EXHIBIT 99.B.9B
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
SAGE/TSO TRUST
AND
AMERICAN DATA SERVICES, INC.
[GRAPHIC OMITTED]
INDEX
1. DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR................................................3
2. COMPENSATION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR..........................................4
3. RESPONSIBILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION.........................................4
4. REPORTS....................................................................5
5. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR............................................5
6. RECORDS....................................................................5
7. CONFIDENTIALITY............................................................6
8. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT..................................6
9. ASSIGNMENT.................................................................6
10. NEW YORK LAWS TO APPLY....................................................6
11. AMENDMENTS TO THIS AGREEMENT...............................................6
12. MERGER OF AGREEMENT........................................................6
13. NOTICES....................................................................6
2
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AGREEMENT
---------------------------------
AGREEMENT made the 1st day of December 1997, by and between Sage/Tso Trust, a
Delaware Business Trust, having its principal office and place of business at
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000 Xxxxx, Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000 (the "Fund"), and
American Data Services, Inc., a New York corporation having its principal office
and place of business at the Hauppauge Corporate Center, 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx,
Xxxxx 000, Xxxxxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000 (the "Administrator").
BACKGROUND
WHEREAS, the Fund is a diversified open-end management investment
company registered with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission
under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"); and
WHEREAS, the Administrator is a corporation experienced in providing
administrative services to mutual funds and possesses facilities sufficient to
provide such services; and
WHEREAS, the Fund desires to avail itself of the experience,
assistance and facilities of the Administrator and to have the Administrator
perform for the Fund certain services appropriate to the operations of the Fund
and the Administrator is willing to furnish such services in accordance with the
terms hereinafter set forth.
TERMS
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and mutual covenants
hereinafter contained, the Fund and the Administrator hereby agree to the
following:
1. DUTIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
The Administrator will provide the Fund with the necessary office
space, communication facilities and personnel to perform the following services
for the Fund:
(a) Monitor all regulatory (1940 Act and IRS) and prospectus
restrictions for compliance;
(b) Prepare and coordinate the printing of semi-annual and
annual financial statements;
(c) Prepare selected management reports for performance and
compliance analyses as agreed upon by the Fund and
Administrator from time to time;
(d) Prepare selected financial data required for directors'
meetings as agreed upon by the Fund and the Administrator
from time to time and coordinate directors meeting agendas
with outside legal counsel to the Fund;
(e) Determine income and capital gains available for
distribution and calculate distributions required to meet
regulatory, income, and excise tax requirements, to be
reviewed by the Fund's independent public accountants;
(f) Prepare the Fund's federal, state, and local tax returns
to be reviewed by the Fund's independent public
accountants;
(g) Prepare and maintain the Fund's operating expense budget
to determine proper expense
3
accruals to be charged to the Fund in order to calculate
it's daily net asset value;
(h) 1940 ACT filings -
In conjunction with the Fund's outside legal counsel the
Administrator will: Prepare the Fund's Form N-SAR reports;
Update all financial sections of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information
and coordinate its completion with legal counsel to the Fund;
Update all financial sections of the Fund's prospectus and coordinate its
completion with legal counsel to the Fund;
Update all financial sections of the Fund's proxy statement and coordinate its
completion with legal counsel to the Fund;
Prepare an annual update to Fund's 24f-2 filing (if applicable);
(i) Monitor services provided by the Fund's custodian bank as well as
any other service providers to the Fund;
(j) Provide appropriate financial schedules (as requested by the
Fund's independent public accountants or SEC examiners),
coordinate the Fund's annual or SEC audit, and provide office
facilities as may be required;
(k) Attend management and board of directors meetings as requested;
(l) The preparation and filing (filing fee to be paid by the Fund) of
applications and reports as necessary to register or maintain the
Funds registration under the securities or "Blue Sky" laws of the
various states selected by the Fund or its Distributor.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an independent
contractor and shall, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized, have no
authority to act for or represent the Fund in any way or otherwise be deemed an
agent of the Fund.
2. COMPENSATION OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
In consideration of the services to be performed by ADS as set forth
herein for each portfolio listed in Schedule B, ADS shall be entitled to receive
compensation and reimbursement for all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. The
Fund agrees to pay ADS the fees and reimbursement of out-of-pocket expenses as
set forth in the fee schedule attached hereto as Schedule A.
3. RESPONSIBILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION.
(a) The Administrator shall be held to the exercise of reasonable care
in carrying out the provisions of the Agreement, but shall be without liability
to the Fund for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith without gross
negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or reckless disregard of its duties
hereunder. It shall be entitled to rely upon and may act upon the accounting
records and reports generated by the Fund, advice of the Fund, or of counsel for
the Fund and upon statements of the Fund's independent accountants, and shall be
without liability for any action reasonably taken or omitted pursuant to such
records and reports or advice, provided that such action is not, to the
knowledge of the Administrator, in violation of applicable federal or state laws
or regulations, and provided further that such action is taken without gross
negligence, bad faith, willful misconduct or reckless disregard of its duties.
