ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
THIS AGREEMENT is made as of this 1st day of October, 1996, by and between
THE EMPIRE BUILDER TAX FREE BOND FUND, a Massachusetts business trust
(the "Trust"), and BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP, d/b/a BISYS
FUND SERVICES (the "Administrator"), an Ohio limited partnership.
WHEREAS, the Trust is an open-end management investment company registered
under the Investment Trust Act of 1940, as amended (the " 1940 Act"), which is
authorized to issue multiple series of shares of beneficial interest ("Shares");
and
WHEREAS, the Trust desires the Administrator to provide, and the
Administrator is willing to provide, management and administrative services to
such series of the Trust as the Trust and the Administrator may agree on
("Portfolios") and as listed on Schedule A attached hereto and made a part of
this Agreement, on the terms and conditions hereinafter set forth;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and the covenants
hereinafter contained, the Trust and the Administrator hereby agree as follows:
ARTICLE 1. Retention of the Administrator; Conversion to the Services. The
Trust hereby engages the Administrator to act as the administrator of the
Portfolios and to furnish the Portfolios with the management and administrative
services as set forth in Article 2 below (collectively, the "Services"), and, in
connection therewith, the Trust agrees to convert to the Administrator's data
processing systems and software (the "BISYS System") as necessary in order to
receive the Services. The Trust shall cooperate with the Administrator to
provide the Administrator with all necessary information and assistance required
to successfully convert to the BISYS System. The Administrator shall provide the
Trust with a schedule relating to such conversion and the parties agree that the
conversion may progress in stages. The date upon which all Services shall have
been converted to the BISYS System shall be referred to herein as the
"Conversion Date." The Administrator hereby accepts such engagement and agrees
to perform the Services commencing, with respect to each individual Service, on
the date that the conversion of such Service to the BISYS System has been
completed. The Administrator shall determine in accordance with its normal
acceptance procedures when the applicable Service has been successfully
converted.
The Administrator shall, for all purposes herein, be deemed to be an
independent contractor and, unless otherwise expressly provided or authorized,
shall have no authority to act for or represent the Trust in any way and shall
not be deemed an agent of the Trust.
ARTICLE 2. Administrative Services. The Administrator shall perform or
supervise the performance by others of other administrative services in
connection with the operations of the Portfolios, and, on behalf of the Trust,
will investigate, assist in the selection of and conduct relations
with custodians, depositories, accountants, legal counsel, underwriters, brokers
and dealers, corporate fiduciaries, insurers, banks and persons in any other
capacity deemed to be necessary or desirable for the Portfolios' operations. The
Administrator shall provide the Trustees of the Trust with such reports
regarding investment performance as they may reasonably request but shall have
no responsibility for supervising the performance by any investment adviser or
sub-adviser of its responsibilities.
The Administrator shall provide the Trust with regulatory reporting, all
necessary office space, equipment, personnel, compensation and facilities
(including facilities for meetings of shareholders ("Shareholders") and Trustees
of the Trust) for handling the affairs of the Portfolios and such other services
as the Administrator shall, from time to time, determine to be necessary to
perform its obligations under this Agreement. In addition, at the request of the
Board of Trustees, the Administrator shall make reports to the Trust's Trustees
concerning the performance of its obligations hereunder.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Administrator
shall:
(a) calculate contractual Trust expenses and control all disbursements
for the Trust, and as appropriate compute the Trust's yields,
including tax-equivalent yields, total return, expense ratios,
portfolio turnover rate and, if required, portfolio average
dollar-weighted maturity;
(b) assist Trust counsel with the preparation of prospectuses, statements
of additional information, registration statements and proxy
materials;
(c) prepare such reports, applications and documents (including reports
regarding the sale and redemption of Shares as may be required in
order to comply with Federal and state securities law) as may be
necessary or desirable to register the Trust's Shares with state
securities authorities, monitor the sale of Trust Shares for
