FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx.
Xxx Xxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxx 00000
Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxx.
Xxx Xxxxx, XX 00000
Re: Amendment of Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement
Gentlemen:
We (the "Fund") are a corporation or business trust operating as an open-end
management investment company or "mutual fund," which is registered under the
Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and whose shares
are registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933
Act"). You have informed us that your company is registered as a
broker-dealer under the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the "1934 Act") and that your company is a member of the National
Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
This agreement is an amendment (the "Amendment") of the Amended and Restated
Distribution Agreement (the "Agreement") currently in effect between you and
us. As used herein all capitalized terms herein have the meanings set forth
in the Agreement. We have been authorized to execute and deliver the
Amendment to you by a resolution of our Board passed at a meeting at which a
majority of Board members, including a majority who are not otherwise
interested persons of the Fund and who are not interested persons of our
investment adviser, its related organizations or of you or your related
organizations, were present and voted in favor of such resolution approving
the Amendment.
To the extent that any provision of the Amendment conflicts with any
provision of the Agreement, the Amendment provision supersedes the Agreement
provision. The Agreement and the Amendment together constitute the entire
agreement between the parties hereto and supersede all prior oral or written
agreements between the parties hereto.
Section 4. entitled "Compensation" is amended by adding the following
sentences at the end of Subsection 4.B:
The compensation provided in the Class B Distribution Plan
applicable to Class B Shares (the "Class B Plan") is divided into a
distribution fee and a service fee, each of which fees is in
compensation for different services to be rendered to the Fund.
Subject to the termination provisions in the Class B Plan, the
distribution fee with respect to the sale of a Class B Share shall
be earned when such Class B Share is sold and shall be payable from
time to time as provided in the Class B Plan. The distribution fee
payable to you as provided in the Class B Plan shall be payable
without offset, defense or counterclaim (it being understood by the
parties hereto that nothing in this sentence shall be deemed a
waiver by the Fund of any claim the Fund may have against you).
You may direct the Fund to cause our custodian to pay such
distribution fee to Lightning Finance Company Limited ("LFL") or
other persons providing funds to you to cover expenses referred to
in Section 2(a) of the Class B Plan and to cause our custodian to
pay the service fee to you for payment to dealers or others or
directly to others to cover expenses referred to in Section 2(b) of
the Class B Plan.
We understand that you intend to assign your right to receive
certain distribution fees with respect to Class B Shares to LFL in
exchange for funds that you will use to cover expenses referred to
in Section 2(a) of the Class B Plan. In recognition that we will
benefit from your arrangement with LFL, we agree that, in addition
to the provisions of Section 7 (iii) of the Class B Plan, we will
not pay to any person or entity, other than LFL, any such assigned
distribution fees related to Class B Shares sold by you prior to
the termination of either the Agreement or the Class B Plan. We
agree that the preceding sentence shall survive termination of the
Agreement.
Section 4. entitled "Compensation" is amended by adding the following
Subsection 4.C. after Subsection 4.B.:
C. With respect to the sales commission on the redemption of
Shares of each series and class of the Fund as provided in
Subsection 4.A. above, we will cause our shareholder services agent
(the "Transfer Agent") to withhold from redemption proceeds payable
to holders of the Shares all contingent deferred sales charges
properly payable by such holders in accordance with the terms of
our then current prospectuses and statements of additional
information (each such sales charge, a "CDSC"). Upon receipt of an
order for redemption, the Transfer Agent shall direct our custodian
to transfer such redemption proceeds to a general trust account.
We shall then cause the Transfer Agent to pay over to you or your
assigns from the general trust account such CDSCs properly payable
by such holders as promptly as possible after the settlement date
for each such redemption of Shares. CDSCs shall be payable without
offset, defense or counterclaim (it being understood that nothing
in this sentence shall be deemed a waiver by us of any claim we may
have against you.) You may direct that the CDSCs payable to you be
paid to any other person.
Section 11. entitled "Conduct of Business" is amended by replacing the
reference in the second paragraph to "Rules of Fair Practice" with a
reference to the "Conduct Rules".
Section 16. entitled "Miscellaneous" is amended in the first paragraph by
changing the first letter of each of the words in each of the terms in
quotations marks, except "Parent," to the lower case and giving to the term
"assignment" the meaning as set forth only in the 1940 Act and the Rules and
Regulations thereunder (and not as set forth in the 1933 Act and the Rules
and Regulations thereunder.)
If the foregoing meets with your approval, please acknowledge your acceptance
by signing each of the enclosed copies, whereupon this will become a binding
agreement as of the date set forth below.
Very truly yours,
FRANKLIN VALUE INVESTORS TRUST
By:/s/X.X. XXXXXX
Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Vice President & Secretary
Accepted:
Franklin/Xxxxxxxxx Distributors, Inc.
By:/s/H.E. XXXXX
Xxxxxx X. Xxxxx
Executive Vice President
Dated: March 25, 1999
