Holders whose Initial Bonds are not immediately available or who cannot deliver their Initial Bonds or a Book-Entry Confirmation, as the case may be, and all other required documents to the Exchange Agent on or before the Expiration Date may tender their Initial Bonds pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in the Prospectus. Pursuant to such procedure: (i) tender must be made by or through an Eligible Institution (as defined in the Prospectus under the caption ‘‘The Exchange Offer — How to Tender’’); (ii) prior to the expiration of the exchange offer on the Expiration Date, the Exchange Agent must have received from the Eligible Institution a properly completed and duly executed Notice of Guaranteed Delivery (by telegram, telex, facsimile transmission, mail or hand delivery) (x) setting forth the name and address of the holder, the description of the Initial Bonds and the principal amount of Initial Bonds tend ered, (y) stating that the tender is being made thereby and (z) guaranteeing that, within three New York Stock Exchange trading days after the date of execution of such Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, this Letter together with the certificates representing the Initial Bonds or a Book-Entry Confirmation, as the case may be, and any other documents required by this Letter will be deposited by the Eligible Institution with the Exchange Agent; and (iii) the certificates for all tendered Initial Bonds or a Book-Entry Confirmation, as the case may be, as well as all other documents required by this Letter, must be received by the Exchange Agent within three New York Stock Exchange trading days after the date of execution of such Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, all as provided in the Prospectus under the caption ‘‘The Exchange Offer — How to Tender.’’
All questions as to the validity, form, eligibility (including time of receipt), acceptance and withdrawal of tendered Initial Bonds will be determined by the Company, whose determination will be final and binding. The Company reserves the absolute right to reject any or all tenders that are not in proper form or the acceptance of which, in the opinion of the Company’s counsel, would be unlawful. The Company also reserves the right to waive any irregularities or conditions of tender as to particular Initial Bonds. All tendering holders, by execution of this Letter, waive any right to receive notice of acceptance of their Initial Bonds.
Neither the Company, the Exchange Agent nor any other person shall be obligated to give notice of defects or irregularities in any tender, nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give any such notice.
If not yet accepted, a tender pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be withdrawn prior to the Expiration Date. To be effective with respect to the tender of Initial Bonds, a notice of withdrawal must:
(i) be received by the Exchange Agent before the Company notifies the Exchange Agent that it has accepted the tender of Initial Bonds pursuant to the Exchange Offer; (ii) specify the name of the person who tendered the Initial Bonds; (iii) contain a description of the Initial Bonds to be withdrawn, the certificate numbers shown on the particular certificates evidencing such Initial Bonds and the principal amount of Initial Bonds represented by such certificates; and (iv) be signed by the holder in the same manner as the original signature on this Letter (including any required signature guarantee).
3. SIGNATURES ON THIS LETTER; ASSIGNMENTS; GUARANTEE OF SIGNATURES. If this Letter is signed by the holder(s) of Initial Bonds tendered hereby, the signature must correspond with the name(s) as written on the face of the certificate(s) for such Initial Bonds, without alteration, enlargement or any change whatsoever.
If any of the Initial Bonds tendered hereby are owned by two or more joint owners, all owners must sign this Letter. If any tendered Initial Bonds are held in different names on several certificates, it will be necessary to complete, sign and submit as many separate copies of this Letter as there are names in which certificates are held.
If this Letter is signed by the holder of record and (i) the entire principal amount of the holder’s Initial Bonds are tendered; and/or (ii) untendered Initial Bonds, if any, are to be issued to the holder of record, then the holder of record need not endorse any certificates for tendered Initial Bonds, nor provide a separate bond power. If any other case, the holder of record must transmit a separate bond power with this Letter.
If this Letter or any certificate or assignment is signed by trustees, executors, administrators, guardians, attorneys-in-fact, officers of corporations or others acting in a fiduciary or representative capacity, such persons should so indicate when signing and proper evidence satisfactory to the Company of their authority to so act must be submitted, unless waived by the Company.
