EXHIBIT 4.6
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TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
Independent Bank Corp.
Dated as of May __, 1997
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation........................... 2
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application......................... 5
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities........................... 6
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee.................................................. 6
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee........................................ 6
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent......... 6
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver................................ 7
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice................................. 7
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests.................................... 7
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee........................................ 8
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee................................................. 10
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee........................... 12
ARTICLE IV
TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee;
Eligibility.............................................. 12
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee............................. 13
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ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee................................................ 14
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand.............................. 14
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected................................. 14
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders........................................ 15
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment..................................... 15
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation.............................................. 15
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations.................................. 16
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions............................... 16
SECTION 6.2 Ranking.................................................. 17
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination.............................................. 17
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation.............................................. 17
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification.......................................... 18
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns................................... 18
SECTION 9.2 Amendments............................................... 18
SECTION 9.3 Notices.................................................. 19
SECTION 9.4 Benefit.................................................. 20
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law............................................ 20
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TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee"),
dated as of May __, 1997, is executed and delivered by Independent Bank Corp., a
Massachusetts corporation (the "Guarantor"), and The Bank of New York, a New
York banking corporation, as trustee (the "Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee"), for the benefit of the Holders (as defined herein) from time to time
of the Trust Preferred Securities (as defined herein) of Independent Capital
Trust I, a Delaware statutory business trust (the "Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of Trust (the
"Declaration"), dated as of May __, 1997, among the trustees of the Issuer, the
Guarantor, as sponsor, and the holders from time to time of undivided beneficial
interests in the assets of the Issuer, the Issuer is issuing on the date hereof
1,000,000 trust preferred securities, having an aggregate liquidation amount of
$25,000,000, such trust preferred securities being designated the _____% Trust
Preferred Securities (collectively the "Trust Preferred Securities"), which may
be increased to 1,150,000 Trust Preferred Securities having an aggregate
liquidation amount of $28,750,000 if an overallotment option granted to the
underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement for the public offering of
the Trust Preferred Securities is exercised in full; and
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Trust Preferred
Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree, to
the extent set forth in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, to pay to the
Holders the Guarantee Payments (as defined below) and to make certain other
payments on the terms and conditions set forth herein; and
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is executing and delivering a guarantee
agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee"), with substantially identical
terms to this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, for the benefit of the
holders of the Common Securities (as defined herein), except that if an Event of
Default (as defined in the Declaration) has occurred and is continuing, the
rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under
the Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated, to the extent and in the
manner set forth in the Common Securities Guarantee, to the rights of holders of
Trust Preferred Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each Holder, which
purchase the Guarantor hereby acknowledges shall benefit the Guarantor, the
Guarantor executes and delivers this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee for
the benefit of the Holders.
ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1 Definitions and Interpretation
In this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless the context
otherwise requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee but not defined in the preamble above have the
respective meanings assigned to them in this Section 1.1;
(b) Terms defined in the Declaration as at the date of execution of
this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee have the same meaning
when used in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee unless
otherwise defined in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee;
(c) a term defined anywhere in this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee has the same meaning throughout;
(d) all references to "the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee" or
"this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee" are to this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee as modified, supplemented or
amended from time to time;
(e) all references in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee to
Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections of this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless otherwise specified;
(f) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the same meaning
when used in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, unless
otherwise defined in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee or
unless the context otherwise requires; and
(g) a reference to the singular includes the plural and vice versa.
"Affiliate" has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule 405
under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor rule thereunder.
"Business Day" means any day other than a Saturday or a Sunday, or a
day on which banking institutions in The City of New York or Rockland,
Massachusetts are authorized or required by law or executive order to close.
"Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee" means The Bank of New
York, a New York banking corporation, until a Successor Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment pursuant to the terms of this Trust
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Preferred Securities Guarantee and thereafter means each such Successor Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
"Common Securities" means the securities representing common undivided
beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be
principally administered, which office at the date of execution of this
Agreement is located at 000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx, Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000.
