EXHIBIT 10.23
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AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
AMONG
SEACOAST FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION,
AS DEPOSITOR
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST COMPANY,
AS PROPERTY TRUSTEE
CHRISTIANA BANK & TRUST COMPANY,
AS DELAWARE TRUSTEE
and
THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES NAMED HEREIN
and
THE SEVERAL HOLDERS OF THE TRUST SECURITIES
Dated as of May 31, 2002
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SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
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SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
Certain Sections of this Trust Agreement relating to
Sections 310 through 318 of the
Trust Indenture Act of 1939:
TRUST INDENTURE TRUST AGREEMENT
ACT SECTION SECTION
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(sections.) 310 (a)(1).......................................... 8.7
(a)(2).......................................... 8.7
(a)(3).......................................... 8.9
(a)(4).......................................... 2.7(a)(ii)
(b)............................................. 8.8
(sections.) 311 (a)............................................. 8.13
(b)............................................. 8.13
(sections.) 312 (a)............................................. 5.8
(b)............................................. 5.8
(c)............................................. 5.8
(sections.) 313 (a)............................................. 8.15(a)
(a)(4).......................................... 8.15(b)
(b)............................................. 8.15(b)
(c)............................................. 10.8
(d)............................................. 8.15(c)
(sections.) 314 (a)............................................. 8.16
(b)............................................. Not Applicable
(c)(1).......................................... 8.17
(c)(2).......................................... 8.17
(c)(3).......................................... Not Applicable
(d)............................................. Not Applicable
(e)............................................. 1.1, 8.17
(sections.) 315 (a)............................................. 8.1(a), 8.3(a)
(b)............................................. 8.2, 10.8
(c)............................................. 8.1(c)
(d)............................................. 8.1, 8.3
(e)............................................. Not Applicable
(sections.) 316 (a)............................................. Not Applicable
(a)(1)(A)....................................... Not Applicable
(a)(1)(B)....................................... Not Applicable
(a)(2).......................................... Not Applicable
(b)............................................. 5.13(c)
(c)............................................. 6.7
TRUST INDENTURE TRUST AGREEMENT
ACT SECTION SECTION
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(sections.) 317 (a)(1).......................................... Not Applicable
(a)(2).......................................... Not Applicable
(b)............................................. 5.10
(sections.) 318 (a)............................................. 10.10
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Note: This reconciliation and tie sheet shall not, for any purpose, be deemed to
be a part of the Trust Agreement.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I. Defined Terms.................................................................................1
Section 1.1. Definitions............................................................................1
ARTICLE II. Continuation of the Issuer Trust ...........................................................12
Section 2.1. Name..................................................................................12
Section 2.2. Organizational Number; Office of the Delaware Trustee; Principal Place of Business....12
Section 2.3. Initial Contribution of Trust Property; Organizational Expenses.......................12
Section 2.4. Issuance of the Preferred Securities..................................................12
Section 2.5. Issuance of the Common Securities; Subscription and Purchase of Debentures............13
Section 2.6. Continuation of Trust.................................................................14
Section 2.7. Authorization to Enter into Certain Transactions......................................14
Section 2.8. Assets of Trust.......................................................................18
Section 2.9. Title to Trust Property...............................................................18
Section 2.10. Delaware Trustee......................................................................18
ARTICLE III. Payment Account ...........................................................................19
Section 3.1. Payment Account.......................................................................19
ARTICLE IV. Distributions; Redemption...................................................................19
Section 4.1. Distributions.........................................................................19
Section 4.2. Redemption............................................................................20
Section 4.3. Subordination of Common Securities....................................................22
Section 4.4. Payment Procedures....................................................................23
Section 4.5. Tax Returns and Reports...............................................................23
Section 4.6. Payment of Taxes, Duties, Etc. of the Issuer Trust....................................24
Section 4.7. Payments under Indenture or Pursuant to Direct Actions................................24
Section 4.8. Liability of the Holder of Common Securities..........................................24
ARTICLE V. Securities Certificates .....................................................................24
Section 5.1. Initial Ownership.....................................................................24
Section 5.2. The Securities Certificates...........................................................25
Section 5.3. Execution and Delivery of Securities Certificates.....................................25
Section 5.4. Book-Entry Preferred Securities.......................................................25
Section 5.5. Registration of Transfer and Exchange of Preferred Securities Certificates............27
Section 5.6. Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Securities Certificates..........................29
Section 5.7. Persons Deemed Holders................................................................30
Section 5.8. Access to List of Holders' Names and Addresses........................................30
Section 5.9. Maintenance of Office or Agency.......................................................30
Section 5.10. Appointment of Paying Agents..........................................................30
Section 5.11. Ownership of Common Securities by Depositor...........................................31
Section 5.12. Notices to Clearing Agency............................................................31
Section 5.13. Rights of Holders; Waivers of Past Defaults...........................................31
ARTICLE VI. Acts of Holders; Meetings; Voting ..........................................................34
Section 6.1. Limitations on Voting Rights..........................................................34
Section 6.2. Notice of Meetings....................................................................35
Section 6.3. Meetings of Holders of the Preferred Securities.......................................35
Section 6.4. Voting Rights.........................................................................36
Section 6.5. Proxies, etc..........................................................................36
Section 6.6. Holder Action by Written Consent......................................................36
Section 6.7. Record Date for Voting and Other Purposes.............................................36
Section 6.8. Acts of Holders.......................................................................37
Section 6.9. Inspection of Records.................................................................38
ARTICLE VII. Representations and Warranties ............................................................38
Section 7.1. Representations and Warranties of the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee.......38
Section 7.2. Representations and Warranties of Depositor...........................................39
ARTICLE VIII. The Issuer Trustees ......................................................................40
Section 8.1. Certain Duties and Responsibilities...................................................40
Section 8.2. Certain Notices.......................................................................42
Section 8.3. Certain Rights of Property Trustee....................................................43
Section 8.4. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities................................45
Section 8.5. May Hold Securities...................................................................45
Section 8.6. Compensation; Indemnity; Fees.........................................................45
Section 8.7. Corporate Property Trustee Required; Eligibility of Issuer Trustees...................46
Section 8.8. Conflicting Interests.................................................................47
Section 8.9. Co-Trustees and Separate Trustee......................................................47
Section 8.10. Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.....................................49
Section 8.11. Acceptance of Appointment by Successor................................................50
Section 8.12. Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business...........................51
Section 8.13. Preferential Collection of Claims Against Depositor or Issuer Trust...................51
Section 8.14. Property Trustee May File Proofs of Claim.............................................52
Section 8.15. Reports by Property Trustee...........................................................52
Section 8.16. Reports to the Property Trustee.......................................................53
Section 8.17. Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent......................................53
Section 8.18. Number of Issuer Trustees.............................................................54
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Section 8.19. Delegation of Power...................................................................54
Section 8.20. Appointment of Administrative Trustees................................................54
ARTICLE IX. Termination, Liquidation and Merger ........................................................55
Section 9.1. Dissolution Upon Expiration Date......................................................55
Section 9.2. Early Termination.....................................................................55
Section 9.3. Termination...........................................................................56
Section 9.4. Liquidation...........................................................................56
Section 9.5. Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations or Replacements of Issuer Trust................57
Section 9.6. Exchange of Preferred Securities for Debentures by Depositor Affiliated Holder........58
ARTICLE X. Miscellaneous Provisions ....................................................................59
Section 10.1. Limitation of Rights of Holders.......................................................59
Section 10.2. Amendment.............................................................................59
Section 10.3. Separability..........................................................................61
Section 10.4. Governing Law.........................................................................61
Section 10.5. Payments Due on Non-Business Day......................................................61
Section 10.6. Successors............................................................................62
Section 10.7. Headings..............................................................................62
Section 10.8. Reports, Notices and Demands..........................................................62
Section 10.9. Agreement Not to Petition.............................................................63
Section 10.10. Trust Indenture Act; Conflict with Trust Indenture Act................................63
Section 10.11. Acceptance of Terms of Trust Agreement, Guarantee Agreement and Indenture.............63
Section 10.12. Counterparts..........................................................................64
Exhibit A Certificate of Trust
Exhibit B Form of Common Securities Certificate
Exhibit C Form of Expense Agreement
Exhibit D Form of Preferred Securities Certificate
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AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT, dated as of May 31, 2002, among
(i) Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation
(including any successors or assigns, the "DEPOSITOR"), (ii) State Street
Bank and Trust Company, a Massachusetts trust company, as property trustee
(in such capacity, and not in its individual corporate capacity, the
"PROPERTY TRUSTEE"; and, in its separate corporate capacity and not in its
capacity as Property Trustee, the "BANK"), (iii) Christiana Bank & Trust
Company, a Delaware banking corporation, as Delaware trustee (in such
capacity, the "DELAWARE TRUSTEE"), (iv) Kevin G. Champagne, an individual,
and Francis S. Mascianica, Jr., an individual, each of whose address is c/o
Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, One Compass Place, New Bedford,
Massachusetts 02740 (each an "ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEE" and collectively the
"ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES") (the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee and
the Administrative Trustees being referred to collectively as the "ISSUER
TRUSTEES"), and (v) the several Holders, as hereinafter defined.
