This Letter is to be completed by noteholders either if certificates are to be forwarded herewith or if tenders are to be made pursuant to the procedures for delivery by book-entry transfer set forth in the “The Exchange Offer—Procedures for Tendering Initial Notes—Guaranteed Delivery Procedure” section of the Prospectus and an Agent’s Message is not delivered. Certificates for all physically tendered Initial Notes, or Book-Entry Confirmation, as the case may be, as well as a properly completed and duly executed Letter (or manually signed facsimile hereof) and any other documents required by this Letter, must be received by the Exchange Agent at the address set forth herein on or prior to 5:00 p.m., New York City time, on the Expiration Date, or the tendering holder must comply with the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth below. Initial Notes tendered hereby must be in minimum denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. The term “Agent’s Message” means a message, transmitted by The Depository Trust Company and received by the Exchange Agent and forming a part of the Book-Entry Confirmation, which states that the Book-Entry Transfer Facility has received an express acknowledgment from a participant tendering Initial Notes which are subject to the Book-Entry Confirmation and that such participant has received and agrees to be bound by this Letter and that the Issuer may enforce this Letter against such participant.
Noteholders who wish to tender their Initial Notes and (a) whose certificates for Initial Notes are not immediately available, or (b) who cannot deliver their certificates and all other required documents to the Exchange Agent on or prior to the Expiration Date, or (c) who cannot complete the procedure for book-entry transfer on a timely basis, must tender their Initial Notes pursuant to the guaranteed delivery procedures set forth in “The Exchange Offer—Procedures for Tendering Initial Notes—Guaranteed Delivery Procedure” section of the Prospectus. Pursuant to such procedures,
The method of delivery of this Letter, the Initial Notes and all other required documents is at the election and risk of the tendering holders. Instead of delivery by mail, it is recommended that tendering holders use an overnight or hand-delivery service. If Initial Notes are sent by mail, it is suggested that the mailing be made by registered mail, properly insured, with return receipt requested. In all cases, tendering holders should allow sufficient time to assure timely delivery. Tendering holders should not send any letters of transmittal or Initial Notes to the Issuer. All documents must be delivered to the Exchange Agent at its address provided above.
See “The Exchange Offer” section of the Prospectus.
Tenders of Initial Notes will be accepted only in minimum denominations of $1,000 principal amount and integral multiples of $1,000 in excess thereof. If less than the entire principal amount of any Initial Notes is tendered, the tendering holder(s) should fill in the principal amount of Initial Notes to be tendered in the box above entitled “Description of Initial Notes.” The entire principal amount of the Initial Notes delivered to the Exchange Agent will be deemed to have been tendered unless otherwise indicated. If the entire principal amount of Initial Notes is not tendered, then Initial Notes for the principal amount of Initial Notes not tendered and Exchange Notes issued in exchange for any Initial Notes accepted will be sent to the holder at his or her registered address, unless otherwise provided in the appropriate box on this Letter, promptly after the Initial Notes are accepted for exchange. Any Initial Notes validly tendered but not accepted in the Exchange Offer for any reason will be returned to the tendering holder.
3. Signatures on this Letter; Bond Powers and Endorsements; Guarantee of Signatures.
If this Letter or any bond powers are signed by the registered holder or holders of the Initial Notes tendered hereby, the signature(s) must correspond with the name(s) as written on the face of the certificates representing such Initial Notes without alteration, enlargement or any change whatsoever.
If this Letter or any bond powers are signed by a participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, the signature must correspond with the name as it appears on the security position listing as the holder of the Initial Notes.
If any tendered Initial Notes are owned of record by two or more joint owners, all of such owners must sign this Letter.
If any tendered Initial Notes are registered 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 different registrations of certificates.
When this Letter is signed by the registered holder or holders of the Initial Notes specified herein and tendered hereby, no endorsements of certificates or separate bond powers are required. If, however, the Exchange Notes are to be issued, or any untendered Initial Notes are to be reissued, to a person other than the registered holder, then endorsements of any certificates transmitted hereby or separate bond powers are required. Signatures on such certificate(s) must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution.
