Exhibit 4.18
________________________________________________________________________
FORM OF
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
OHIO CASUALTY CORPORATION
Dated as of [ ]
________________________________________________________________________
PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT ("Preferred Securities
Guarantee"), dated as of [DATE], is executed and delivered by Ohio Casualty
Corporation, an Ohio corporation (the "Guarantor"), and [ ], a [ ] banking
corporation, as trustee (the "Preferred Guarantee Trustee"), for the benefit
of the Holders (as defined herein) from time to time of the Preferred
Securities (as defined herein) of [Ohio Casualty Capital Trust I], a Delaware
statutory trust (the "Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust
(the "Declaration"), dated as of [DATE], among the trustees of the Issuer
named therein, the Guarantor, as Sponsor, and the holders from time to time of
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer, the Issuer is
issuing on the date hereof [ ] Preferred Securities, having an aggregate
stated liquidation preference of [ ], designated the [ ]% Preferred Securities
(the "Preferred Securities");
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Preferred
Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to
the extent set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, to pay to the
Holders of the Preferred Securities the Guarantee Payments (as defined herein)
and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set forth
herein; and
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is also executing and delivering a guarantee
agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee") in substantially identical terms
to this Preferred Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the holders of the
Common Securities (as defined herein) except that if an Event of Default (as
defined in the Indenture (as defined herein)), has occurred and is continuing,
the rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments
under the Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated to the rights of
Holders of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this
Preferred Securities Guarantee.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each Holder of
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees shall benefit
the Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and delivers this Preferred Securities
Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders.
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.01. Definitions and Interpretation.
In this Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context otherwise
requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee but
not defined in the preamble above have the respective meanings assigned to
them in this Section 1.01;
(b) a term defined anywhere in this Preferred Securities Guarantee
has the same meaning throughout;
(c) all references to "the Preferred Securities Guarantee" or "this
Guarantee" are to this Preferred Securities Guarantee as modified,
supplemented or amended from time to time;
(d) all references in this Preferred Securities Guarantee to Articles
and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Preferred Securities
Guarantee unless otherwise specified;
(e) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning
when used in this Preferred Securities Guarantee unless otherwise defined in
this Preferred Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise requires;
and
(f) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa.
"Affiliate" has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule 405 of
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor rule thereunder.
"Common Securities" means the common securities representing common
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of Preferred
Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of debentures of the Guarantor
designated [ ] held by the Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of its
payment or other obligations under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or distributions,
without duplication, with respect to the Preferred Securities, to the extent
not paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accrued and unpaid Distributions (as
defined in the Declaration) that are required to be paid on such Preferred
Securities to the extent the Issuer shall have funds available therefore, (ii)
the amount payable upon redemption to the extent the Issuer has funds
available therefor, with respect to any Preferred Securities called for
redemption by the Issuer, and (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary
dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Issuer (other than in connection
with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for Preferred
Securities as provided in the Declaration), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of
the liquidation preference and all accrued and unpaid Distributions on the
Preferred Securities to the date of payment, to the extent the Issuer shall
have funds avail able therefor, and (b) the amount of assets of the Issuer
remaining available for distribution to Holders upon liquidation of the Issuer
(in either case, the "Liquidation Distribution"). If an event of default under
the Indenture has occurred and is continuing, the rights of holders of the
Common Securities to receive payments under the Common Securities Guarantee
are subordinated to the rights of Holders of Preferred Securities to receive
Guarantee Payments.
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and
records of the Issuer of any Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in
determining whether the holders of the requisite percentage of Preferred
Securities have given any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder,
"Holder" shall not include the Guarantor or any Affiliate of the Guarantor.
"Indemnified Person" means the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, any
Affiliate of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or any officers, directors,
shareholders, members, partners, employees, representatives or agents of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of [DATE], among the
Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and [ ], as trustee, and any indenture
supplemental thereto pursuant to which the Debentures are to be issued to the
Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Majority in liquidation preference of the Securities" means, except
as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, Holder(s) of Preferred Securities,
voting separately as a class, representing more than 50% of the stated
liquidation preference (including the stated amount that would be paid on
redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to
the date upon which the voting percentages are determined) of all Preferred
Securities.
