INDEPENDENCE TAX CREDIT PLUS L.P. III
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, 0xx Xxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
October 6, 1998
Personal and Confidential
Lehigh Tax Credit Partners III L.L.C.
Lehigh Tax Credit Partners, Inc.
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, XX 00000
Gentlemen:
As you requested, the purpose of this letter is to set forth our
understanding with regard to any proposed acquisition of beneficial assignment
certificates ("BACs") of Independence Tax Credit Plus L.P. III, a Delaware
limited partnership (the "Partnership"), from holders of BACs (each a "BACs
holder" and collectively, "BACs holders") by Lehigh Tax Credit Partners III
L.L.C. ("Lehigh"), Lehigh Tax Credit Partners, Inc. ("Lehigh, Inc.") or any
person who is their Affiliate (as defined below) (collectively, "you").
In response to your proposal to commence a tender offer for BACs and in
consideration of the agreements set forth in this letter agreement, the
Partnership agrees to mail your tender offer materials, at your expense, subject
to the terms set forth below and whether or not such tender offer is subject to
the provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange
Act"). Nothing in this letter agreement shall be construed as requiring the
Partnership to provide you with a current list of the names and addresses of the
BACs holders. The Partnership will not be obligated to mail your tender offer
materials until it has received from you an amount of cash equal to $10,000,
representing the estimated cost of such mailing together with the Partnership's
other expenses, including, without limitation, reasonable attorney fees.
You represent and warrant that on the date hereof you beneficially own not
more than fifty-seven (57) BACs. You also agree that prior to the tenth
anniversary of the date of this letter agreement, neither you nor any person who
is your Affiliate (as defined under Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended) will, without the prior written consent of the Partnership, which may
be withheld for any reason, directly or indirectly, (i) seek or propose to enter
into, directly or indirectly, any merger, consolidation, business combination,
sale or acquisition of assets, liquidation, dissolution or other similar
transaction involving the Partnership, (ii) form, join or otherwise participate
in a "group" (within the meaning of Section 13(d)(3) of the Exchange Act) with
respect to any voting securities of the Partnership, except that those
Affiliates bound by this
letter agreement will not be deemed to have violated this letter agreement and
formed a "group" solely by acting in accordance with this letter agreement,
(iii) disclose in writing to any third party any intention, plan or arrangement
inconsistent with the terms of this letter agreement or (iv) loan money to,
advise, assist or encourage any person in connection with any action
inconsistent with the terms of this letter agreement. Notwithstanding the
foregoing restrictions, nothing in this letter agreement shall apply to, govern,
restrict or limit any sales, purchases, transfers or assignments of interests in
Lehigh.
You hereby represent, warrant and covenant to the Partnership that any
tender offer to purchase BACs commenced by you will be conducted in compliance
with Section 14(e) (misleading statements), Rule 14d-7 (additional withdrawal
rights), Rule 14d-8 (pro rata requirements), Rule 14e-1 (unlawful tender offer
practices) and Rule 14e-3 (non-public information) of the Exchange Act,
notwithstanding that such tender offer may be for less than 5.0% of the
outstanding BACs.
You understand that the general partner of the Partnership may consider
from time to time selling all or substantially all of the assets of the
Partnership or entering into any other transaction determined by the general
partner to be in the best interests of the BACs holders and the Partnership. The
result of any such transaction, if approved by a majority vote of the BACs
holders, might be the dissolution and liquidation of the Partnership in
accordance with the partnership agreement. Accordingly, in order to avoid
disrupting any possible sale of all or substantially all of the Partnership's
assets or any other transaction determined by the general partner to be in the
best interests of the BACs holders and the Partnership and any required vote of
BACs holders, you agree that, prior to the ten-year anniversary of the date of
this letter agreement, all BACs obtained by you pursuant to any means will be
voted by you on all issues in the same manner as by the majority of all other
BACs holders who vote on such proposal. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may
vote all BACs in the manner you determine, in your sole and absolute discretion,
on proposals (i) concerning the removal of Related Independence Associates III
L.P. ("RIA") as general partner of the Partnership or (ii) seeking to reduce any
fees, profits, distributions or allocations attributable to RIA or its
Affiliates.
If at any time during such ten year period you (excluding your affiliate
which serves as the general partner of the Partnership while acting in its
capacity as general partner) are contacted in writing by any third party
concerning participation in any transaction involving the assets, businesses or
securities of the Partnership or involving any action inconsistent with the
terms of this letter agreement, you will promptly forward a copy of such writing
to the Partnership and you may inform such third party that this letter
agreement requires you to so notify the Partnership, provided, however, this
paragraph shall not apply to any transaction or proposed transaction involving
all or substantially all of the assets, businesses or securities of Related
Capital Company and/or its Affiliates (other than the Partnership and RIA).
Nothing in this letter agreement shall apply to, govern, restrict or limit
any sales, purchases, transfers or assignments of interests in Lehigh.
Notwithstanding the immediately
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preceding sentence, Lehigh shall remain bound by this letter agreement
notwithstanding that any interests in Lehigh have been sold, purchased,
transferred or assigned.
