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EXHIBIT 99.2
ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
This ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT, dated as of October 1, 1997 (as from time
to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified and in effect, this
"Agreement"), is by and among FORD CREDIT AUTO OWNER TRUST 1997-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 with whom the Issuer has contracted to perform
its duties under the Indenture (Section 3.7(b));
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(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 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
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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);
(AA) the preparation of an Issuer Request and Officer's Certificate
and the obtaining of an Opinion of Counsel and Independent Certificates,
if
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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:
(A) pay the Indenture Trustee from time to time reasonable
compensation for all services ren-
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dered 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, filings, instruments, certificates and
opinions that it shall be the duty of the Issuer or the Owner
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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 November 17, 1997 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 thereto to comply with the
requirements of the Code. The Administrator shall be required to update the
letter
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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;
(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 Succes-
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sor 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.
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)
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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 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 sub-
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stantial 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.
10. Action upon Termination, Resignation or Removal. Promptly upon the
effective date of termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9(a) or the
resigna-
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tion 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 as follows:
(a) if to the Issuer or the Owner Trustee, to:
Ford Credit Auto Owner Trust 1997-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.
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 ac-
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cepted 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 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
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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 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
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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 1997-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