WITNESSETH
WHEREAS, the Depositor and certain Regular Trustees have heretofore duly
declared and established a business trust pursuant to the Delaware Business
Trust Act by entering into a Trust Agreement, dated as of APRIL 9, 2002 (the
"ORIGINAL TRUST AGREEMENT"), and by the filing with the Secretary of State of
the State of Delaware of the Certificate of Trust, filed on APRIL 9, 2002,
attached as Exhibit A;
WHEREAS, the Regular Trustees under the Original Trust Agreement are from
here on called "Administrative Trustees"; and
WHEREAS, the parties hereto desire to amend and restate the Original Trust
Agreement in its entirety as set forth herein to provide for, among other
things, (i) the issuance of the Common Securities by the Issuer Trust to the
Depositor, (ii) the issuance and sale of the Preferred Securities by the Issuer
Trust pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement, (iii) the acquisition by the
Issuer Trust from the Depositor of all of the right, title and interest in the
Debentures, and (iv) the appointment of the Issuer Trustees;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the agreements and obligations set
forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, each party, for the benefit of the
other parties and for the benefit of the Holders, hereby amends and restates the
Original Trust Agreement in its entirety and agrees as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINED TERMS
Section 1.1. DEFINITIONS.
For all purposes of this Trust Agreement, except as otherwise expressly
provided or unless the context otherwise requires:
(a) The terms defined in this Article have the meanings assigned to them in
this Article, and include the plural as well as the singular;
(b) All other terms used herein that are defined in the Trust Indenture
Act, either directly or by reference therein, have the meanings assigned to them
therein;
(c) The words "include", "includes" and "including" shall be deemed to be
followed by the phrase "without limitation";
(d) All accounting terms used but not defined herein have the meanings
assigned to them in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting
principles;
(e) Unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an "Article", a
"Section" or an "Exhibit" refers to an Article, a Section or an Exhibit, as the
case may be, of or to this Trust Agreement; and
(f) The words "hereby", "herein", "hereof" and "hereunder" and other words
of similar import refer to this Trust Agreement as a whole and not to any
particular Article, Section or other subdivision.
"ACT" has the meaning specified in Section 6.8.
"ADDITIONAL AMOUNT" means, with respect to Trust Securities of a given
Liquidation Amount and/or a given period, the amount of Additional Interest (as
defined in the Indenture) paid by the Depositor on a Like Amount of Debentures
for such period.
"ADDITIONAL SUMS" has the meaning specified in Section 10.6 of the
Indenture.
"ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEE" means each Person appointed in accordance with
Section 8.20 solely in such Person's capacity as Administrative Trustee of the
Issuer Trust and not in such Person's individual capacity, or any successor
trustee appointed as herein provided.
"AFFILIATE" of any specified Person means any other Person directly or
indirectly controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common
control with such specified Person. For the purposes of this definition,
"control" when used with respect to any specified Person means the power to
direct the management and policies of such Person, directly or indirectly,
whether through the ownership of voting securities, by contract or otherwise;
and the terms "controlling" and "controlled" have meanings correlative to the
foregoing.
"APPLICABLE PROCEDURES" means, with respect to any transfer or transaction
involving a Book-Entry Preferred Security, the rules and procedures of the
Clearing Agency for such Book-Entry Preferred Security, in each case to the
extent applicable to such transaction and as in effect from time to time.
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"BANK" has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Trust Agreement.
"BANKRUPTCY EVENT" means, with respect to any Person:
(a) the entry of a decree or order by a court having jurisdiction in the
premises judging such Person a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as properly
filed a petition seeking reorganization, arrangement, adjudication or
composition of or in respect of such Person under any applicable Federal or
State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or appointing
a receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or other similar
official) of such Person or of any substantial part of its property or ordering
the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and the continuance of any such
decree or order unstayed and in effect for a period of 60 consecutive days; or
(b) the institution by such Person of proceedings to be adjudicated a
bankrupt or insolvent, or the consent by it to the institution of bankruptcy or
insolvency proceedings against it, or the filing by it of a petition or answer
or consent seeking reorganization or relief under any applicable Federal or
State bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization or other similar law, or the
consent by it to the filing of any such petition or to the appointment of a
receiver, liquidator, assignee, trustee, sequestrator (or similar official) of
such Person or of any substantial part of its property, or the making by it of
an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the admission by it in writing of
its inability to pay its debts generally as they become due and its willingness
to be adjudicated a bankrupt, or the taking of corporate action by such Person
in furtherance of any such action.
"BANKRUPTCY LAWS" has the meaning specified in Section 10.9.
"BOARD OF DIRECTORS" means the board of directors of the Depositor or the
Executive Committee of the board of directors of the Depositor (or any other
committee of the board of directors of the Depositor performing similar
functions) or a committee designated by the board of directors of the Depositor
(or any such committee), comprised of two or more members of the board of
directors of the Depositor or officers of the Depositor, or both.
"BOARD RESOLUTION" means a copy of a resolution certified by the Secretary
or an Assistant Secretary of the Depositor to have been duly adopted by the
Depositor's Board of Directors, or officers of the Depositor to which authority
to act on behalf of the Board of Directors has been delegated and to be in full
force and effect on the date of such certification, and delivered to the Issuer
Trustees.
"BOOK-ENTRY PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE" means a Preferred Securities
Certificate evidencing ownership of Book-Entry Preferred Securities issued in
global, fully registered form to the Clearing Agency or its nominee in
accordance with Section 5.4.
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"BOOK-ENTRY PREFERRED SECURITY" means a Preferred Security, the ownership
and transfers of which shall be made through book entries by a Clearing Agency
as described in Section 5.4.
"BUSINESS DAY" means a day other than (a) a Saturday or Sunday, (b) a day
on which banking institutions in Boston, Massachusetts are authorized or
required by law or executive order to remain closed, or (c) a day on which the
Property Trustee's Corporate Trust Office or the Corporate Trust Office of the
Debenture Trustee is closed for business.
"CERTIFICATE DEPOSITORY AGREEMENT" means the agreement among the Issuer
Trust, the Depositor and DTC, as the same may be amended and supplemented from
time to time.
"CLEARING AGENCY" means an organization registered as a "clearing agency"
pursuant to Section 17A of the Exchange Act. DTC will be the initial Clearing
Agency.
"CLEARING AGENCY PARTICIPANT" means a broker, dealer, bank, other financial
institution or other Person for whom from time to time a Clearing Agency effects
book-entry transfers and pledges of securities deposited with the Clearing
Agency.
"CLOSING DATE" means the Time of Delivery, which date is also the date of
execution and delivery of this Trust Agreement.
"CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
"COMMISSION" means the Securities and Exchange Commission, as from time to
time constituted, created under the Exchange Act or, if at any time after the
execution of this instrument such Securities and Exchange Commission is not
existing and performing the duties now assigned to it under the Trust Indenture
Act, then the body performing such duties at such time.
"COMMON SECURITIES CERTIFICATE" means a certificate evidencing ownership of
Common Securities, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B.
"COMMON SECURITY" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets of
the Issuer Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $25 and having the rights
provided therefor in this Trust Agreement, including the right to receive
Distributions and a Liquidation Distribution to the extent provided herein.
"CORPORATE TRUST OFFICE" means (i) when used with respect to the Property
Trustee, the principal office of the Property Trustee at which any time its
corporate trust business shall be administered (which on the date hereof is
initially located in Boston, Massachusetts), and (ii) when used with respect to
the Debenture Trustee, the principal office of the Debenture Trustee at which
any time its corporate trust business shall be administered (which on the date
hereof is initially located in Boston, Massachusetts).
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"DEBENTURE EVENT OF DEFAULT" means any "Event of Default" specified in
Section 5.1 of the Indenture.
"DEBENTURE REDEMPTION DATE" means, with respect to any Debentures to be
redeemed under the Indenture, the date fixed for redemption of such Debentures
under the Indenture.
"DEBENTURE TAX EVENT" means a "TAX EVENT" as defined in the Indenture.
"DEBENTURE TRUSTEE" means the Person identified as the "Trustee" in the
Indenture, solely in its capacity as Trustee pursuant to the Indenture and not
in its individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such capacity, or
any successor Trustee appointed as provided in the Indenture.
"DEBENTURES" means the Depositor's 8.50% Junior Subordinated Deferrable
Interest Debentures, issued pursuant to the Indenture.
"DEFINITIVE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATES" means Preferred Securities
Certificates issued in certificated, fully registered form as provided in
Section 5.2, 5.4 or 5.5.
"DELAWARE BUSINESS TRUST ACT" means Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the
Delaware Code, 12 DEL. CODE Section 3801 et seq., or any successor statute
thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"DELAWARE TRUSTEE" means the Person identified as such in the preamble to
this Trust Agreement, solely in its capacity as Delaware Trustee of the Trust
and not in its individual capacity, or its successor in interest in such
capacity, or any successor Delaware trustee appointed as herein provided.