"Officers' Certificate" means, with respect to any Person, a
certificate signed by two duly authorized officers of such Person. Any
Officers' Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or
covenant provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Certificate has read
the covenant or condition and the definition relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination or
investigation undertaken by each officer in rendering the Certificate;
(c) a statement that each such officer has made such examination or
investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to enable such
officer to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or
condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such officer,
such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual, corporation,
estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, limited
liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or government or any
agency or political subdivision there of, or any other entity of whatever
nature.
"Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means [ ] until a Successor
Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment
pursuant to the terms of this Preferred Securities Guarantee and thereafter
means each such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee, the chairman of the board of directors, the president, any
vice-president, any assistant vice-president, the secretary, any assistant
secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, any trust officer or
assistant trust officer or any other officer of the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of
the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular
corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred
because of that officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular
subject.
"Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee" means a successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Preferred Guarantee
Trustee under Section 4.1.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
ARTICLE 2
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.01. Trust Indenture Act; Application.
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee is subject to the provisions
of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, which are incorporated by reference hereto, and shall,
to the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions; and
(b) if and to the extent that any provision of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by
Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed
duties shall control.
SECTION 2.02. Lists of Holders of Securities.
(a) The Guarantor shall provide the Preferred Guarantee Trustee (i)
within 15 days after each record payment date of Distributions, a list, in
such form as the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require, of the
names and addresses of the Holders of the Preferred Securities ("List of
Holders") as of such date, provided that the Guarantor shall not be obligated
to provide such List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does not
differ from the most recent List of Holders given to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee by the Guarantor, and (ii) at any other time, within 30 days of
receipt by the Guarantor of a written request for a List of Holders as of a
date no more than 15 days before such List of Holders is given to the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may destroy any
List of Holders previously given to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its obligations
under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and 312(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.03. Reports by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
Within 60 days after [ ] of each year, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee shall provide to the Holders of the Preferred Securities such reports,
if any, as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act in the form
and in the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act. The
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the requirements of Section
313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.04. Periodic Reports to Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee such
documents, reports and information (if any) as required by Section 314 of the
Trust Indenture Act and the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of
the Trust Indenture Act in the form, in the manner and at the times required
by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.05. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent.
The Guarantor shall provide to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee such
evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent, if any, provided for in
this Preferred Securities Guarantee which relate to any of the matters set
forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or opinion
required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) may be given
in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.06. Events of Default; Waiver.
The Holders of a Majority in liquidation preference of Preferred
Securities may, by vote, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Preferred
Securities, waive any past Event of Default and its consequences. Upon such
waiver, any such Event of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of
Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every
purpose of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, but no such waiver shall
extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any
right consequent thereon.
SECTION 2.07. Event of Default; Notice.
(a) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days after the
occurrence of an Event of Default, transmit by mail, first class postage
prepaid, to the Holders of the Preferred Securities, notices of all Events of
Default known to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, unless such defaults have
been cured before the giving of such notice, provided, that, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall be protected in withholding such notice if and so long
as the board of directors, the executive committee, or a trust committee of
directors and/or Responsible Officers of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee in
good faith determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests
of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed to have
knowledge of any Event of Default except any Event of Default as to which the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have received written notice or a
Responsible Officer charged with the administration of the Declaration shall
have obtained written notice.
SECTION 2.08. Conflicting Interests.