Lehigh, RIA and Related Capital Company agree to indemnify and hold
harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by law, the Partnership, Independence
SLP III L.P., and each of their partners, directors, officers, employees,
representatives and agents (the "Indemnified Parties") against any losses,
claims, damages, liabilities, costs, expenses (including reasonable attorney's
fees and expenses in advance of the final disposition of any claim, suit,
proceeding or investigation to each Indemnified Party to the fullest extent
permitted by law), judgments, fines and amounts (collectively, "Damages") paid
in connection with any threatened or actual claim, action, suit, proceeding or
investigation which arises out of or is the result of a breach of this letter
agreement, any tender offer commenced by you (regardless of whether such tender
offer is subject to the provisions of the Exchange Act) or the actual or
proposed acquisition of BACs by you by any other means; provided, however, that
if such claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation is threatened but not
actual, your obligation to indemnify the Indemnified Parties shall apply only if
such threat is in writing and only with respect to any legal fees incurred in
connection with such threat. If such threat becomes an actual claim, action,
suit, proceeding or investigation, you shall then be responsible for the full
indemnification provided for in this paragraph. If an Indemnified Party intends
to seek indemnification pursuant to this paragraph, it shall promptly notify you
of such claim, in writing, describing such claim in reasonable detail; provided,
that the failure to provide such notice shall not affect your obligations herein
unless you are materially prejudiced by the failure to provide such notice.
Counsel for the Indemnified Party shall be chosen at your discretion and shall
be directed by you. We both agree that you will be materially prejudiced if, due
to the failure of an Indemnified Party to provide the notice required above, you
were not given the opportunity to obtain the counsel of your choice or direct
such counsel. You may participate at your own expense in the defense of any such
action; provided, that counsel for the Indemnified Party shall not (except with
the consent of the Indemnified Party) also serve as your counsel. You shall not,
without first obtaining a general release from liability for the Indemnified
Parties in a form satisfactory to such Indemnified Parties, settle or compromise
or consent to the entry of any judgment with respect to any threatened or actual
claim, action, suit, proceeding or investigation involving an Indemnified Party
which seeks indemnity under this paragraph. If the indemnification provided in
this paragraph is for any reason unavailable to or insufficient to hold harmless
an Indemnified Party in respect of any Damages referred to above, then you and
each party seeking indemnification shall contribute to the aggregate amount of
such Damages incurred by such Indemnified Party in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by each party from the act
which gives rise to the indemnification claim. You agree that the amount of such
economic benefit received by each Indemnified Party shall be $1 and the amount
of such economic benefit received by you shall be computed by multiplying your
per BAC offer price by the total number of BACs which were sought in your tender
offer. Both you and the Indemnified Parties each hereby agree to cooperate fully
in all aspects of any investigation, defense, pre-trial activities, trial,
compromise, settlement or discharge of any claim in respect of which indemnity
is sought pursuant to this paragraph, including, but not limited to, by
providing the other party reasonable access upon reasonable notice to employees
and officers and other
3
information during reasonable business hours. Nothing in this paragraph is
intended to limit your ability to obtain indemnification from the Partnership if
such indemnification is available to you pursuant to the Partnership's
partnership agreement and applicable law, provided, however, that your
obligations herein shall not be affected by your ability or inability to obtain
such indemnification. We each hereby agree that the provisions of this paragraph
shall have no effect on any other partnership which you or any of our respective
Affiliates may be a partner.
Notwithstanding the immediately preceding paragraph, we acknowledge that
you may engage a third party lender(s) to finance your proposed acquisition of
BACs. We hereby acknowledge and agree for the benefit of such third party
lender(s) that the indemnification provisions in the immediately preceding
paragraph are not intended to apply to or obligate, and in no event shall be
binding upon, such third party lender(s) or any of its assigns or successors in
interest to any of the BACs acquired by you.
We each hereby acknowledge that we are aware, and that we will advise our
respective Affiliates, of our respective responsibilities under the securities
laws. We each agree that the other of us or our respective Affiliates, as the
case may be, shall be entitled to equitable relief, including injunctive relief
and specific performance, in the event of any breach of the provisions of this
letter agreement, in addition to all other remedies available at law or in
equity.
In case any provision in or obligation under this letter agreement shall be
invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction, the validity, legality
and enforceability of the remaining provisions or obligations, or of such
provision or obligation in any other jurisdiction, shall not in any way be
affected or impaired thereby.
This letter agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of New
York without giving effect to principles of conflicts of law thereof. This
letter agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
an original, but all of which together constitute one and the same instrument.
[signature page follows]
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If you agree with the foregoing, please sign and return two copies of this
letter agreement, which will constitute our agreement with respect to the
subject matter of this letter agreement.
Very truly yours,
INDEPENDENCE TAX CREDIT PLUS L.P. III
By: Related Independence Associates III L.P., its general
partner
By: Related Independence Associates III Inc., its
general partner
By: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
--------------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
Confirmed and agreed to as of
the date first above written
LEHIGH TAX CREDIT PARTNERS III L.L.C. LEHIGH TAX CREDIT PARTNERS, INC.
By: Lehigh Tax Credit Partners, Inc., By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
its managing member ----------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Vice President
RELATED INDEPENDENCE ASSOCIATES III L.P. For purposes of the indemnification
provisions on pages 2-3 only:
By: Related Independence Associates III Inc.,
its general partner RELATED CAPITAL COMPANY,
a New York general partnership
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx By: APH Associates, L.P.
-------------------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Senior Vice President By: APH Associates, Inc.,
its general partner
By: /s/ Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
----------------------
Name: Xxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: President