compliance with state securities laws, and file with the appropriate
state securities authorities the registration statements and reports
for the Trust and the Trust's Shares and all amendments thereto, as
may be necessary or convenient to register and keep effective the
Trust and the Trust's Shares with state securities authorities to
enable the Trust to make a continuous offering of its Shares;
(d) develop and prepare, with the assistance of the Trust's investment
adviser, communications to Shareholders, including the annual report
to Shareholders, coordinate the mailing of prospectuses, notices,
proxy statements, proxies and other reports to Trust Shareholders,
and supervise and facilitate the proxy solicitation process for all
shareholder meetings, including the tabulation of shareholder votes;
(e) administer contracts on behalf of the Trust with, among others, the
Trust's investment adviser, distributor, custodian, transfer agent
and fund accountant;
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(f) supervise the Trust's transfer agent with respect to the payment of
dividends and other distributions to Shareholders;
(g) calculate performance data of the Trust and its Portfolios for
dissemination to information services covering the investment company
industry;
(h) coordinate and supervise the preparation and filing of the Trust's
tax returns;
(i) examine and review the operations and performance of the various
organizations providing services to the Trust or any Portfolio of the
Trust, including, without limitation, the Trust's investment adviser,
distributor, custodian, fund accountant, transfer agent, outside
legal counsel and independent public accountants, and at the request
of the Board of Trustees, report to the Board on the performance of
organizations;
(j) assist with the layout and printing of publicly disseminated
prospectuses and assist with and coordinate layout and printing of
the Trust's semi-annual and annual reports to Shareholders;
(k) assist with the design, development, and operation of the Trust
Portfolios, including new classes, investment objectives, policies
and structure;
(l) provide individuals reasonably acceptable to the Trust's Board
of Trustees to serve as officers of the Trust, who will be
responsible for the management of certain of the Trust's affairs as
determined by the Trust's Board of Trustees;
(m) advise the Trust and its Board of Trustees on matters concerning the
Trust and its affairs;
(n) obtain and keep in effect fidelity bonds and directors and
officers/errors and omissions insurance policies for the Trust in
accordance with the requirements of Rules 17g-1 and 17d-l(d)(7) under
the 1940 Act as such bonds and policies are approved by the Trust's
Board of Trustees;
(o) monitor and advise the Trust and its Portfolios on their registered
investment company status under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended;
(p) perform all administrative services and functions of the Trust and
each Portfolio to the extent administrative services and functions
are not provided to the Trust or such Portfolio pursuant to the
Trust's or such Portfolio's investment advisory agreement,
distribution agreement, custodian agreement, transfer agent agreement
and fund accounting agreement;
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(q) furnish advice and recommendations with respect to other aspects of
the business and affairs of the Portfolios as the Trust and the
Administrator shall determine desirable; and
(r) prepare and file with the SEC the semi-annual report for the Trust on
Form N-SAR and all required notices pursuant to Rule 24f-2.
The Administrator shall perform such other services for the Trust that are
mutually agreed upon by the parties from time to time. Such services may include
performing internal audit examinations; mailing the annual reports of the
Portfolios; preparing an annual list of Shareholders; and mailing notices of
Shareholders' meetings, proxies and proxy statements, for all of which the Trust
will pay the Administrator's out-of-pocket expenses.
ARTICLE 3. Allocation of Charges and Expenses.
(A) The Administrator. The Administrator shall furnish at its own expense
the executive, supervisory and clerical personnel necessary to perform its
obligations under this Agreement. The Administrator shall also provide the items
which it is obligated to provide under this Agreement, and shall pay all
compensation, if any, of officers of the Trust as well as all Trustees of the
Trust who are affiliated persons of the Administrator or any affiliated
corporation of the Administrator; provided, however, that unless otherwise
specifically provided, the Administrator shall not be obligated to pay the
compensation of any employee of the Trust retained by the Trustees of the Trust
to perform services on behalf of the Trust.