The Declaration shall be deemed to be specifically described in this
Preferred Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i) of the first
proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
ARTICLE 3
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.01. Powers and Duties of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(a) This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities, and the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this
Guarantee Agreement to any Person except a Holder of Preferred Securities
exercising his or her rights pursuant to Section 5.04(b) or to a Successor
Preferred Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Preferred Guarantee
Trustee. The right, title and interest of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall automatically vest in any Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee, and
such vesting and cessation of title shall be effective whether or not
conveyancing documents have been executed and delivered pursuant to the
appointment of such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(b) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Preferred Securities Guarantee
for the benefit of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee, before the occurrence of any
Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default that may have
occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are specifically set
forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants shall
be read into this Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred (that has not been
cured or waived pursuant to Section 2.06), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, and use the same degree of care and skill in its
exercise thereof, as a prudent person would exercise or use under the
circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
construed to relieve the Preferred Guarantee Trustee from liability for its
own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and after
the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may have
occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically
set forth in this Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no
implied covenants or obligations shall be read into this
Preferred Securities Guarantee against the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee; and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and
the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any
certificates or opinions furnished to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee; but in the case of any such certificates
or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically
required to be furnished to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee,
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be under a duty to
examine the same to deter mine whether or not they conform to
the requirements of this Preferred Securities Guarantee;
(ii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for
any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer
of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, unless it shall be proved that
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the
pertinent facts upon which such judgment was made;
(iii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable with
respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good
faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less
than a Majority in liquidation preference of the Preferred
Securities at the time outstanding, relating to the time, method
and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, or exercising any trust or power
conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
require the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to expend or risk its own
funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have
reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds
or liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of
this Preferred Securities Guarantee or adequate indemnity against
such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 3.02. Certain Rights of Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.01:
(i) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may rely and shall be
fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note,
other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed
by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or presented by
the proper party or parties;
(ii) any direction or act of the Preferred Securities
Guarantor contemplated by this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers' Certificate;
(iii) whenever, in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable that a matter be proved or established before taking,
suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically prescribed)
may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and rely upon
an Officers' Certificate which, upon receipt of such request, shall
be promptly delivered by the Guarantor;
(iv) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to see
to any recording, filing or registration of any instrument (or any
rerecording, refiling or registration thereof);
(v) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may consult with counsel,
and the written advice or opinion of such counsel with respect to
legal matters shall be full and complete authorization and
protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by
it hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or
opinion. Such counsel may be counsel to the Guarantor or any of its
Affiliates and may include any of the Guarantor's employees. The
Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have the right at any time to
seek instructions concerning the administration of this Guarantee
Agreement from any court of competent jurisdiction;
(vi) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be under no
obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of
any Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee such adequate security and indemnity as would
satisfy a reasonable person in the position of the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, against the costs, expenses (including
attorneys' fees and expenses) and liabilities that might be
incurred by it in complying with such request or direction,
including such reasonable advances as may be requested by the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee; provided that nothing contained in
this Section 3.02(a)(vi) shall be taken to relieve the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, of
its obligation to exercise the rights and powers vested in it by
this Preferred Securities Guarantee;
(vii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be bound to
make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note,
other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the
Preferred Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make such
further inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it
may see fit;
(viii) the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may execute any of the
trusts or powers here under or perform any duties hereunder either
directly or by or through agents or attorneys, and the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee shall not be responsible for any misconduct or
negligence on the part of any agent or attorney appointed with due
care by it hereunder;
(ix) any action taken by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or
its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders of the Preferred
Securities, and the signature of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or
its agents alone shall be sufficient and effective to perform any
such action. No third party shall be required to inquire as to the
authority of the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to so act or as to its
compliance with any of the terms and provisions of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, both of which shall be conclusively evidenced
by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee's or its agent's taking such
action; and
(x) whenever in the administration of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any
remedy or right or taking any other action hereunder, the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders of
the Preferred Securities or the Guarantor, (ii) may refrain from
enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until
such instructions are received, and (iii) shall be protected in
acting in accordance with such instructions.
(b) No provision of this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be
deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to
perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty or obligation
conferred or imposed on it, in any jurisdiction in which it shall be illegal,
or in which the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or
incompetent in accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts
or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power
or authority available to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall be construed
to be a duty.
SECTION 3.03. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Guarantee.
The recitals contained in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee does not assume any responsibility for their correctness. The
Preferred Guarantee Trustee makes no representations as to the validity or
sufficiency of this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE 4
PREFERRED GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.01. Preferred Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility.
(a) There shall at all times be a Preferred Guarantee Trustee which
shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under the
laws of the United States of America or any State or Territory
thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person
permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an
institutional trustee under the Trust Indenture Act, authorized
under such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a
combined capital and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars
($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by
Federal, State, Territorial or District of Columbia authority. If
such corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually,
pursuant to law or to the requirements of the supervising or
examining authority referred to above, then, for the purposes of
this Section 4.01(a)(ii), 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.
(b) If at any time the Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall cease to be
eligible to so act under Section 4.01(a), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee
shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in Section
4.02(c).
(c) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire any
"conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all
respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SECTION 4.02. Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Preferred
Guarantee Trustee.
(a) Subject to Section 4.02(b), the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may
be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor.
(b) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed in
accordance with Section 4.02(a) until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee
has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written instrument
executed by such Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the
Guarantor.