"DEPOSITOR" has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"DEPOSITOR AFFILIATED HOLDER" has the meaning specified in Section 9.6.
"DISTRIBUTION DATE" has the meaning specified in Section 4.1(a).
"DISTRIBUTIONS" means amounts payable in respect of the Trust Securities as
provided in Section 4.1.
"DTC" means The Depository Trust Company.
"EARLY TERMINATION EVENT" has the meaning specified in Section 9.2.
"EVENT OF DEFAULT" means any one of the following events (whatever the
reason for such event and whether it shall be voluntary or involuntary or be
effected by operation of law or pursuant to any judgment, decree or order of any
court or any order, rule or regulation of any administrative or governmental
body):
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(a) the occurrence of a Debenture Event of Default; or
(b) default by the Issuer Trust in the payment of any Distribution when
it becomes due and payable, and continuation of such default for a
period of 30 days; or
(c) default by the Issuer Trust in the payment of any Redemption Price
of any Trust Security when it becomes due and payable; or (d) default
in the performance, or breach, in any material respect, of any covenant
or warranty of the Issuer Trustees in this Trust Agreement (other than
those specified in clause (b) or (c) above) and continuation of such
default or breach for a period of 60 days after there has been given,
by registered or certified mail, to the Issuer Trustees and to the
Depositor by the Holders of at least 25% in aggregate Liquidation
Amount of the Outstanding Preferred Securities a written notice
specifying such default or breach and requiring it to be remedied and
stating that such notice is a "NOTICE OF DEFAULT" hereunder; or
(e) the occurrence of a Bankruptcy Event with respect to the Property
Trustee if a successor Property Trustee has not been appointed within
90 days thereof.
"EXCHANGE ACT" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and any successor
statute thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"EXPENSE AGREEMENT" means the Agreement as to Expenses and Liabilities,
dated as of the Closing Date, between the Depositor, in its capacity as holder
of the Common Securities, and the Issuer Trust, substantially in the form
attached as Exhibit C, as amended from time to time.
"EXPIRATION DATE" has the meaning specified in Section 9.1.
"GUARANTEE AGREEMENT" means the Guarantee Agreement, dated as of the date
hereof, executed and delivered by the Depositor and State Street Bank and Trust
Company, as guarantee trustee, contemporaneously with the execution and delivery
of this Trust Agreement, for the benefit of the holders of the Preferred
Securities, as amended from time to time.
"HOLDER" means a Person in whose name a Trust Security or Trust Securities
are registered in the Securities Register; any such Person shall be a beneficial
owner within the meaning of the Delaware Business Trust Act.
"INDENTURE" means the Junior Subordinated Indenture, dated as of May 31,
2002, between the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee, as trustee, as amended
or supplemented from time to time.
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"INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT" means the Investment Company Act of 1940, or any
successor statute thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"ISSUER TRUST" means the Delaware business trust known as "Seacoast Capital
Trust I" which was formed on April 9, 2002 under the Delaware Business Trust Act
pursuant to the Original Trust Agreement and the filing of the Certificate of
Trust, and continued pursuant to this Trust Agreement.
"ISSUER TRUSTEES" has the meaning specified in the preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"LIEN" means any lien, pledge, charge, encumbrance, mortgage, deed of
trust, adverse ownership interest, hypothecation, assignment, security interest
or preference, priority or other security agreement or preferential arrangement
of any kind or nature whatsoever.
"LIKE AMOUNT" means (a) with respect to a redemption of any Trust
Securities, Trust Securities having a Liquidation Amount equal to the principal
amount of Debentures to be contemporaneously repaid or redeemed in accordance
with the Indenture, the proceeds of which will be used to pay the Redemption
Price of such Trust Securities, (b) with respect to a distribution of Debentures
to Holders of Trust Securities in connection with a dissolution or liquidation
of the Issuer Trust, Debentures having a principal amount equal to the
Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities of the Holder to whom such Debentures
are distributed, and (c) with respect to any distribution of Additional Amounts
to Holders of Trust Securities, Debentures having a principal amount equal to
the Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities in respect of which such
distribution is made.
"LIQUIDATION AMOUNT" means, with respect to any Trust Security, the stated
amount of $25 per Trust Security.
"LIQUIDATION DATE" means the date of the dissolution, winding-up or
termination of the Issuer Trust pursuant to Section 9.4.
"LIQUIDATION DISTRIBUTION" has the meaning specified in Section 9.4(d).
"MAJORITY IN LIQUIDATION AMOUNT OF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES" or "Majority
in Liquidation Amount of the Common Securities" means, except as provided by the
Trust Indenture Act, Preferred Securities or Common Securities, as the case may
be, representing more than 50% of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of all then
Outstanding Preferred Securities or Common Securities, as the case may be.
"OFFICERS' CERTIFICATE" means a certificate signed by the Chairman of the
Board, a Vice Chairman of the Board, the President or a Vice President, and by
the Treasurer, an Assistant Treasurer, the Secretary or an Assistant Secretary,
of the Depositor, and delivered to the Issuer Trustees. Any Officers'
Certificate delivered with respect to
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compliance with a condition or covenant provided for in this Trust Agreement
shall include:
(a) a statement by each officer signing the Officers' Certificate that
such officer has read the covenant or condition and the definitions
relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination or
investigation undertaken by such officer in rendering the Officers'
Certificate;
(c) a statement that 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
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of such officer, such
condition or covenant has been complied with.
"OPINION OF COUNSEL" means a written opinion of counsel, who may be (but is
not required to be) counsel for or an employee of the Depositor or any Affiliate
of the Depositor.
"OPTION CLOSING DATE" has the meaning specified in Section 2(a) of the
Underwriting Agreement.
"ORIGINAL TRUST AGREEMENT" has the meaning specified in the recitals to
this Trust Agreement.
"OUTSTANDING", when used with respect to Trust Securities, means, as of the
date of determination, all Trust Securities theretofore executed and delivered
under this Trust Agreement, except:
(a) Trust Securities theretofore canceled by the Property Trustee or
delivered to the Property Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Trust Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the
necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Property
Trustee or any Paying Agent; provided that, if such Trust Securities
are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been duly given
pursuant to this Trust Agreement; and
(c) Trust Securities that have been paid or in exchange for or in lieu
of which other Trust Securities have been executed and delivered
pursuant to Sections 5.4, 5.5, 5.6 and 5.11;
PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in determining whether the Holders of the requisite
Liquidation Amount of the Outstanding Preferred Securities have given any
request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver hereunder,
Preferred Securities owned
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by the Depositor, any Issuer Trustee or any Affiliate of the Depositor or of any
Issuer Trustee shall be disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except
that (a) in determining whether any Issuer Trustee shall be protected in relying
upon any such request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent or
waiver, only Preferred Securities that such Issuer Trustee knows to be so owned
shall be so disregarded, and (b) the foregoing clause (a) shall not apply at any
time when all of the Outstanding Preferred Securities are owned by the
Depositor, one or more of the Issuer Trustees and/or any such Affiliate.
Preferred Securities so owned that have been pledged in good faith may be
regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the satisfaction of the
Administrative Trustees (who, in turn, notify the other Issuer Trustees in
writing) the pledgee's right so to act with respect to such Preferred Securities
and that the pledgee is not the Depositor or any Affiliate of the Depositor.
Upon the written request of an Administrative Trustee or the Securities
Registrar, the Depositor and any Issuer Trustee, as the as the case may be,
shall furnish to the Administrative Trustee or Securities Registrar, as the case
may be, promptly an Officers' Certificate listing and identifying all Trust
Securities, if any, know by the Depositor or such Issuer Trustee, as the case
may be, to be owned or held by or for the account of the Depositor or such
Issuer Trustee, as the case may be, or any other obligor on the Trust Securities
or any Affiliate of the Depositor or such Issuer Trustee, as the case may be, or
such obligor, and such Administrative Trustee or Securities Registrar, as the
case may be, shall be entitle to accept such Officers' Certificate as conclusive
evidence of the facts therein set forth and of the fact that all Trust
Securities not listed therein are Outstanding for the purpose of any such
determination.
"OWNER" means each Person who is the beneficial owner of Book-Entry
Preferred Securities as reflected in the records of the Clearing Agency or, if a
Clearing Agency Participant is not the Owner, then as reflected in the records
of a Person maintaining an account with such Clearing Agency (directly or
indirectly, in accordance with the rules of such Clearing Agency).
"PAYING AGENT" means any paying agent or co-paying agent appointed pursuant
to Section 5.10 and shall initially be State Street Bank and Trust Company.
"PAYMENT ACCOUNT" means a segregated non-interest-bearing corporate trust
account maintained by the Property Trustee in its corporate trust department for
the benefit of the Holders in which all amounts paid in respect of the
Debentures will be held and from which the Property Trustee, through a Paying
Agent, shall make payments to the Holders in accordance with Sections 4.1 and
4.2.
"PERSON" means a legal person, including any individual, corporation,
estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock company, company,
limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or government or
any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity of whatever
nature.