"Covered Person" means any Holder of Trust Preferred Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of subordinated debt securities of the
Guarantor designated the _____% Junior Subordinated Deferrable Interest
Debentures due _____ __, 2027 held by the Property Trustee (as defined in the
Declaration) of the Issuer.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of its
payment or other obligations under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee,
provided, however, that except with respect to a default in payment of any
Guarantee Payment, the Guarantor shall have received notice of default and shall
not have cured such default within 60 days after receipt of such notice.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or distributions,
without duplication, with respect to the Trust Preferred Securities, to the
extent not paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accumulated and unpaid
Distributions (as defined in the Declaration) that are required to be paid on
such Trust Preferred Securities to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand
legally available therefor at such time, (ii) the redemption price, including
all accumulated and unpaid Distributions to the date of redemption (the
"Redemption Price") to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand legally available
therefor at such time, with respect to any Trust Preferred Securities called for
redemption by the Issuer and (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary termination
and liquidation of the Issuer (other than in connection with the distribution of
Debentures to the Holders in exchange for Trust Preferred Securities as provided
in the Declaration), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of the liquidation amount
and all accumulated and unpaid Distributions on the Trust Preferred Securities
to the date of payment, to the extent the Issuer has funds on hand legally
available therefor, and (b) the amount of assets of the Issuer remaining
available for distribution to Holders in liquidation of the Issuer. If an Event
of Default has occurred and is continuing, no Guarantee Payments under the
Common Securities Guarantee with respect to the Common Securities or any
guarantee payment under any Other Common Securities Guarantees shall be made
until the Holders shall be paid in full the Guarantee Payments to which they are
entitled under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee.
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and records
of the Issuer, of any Trust Preferred Securities; provided, however, that, in
determining whether the
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holders of the requisite percentage of Trust Preferred Securities have given
any request, notice, consent or waiver hereunder, "Holder" shall not include
the Guarantor or any Person known to a Responsible Officer of the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee to be an Affiliate of the Guarantor.
"Indemnified Person" means the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee, any Affiliate of the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, or
any officers, directors, shareholders, members, partners, employees,
representatives, nominees, custodians or agents of the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of May __, 1997, among the
Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and The Bank of New York, as trustee (the
"Indenture Trustee"), pursuant to which the Debentures are to be issued to the
Property Trustee of the Issuer.
"Indenture Event of Default" shall mean any event specified in Section
5.01 of the Indenture.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Trust Preferred Securities"
means, except as provided by the Declaration or by the Trust Indenture Act, a
vote by Holder(s) of more than 50% of the aggregate liquidation amount of all
Trust Preferred Securities.
"Officers' Certificate" means, with respect to the Guarantor, a
certificate signed by any of the Chairman, a Vice Chairman, the Chief Executive
Officer, the President, a Vice President, the Comptroller, the Clerk or an
Assistant Clerk of the Guarantor. Any Officers' Certificate delivered with
respect to compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee (other than pursuant to Section 314(d)(4) of the
Trust Indenture Act) shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers' Certificate
has read the covenant or condition and the definitions relating thereto;
(b) a statement that each such officer has made such examination or
investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to enable such
officer to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant
or condition has been complied with; and
(c) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such officer,
such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Other Common Securities Guarantees" shall have the same meaning as
"Other Guarantees" as defined in the Common Securities Guarantee.
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"Other Debentures" means all junior subordinated debentures issued by
the Guarantor from time to time and sold to trusts to be established by the
Guarantor (if any), in each case similar to the Issuer.
"Other Guarantees" means all guarantees to be issued by the Guarantor
with respect to trust preferred securities (if any) similar to the Trust
Preferred Securities issued by other trusts to be established by the Guarantor
(if any), in each case similar to the Issuer.
"Person" means a legal person, including any individual, corporation,
estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, limited
liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or government or any
agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity of whatever nature.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee, any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee with direct responsibility for
the administration of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee and also means,
with respect to a particular corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom
such matter is referred because of that officer's knowledge of and familiarity
with the particular subject.
"Successor Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee" means a
successor Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee possessing the
qualifications to act as Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee under
Section 4.1.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended.
"Trust Securities" means the Common Securities and the Trust Preferred
Securities, collectively.
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 1 Trust Indenture Act; Application
(a) This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee is subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions; and
(b) if and to the extent that any provision of this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties imposed by
Section 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such imposed duties
shall control.