Signatures on this Letter must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution, unless Initial Bonds are tendered: (i) by a holder who has not completed the Box entitled ‘‘Special Issuance Instructions’’ or ‘‘Special Delivery Instructions’’ on this Letter; or (ii) for the account of an Eligible Institution. In the event that the signatures in this Letter or a notice of withdrawal, as the case may be, are required to be guaranteed, such guarantees must be by an eligible guarantor institution which is a member of The Securities Transfer Agents Medallion Program (STAMP), The New York Stock Exchanges Medallion Signature Program (MSP) or The Stock Exchanges Medallion Program (SEMP) (collectively, ‘‘Eligible Institutions’’). If Initial Bonds are registered in the name of a person other than the signer of this Letter, the Initial Bonds surrendered for exchange must be endorsed by, or be accompan ied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer or exchange, in satisfactory form as determined by the Company, in its sole discretion, duly executed by the registered holder with the signature thereon guaranteed by an Eligible Institution.
4. SPECIAL ISSUANCE AND DELIVERY INSTRUCTIONS. Tendering holders should indicate, in Box 4 or 5, as applicable, the name and address to which the Exchange Bonds or certificates for Initial Bonds not exchanged are to be issued or sent, if different from the name and address of the person signing this Letter. In the case of issuance in a different name, the tax identification number of the person named must also be indicated. Holders tendering Initial Bonds by book-entry transfer may request that Initial Bonds not exchanged be credited to such account maintained at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility as such holder may designate.
5. TAX IDENTIFICATION NUMBER. Each tendering holder that is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien) must provide the Exchange Agent with a correct taxpayer identification number (‘‘TIN’’), which, in the case of a holder who is an individual, is his or her social security number, and with certain other information on Substitute Form W-9, which is provided in Box 3, and to certify that the holder (or other payee) is not subject to backup withholding. Failure to provide the information on the Substitute From W-9 may subject each tendering holder (or other payee) to a $50 penalty imposed by the Internal Revenue Service and federal income tax backup withholding in an amount equal to 28% of the reportable payment made pursuant to the Exchange Offer.
Certain holders (including, among others, all corporations and certain foreign persons) are exempt from these back-up withholding and reporting requirements. To prevent possible erroneous back-up
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withholding, an exempt holder that is a U.S. person must check the appropriate box under ‘‘Payee Information,’’ enter its correct TIN in Part I of the Substitute Form W-9, and sign an date the form. See the Substitute Form W-9 in Box 3 for additional instructions. A nonresident alien or foreign entity must submit a completed IRS Form W-8BEN (or other applicable IRS form), signed under penalties of perjury attesting to its foreign status. Such form may be obtained from the Exchange Agent.
If you do not have a TIN, check the box ‘‘Applied For’’ in Part I of the Substitute Form W-9 and sign and date the form. If you do not provide your TIN to the payor within 60 days, back-up withholding will begin and continue until you furnish your TIN to the payor. Note: Checking the ‘‘Applied For’’ box in Part I of the Substitute Form W-9 indicates that you have already applied for a TIN or that you intend to apply for one in the near future.
If you have any questions concerning the Substitute Form W-9 or any information required therein, please contact the Exchange Agent, as payor.
6. TRANSFER TAXES. The Company will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the transfer of Initial Bonds to it or its order pursuant to the Exchange Offer. If, however, the Exchange Bonds or certificates for Initial Bonds not exchanged are to be delivered to, or are to be issued in the name of, any person other than the record holder, or if tendered certificates are recorded in the name of any person other than the person signing this Letter, or if a transfer tax is imposed by any reason other than the transfer of Initial Bonds to the Company or its order pursuant to the Exchange Offer, then the amount of such transfer taxes (whether imposed on the record holder or any other person) will be payable by the tendering holder. If satisfactory evidence of payment of taxes or exemption from taxes is not submitted with this Lett er, the amount of transfer taxes will be billed directly to the tendering holder.
Except as provided in this Instruction 6, it will not be necessary for transfer tax stamps to be affixed to the certificates listed in this Letter.
7. WAIVER OF CONDITIONS. The Company reserves the absolute right to amend or waive any of the specified conditions in the Exchange Offer in the case of any Initial Bonds tendered.
8. MUTILATED, LOST, STOLEN OR DESTROYED CERTIFICATES. Any holder whose certificates for Initial Bonds have been mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed should contact the Exchange Agent at the address indicated above, for further instructions.
9. REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE OR ADDITIONAL COPIES. Questions relating to the procedure for tendering, as well as requests for additional copies of the Prospectus or this Letter, may be directed to the Exchange Agent.
IMPORTANT: This Letter (together with certificates representing tendered Initial Bonds or a Book-Entry Confirmation and all other required documents) must be received by the Exchange Agent, or the guaranteed delivery procedures must be complied with, on or before the Expiration Date.
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