If this Letter is signed by a person other than the registered holder of any Initial Notes: these Initial Notes must be endorsed or accompanied by bond powers and a proxy that authorize this person to tender the Initial Notes on behalf of the registered holder, in satisfactory form to us as determined in our sole discretion, in each case, as the name of the registered holder or holders appears on the Initial Notes and signatures on such Initial Notes must be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution.
If this Letter or any certificates or bond powers are 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, unless waived by the Issuer, evidence satisfactory to the Issuer of its authority to so act must be submitted with this Letter.
Endorsements on certificates for Initial Notes or signatures on bond powers required by this Instruction 3 must be guaranteed by a firm which is a member of a registered national securities exchange or a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc., or a commercial bank or trust company having an office or correspondent in the United States or an “eligible guarantor institution” within the meaning of Rule 17Ad-15 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (each an “Eligible Institution”).
Signatures on this Letter need not be guaranteed by an Eligible Institution if the Initial Notes are tendered: (i) by a registered holder of Initial Notes or by a participant in the Book-Entry Transfer Facility whose name appears on a security position listing as the owner, who has not completed the box entitled “Special Issuance Instructions” or “Special Delivery Instructions” on this Letter and only if the Exchange Notes are being issued directly to this registered holder or deposited into this participant’s account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility, or (ii) for the account of an Eligible Institution.
4. Special Issuance and Delivery Instructions.
Tendering holders of Initial Notes should indicate, in the applicable box or boxes, the name and address (or account at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility) to which Exchange Notes issued pursuant to the Exchange Offer, or substitute Initial Notes not tendered or accepted for exchange, are to be issued or sent, if different from the name or address of the person signing this Letter. In the case of issuance in a different name, the employer identification or social security number of the person named must also be indicated. Holders tendering Initial Notes by book-entry transfer may request that Initial Notes not exchanged be credited to such account maintained at the Book-Entry Transfer Facility as such noteholder may designate hereon. If no such instructions are given, such Initial Notes not exchanged will be returned to the name or address of the person signing this Letter.
5. U.S. Backup Withholding.
Under the federal income tax laws, payments that may be made by the Issuer on account of Exchange Notes issued pursuant to the Exchange Offer may be subject to backup withholding at the rate specified in Section 3406(a)(1) of the Code (the “Specified Rate”). In order to avoid such backup withholding, each tendering holder (or other payee) that is a U.S. person (or a U.S. resident alien) should complete and sign the IRS Form W-9 included with this Letter, provide the correct taxpayer identification number (“TIN”) and certify, under penalties of perjury, that (a) the TIN provided is correct or that
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such holder is awaiting a TIN; (b) the holder is not subject to backup withholding because (i) the holder has not been notified by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) that the holder is subject to backup withholding as a result of failure to report interest or dividends, (ii) the IRS has notified the holder that the holder is no longer subject to backup withholding, or (iii) the holder is exempt from backup withholding; and (c) the holder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). If a holder has been notified by the IRS that it is subject to backup withholding, it must follow the applicable instructions included with the IRS Form W-9.
The holder (other than an exempt or foreign holder subject to the requirements set forth below) is required to give the TIN (e.g., the Social Security number or employer identification number) of the record holder of the Initial Notes. If the tendering holder has not been issued a TIN and has applied for one, or intends to apply for one in the near future, such holder should follow the applicable instructions included with the IRS Form W-9. If the Exchange Agent or the Issuer are not provided with the correct taxpayer identification number, the holder may be subject to a $50 penalty imposed by the IRS in addition to backup withholding of the Specified Rate of payments to such holder. For further information concerning backup withholding and instructions for completing the IRS Form W-9 (including how to obtain a taxpayer identification number if you do not have one and how to complete the IRS Form W-9 if Initial Notes are registered in more than one name), consult the instructions included with the IRS Form W-9.