(c) The Preferred Guarantee Trustee appointed to office shall hold
office until a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been appointed
or until its removal or resignation. The Preferred Guarantee Trustee may
resign from office (without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an
instrument in writing executed by the Preferred Guarantee Trustee and
delivered to the Guarantor, which resignation shall not take effect until a
Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment by instrument in writing executed by such Successor Preferred
Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor and the resigning Preferred
Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.02 within 60
days after delivery to the Guarantor of an instrument of resignation, the
resigning Preferred Guarantee Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee. Such
court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem
proper, appoint a Successor Preferred Guarantee Trustee.
ARTICLE 5
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.01. Guarantee.
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full
to the Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts
theretofore paid by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense,
right of set-off or counterclaim that the Issuer may have or assert. The
Guarantor's obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct
payment of the required amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing
the Issuer to pay such amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.02. Subordination.
If an Event of Default (as defined in the Indenture), has occurred
and is continuing, the rights of Holders of the Common Securities to receive
Guarantee Payments under the Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated to
the rights of Holders of Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
SECTION 5.03. Waiver of Notice and Demand.
The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may apply,
presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Issuer or any other Person before proceeding against the
Guarantor, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of
redemption and all other notices and demands.
SECTION 5.04. Obligations Not Affected.
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor
under this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected or
impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the
performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied agreement,
covenant, term or condition relating to the Preferred Securities to be
performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer of all or any
portion of the Distributions, the amount payable upon redemption, Liquidation
Distribution or any other sums payable under the terms of the Preferred
Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any other
obligation under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Preferred
Securities (other than an extension of time for payment of Distributions, the
amount payable upon redemption, Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable
that results from the extension of any interest payment period on the
Debentures or any extension of the maturity date of the Debentures permitted
by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of
the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or
remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of
any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the
benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or readjustment
of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the Issuer or any of the
assets of the Issuer;
(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in the Preferred
Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed hereby
or hereby incurred; or
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise constitute
a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it being the intent
of this Section 5.04 that the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder shall be
absolute and unconditional under any and all circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders or any other Person to
give notice to, or obtain consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the
happening of any of the foregoing.
SECTION 5.05. Rights of Holders.
(a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation preference of the
Preferred Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Preferred Guarantee
Trustee in respect of this Preferred Securities Guarantee or exercising any
trust or power conferred upon the Preferred Guarantee Trustee under this
Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) If the Preferred Guarantee Trustee fails to enforce this
Preferred Securities Guarantee, any Holder of Preferred Securities may, after
such Holder makes a written request to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee to
enforce this Preferred Securities Guarantee, institute a legal proceeding
directly against the Guarantor to enforce its rights under this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, without first instituting a legal proceeding against the
Issuer, the Preferred Guarantee Trustee or any other Person.
SECTION 5.06. Guarantee of Payment.
This Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of payment
and not of collection.
SECTION 5.07. Subrogation.
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of the
Holders of Preferred Securities against the Issuer in respect of any amounts
paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under this Preferred Securities
Guarantee; provided, however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the
extent required by mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or
exercise any right that it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity,
reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under
this Preferred Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of any such payment, any
amounts are due and unpaid under this Preferred Securities Guarantee. If any
amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence,
the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay
over such amount to the Holders.
SECTION 5.08. Independent Obligations.
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are
independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Preferred
Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor
hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Preferred
Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to
in subsections (a) through (g), inclusive, of Section 5.04.
ARTICLE 6
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.01. Limitation of Transactions.
So long as any Preferred Securities remain outstanding, if there
shall have occurred an Event of Default, an event that, with the giving of
notice or the lapse of time or both, would constitute an Event of Default
under the Indenture or a selection by the Guarantor of an Extended Interest
Payment Period as provided in the Indenture and such period, or any extension
thereof, shall be continuing, then (a) the Guarantor shall not declare or pay
any dividend on, or make any distribution with respect to, or redeem,
purchase, acquire or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of its
capital stock (other than stock dividends paid by the Guarantor which stock
dividends consist of the stock of the same class as that on which the dividend
is being paid), (b) the Guarantor shall not make any payment of interest,
principal or premium, if any, on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt
securities issued by the Guarantor which rank pari passu with or junior to the
Debentures and (c) shall not make any guarantee payments with respect to the
foregoing (other than pursuant to the Preferred Securities Guarantee).