(b) The Administrator shall not be liable to the Fund for any error of
judgment or mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any act or omission by
the Administrator in the performance of its duties
4
hereunder except as hereinafter set forth. Nothing herein contained shall be
construed to protect the Administrator against any liability to the Fund or its
security holders to which the Administrator shall otherwise be subject by reason
of willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence in the performance of its
duties on behalf of the Fund, reckless disregard of the Administrator's
obligations and duties under this Agreement or the willful violation of any
applicable law.
(c) Except as may otherwise be provided by applicable law, neither the
Administrator nor its stockholders, officers, directors, employees or agents
shall be subject to, and the Fund shall indemnify and hold such persons harmless
from and against, any liability for and any damages, expenses or losses incurred
by reason of the inaccuracy of information furnished to the Administrator by the
Fund or its authorized agents or in connection with any error in judgment or
mistake of law or any act or omission in the course of, connected with or
arising out of any services to be rendered hereunder, except by reason of
willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence in the performance of its
duties, by reason of reckless disregard of the Administrator's obligations and
duties under this Agreement or the willful violation of any applicable law.
4. REPORTS.
(a) The Fund shall provide to the Administrator on a quarterly basis a
report of a duly authorized officer of the Fund representing that all
information furnished to the Administrator during the preceding quarter was
true, complete and correct to the best of its knowledge. The Administrator shall
not be responsible for the accuracy of any information furnished to it by the
Fund, and the Fund shall hold the Administrator harmless in regard to any
liability incurred by reason of the inaccuracy of such information.
(b) The Administrator shall provide to the Board of Directors of the
Fund, on a quarterly basis, a report, in such a form as the Administrator and
the Fund shall from time to time agree, representing that, to its knowledge, the
Fund was in compliance with all requirements of applicable federal and state
law, including without limitation, the rules and regulations of the Securities
and Exchange Commission and the Internal Revenue Service, or specifying any
instances in which the Fund was not so in compliance. Whenever, in the course of
performing its duties under this Agreement, the Administrator determines, on the
basis of information supplied to the Administrator by the Fund, that a violation
of applicable law has occurred, or that, to its knowledge, a possible violation
of applicable law may have occurred or, with the passage of time, could occur,
the Administrator shall promptly notify the Fund and its counsel of such
violation.
5. ACTIVITIES OF THE ADMINISTRATOR.
The Administrator shall be free to render similar services to others so
long as its services hereinunder are not impaired thereby.
6. RECORDS.
The records maintained by the Administrator shall be the property of
the Fund, and shall be made available to the Fund promptly upon request by the
Fund in the form in which such records have been maintained or preserved. The
Administrator shall upon approval of the Fund assist the Fund's independent
auditors, or, any regulatory body, in any requested review of the Fund's
accounts and records. The Administrator shall preserve the records in its
possession (at the expense of the Fund) as required by Rule 31a-1 of the 1940
Act.
5
7. CONFIDENTIALITY.
The Administrator agrees that it will, on behalf of itself and its
officers and employees, treat all transactions contemplated by this Agreement,
and all other information germane thereto, as confidential and such information
shall not be disclosed to any person except as may be authorized by the Fund.
8. DURATION AND TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall become effective as of the date hereof and shall
remain in force until terminated. Either party to this Agreement has the option
to terminate the Agreement, upon thirty (30) days prior written notice.
Should the Fund exercise its right to terminate, all out-of-pocket
expenses associated with the movement of records and material will be borne by
the Fund. Additionally, the Administrator reserves the right to charge for any
other mutually agreed upon expenses associated with such termination.
9. ASSIGNMENT.
This Agreement shall extend to and shall be binding upon the parties
hereto and their respective successors and assigns; provided, however, that this
Agreement shall not be assignable by the Fund without the prior written consent
of the Administrator, or by the Administrator without the prior written consent
of the Fund.
10. NEW YORK LAWS TO APPLY
The provisions of this Agreement shall be construed and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of the State of New York as at the time in effect and
the applicable provisions of the 1940 Act. To the extent that the applicable law
of the State of New York, or any of the provisions herein, conflict with the
applicable provisions of the 1940 Act, the latter shall control.
11. AMENDMENTS TO THIS AGREEMENT.
This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto only if such
amendment is in writing and signed by both parties.
12. MERGER OF AGREEMENT
This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties
hereto and supersedes any prior agreement with respect to the subject matter
hereof whether oral or written.
13. NOTICES.
All notices and other communications hereunder shall be in writing,
shall be deemed to have been given when delivered in person or by certified
mail, return receipt requested, and shall be given to the following addresses
(or such other addresses as to which notice is given):
To the Fund: To the Administrator:
Xx. Xxxxx X. Xxx Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
President President
Sage/Tso Trust American Data Services, Inc.
0000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxx, Xxxxx 000 Xxxxx 000 Xxxxx Xxxxxxx, Xxxxx 000
Xxxxx Xxxxxx, XX 00000 Xxxxxxxxx, XX 00000
6
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the
day and year first above written.
SAGE/TSO TRUST AMERICAN DATA SERVICES, INC.
.
By: /s/ Xxxxx X. Xxx By: /s/ Xxxxxxx Xxxxx
---------------------------- ------------------------------
Xxxxx X. Xxx, President Xxxxxxx Xxxxx, President
7