Trustee with the
written consent of the Owner Trustee and the Noteholders of Notes evidencing
not less than a majority of the Notes Outstanding and the Certificateholders 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 Noteholders or the Certificateholders; provided, however,
that no such amendment may (i) increase or reduce in any manner the amount of,
or accelerate or delay the timing of, collections of payments on Receivables or
distributions that are required to be made for the benefit of the Noteholders
or Certificateholders or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of the
Noteholders and Certificateholders which are required to consent to any such
amendment, without the consent of the Noteholders of all the Notes Outstanding
and Certificateholders of Certificates evidencing all the Certificate Balance.
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13. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement may not be assigned by
the Administrator unless such assignment is previously consented to in writing
by the Issuer and the Owner Trustee and subject to the satisfaction of the
Rating Agency Condition in respect thereof. An assignment with such consent
and satisfaction, if accepted by the assignee, shall bind the assignee
hereunder in the same manner as the Administrator is bound hereunder.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Agreement may be assigned by the
Administrator without the consent of the Issuer or the Owner Trustee to a
corporation or other organization that is a successor (by merger, consolidation
or purchase of assets) to the Administrator; provided that such successor
organization executes and delivers to the Issuer, the Owner Trustee and the
Indenture Trustee an agreement in which such corporation or other organization
agrees to be bound hereunder by the terms of said assignment in the same manner
as the Administrator is bound hereunder. Subject to the foregoing, this
Agreement shall bind any successors or assigns of the parties hereto.
14. Governing Law. This agreement shall be construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York, and the obligations, rights
and remedies of the parties hereunder shall be determined in accordance with
such laws.
15. Headings. The Section headings hereof have been inserted for
convenience of reference only and shall not be construed to affect the meaning,
construction or effect of this Agreement.
16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts,
each of which when so executed shall be an original, but all of which together
shall constitute but one and the same agreement.
17. Severability. Any provision of this Agreement that is
prohibited or unenforceable in any jurisdiction shall 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.
18. Not Applicable to Ford Credit in Other Capacities. Nothing in
this Agreement shall affect any right
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or obligation Ford Credit may have in any other capacity.
19. Limitation of Liability of Owner Trustee and Indenture
Trustee. (a) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, this
instrument has been countersigned by PNC Bank, Delaware not in its individual
capacity but solely in its capacity as Owner Trustee of the Issuer and in no
event shall PNC Bank, Delaware in its individual capacity or any beneficial
owner of the Issuer have any liability for the representations, warranties,
covenants, agreements or other obligations of the Issuer hereunder, as to all
of which recourse shall be had solely to the assets of the Issuer. For all
purposes of this Agreement, in the performance of any duties or obligations of
the Issuer hereunder, the Owner Trustee shall be subject to, and entitled to
the benefits of, the terms and provisions of Articles VI, VII and VIII of the
Trust Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary,
this Agreement has been countersigned by The Chase Manhattan Bank not in its
individual capacity but solely as Indenture Trustee and in no event shall The
Chase Manhattan Bank have any liability for the representations, warranties,
covenants, agreements or other obligations of the Issuer hereunder or in any of
the certificates, notices or agreements delivered pursuant hereto, as to all of
which recourse shall be had solely to the assets of the Issuer.
20. Third-Party Beneficiary. The Owner Trustee is a third-party
beneficiary to this Agreement and is entitled to the rights and benefits
hereunder and may enforce the provisions hereof as if it were a party hereto.
21. Nonpetition Covenants. (a) Notwithstanding any prior
termination of this Agreement, the Seller, the Administrator, the Owner Trustee
and the Indenture Trustee shall not, prior to the date which is one year and
one day after the termination of this Agreement with respect to the Issuer,
acquiesce, petition or otherwise invoke or cause the Issuer to invoke the
process of any court or government authority for the purpose of commencing or
sustaining a case against the Issuer under any federal or State bankruptcy,
insolvency or similar law or appointing a receiver, liquidator, assignee,
trustee, custodian, sequestrator or other similar
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official of the Issuer or any substantial part of its property, or ordering the
winding up or liquidation of the affairs of the Issuer.
(b) Notwithstanding any prior termination of this
Agreement, the Issuer, the Administrator, the Owner Trustee and the Indenture
Trustee shall not, prior to the date which is one year and one day after the
termination of this Agreement with respect to the Seller, acquiesce, petition
or otherwise invoke or cause the Seller or the General Partner to invoke the
process of any court or government authority for the purpose of commencing or
sustaining a case against the Seller or the General Partner under any federal
or State bankruptcy, insolvency or similar law or appointing a receiver,
liquidator, assignee, trustee, custodian, sequestrator or other similar
official of the Seller or the General Partner or any substantial part of their
respective property, or ordering the winding up or liquidation of the affairs
of the Seller or the General Partner.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed and delivered as of the day and year first above written.
FORD CREDIT AUTO OWNER TRUST 1998-B
By: PNC BANK, DELAWARE, not in its
individual capacity but solely
as Owner Trustee
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx
--------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. XxXxxxxx
Title: Vice President
THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, not in its
individual capacity but solely as
Indenture Trustee
By: /s/ Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Title: Vice President
FORD MOTOR CREDIT COMPANY, as Administrator
By: /s/ X. X. Xxxxxx
---------------------
Name: X. X. Xxxxxx
Title: Assistant Secretary
19
APPENDIX A
Definitions and Usage
AA-1