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"PREFERRED SECURITY" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets
of the Issuer Trust, having a Liquidation Amount of $25 and having the rights
provided therefor in this Trust Agreement, including the right to receive
Distributions and a Liquidation Distribution to the extent provided herein.
"PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE" means a certificate evidencing ownership
of Trust Securities, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit D.
"PROPERTY TRUSTEE" means the Person identified as the "PROPERTY TRUSTEE" in
the preamble to this Trust Agreement, solely in its capacity as Property Trustee
of the Trust and not in its individual capacity, or its successor in interest in
such capacity, or any successor property trustee appointed as herein provided.
"REDEMPTION DATE" means, with respect to any Trust Security to be redeemed,
the date fixed for such redemption by or pursuant to this Trust Agreement;
PROVIDED that each Debenture Redemption Date and the Maturity (as defined in the
Indenture) of the Debentures shall be a Redemption Date for a Like Amount of
Trust Securities.
"REDEMPTION PRICE" means, with respect to any Trust Security, the
Liquidation Amount of such Trust Security, plus accumulated and unpaid
Distributions to the Redemption Date.
"RELEVANT TRUSTEE" has the meaning specified in Section 8.10.
"RESPONSIBLE OFFICER", when used with respect to the Property Trustee,
means the chairman or any vice-chairman of the board of directors, the chairman
or any vice-chairman of the executive committee of the board of directors, the
chairman of the trust committee, the president, any vice president, the
secretary, any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer, the
cashier, any assistant cashier, any trust officer or assistant trust officer,
the controller or any assistant controller or any other officer of the Property
Trustee customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of
the above designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular
corporate trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred
because of his knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"SECURITIES ACT" means the Securities Act of 1933 and any successor statute
thereto, in each case as amended from time to time.
"SECURITIES CERTIFICATE" means any one of the Common Securities
Certificates or the Preferred Securities Certificates.
"SECURITIES REGISTER" and "SECURITIES REGISTRAR" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 5.5.
"SUCCESSOR PREFERRED SECURITIES" of any particular Preferred Securities
Certificate means every Preferred Securities Certificate issued after, and
evidencing all or a portion
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of the same beneficial interest in the Issuer Trust as that evidenced by, such
particular Preferred Securities Certificate; and, for the purposes of this
definition, any Preferred Securities Certificate executed and delivered under
Section 5.6 in exchange for or in lieu of a mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
Preferred Securities Certificate shall be deemed to evidence the same beneficial
interest in the Issuer Trust as the mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen
Preferred Securities Certificate.
"SUCCESSOR SECURITIES" has the meaning specified in Section 9.5.
"TIME OF DELIVERY" shall mean the "Closing Time" as defined in the
Underwriting Agreement.
"TRUST AGREEMENT" means this Amended and Restated Trust Agreement, as the
same may be modified, amended or supplemented in accordance with the applicable
provisions hereof, including (i) all exhibits, and (ii) for all purposes of this
Trust Agreement and any such modification, amendment or supplement, the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are deemed to be a part of and govern
this Trust Agreement and any such modification, amendment or supplement,
respectively.
"TRUST INDENTURE ACT" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 as in force at
the date as of which this instrument was executed; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if
the Trust Indenture Act of 1939 is amended after such date, "Trust Indenture
Act" means, to the extent required by any such amendment, the Trust Indenture
Act of 1939 as so amended.
"TRUST PROPERTY" means (a) the Debentures, (b) any cash on deposit in, or
owing to, the Payment Account, and (c) all proceeds and rights in respect of the
foregoing and any other property and assets for the time being held or deemed to
be held by the Property Trustee pursuant to the trusts of this Trust Agreement.
"TRUST SECURITY" means any one of the Common Securities or the Preferred
Securities.
"UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT" means the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of
May 28, 2002, among the Issuer Trust, the Depositor and the representatives
of the several underwriters named therein.
"VICE PRESIDENT," when used with respect to the Depositor, means any duly
appointed vice president, whether or not designated by a number or a word or
words added before or after the title "vice president."
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ARTICLE II.
CONTINUATION OF THE ISSUER TRUST
Section 2.1. NAME.
The trust continued hereby shall be known as "Seacoast Capital Trust I", as
such name may be modified from time to time by the Administrative Trustees
following written notice to the Holders of Trust Securities and the other Issuer
Trustees, in which name the Issuer Trustees may conduct the business of the
Issuer Trust, make and execute contracts and other instruments on behalf of the
Issuer Trust and sue and be sued.
Section 2.2. ORGANIZATIONAL NUMBER; OFFICE OF THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE;
PRINCIPAL PLACE OF BUSINESS.
The organizational number assigned to the Issuer Trust by the Delaware
Secretary of State upon filing of the Original Trust Agreement is 3511984. The
address of the Delaware Trustee in the State of Delaware is Christiana Bank &
Trust Company, 1314 King Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801, Attention:
Corporate Trust Department, or such other address in the State of Delaware as
the Delaware Trustee may designate by written notice to the Depositor, the
Property Trustee and the Administrative Trustees. The principal executive office
of the Issuer Trust is c/o Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, One Compass
Place, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740, Attention: Secretary.
Section 2.3. INITIAL CONTRIBUTION OF TRUST PROPERTY; ORGANIZATIONAL
EXPENSES.
The Issuer Trustees acknowledge receipt from the Depositor in connection
with the Original Trust Agreement of the sum of $10, which constituted the
initial Trust Property. The Depositor shall pay organizational expenses of the
Issuer Trust as they arise or shall, upon request of any Issuer Trustee,
promptly reimburse such Issuer Trustee for any such expenses paid by such Issuer
Trustee. The Depositor shall make no claim upon the Trust Property for the
payment of such expenses.
Section 2.4. ISSUANCE OF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES.
The Depositor, both on its own behalf and on behalf of the Issuer Trust
pursuant to the Original Trust Agreement, executed and delivered the
Underwriting Agreement. Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of
this Trust Agreement, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer Trust,
shall manually execute in accordance with Sections 5.2 and 5.3 and the Property
Trustee shall deliver to the underwriters pursuant to the Underwriting
Agreement, Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificates, registered in the name
of the nominee of the initial Clearing Agency, evidencing an aggregate of
2,000,000 Preferred Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of
$50,000,000, against receipt by the Property Trustee of the aggregate purchase
price of such Preferred Securities of $50,000,000. If and to the extent
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that the underwriters exercise their option under the Underwriting Agreement to
purchase up to 300,000 additional Preferred Securities having an aggregate
Liquidation Amount of up to $7,500,000, then an Administrative Trustee, on
behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall manually execute in accordance with Sections
5.2 and 5.3 and the Property Trustee, pursuant to written instructions from an
Administrative Trustee, shall deliver to the underwriters pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement, Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificates, registered
in the name of the nominee of the initial Clearing Agency, evidencing the
aggregate number of Preferred Securities being purchased pursuant to such option
(as set forth in such instruction), against receipt by the Property Trustee of
the aggregate purchase price of such Preferred Securities equal to the aggregate
Liquidation Amount of such Preferred Securities plus any accumulated
distributions thereon from May 31, 2002 to the date of such delivery and
payment.
Section 2.5. ISSUANCE OF THE COMMON SECURITIES; SUBSCRIPTION AND PURCHASE
OF DEBENTURES.
(a) Contemporaneously with the execution and delivery of this Trust
Agreement, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall
manually execute in accordance with Sections 5.2 and 5.3 Common Securities
Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, evidencing an aggregate
of 61,856 Common Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of
$1,546,400. Contemporaneously therewith, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of
the Issuer Trust, shall subscribe for and purchase from the Depositor, and cause
to be delivered to the Property Trustee, Debentures, registered in the name of
the Property Trustee on behalf of the Issuer Trust and having an aggregate
principal amount equal to $51,546,400, and, in satisfaction of the purchase
price for such Debentures, the Property Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer Trust,
shall, pursuant to written instructions from an Administrative Trustee, deliver
to the Depositor the sum of $50,000,000 and the Common Securities referred to in
the previous sentence.
(b) If and to the extent that the underwriters exercise their option under
the Underwriting Agreement to purchase up to 300,000 additional Preferred
Securities, then contemporaneously with the delivery of the Book-Entry Preferred
Securities Certificates evidencing such Preferred Securities pursuant to the
last sentence of Section 2.4, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, shall manually execute in accordance with Sections 5.2 and 5.3 Common
Securities Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, evidencing an
aggregate number of Common Securities equal to the smallest number of Common
Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount that (i) is an integral
multiple of $1,000 and (ii) when added to the aggregate Liquidation Amount of
the Common Securities issued pursuant to Section 2.5(a), is equal to or greater
than 3% of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of all Trust Securities issued
pursuant to Section 2.4, Section 2.5(a) and this Section 2.5(b)
Contemporaneously therewith, an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, shall subscribe for and purchase from the Depositor, and shall cause to
be delivered to the Property Trustee, Debentures, registered in the name of the
Property Trustee on behalf of the Issuer Trust and having an aggregate principal
amount equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount
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of all Trust Securities issued pursuant to the last sentence of Section 2.4 and
the first sentence of this Section 2.5(b), and in satisfaction of the purchase
price for such Debentures, the Property Trustee, on behalf of the Issuer Trust,
shall, pursuant to written instructions from an Administrative Trustee, deliver
to the Depositor the amount received by the Property Trustee pursuant to the
last sentence of Section 2.4 and the Common Securities referred to in the first
sentence of this Section 2.5(b).