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SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities
(a) The Guarantor shall provide the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee (unless the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee is
otherwise the registrar of the Trust Preferred Securities) with a list, in such
form as the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may reasonably require,
of the names and addresses of the Holders ("List of Holders") as of such date,
(i) within one Business Day after January 15 and July 15 of each year, and (ii)
at any other time within 30 days of receipt by the Guarantor of a written
request for a List of Holders as of a date no more than 14 days before such List
of Holders is given to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee,
provided, that the Guarantor shall not be obligated to provide such List of
Holders at any time the List of Holders does not differ from the most recent
List of Holders given to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee by the
Guarantor. The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may destroy any
List of Holders previously given to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall comply
with its obligations under Sections 311(a), 311(b) and Section 312(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, commencing May 15, 1998, the
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall provide to the Holders such
reports as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act, if any, in
the form and in the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.
The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the
other requirements of Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
The Guarantor shall provide to the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee such documents, reports and information as required by Section
314 (if any) and the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of the Trust
Indenture Act in the form, in the manner and at the times required by Section
314 of the Trust Indenture Act, provided that such compliance certificate shall
be delivered on or before 120 days after the end of each fiscal year of the
Guarantor. Delivery of such reports, information and documents to the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee is for informational purposes only and
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's receipt of such shall not
constitute constructive notice of any information contained therein or
determinable from information contained therein, including the Guarantor's
compliance with any of its covenants hereunder (as to which the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee is entitled to rely exclusively on Officers'
Certificates).
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
The Guarantor shall provide to the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee such evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent, if
any, provided for in this Trust
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Preferred Securities Guarantee that relate to any of the matters set forth in
Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or opinion
required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) may be given
in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver
The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Trust Preferred
Securities may, by vote, on behalf of all Holders, waive any past Event of
Default and its consequences. Upon such waiver, any such Event of Default shall
cease to exist, and any Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to
have been cured, for every purpose of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee,
but no such waiver shall extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of
Default or impair any right consequent thereon.
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice
(a) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90
days after the occurrence of a default with respect to this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee, mail by first class postage prepaid, to all Holders,
notices of all defaults actually known to a Responsible Officer, unless such
defaults have been cured before the giving of such notice, provided, that,
except in the case of default in the payment of any Guarantee Payment, the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be protected in withholding such
notice if and so long as the board of directors, the executive committee, or a
trust committee of directors and/or a Responsible Officer in good faith
determines that the withholding of such notice is in the interests of the
Holders.
(b) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
deemed to have knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have received written notice from the
Guarantor, or a Responsible Officer charged with the administration of this
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall have obtained actual knowledge, of
such Event of Default.
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests
The Declaration shall be deemed to be specifically described in this
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i) of the first
proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
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ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee
(a) This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall be held by the
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders, and
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder exercising his or
her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a Successor Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee. The right, title and interest of the
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall automatically vest in any
Successor Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, and such vesting and
succession of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents
have been executed and delivered pursuant to the appointment of such Successor
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(b) If an Event of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer
has occurred and is continuing, the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall enforce this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the
Holders.
(c) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, before the
occurrence of any Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default
that may have occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are
specifically set forth in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no
implied covenants shall be read into this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
against the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee. In case an Event of
Default has occurred (that has not been cured or waived pursuant to Section 2.6)
and is actually known to a Responsible Officer, the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by
this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, and use the same degree of care and
skill in its exercise thereof, as a prudent person would exercise or use under
the circumstances in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be construed to relieve the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee from
liability for its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its
own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and after the
curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the express provisions
of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, and the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties
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and obligations as are specifically set forth in this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants or
obligations shall be read into this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee against the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee;
and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the
statements and the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon
any certificates or opinions furnished to the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee and conforming to the requirements of
this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee; but in the case of any such
certificates or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically
required to be furnished to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee, the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be
under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they
conform to the requirements of this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee;
(ii) the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
liable for any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible
Officer, unless it shall be proved that the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent facts upon
which such judgment was made;
(iii) the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not
be liable with respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in
good faith in accordance with the direction of the Holders of a Majority in
liquidation amount of the Trust Preferred Securities relating to the time,
method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, or exercising any trust
or power conferred upon the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
require the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee to expend or risk
its own funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its rights or
powers, if the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have
reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or
liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee or indemnity, reasonably satisfactory to the
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, against such risk or
liability is not reasonably assured to it.