(B) The Trust. The Trust assumes and shall pay or cause to be paid all
other expenses of the Trust not otherwise allocated herein, including, without
limitation, organization costs, taxes, expenses for legal and auditing services,
the expenses of preparing (including typesetting), printing and mailing reports,
prospectuses, statements of additional information, proxy solicitation material
and notices to existing Shareholders, all expenses incurred in connection with
issuing and redeeming Shares, the costs of custodial services, the cost of
initial and ongoing registration of the Shares under Federal and state
securities laws, fees and out-of-pocket expenses of Directors who are not
affiliated persons of the Administrator or the Investment Adviser to the Trust
or any affiliated corporation of the Administrator or the Investment Adviser,
insurance, interest, brokerage costs, litigation and other extraordinary or
nonrecurring expenses, and all fees and charges of investment advisers to the
Trust.
ARTICLE 4. Compensation of the Administrator.
(A) Administration Fee. For the services to be rendered, the facilities
furnished and the expenses assumed by the Administrator pursuant to this
Agreement, the Trust shall pay to the Administrator compensation at an annual
rate specified in Schedule A attached hereto. Such compensation shall be
calculated and accrued daily, and paid to the Administrator monthly.
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If the Conversion Date occurs subsequent to the first day of a month or
terminates before the last day of a month, the Administrator's compensation for
that part of the month in which this Agreement is in effect shall be prorated in
a manner consistent with the calculation of the fees as set forth above. Payment
of the Administrator's compensation for the preceding month shall be made
promptly.
(B) Survival of Compensation Rights. All rights of compensation under this
Agreement for services performed as of the termination date shall survive the
termination of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 5. Limitation of Liability of the Administrator. The duties of the
Administrator shall be confined to those expressly set forth herein, and no
implied duties are assumed by or may be asserted against the Administrator
hereunder. The Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or
mistake of law or for any loss arising out of any investment or for any act or
omission in carrying out its duties hereunder, except a loss resulting from
willful misfeasance, bad faith or negligence in the performance of its duties,
or by reason of reckless disregard of its obligations and duties hereunder,
except as may otherwise be provided under provisions of applicable law which
cannot be waived or modified hereby. (As used in this Article 5, the term
"Administrator" shall include partners, officers, employees and other agents of
the Administrator as well as the Administrator itself.)
So long as the Administrator acts in good faith and with due diligence and
without negligence, the Trust assumes full responsibility and shall indemnify
the Administrator and hold it harmless from and against any and all actions,
suits and claims, whether groundless or otherwise, and from and against any and
all losses, damages, costs, charges, reasonable counsel fees and disbursements,
payments, expenses and liabilities (including reasonable investigation expenses)
arising directly or indirectly out of the Administrator's actions taken or
inactions with respect to the performance of services hereunder. The indemnity
and defense provisions set forth herein shall indefinitely survive the
termination of this Agreement.
The rights hereunder shall include the right to reasonable advances of
defense expenses in the event of any pending or threatened litigation with
respect to which indemnification hereunder may ultimately be merited. In order
that the indemnification provision contained herein shall apply, however, it is
understood that if in any case the Trust may be asked to indemnify or hold the
Administrator harmless, the Trust shall be fully and promptly advised of all
pertinent facts concerning the situation in question, and it is further
understood that the Administrator will use all reasonable care to identify and
notify the Trust promptly concerning any situation which presents or appears
likely to present the probability of such a claim for indemnification against
the Trust, but failure to do so in good faith shall not affect the rights
hereunder.
The Trust shall be entitled to participate at its own expense or, if it so
elects, to assume the defense of any suit brought to enforce any claims subject
to this indemnity provision. If the Trust elects to assume the defense of any
such claim, the defense shall be conducted by counsel chosen by the Trust and
satisfactory to the Administrator, whose approval shall not be unreasonably
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withheld. In the event that the Trust elects to assume the defense of any suit
and retain counsel, the Administrator shall bear the fees and expenses of any
additional counsel retained by it. If the Trust does not elect to assume the
defense of a suit, it will reimburse the Administrator for the reasonable fees
and expenses of any counsel retained by the Administrator.
The Administrator may apply to the Trust at any time for instructions and
may consult counsel for the Trust or its own counsel and with accountants and
other experts with respect to any matter arising in connection with the
Administrator's duties, and the Administrator shall not be liable or accountable
for any action taken or omitted by it in good faith in accordance with such
instruction or with the opinion of such counsel, accountants or other experts.