Section 2.6. CONTINUATION OF TRUST.
The exclusive purposes and functions of the Issuer Trust are (a) to issue
and sell Trust Securities and use the proceeds from such sale to acquire the
Debentures, and (b) to engage in only those activities necessary or incidental
thereto. The Depositor hereby reaffirms the appointment of the Property Trustee
and the Delaware Trustee and appoints the Administrative Trustees as trustees of
the Issuer Trust, to have all the rights, powers and duties to the extent set
forth herein, and the respective Issuer Trustees hereby accept such appointment.
The Property Trustee hereby declares that it will hold the Trust Property upon
and subject to the conditions set forth herein for the benefit of the Issuer
Trust and the Holders. The Administrative Trustees shall have all rights, powers
and duties set forth herein and in accordance with applicable law with respect
to accomplishing the purposes of the Issuer Trust. The Delaware Trustee shall
not be entitled to exercise any powers, nor shall the Delaware Trustee have any
of the duties and responsibilities, of the Issuer Trustees specified in this
Trust Agreement, except as mandated by the Delaware Business Trust Act. The
Delaware Trustee shall be one of the trustees of the Issuer Trust for the sole
and limited purpose of fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807(a) of the
Delaware Business Trust Act and for taking such actions as are required to be
taken by a Delaware trustee under the Delaware Business Trust Act.
Section 2.7. AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.
(a) The Issuer Trustees shall conduct the affairs of the Issuer Trust in
accordance with the terms of this Trust Agreement. Subject to the limitations
set forth in paragraph (b) of this Section 2.7, and in accordance with the
following provisions (i) and (ii), the Issuer Trustees shall have the authority
to enter into all transactions and agreements determined by the Issuer Trustees
to be appropriate in exercising the authority, express or implied, otherwise
granted to the Issuer Trustees under this Trust Agreement, and to perform all
acts in furtherance thereof, including, without limitation, the following:
(i) Each Administrative Trustee shall have the power and authority to
act on behalf of the Issuer Trust with respect to the following matters:
(A) the issuance and sale of the Trust Securities;
(B) to cause the Issuer Trust to enter into, and to execute,
deliver and perform on behalf of the Issuer Trust, the Expense
Agreement and the Certificate Depository Agreement and such other
agreements as may be
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necessary or desirable in connection with the purposes and function of
the Issuer Trust;
(C) assisting in the registration of the Preferred Securities
under the Securities Act, and under applicable state securities or
blue sky laws and the qualification of this Trust Agreement as a trust
indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;
(D) assisting in obtaining the listing of the Preferred
Securities upon the Nasdaq National Market or such other interdealer
quotation system or self-regulatory organization as shall be
determined by the Depositor, with the registration of the Preferred
Securities under the Exchange Act and with the preparation and filing
of all periodic and other reports and other documents pursuant to the
foregoing;
(E) assisting in the sending of notices (other than notices of
default) and other information regarding the Trust Securities and the
Debentures to the Holders in accordance with this Trust Agreement;
(F) the consent to the appointment or removal of a Paying Agent,
authenticating agent and Securities Registrar in accordance with this
Trust Agreement (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld);
(G) execution of the Trust Securities on behalf of the Issuer
Trust in accordance with this Trust Agreement;
(H) execution and delivery of closing certificates, if any,
pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement and application for a taxpayer
identification number for the Issuer Trust;
(I) unless otherwise required by the Delaware Business Trust Act
or the Trust Indenture Act, to execute on behalf of the Issuer Trust
(either acting alone or together with any or all of the Administrative
Trustees) any documents that the Administrative Trustees have the
power to execute pursuant to this Trust Agreement;
(J) the establishment of a record date for any of the purposes
contemplated by Section 6.7 hereof;
(K) duly prepare and file all applicable tax return and tax
information reports that are required to be filed with respect to the
Issuer Trust on behalf of the Issuer Trust; and
(L) the taking of any action incidental to the foregoing as the
Issuer Trustees may from time to time determine is necessary or
advisable to give effect to the terms of this Trust Agreement.
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(ii) The Property Trustee shall have the power, duty and authority to
act on behalf of the Issuer Trust with respect to the following matters:
(A) the establishment of the Payment Account;
(B) the receipt of the Debentures;
(C) the collection of interest, principal and any other payments
made in respect of the Debentures and the holding of such amounts in
the Payment Account;
(D) the distribution through any Paying Agent of amounts
distributable to the Holders in respect of the Trust Securities;
(E) the exercise of all of the rights, powers and privileges of a
holder of the Debentures;
(F) the sending of notices of default and other information
regarding the Trust Securities and the Debentures to the Holders in
accordance with this Trust Agreement;
(G) the distribution of the Trust Property in accordance with the
terms of this Trust Agreement;
(H) to the extent provided in this Trust Agreement, the winding
up of the affairs of and liquidation of the Issuer Trust and the
preparation, execution and filing of the certificate of cancellation
with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware;
(I) after an Event of Default (other than under paragraph (b),
(c), (d) or (e) of the definition of such term if such Event of
Default is by or with respect to the Property Trustee) the taking of
any action incidental to the foregoing as the Property Trustee may
from time to time determine is necessary or advisable to give effect
to the terms of this Trust Agreement and protect and conserve the
Trust Property for the benefit of the Holders (without consideration
of the effect of any such action on any particular Holder).
(b) So long as this Trust Agreement remains in effect, the Issuer Trust (or
the Issuer Trustees acting on behalf of the Issuer Trust) shall not undertake
any business, activities or transaction except as expressly provided herein or
contemplated hereby. In particular, the Issuer Trustees (acting on behalf of the
Issuer Trust) shall not (i) acquire any investments or engage in any activities
not authorized by this Trust Agreement, (ii) sell, assign, transfer, exchange,
mortgage, pledge, set-off or otherwise dispose of any of the Trust Property or
interests therein, including to Holders, except as expressly provided herein,
(iii) take any action that would reasonably be expected to cause the Issuer
Trust to
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become taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for
United States Federal income tax purposes, (iv) incur any indebtedness for
borrowed money or issue any other debt, or (v) take or consent to any action
that would result in the placement of a Lien on any of the Trust Property. The
Administrative Trustees shall defend all claims and demands of all Persons at
any time claiming any Lien on any of the Trust Property adverse to the interest
of the Issuer Trust or the Holders in their capacity as Holders.
(c) In connection with the issue and sale of the Preferred Securities, the
Depositor shall have the right and responsibility to assist the Issuer Trust
with respect to, or effect on behalf of the Issuer Trust, the following (and any
actions taken by the Depositor in furtherance of the following prior to the date
of this Trust Agreement are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects):
(i) the preparation and filing by the Issuer Trust with the Commission
and the execution on behalf of the Issuer Trust of a registration statement
on the appropriate form in relation to the Preferred Securities, including
any amendments thereto and the taking of any action necessary or desirable
to sell the Preferred Securities in a transaction or a series of
transactions pursuant thereto;
(ii) the determination of the States or other jurisdictions, if any,
in which to take appropriate action to qualify or register for sale all or
part of the Preferred Securities and the determination of any and all such
acts, other than actions that must be taken by or on behalf of the Issuer
Trust, and the advice to the Issuer Trustees of actions they must take on
behalf of the Issuer Trust, and the preparation for execution and filing of
any documents to be executed and filed by the Issuer Trust or on behalf of
the Issuer Trust, as the Depositor deems necessary or advisable in order to
comply with the applicable laws of any such States in connection with the
sale of the Preferred Securities;
(iii) the preparation for filing by the Issuer Trust and execution on
behalf of the Issuer Trust of an application to the Nasdaq National Market
or any other national stock exchange for listing upon notice of issuance of
any Preferred Securities;
(iv) the preparation for filing by the Issuer Trust with the
Commission and the execution on behalf of the Issuer Trust of a
registration statement on Form 8-A relating to the registration of the
Preferred Securities under Section 12(b) or 12(g) of the Exchange Act,
including any amendments thereto;
(v) the negotiation of the terms of, and the execution and delivery
of, the Underwriting Agreement providing for the sale of the Preferred
Securities; and
(vi) the taking of any other actions necessary or desirable to carry
out any of the foregoing activities.