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SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may conclusively
rely, and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting,
upon any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other
evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be
genuine and to have been signed, sent or presented by the proper party or
parties.
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee may be sufficiently evidenced by an
Officers' Certificate.
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee, the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established before
taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically
prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and
conclusively rely upon an Officers' Certificate which, upon receipt of such
request, shall be promptly delivered by the Guarantor.
(iv) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have no
duty to see to any recording, filing or registration of any instrument (or
any rerecording, refiling or registration thereof).
(v) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may consult with
counsel of its selection, and the advice or opinion of such counsel with
respect to legal matters shall be full and complete authorization and
protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
Such counsel may be counsel to the Guarantor or any of its Affiliates and
may include any of its employees. The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee shall have the right at any time to seek instructions concerning
the administration of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee from any
court of competent jurisdiction.
(vi) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be under
no obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by this
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of any
Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee such security and indemnity, reasonably
satisfactory to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, against
the costs, expenses (including attorneys' fees and expenses and the
expenses of the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's agents,
nominees or custodians) and liabilities that might be incurred by it in
complying with such request or direction, including such reasonable
advances as may be requested by the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
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Trustee; provided that, nothing contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi) shall
be taken to relieve the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, upon
the occurrence of an Event of Default, of its obligation to exercise the
rights and powers vested in it by this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee.
(vii) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
bound to make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report, notice,
request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note, other evidence
of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further
inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.
(viii) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee may execute
any of the trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder
either directly or by or through agents, nominees, custodians or attorneys,
and the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
responsible for any misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or
attorney appointed with due care by it hereunder.
(ix) Any action taken by the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
Trustee or its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders, and the signature
of the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee or its agents alone
shall be sufficient and effective to perform any such action. No third
party shall be required to inquire as to the authority of the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee to so act or as to its compliance
with any of the terms and provisions of this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee, both of which shall be conclusively evidenced by the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's or its agent's taking such action.
(x) Whenever in the administration of this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any remedy or
right or taking any other action hereunder, the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders of a
Majority in liquidation amount of the Trust Preferred Securities, (ii) may
refrain from enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action
until such instructions are received and (iii) shall be protected in
conclusively relying on or acting in accordance with such instructions.
(xi) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
liable for any action taken, suffered, or omitted to be taken by it in good
faith, without negligence, and reasonably believed by it to be authorized
or within the discretion or rights or powers conferred upon it by this
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) No provision of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall
be deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty
or obligation conferred or imposed on it in any
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jurisdiction in which it shall be illegal, or in which the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or incompetent in
accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts or to
exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power or
authority available to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall
be construed to be a duty.
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee
The recitals contained in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be taken as the statements of the Guarantor, and the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee does not assume any responsibility for their
correctness. The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee makes no
representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IV
TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
(a) There shall at all times be a Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee which shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under the laws of
the United States of America or any State or Territory thereof or of the
District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person permitted by the
Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an institutional trustee under
the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under such laws to exercise corporate
trust powers, having a combined capital and surplus of at least 50 million
U.S. dollars ($50,000,000), and subject to supervision or examination by
Federal, State, Territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such
corporation publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to
law or to the requirements of the supervising or examining authority
referred to above, then, for the purposes of this Section 4.1(a)(ii), the
combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of
condition so published.
(b) If at any time the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall cease to be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the
effect set out in Section 4.2(c).
(c) If the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee has or shall
acquire any "conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the
Trust Indenture Act, the Trust
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Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all respects
comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act,
subject to the penultimate paragraph thereof.
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee may be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the
Guarantor except during an Event of Default.
(b) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall not be
removed in accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such
appointment by written instrument executed by such Successor Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor.
(c) The Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall hold
office until a Successor Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall have
been appointed or until its removal or resignation. The Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee may resign from office (without need for prior or
subsequent accounting) by an instrument in writing executed by the Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor, which
resignation shall not take effect until a Successor Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment by
instrument in writing executed by such Successor Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor and the resigning Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
shall have been appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section
4.2 within 60 days after delivery of an instrument of removal or resignation,
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee resigning or being removed may
petition any court of competent jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee. Such court may thereupon, after
prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem proper, appoint a Successor
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee shall be liable
for the acts or omissions to act of any Successor Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee.