Also, the Administrator shall be protected in acting upon any document
which it reasonably believes to be genuine and to have been signed or presented
by the proper person or persons. The Administrator will not be held to have
notice of any change of authority of any officers, employees or agents of the
Trust until receipt of written notice thereof from the Trust.
ARTICLE 6. Activities of the Administrator. The services of the
Administrator rendered to the Trust are not to be deemed to be exclusive. The
Administrator is free to render such services to others and to have other
businesses and interests. It is understood that trustees, officers, employees
and Shareholders of the Trust are or may be or become interested in the
Administrator, as partners, officers, employees and shareholders or otherwise
and that partners, officers and employees of the Administrator and its counsel
are or may be or become similarly interested in the Trust, and that the
Administrator may be or become interested in the Trust as a Shareholder or
otherwise.
ARTICLE 7. Duration of this Agreement. The Term of this Agreement shall be
as specified in Schedule A hereto.
ARTICLE 8. Assignment. This Agreement shall not be assignable by either
party without the written consent of the other party; provided, however, that,
upon the provision of advance written notice to the Trust, the Administrator
may, at its expense, subcontract with any entity or person concerning the
provision of the services contemplated hereunder. The Administrator shall not,
however, be relieved of any of its obligations under this Agreement by the
appointment of such subcontractor and provided further, that the Administrator
shall be responsible, to the extent provided in Article 5 hereof, for all acts
of such subcontractor as if such acts were its own. This Agreement shall be
binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their
respective successors and permitted assigns.
ARTICLE 9. Amendments. This Agreement may be amended by the parties hereto
only if such amendment is specifically approved (i) by the vote of a majority of
the Trustees of the Trust, and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees of
the Trust who are not parties to this Agreement or interested persons of any
such party.
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ARTICLE 10. Certain Records. The Administrator shall maintain customary
records in connection with its duties as specified in this Agreement. Any
records required to be maintained and preserved pursuant to Rules 3la-l and
3la-2 under the 1940 Act which are prepared or maintained by the Administrator
on behalf of the Trust shall be prepared and maintained at the expense of the
Administrator, but shall be the property of the Trust and will be made available
to or surrendered promptly to the Trust on request.
In case of any request or demand for the inspection of such records by
another party, the Administrator shall notify the Trust and follow the Trust's
instructions as to permitting or refusing such inspection; provided that the
Administrator may exhibit such records to any person in any case where it is
advised by its counsel that it may be held liable for failure to do so, unless
(in cases involving potential exposure only to civil liability) the Trust has
agreed to indemnify the Administrator against such liability.
ARTICLE 11. Definitions of Certain Terms. The terms "interested person" and
"affiliated person," when used in this Agreement, shall have the respective
meanings specified in the 1940 Act and the rules and regulations thereunder,
subject to such exemptions as may be granted by the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
ARTICLE 12. Notice. Any notice required or permitted to be given by either
party to the other shall be deemed sufficient if sent by registered or certified
mail, postage prepaid, addressed by the party giving notice to the other party
at the following address: if to the Administrator, to it at 0000 Xxxxxxx Xxxx,
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxx 00000; if to the Trust, to it at
, or at such other address as such party may from time to time specify in
writing to the other party pursuant to this Section.
ARTICLE 13. Governing Law and Matters Relating to the Trust as a
Massachusetts Business Trust. This Agreement shall be governed by and provisions
shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio. It is
expressly agreed that the obligations of the Trust hereunder shall not be
binding upon any of the Trustees, shareholders, nominees, officers, agents or
employees of the Trust personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the
Trust. The execution and delivery of this Agreement have been authorized by the
Trustees, and this Agreement has been signed and delivered by an authorized
officer of the Trust, acting as such, and neither such authorization by the
Trustees nor such execution and delivery by such officer shall be deemed to have
been made by any of them individually or to impose any liability on any of them
personally, but shall bind only the trust property of the Trust as provided in
the Trust's Agreement and Declaration of Trust.
ARTICLE 14. Multiple Originals. This Agreement may be executed in two or
more counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an
original, but such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same
instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed and delivered this
Agreement as of the day and year first above written.