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(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Issuer Trustees
are authorized and directed to conduct the affairs of the Issuer Trust and to
operate the Issuer Trust so that the Issuer Trust will not be deemed to be an
"investment company" required to be registered under the Investment Company Act,
and will not be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor
trust for United States Federal income tax purposes and so that the Debentures
will be treated as indebtedness of the Depositor for United States Federal
income tax purposes. In this connection, each Administrative Trustee, the
Property Trustee and the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of
the Common Securities each are authorized to take any action, not inconsistent
with applicable law, the Certificate of Trust or this Trust Agreement, that any
such Administrative Trustee, the Property Trustee or Holders of Common
Securities determines in its discretion to be necessary or desirable for such
purposes, as long as such action does not adversely affect in any material
respect the interests of the Holders of the Outstanding Preferred Securities. In
no event shall the Issuer Trustees be liable to the Issuer Trust or the Holders
for any failure to comply with this section that results from a change in law or
regulation or in the interpretation thereof. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
nothing herein shall obligate the Property Trustee to take any action beyond
those expressly set forth in this Agreement, unless otherwise expressly
instructed by an Administrative Trustee for purposes of compliance with this
paragraph, subject, however, to the terms of this Agreement (including without
limitation Section 8.1(d)(vii) hereof).
Section 2.8. ASSETS OF TRUST.
The assets of the Issuer Trust shall consist of the Trust Property.
Section 2.9. TITLE TO TRUST PROPERTY.
Legal title to all Trust Property shall be vested at all times in the
Property Trustee (in its capacity as such) and shall be held and administered by
the Property Trustee in trust for the benefit of the Issuer Trust and the
Holders in accordance with this Trust Agreement.
Section 2.10. DELAWARE TRUSTEE.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Trust Agreement, the Delaware
Trustee shall not be entitled to exercise any powers, nor shall the Delaware
Trustee have any of the duties and responsibilities of the Administrative
Trustees or the Property Trustee described in this Trust Agreement, or any other
duties or responsibilities except as expressly stated in this Section; provided
that, the Delaware Trustee shall have the power and authority and is hereby
authorized to execute and file with the Secretary of State of the State of
Delaware any certificate required to be filed under the Delaware Business Trust
Act. The Delaware Trustee shall be a Trustee for the sole and limited purpose of
fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807(a) of the Delaware Business Trust
Act. Notwithstanding any other provision herein or elsewhere, the Delaware
Trustee shall have no liability to any Person for any act, omission or
obligation of the Trust or
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any Trustee except for liability to the Trust and the Holders for gross
negligence or willful misconduct.
ARTICLE III.
PAYMENT ACCOUNT
Section 3.1. PAYMENT ACCOUNT.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Property Trustee shall establish
the Payment Account. The Property Trustee and its agents shall have exclusive
control and sole right of withdrawal with respect to the Payment Account for the
purpose of making deposits in and withdrawals from the Payment Account in
accordance with this Trust Agreement. All monies and other property deposited or
held from time to time in the Payment Account shall be held by the Property
Trustee in the Payment Account for the exclusive benefit of the Holders and for
distribution as herein provided, including (and subject to) any priority of
payments provided for herein.
(b) The Property Trustee shall deposit in the Payment Account, promptly
upon receipt, all payments of principal of or interest on, and any other
payments or proceeds with respect to, the Debentures. Amounts held in the
Payment Account shall not be invested by the Property Trustee pending
distribution thereof.
ARTICLE IV.
DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
Section 4.1. DISTRIBUTIONS.
(a) The Trust Securities represent undivided beneficial interests in the
Trust Property, and Distributions (including any Additional Amounts) will be
made on the Trust Securities at the rate and on the dates that payments of
interest (including any Additional Interest, as defined in the Indenture) are
made on the Debentures. Accordingly:
(i) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be cumulative, and
shall accumulate whether or not there are funds of the Issuer Trust
available for the payment of Distributions. Distributions shall accumulate
from May 31, 2002, and, except in the event (and to the extent) that the
Depositor exercises its right to defer the payment of interest on the
Debentures pursuant to the Indenture, shall be payable quarterly in arrears
on March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 of each year, commencing
on May 31, 2002. If any date on which a Distribution is otherwise
payable on the Trust Securities is not a Business Day, then the payment of
such Distribution shall be made on the next succeeding day
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that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in
respect of any such delay), with the same force and effect as if made on
the date on which such payment was originally payable (each date on which
distributions are payable in accordance with this Section 4.1(a), a
"DISTRIBUTION DATE").
(ii) Distributions shall accumulate in respect of the Preferred
Securities at a rate of 8.50% per annum of the Liquidation Amount of the
Trust Securities. The amount of Distributions payable for any period less
than a full Distribution period shall be computed on the basis of a
360-day year of twelve 30-day months and the actual number of days
elapsed in a partial month in a period. Distributions payable for each
full Distribution period will be computed by dividing the rate per annum
by four. The amount of Distributions payable for any period shall
include any Additional Amounts in respect of such period.
(iii) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be made by the
Property Trustee from the Payment Account and shall be payable on each
Distribution Date only to the extent that the Issuer Trust has funds then
on hand and available in the Payment Account for the payment of such
Distributions.
(b) Distributions on the Trust Securities with respect to a Distribution
Date shall be payable to the Holders thereof as they appear on the Securities
Register for the Trust Securities at the close of business on the relevant
record date, which shall be at the close of business on the fifteenth day
immediately preceding the relevant Distribution Date.
Section 4.2. REDEMPTION.
(a) On each Debenture Redemption Date and on the Maturity (as defined in
the Indenture) of the Debentures, the Issuer Trust will be required to redeem a
Like Amount of Trust Securities at the Redemption Price.
(b) Notice of redemption shall be given by the Property Trustee by
first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days
prior to the Redemption Date to each Holder of Trust Securities to be redeemed,
at such Holder's address appearing in the Security Register. All notices of
redemption shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price or if the Redemption Price cannot be
calculated prior to the time the notice is required to be sent, the
estimate of the Redemption Price provided pursuant to (and as defined) in
the Indenture together with a statement that it is an estimate and that the
actual Redemption Price will be calculated on the third Business Day prior
to the Redemption Date (and if an estimate is provided, a further notice
shall be sent of the actual Redemption Price on the date that such
Redemption Price is calculated);
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(iii) the CUSIP number or CUSIP numbers of the Preferred Securities
affected;
(iv) if less than all the Outstanding Trust Securities are to be
redeemed, the identification and the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the
particular Trust Securities to be redeemed;
(v) that on the Redemption Date the Redemption Price will become due
and payable upon each such Trust Security to be redeemed and that
Distributions thereon will cease to accumulate on and after said date,
except as provided in Section 4.2(d) below; and
(vi) the place or places where the Trust Securities are to be
surrendered for the payment of the Redemption Price.
The Issuer Trust in issuing the Trust Securities may use "CUSIP" numbers
(if then generally in use), and, if so, the Property Trustee shall indicate the
"CUSIP" numbers of the Trust Securities in notices of redemption and related
materials as a convenience to Holders; PROVIDED that any such notice may state
that no representation is made as to the correctness of such numbers either as
printed on the Trust Securities or as contained in any notice of redemption and
related materials.
(c) The Trust Securities redeemed on each Redemption Date shall be redeemed
at the Redemption Price with the proceeds from the contemporaneous redemption of
Debentures. Redemptions of the Trust Securities shall be made and the Redemption
Price shall be payable on each Redemption Date only to the extent that the
Issuer Trust has funds then on hand and available in the Payment Account for the
payment of such Redemption Price.
(d) If the Property Trustee gives a notice of redemption in respect of any
Preferred Securities, then, by 12:00 noon, Boston time, on the Redemption Date,
subject to Section 4.2(c), the Property Trustee will, with respect to Book-Entry
Preferred Securities, irrevocably deposit with the Clearing Agency for such
Book-Entry Preferred Securities, to the extent available therefor, funds
sufficient to pay the applicable Redemption Price and will give such Clearing
Agency irrevocable instructions and authority to pay the Redemption Price to the
Holders of the Preferred Securities. With respect to Preferred Securities that
are not Book-Entry Preferred Securities, the Property Trustee, subject to
Section 4.2(c), will irrevocably deposit with the Paying Agent or Paying Agents,
to the extent available therefor, funds sufficient to pay the applicable
Redemption Price and will give the Paying Agent or Paying Agents irrevocable
instructions and authority to pay the Redemption Price to the Holders of the
Preferred Securities upon surrender of their Preferred Securities Certificates.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, Distributions payable on or prior to the
Redemption Date for any Trust Securities called for redemption shall be payable
to the Holders of such Trust Securities as they appear on the Securities
Register on the relevant record dates for the related Distribution Dates. If
notice of redemption shall have been given and funds deposited as
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required, then upon the date of such deposit, all rights of Holders holding
Trust Securities so called for redemption will cease, except the right of such
Holders to receive the Redemption Price and any Distribution payable in respect
of the Trust Securities on or prior to the Redemption Date, but without
interest, and such Securities will cease to be Outstanding. In the event that
any date on which any Redemption Price is payable is not a Business Day, then
payment of the Redemption Price payable on such date will be made on the next
succeeding day that is a Business Day (without any interest or other payment in
respect of any such delay), except that, if such Business Day falls in the next
calendar year, such payment will be made on the immediately preceding Business
Day, in each case, with the same force and effect as if made on such date. In
the event that payment of the Redemption Price in respect of any Trust
Securities called for redemption is improperly withheld or refused and not paid
either by the Issuer Trust or by the Depositor pursuant to the Guarantee
Agreement, Distributions on such Trust Securities will continue to accumulate,
as set forth in Section 4.1, from the Redemption Date originally established by
the Issuer Trust for such Trust Securities to the date such Redemption Price is
actually paid, in which case the actual payment date will be the date fixed for
redemption for purposes of calculating the Redemption Price.