(f) Upon termination of this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee or
removal or resignation of the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
pursuant to this Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee all amounts due to the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee accrued to the date of such termination, removal or
resignation.
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ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in full to
the Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts theretofore
paid by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense, right of
set-off or counterclaim that the Issuer may have or assert. The Guarantor's
obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct payment of the
required amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing the Issuer to pay
such amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand
The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may
apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Issuer or any other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor,
protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all
other notices and demands.
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Guarantor
under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected or
impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or otherwise, of the
performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or implied agreement,
covenant, term or condition relating to the Trust Preferred Securities to be
performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer of all or any
portion of the Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution (as
defined in the Declaration) or any other sums payable under the terms of the
Trust Preferred Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any
other obligation under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Trust
Preferred Securities (other than an extension of time for payment of
Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable
that results from the extension of any interest payment period on the Debentures
permitted by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of
the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or remedy
conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Trust Preferred
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
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(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation, dissolution, sale of
any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit
of creditors, reorganization, arrangement, composition or readjustment of debt
of, or other similar proceedings affecting, the Issuer or any of the assets of
the Issuer;
(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the Trust
Preferred Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation guaranteed hereby
or hereby incurred;
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might otherwise constitute
a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor, it being the intent of
this Section 5.3 that the obligations of the Guarantor with respect to the
Guarantee Payments shall be absolute and unconditional under any and all
circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to, or
obtain consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders
(a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the Trust
Preferred Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee in respect of this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee.
(b) If the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee fails to
enforce such Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, any Holder may institute a
legal proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce the Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee's rights under this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee, without first instituting a legal proceeding against the Issuer, the
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee or any other person or entity. The
Guarantor waives any right or remedy to require that any action be brought first
against the Issuer or any other person or entity before proceeding directly
against the Guarantor.
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment
This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of
payment and not of collection.
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of the
Holders against the Issuer in respect of any amounts paid to such Holders by the
Guarantor under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee; provided, however,
that the Guarantor shall not (except to the extent
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required by mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise
any right that it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity,
reimbursement or other agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under
this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of any such
payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee. If any amount shall be paid to the Guarantor in violation of the
preceding sentence, the Guarantor agrees to hold such amount in trust for the
Holders and to pay over such amount to the Holders.
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are
independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Trust Preferred
Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor
hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Trust
Preferred Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event
referred to in subsections (a) through (g), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions
So long as any Trust Preferred Securities remain outstanding, the
Guarantor shall not (i) declare or pay any dividends or distributions on, or
redeem, purchase, acquire, or make a liquidation payment with respect to, any of
the Guarantor's capital stock (which includes common and preferred stock), (ii)
make any payment of principal of or interest on or repay, repurchase or redeem
any debt securities of the Guarantor (including any Other Debentures) that rank
pari passu with or junior in right of payment to the Debentures or (iii) make
any guarantee payments with respect to any guarantee by the Guarantor of the
debt securities of any subsidiary of the Guarantor (including Other Guarantees)
if such guarantee ranks pari passu with or junior in right of payment to the
Debentures (other than (a) dividends or distributions in shares of, or options,
warrants, rights to subscribe for or purchase shares of, common stock of the
Guarantor, (b) any declaration of a dividend in connection with the
implementation of a stockholders' rights plan, or the issuance of stock under
any such plan in the future, or the redemption or repurchase of any such rights
pursuant thereto, (c) payments under the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee,
(d) the purchase of fractional shares resulting from a reclassification of the
Guarantor's capital stock, (e) the purchase of fractional interests in shares of
the Guarantor's capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions
of such capital stock or the security being converted or exchanged and (f)
purchases of common stock related to the issuance of common stock or rights
under any of the Guarantor's benefit plans for its directors, officers or
employees or any of the Guarantor's dividend reinvestment plans) if at such time
(i) there shall have occurred any event of which the Guarantor has actual
knowledge that (a) is, or with the giving of notice or the lapse of time, or
both, would be an Indenture Event of Default and (b) in respect of which the
Guarantor shall not have taken reasonable steps to cure, (ii) if such Debentures
are held by the Property Trustee, the Guarantor shall be in default with respect
to its payment of any obligations under
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this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee or (iii) the Guarantor shall have
given notice of its election of the exercise of its right to extend the
interest payment period pursuant to Section 16.01 of the Indenture and any
such extension shall be continuing.