THE EMPIRE BUILDER TAX FREE
BOND FUND
By:
---------------------------
Attest:
-----------------------
BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED
PARTNERSHIP
By: BISYS Fund Services,
General Partner
By:
----------------------------
President
Attest: /s/ Xxxxxx X. Luck
-------------------------
Assistant Secretary
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SCHEDULE A
TO THE ADMINISTRATION AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF OCTOBER 1, 1996
BETWEEN THE EMPIRE BUILDER TAX FREE BOND FUND
AND
BISYS FUND SERVICES LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
Portfolios: This Agreement shall apply to all Portfolios of the Trust, either
now or hereafter created (collectively, the "Portfolios"). As of
October 1, 1996, the Trust consists of a single Portfolio.
Fees: Pursuant to Article 4, in consideration of services rendered
and expenses assumed pursuant to this Agreement, the Trust will
pay the Administrator on the first business day of each month, or
at such time(s) as the Administrator shall request and the
parties hereto shall agree, a fee computed daily at the annual
rate of:
0.20% of the first $100 million of average net assets
and 0.14% of any excess over $100 million
The fee for the period from the day of the month this Agreement
is entered into until the end of that month shall be prorated
according to the proportion which such period bears to the full
monthly period. Upon any termination of this Agreement before the
end of any month, the fee for such part of a month shall be
prorated according to the proportion which such period bears to
the full monthly period and shall be payable upon the date of
termination of this Agreement.
For purposes of determining the fees payable to the
Administrator, the value of the net assets of a particular
Portfolio shall be computed in the manner described in the
Trust's Declaration of Trust or in the Prospectus or Statement of
Additional Information respecting that Portfolio as from time to
time is in effect for the computation of the value of such net
assets in connection with the determination of the liquidating
value of the shares of such Portfolio.
The parties hereby confirm that the fees payable hereunder shall
be applied to each Portfolio as a whole, and not to separate
classes of shares within the Portfolios.
Term: The initial term of this Agreement (the "Initial Term") shall be
for a period commencing on the date this Agreement is executed by
both parties and ending on the date that is one year after the
Conversion Date. This Agreement shall be renewed automatically
for successive periods of one year after the Initial Term, unless
written notice of nonrenewal is provided by either party not less
than 90 days prior to the end of the then-current term. In the
event of a material breach of this Agreement by
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either party, the non-breaching party shall notify the breaching
party in writing of such breach and upon receipt of such notice,
the breaching party shall have 45 days to remedy the breach. In
the event the breach is not remedied within such time period, the
nonbreaching party may immediately terminate this Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, after such termination for so long
as the Administrator, with the written consent of the Trust, in
fact continues to perform any one or more of the services
contemplated by this Agreement or any schedule or exhibit hereto,
the provisions of this Agreement, including without limitation
the provisions dealing with indemnification, shall continue in
full force and effect. Compensation due the Administrator and
unpaid by the Trust upon such termination shall be immediately
due and payable upon and notwithstanding such termination. The
Administrator shall be entitled to collect from the Trust, in
addition to the compensation described in this Schedule A, the
amount of all of the Administrator's reasonable cash
disbursements for services in connection with the Administrator's
activities in effecting such termination, including without
limitation, the delivery to the Trust and/or its designees of the
Trust's property, records, instruments and documents, or any
copies thereof. Subsequent to such termination, for a reasonable
fee, the Administrator will provide the Trust with reasonable
access to any Trust documents or records remaining in its
possession.
If, for any reason other than a breach of this Agreement, the
Administrator is replaced as administrator, or if a third party
is added to perform all or a part of the services provided by the
Administrator under this Agreement (excluding any
subadministrator appointed by the Administrator as provided in
Article 7 hereof), then the Trust shall make a one-time cash
payment, as liquidated damages, to the Administrator equal to the
balance due the Administrator for the remainder of the term of
this Agreement, assuming for purposes of calculation of the
payment that the asset level of the Trust on the date the
Administrator is replaced, or a third party is added, will remain
constant for the balance of the contract term.
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