(e) Subject to Section 4.3(a), if less than all the Outstanding Trust
Securities are to be redeemed on a Redemption Date, then the aggregate
Liquidation Amount of Trust Securities to be redeemed shall be allocated PRO
RATA to the Common Securities and the Preferred Securities based upon the
relative Liquidation Amounts of such classes. The particular Preferred
Securities to be redeemed shall be selected on a pro rata basis based upon their
respective Liquidation Amounts not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption
Date by the Property Trustee from the Outstanding Preferred Securities not
previously called for redemption; PROVIDED that so long as the Preferred
Securities are represented by one or more Book-Entry Preferred Securities
Certificates, such selection shall be made in accordance with the customary
procedures for the Clearing Agency for the Book-Entry Preferred Securities. The
Property Trustee shall promptly notify the Securities Registrar in writing of
the Preferred Securities selected for redemption and, in the case of any
Preferred Securities selected for partial redemption, the Liquidation Amount
thereof to be redeemed. For all purposes of this Trust Agreement, unless the
context otherwise requires, all provisions relating to the redemption of
Preferred Securities shall relate, in the case of any Preferred Securities
redeemed or to be redeemed only in part, to the portion of the aggregate
Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities that has been or is to be redeemed.
Section 4.3. SUBORDINATION OF COMMON SECURITIES.
(a) Payment of Distributions (including any Additional Amounts) on, the
Redemption Price of, and the Liquidation Distribution in respect of the Trust
Securities, as applicable, shall be made, subject to Section 4.2(e), PRO RATA
among the Common Securities and the Preferred Securities based on the
Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that if on any
Distribution Date, Redemption Date or Liquidation Date any Event of Default
resulting from a Debenture Event of Default shall
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have occurred and be continuing, no payment of any Distribution (including any
Additional Amounts) on, Redemption Price of, or Liquidation Distribution in
respect of any Common Security, and no other payment on account of the
redemption, liquidation or other acquisition of Common Securities, shall be made
unless payment in full in cash of all accumulated and unpaid Distributions
(including any Additional Amounts) on all Outstanding Preferred Securities for
all Distribution periods terminating on or prior thereto, or in the case of
payment of the Redemption Price the full amount of such Redemption Price on all
Outstanding Preferred Securities then called for redemption, or in the case of
payment of the Liquidation Distribution the full amount of such Liquidation
Distribution on all Outstanding Preferred Securities, shall have been made or
provided for, and all funds immediately available to the Property Trustee shall
first be applied to the payment in full in cash of all Distributions (including
any Additional Amounts) on, or the Redemption Price of, the Preferred Securities
then due and payable.
(b) In the case of the occurrence of any Event of Default resulting from
any Debenture Event of Default, the Holders of the Common Securities shall have
no right to act with respect to any such Event of Default under this Trust
Agreement until the effect of all such Events of Default with respect to the
Preferred Securities have been cured, waived or otherwise eliminated. Until all
such Events of Default under this Trust Agreement with respect to the Preferred
Securities have been so cured, waived or otherwise eliminated, the Property
Trustee shall act solely on behalf of the Holders of the Preferred Securities
and not on behalf of the Holder of all the Common Securities, and only the
Holders of the Preferred Securities will have the right to direct the Property
Trustee to act on their behalf.
Section 4.4. PAYMENT PROCEDURES.
Payments of Distributions (including any Additional Amounts) or of the
Redemption Price, Liquidation Amount or any other amounts in respect of the
Preferred Securities shall be made at the corporate trust office or at the
offices of any Paying Agent appointed by the Administrative Trustees; PROVIDED
that such payments may, at the option of the Administrative Trustees, be made by
check mailed to the address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall
appear on the Securities Register or by wire transfer or, if the Preferred
Securities are held by a Clearing Agency, such Distributions shall be made to
the Clearing Agency in immediately available funds pursuant to the Applicable
Procedures. Payments in respect of the Common Securities shall be made in such
manner as shall be mutually agreed between the Property Trustee and the Holder
of all the Common Securities.
Section 4.5. TAX RETURNS AND REPORTS.
The Administrative Trustees shall prepare (or cause to be prepared), at the
Depositor's expense, execute and file all United States Federal, state and local
tax and information returns and reports required to be filed by or in respect of
the Issuer Trust. In this regard, the Administrative Trustees shall (a) prepare,
execute and file (or cause to be
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prepared, executed and filed) all Internal Revenue Service forms required to be
filed in respect of the Issuer Trust in each taxable year of the Issuer Trust,
and (b) prepare, execute, and furnish (or cause to be prepared and furnished) to
each Holder all Internal Revenue Service forms required to be provided by the
Issuer Trust. The Administrative Trustees shall provide the Depositor and the
Property Trustee with a copy of all such returns and reports promptly after such
filing or furnishing. The Issuer Trustees shall comply with United States
Federal withholding and backup withholding tax laws and information reporting
requirements applicable to them with respect to any payments to Holders under
the Trust Securities.
Section 4.6. PAYMENT OF TAXES, DUTIES, ETC. OF THE ISSUER TRUST.
Upon receipt under the Debentures of Additional Sums in amount sufficient
therefor, the Property Trustee shall promptly pay any taxes, duties or
governmental charges of whatsoever nature (other than withholding taxes) imposed
on the Issuer Trust by the United States or any other taxing authority, of which
it has been informed by the Administrative Trustee pursuant to Section 4.5 (or
of which it is otherwise aware by notice of the applicable governmental taxing
authority).
Section 4.7. PAYMENTS UNDER INDENTURE OR PURSUANT TO DIRECT ACTIONS.
Any amount payable hereunder to any Holder of Preferred Securities (or any
Owner with respect thereto) shall be reduced by the amount of any corresponding
payment such Holder (or Owner) has directly received pursuant to Section 5.8 of
the Indenture or Section 5.13 of this Trust Agreement.
Section 4.8. LIABILITY OF THE HOLDER OF COMMON SECURITIES.
Any Holder of the Common Securities shall be liable for the debts and
obligations of the Issuer Trust in the manner and to the extent set forth with
respect to the Common Securityholder (as defined in the Expense Agreement) and
agrees that it shall be subject to all liabilities to which the Common
Securityholder may be subject, and shall make all payments that the Common
Securityholder is required to make, under the terms of the Expense Agreement.
ARTICLE V.
SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
Section 5.1. INITIAL OWNERSHIP.
Upon the formation of the Issuer Trust and the contribution by the
Depositor referred to in Section 2.3 and until the issuance of the Trust
Securities, and at any time during which no Trust Securities are Outstanding,
the Depositor shall be the sole beneficial owner of the Issuer Trust.
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Section 5.2. THE SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Preferred Securities Certificates shall be issued in minimum
denominations of $25 Liquidation Amount and integral multiples of $25 in excess
thereof, and the Common Securities Certificates shall be issued in denominations
of $25 Liquidation Amount and integral multiples thereof. The Securities
Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Issuer Trust by manual signature
of at least one Administrative Trustee. Securities Certificates bearing the
manual signatures of individuals who were, at the time when such signatures
shall have been affixed, authorized to sign on behalf of the Issuer Trust, shall
be validly issued and entitled to the benefits of this Trust Agreement,
notwithstanding that such individuals or any of them shall have ceased to be so
authorized prior to the delivery of such Securities Certificates or did not hold
such offices at the date of delivery of such Securities Certificates. A
transferee of a Securities Certificate shall become a Holder, and shall be
entitled to the rights and subject to the obligations of a Holder hereunder,
upon due registration of such Securities Certificate in such transferee's name
pursuant to Section 5.5.
(b) Upon their original issuance, Preferred Securities Certificates shall
be issued in the form of one or more Book-Entry Preferred Securities
Certificates registered in the name of DTC, as Clearing Agency, or its nominee
and deposited with DTC or a custodian for DTC for credit by DTC to the
respective accounts of the Owners thereof (or such other accounts as they may
direct).
(c) A single Common Securities Certificate representing the Common
Securities shall be issued to the Depositor in the form of a definitive Common
Securities Certificate.
Section 5.3. EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
At the Time of Delivery, and at the Option Closing Date, if any, an
Administrative Trustee shall cause Securities Certificates, in an aggregate
Liquidation Amount as provided in Sections 2.4 and 2.5, to be executed on behalf
of the Issuer Trust and delivered to or upon the written order of the Depositor,
executed by an authorized officer thereof, without further corporate action by
the Depositor, in authorized denominations in accordance with Sections 2.4 and
2.5.
Section 5.4. BOOK-ENTRY PREFERRED SECURITIES.