SECTION 6.2 Ranking
This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured
obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right of
payment to Senior and Subordinated Indebtedness (as defined in the Indenture),
to the same extent and in the same manner that the Debentures are subordinated
to Senior and Subordinated Indebtedness pursuant to the Indenture, (ii) pari
passu with the Debentures, the Other Debentures, the Common Securities Guarantee
and any Other Guarantee and any Other Common Securities Guarantee, and (iii)
senior to the Guarantor's capital stock.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination
This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee shall terminate (i) upon
full payment of the Redemption Price (as defined in the Declaration) of all
Trust Preferred Securities or (ii) upon liquidation of the Issuer, the full
payment of the amounts payable in accordance with the Declaration or the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders and the holders of Common
Securities. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee will continue to be effective or will be reinstated, as the case may
be, if at any time any Holder must restore payment of any sums paid under the
Trust Preferred Securities or under this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or accountable
in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for any loss,
damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed or omitted
by such Indemnified Person in good faith in accordance with this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person reasonably
believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such Indemnified
Person by this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee or by law, except that an
Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred
by reason of such Indemnified Person's negligence or willful misconduct with
respect to such acts or omissions.
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(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying in good
faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information, opinions,
reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to matters the
Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other Person's
professional or expert competence and who has been selected with reasonable care
by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information, opinions, reports or
statements as to the value and amount of the assets, liabilities, profits,
losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and amount of assets from
which Distributions to Holders might properly be paid.
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification
The Guarantor agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Person for, and to
hold each Indemnified Person harmless against, any and all loss, liability,
damage, claim or expense incurred without negligence or bad faith on its part,
arising out of or in connection with the acceptance or administration of the
trust or trusts hereunder, including the costs and expenses (including
reasonable legal fees and expenses) of defending itself against, or
investigating, any claim or liability in connection with the exercise or
performance of any of its powers or duties hereunder. The obligation to
indemnify as set forth in this Section 8.2 shall survive the termination of this
Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the Holders
then outstanding.
SECTION 9.2 Amendments
Except with respect to any changes that do not materially adversely
affect the rights of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will be
required), this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee may only be amended with
the prior approval of the Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of the
Trust Preferred Securities (including the stated amount that would be paid on
redemption, liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to
the date upon which the voting percentages are determined). The provisions of
the Declaration with respect to consents to amendments thereof (whether at a
meeting or otherwise) shall apply to the giving of such approval.
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SECTION 9.3 Notices
All notices provided for in this Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee
shall be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be
delivered, telecopied or mailed by first class mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Issuer, in care of the Administrative Trustee at
the Issuer's mailing address set forth below (or such other address as the
Issuer may give notice of to the Holders and the Trust Preferred Securities
Guarantee Trustee):
Independent Capital Trust I
x/x Xxx Xxxx xx Xxx Xxxx
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Administrative Trustee
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000
(b) If given to the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee, at
the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth
below (or such other address as the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee
may give notice of to the Holders and the Issuer):
The Bank of New York
000 Xxxxxxx Xxxxxx
00xx Xxxxx Xxxx
Xxx Xxxx, Xxx Xxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Trustee Administration
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000
(c) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing address set
forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice of to the
Holders and the Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee Trustee):
Independent Bank Corp.
000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Chief Financial Officer
Telecopy: (000) 000-0000
(d) If given to any Holder, at the address set forth on the books and
records of the Issuer.
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All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when received in
person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class mail,
postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused delivery or
cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice was given,
such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date
of such refusal or inability to deliver.
SECTION 8.4 Benefit
This Trust Preferred Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of
the Holders and, subject to Section 3.1(a), is not separately transferable from
the Trust Preferred Securities.
SECTION 8.5 Governing Law
THIS TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK,
WITHOUT REGARD TO CONFLICTS OF LAWS PRINCIPLES THEREOF.
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THIS TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day
and year first above written.
INDEPENDENT BANK CORP., as Guarantor
By:
-------------------------------------
Name: Xxxxxxx X. Xxxxxx
Title: Chief Financial Officer
THE BANK OF NEW YORK, as Trust Preferred
Securities Guarantee Trustee
By:
-------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
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