SECTION 6.02. Ranking.
This Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured
obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right
of payment to all other liabilities of the Guarantor, except any liabilities
that may be made pari passu expressly by their terms, (ii) pari passu with the
most senior preferred or preference stock now or hereafter issued by the
Guarantor and with any guarantee now or hereafter entered into by the
Guarantor in respect of any preferred or preference stock or Preferred
Security of any Affiliate of the Guarantor, and (iii) senior to the
Guarantor's common stock.
ARTICLE 7
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.01. Termination.
This Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon (i) full
payment of the amount payable upon redemption of all Preferred Securities,
(ii) the distribution of the Debentures to the Holders of all of the Preferred
Securities or (iii) full payment of the amounts payable in accordance with the
Declaration upon liquidation of the Issuer. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
this Preferred Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or will be
reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder of Preferred
Securities must restore payment of any sums paid under the Preferred
Securities or under this Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE 8
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.01. Exculpation.
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or accountable
in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for any loss,
damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted
by such Indemnified Person in good faith in accordance with this Preferred
Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person reasonably
believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Indemnified
Person by this Preferred Securities Guarantee or by law, except that an
Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred
by reason of such Indemnified Person's negligence or willful misconduct with
respect to such acts or omissions.
(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying in good
faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information, opinions,
reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to matters
the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other Person's
professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable
care by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information, opinions,
reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities,
profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of
assets from which Distributions to Holders of Preferred Securities might
properly be paid.
SECTION 8.02. Indemnification.
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, the Guarantor
shall indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Person from and against any
loss, damage or claim incurred by such Indemnified Person by reason of any act
or omission performed or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith in
accordance with this Preferred Securities Guarantee and in a manner such
Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be within the scope of authority
conferred on such Indemnified Person in accordance with this Preferred
Securities Guarantee, except that no Indemnified Person shall be entitled to
be indemnified in respect of any loss, damage or claim incurred by such
Indemnified Person by reason of negligence or willful misconduct with respect
to such acts or omissions.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, expenses
(including legal fees and expenses) incurred by an Indemnified Person in
defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to
time, be advanced by the Guarantor prior to the final disposition of such
claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by the Guarantor of an
undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person to repay such amount if
it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be
indemnified as authorized in Section 8.02(a).
ARTICLE 9
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.01. Successors and Assigns.
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Preferred Securities
Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders
of the Preferred Securities then outstanding. Except in connection with any
permitted merger or consolidation of the Guarantor with or into another entity
or any permitted sale, transfer or lease of the Guarantor's assets to another
entity, the Guarantor may not assign its rights or delegate its obligations
under the Preferred Securities Guarantee without the prior approval of the
Holders of at least 66-2/3% of the aggregate stated liquidation preference of
the Preferred Securities then outstanding.
SECTION 9.02. Amendments.
Except with respect to any changes that do not adversely affect the
rights of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will be required), this
Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the prior approval of
the Holders of at least 66-2/3% in liquidation preference of all the
outstanding Preferred Securities. The provisions of Section 12.02 of the
Declaration with respect to meetings of Holders of the Securities apply to the
giving of such approval.
SECTION 9.03. Notices.
All notices provided for in this Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be
delivered, telecopied or mailed by registered or certified mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Preferred Guarantee Trustee, at the Preferred
Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or such other address as
the Preferred Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Holders of the
Preferred Securities):
[ ]
[ ]
[ ]
Attn: [ ]
[ ]
[ ]
(b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing address set
forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice of to the
Holders of the Preferred Securities):
Ohio Casualty Corporation
0000 Xxxxxx Xxxx
Xxxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000
(c) If given to any Holder of Preferred Securities, at the address
set forth on the books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in
person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class mail,
postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused delivery
or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice was
given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered on
the date of such refusal or inability to deliver.
SECTION 9.04. Benefit.
This Preferred Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of the
Holders of the Preferred Securities and, subject to Section 3.01(a), is not
separately transferable from the Preferred Securities.
SECTION 9.05. Governing Law.
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK, WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICT OF LAWS.
THIS PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day and
year first above written.
OHIO CASUALTY CORPORATION,
as Guarantor
By:____________________
Name: [ ]
Title: [ ]
[ ], as
Preferred Guarantee Trustee
By:____________________
Name: [ ]
Title: [ ]