Certain holders (including, among others, all corporations and certain holders that are neither U.S. persons nor U.S. resident aliens (“foreign holders”)) are not subject to these backup withholding and reporting requirements. An exempt holder, other than a holder that is a foreign person, should enter the holder’s name, address, status and TIN on the face of the IRS Form W-9 and check the “Exempt Payee” box on the IRS Form W-9, and sign, date and return the IRS Form W-9 to the Exchange Agent and should follow the additional instructions included with the IRS Form W-9. A foreign holder should not complete the IRS Form W-9. In order for a foreign holder to qualify as an exempt recipient, such holder must submit a statement (generally, IRS Form W-8BEN or other IRS Form W-8), signed under penalties of perjury, attesting to that person’s non-U.S. status. Such statements can be obtained from the Exchange Agent. Holders should consult their tax advisors as to any qualification for exemption from backup withholding and the procedure for obtaining the exemption.
Failure to complete the IRS Form W-9, IRS Form W-8BEN or other appropriate form will not, by itself, cause Initial Notes to be deemed invalidly tendered, but may require the Issuer (or the Exchange Agent) to withhold the Specified Rate of the amount of any payments made on account of the Exchange Notes. Backup withholding is not an additional federal income tax. Rather, if the required information is furnished to the IRS, the federal income tax liability of a person subject to backup withholding will be reduced by the amount of tax withheld. If withholding results in an overpayment of taxes, a refund may be obtained.
6. Transfer Taxes.
The Issuer will pay all transfer taxes, if any, applicable to the transfer of Initial Notes to them or their order pursuant to the Exchange Offer. If, however, Exchange Notes or substitute Initial Notes not exchanged are to be delivered to, or are to be registered or issued in the name of, any person other than the registered holder of the Initial Notes tendered hereby, or if tendered Initial Notes are registered in the name of any person other than the person signing this Letter, or if a transfer tax is imposed for any reason other than the transfer of Initial Notes to the Issuer or its order pursuant to the Exchange Offer, the amount of any such transfer taxes (whether imposed on the registered holder or any other persons) will be payable by the tendering holder. If satisfactory evidence of payment of such taxes or exemption therefrom is not submitted with this Letter, the amount of such transfer taxes will be billed directly to such tendering holder.
If the tendering holder does not submit satisfactory evidence of the payment of any of these taxes or of any exemption from this payment with this Letter, the Issuer will bill the tendering holder directly the amount of these transfer taxes.
Except as provided in this Instruction 6, it will not be necessary for transfer tax stamps to be affixed to the Initial Notes specified in this Letter or for funds to cover such stamps to be provided with the Initial Notes specified in this Letter.
7. Waiver of Conditions.
The Issuer reserves the absolute right to amend, waive or modify, in whole or in part, any or all conditions to the Exchange Offer.
8. No Conditional Tenders.
No alternative, conditional, irregular or contingent tenders will be accepted. All tendering holders of Initial Notes, by execution of this Letter, shall waive any right to receive notice of the acceptance of their Initial Notes for exchange.
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Neither the Issuer, the Exchange Agent nor any other person is obligated to give notice of any defect or irregularity with respect to any tender of Initial Notes nor shall any of them incur any liability for failure to give any such notice.
9. Mutilated, Lost, Stolen or Destroyed Initial Notes.
Any holder whose Initial Notes have been mutilated, lost, stolen or destroyed should contact the Exchange Agent at the address indicated above for further instructions. This Letter and related documents cannot be processed until the Initial Notes have been replaced.
10. Requests for Assistance or Additional Copies.
Questions relating to the procedure for tendering, as well as requests for additional copies of the Prospectus, this Letter and the Notice of Guaranteed Delivery, may be directed to the Exchange Agent, at the address and telephone number indicated above.
11. Incorporation of Letter of Transmittal.
This Letter shall be deemed to be incorporated in and acknowledged and accepted by any tender through the Book-Entry Transfer Facility’s ATOP procedures by any participant on behalf of itself and the beneficial owners of any Initial Notes so tendered.
12. Withdrawals.
Tenders of Initial Notes may be withdrawn only pursuant to the limited withdrawal rights set forth in the Prospectus under the caption “The Exchange Offer—Withdrawal Rights” in the Prospectus.
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