(a) Each Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate issued under this
Agreement shall be registered in the name of the Clearing Agency or a nominee
thereof and delivered to such Clearing Agency or a nominee thereof or custodian
therefor, and each such Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate shall
constitute a single Preferred Securities Certificate for all purposes of this
Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Trust Agreement, no
Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate may be exchanged in whole or in part
for Preferred Securities Certificates registered, and no transfer of a
Book-Entry Preferred Securities
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Certificate in whole or in part may be registered, in the name of any Person
other than the Clearing Agency for such Book-Entry Preferred Securities
Certificates or a nominee thereof unless (i) the Clearing Agency advises the
Property Trustee in writing that the Clearing Agency is no longer willing or
able to properly discharge its responsibilities with respect to the Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificates, and the Property Trustee is unable to locate
a qualified successor, (ii) the Issuer Trust at its option advises the Clearing
Agency in writing that it elects to terminate the book-entry system through the
Clearing Agency, or (iii) a Debenture Event of Default has occurred and is
continuing. Upon the occurrence of any event specified in clause (i), (ii) or
(iii) above, the Administrative Trustees shall notify the Clearing Agency and
instruct the Clearing Agency to notify all Owners of Book-Entry Preferred
Securities and the Delaware Trustee of the occurrence of such event and of the
availability of the Definitive Preferred Securities Certificates to Owners of
the Preferred Securities requesting the same.
(c) If any Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate is to be exchanged
for other Preferred Securities Certificates or canceled in part, or if any other
Preferred Securities Certificate is to be exchanged in whole or in part for
Book-Entry Preferred Securities represented by a Book-Entry Preferred Securities
Certificate, then either (i) such Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate
shall be so surrendered for exchange or cancellation as provided in this Article
V or (ii) the aggregate Liquidation Amount represented by such Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificate shall be reduced, subject to Section 5.2, or
increased by an amount equal to the Liquidation Amount represented by that
portion of the Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate to be so exchanged or
canceled, or equal to the Liquidation Amount represented by such other Preferred
Securities Certificates to be so exchanged for Book-Entry Preferred Securities
represented thereby, as the case may be, by means of an appropriate adjustment
made on the records of the Securities Registrar, whereupon the Property Trustee,
in accordance with the Applicable Procedures, shall instruct the Clearing Agency
or its authorized representative to make a corresponding adjustment to its
records. Upon surrender to the Administrative Trustees or the Securities
Registrar of the Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate or Certificates by
the Clearing Agency, accompanied by registration instructions, the
Administrative Trustees, or any one of them, shall execute the Definitive
Preferred Securities Certificates in accordance with the instructions of the
Clearing Agency. None of the Securities Registrar, the Issuer Trustees or the
Administrative Trustees shall be liable for any delay in delivery of such
instructions and may conclusively rely on, and shall be protected in relying on,
such instructions. Upon the issuance of Definitive Preferred Securities
Certificates, the Issuer Trustees shall recognize the Holders of the Definitive
Preferred Securities Certificates as Holders. The Definitive Preferred
Securities Certificates shall be printed, lithographed or engraved or may be
produced in any other manner as is reasonably acceptable to the Administrative
Trustees, as evidenced by the execution thereof by the Administrative Trustees
or any one of them.
(d) Every Preferred Securities Certificate executed and delivered upon
registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificate or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to
this Article V or
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Article IV or otherwise, shall be executed and delivered in the form of, and
shall be, a Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate, unless such Preferred
Securities Certificate is registered in the name of a Person other than the
Clearing Agency for such Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate or a
nominee thereof.
(e) The Clearing Agency or its nominee, as registered owner of a Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificate, shall be the Holder of such Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificate for all purposes under this Agreement and the
Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate, and Owners with respect to a
Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate shall hold such interests pursuant
to the Applicable Procedures. The Securities Registrar, the Administrative
Trustees and the Issuer Trustees shall be entitled to deal with the Clearing
Agency for all purposes of this Trust Agreement relating to the Book-Entry
Preferred Securities Certificates (including the payment of the Liquidation
Amount of and Distributions on the Book-Entry Preferred Securities represented
thereby and the giving of instructions or directions by Owners of Book-Entry
Preferred Securities represented thereby) as the sole Holder of the Book-Entry
Preferred Securities represented thereby and shall have no obligations to the
Owners thereof. None of the Property Trustee, the Administrative Trustees nor
the Securities Registrar shall have any liability in respect of any transfers
effected by the Clearing Agency.
The rights of the Owners of the Book-Entry Preferred Securities shall be
exercised only through the Clearing Agency and shall be limited to those
established by law, the Applicable Procedures and agreements between such Owners
and the Clearing Agency and/or the Clearing Agency Participants; PROVIDED that,
solely for the purpose of determining whether the Holders of the requisite
amount of Preferred Securities have voted on any matter provided for in this
Trust Agreement, so long as Definitive Preferred Security Certificates have not
been issued, the Issuer Trustees may conclusively rely on, and shall be
protected in relying on, any written instrument (including a proxy) delivered to
the Issuer Trustees by the Clearing Agency setting forth the Owners' votes or
assigning the right to vote on any matter to any other Persons either in whole
or in part. Pursuant to the Certificate Depository Agreement, unless and until
Definitive Preferred Securities Certificates are issued pursuant to Section
5.4(b), the initial Clearing Agency will make book-entry transfers among the
Clearing Agency Participants and receive and transmit payments on the Preferred
Securities to such Clearing Agency Participants, and none of the Depositor, the
Administrative Trustees or the Issuer Trustees shall have any responsibility or
obligation with respect thereto.
Section 5.5. REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF PREFERRED SECURITIES
CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Property Trustee shall keep or cause to be kept, at the office or
agency maintained pursuant to Section 5.9, a register or registers (the
"SECURITIES REGISTER") in which the registrar and transfer agent with respect to
the Trust Securities (the "SECURITIES REGISTRAR"), subject to such reasonable
regulations as it may prescribe, shall provide for the registration of Preferred
Securities Certificates and Common Securities Certificates
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(subject to Section 5.11 in the case of the Common Securities Certificates) and
registration of transfers and exchanges of Preferred Securities Certificates as
herein provided. The Property Trustee is hereby appointed Securities Registrar
for the purpose of registering Preferred Securities Certificates and (subject to
Section 5.11) Common Securities Certificates and transfers and exchanges thereof
as provided herein.
Upon surrender for registration of transfer of any Preferred Securities
Certificate at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 5.9, the
Administrative Trustees or any one of them shall execute and deliver to the
Property Trustee, and the Property Trustee shall deliver, in the name of the
designated transferee or transferees, one or more new Preferred Securities
Certificates in authorized denominations of a like aggregate Liquidation Amount
as may be required by this Trust Agreement, dated the date of execution by such
Administrative Trustee or Trustees.
The Securities Registrar shall not be required (i) to issue, register the
transfer of or exchange any Preferred Security during a period beginning at the
opening of business 15 days before the day of selection for redemption of such
Preferred Securities pursuant to Article IV and ending at the close of business
on the day of mailing of the notice of redemption, or (ii) to register the
transfer of or exchange any Preferred Security so selected for redemption in
whole or in part, except, in the case of any such Preferred Security to be
redeemed in part, any portion thereof not to be redeemed.
Every Preferred Securities Certificate presented or surrendered for
registration of transfer or exchange shall be duly endorsed, or be accompanied
by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to an Administrative
Trustee and the Securities Registrar duly executed by the Holder or such
Holder's attorney duly authorized in writing. Each Preferred Securities
Certificate surrendered for registration of transfer or exchange shall be
canceled and subsequently disposed of by the Property Trustee in accordance with
such Person's customary practice.
No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of Preferred Securities Certificates, but the Issuer Trust may require
payment of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or governmental charge that may be
imposed in connection with any transfer or exchange of Preferred Securities
Certificates.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, transfers and
exchanges of Preferred Securities Certificates and beneficial interests in a
Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate of the kinds specified in this
Section 5.5(b) shall be made only in accordance with this Section 5.5(b).
(i) DEFINITIVE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE TO BOOK-ENTRY
PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE. If the Holder of a Preferred Securities
Certificate wishes at any time to transfer all or any portion of such
Preferred Securities Certificate to a Person who wishes to take delivery
thereof in the form of a beneficial interest in a Book-Entry Preferred
Securities Certificate, such transfer may be effected only in accordance
with the provisions of this clause (b)(i) and subject to the Applicable
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Procedures. Upon receipt by the Securities Registrar of (A) such Preferred
Securities Certificate as provided in Section 5.5(a) and instructions
satisfactory to the Securities Registrar directing that a beneficial
interest in the Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate of a specified
number of Preferred Securities not greater than the number of Preferred
Securities represented by such Preferred Securities Certificate be credited
to a specified Clearing Agency Participant's account, then the Securities
Registrar shall cancel such Preferred Securities Certificate (and issue a
new Definitive Preferred Securities Certificate in respect of any
untransferred portion thereof) as provided in Section 5.5(a) and increase
the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Book-Entry Preferred Securities
Certificate by the Liquidation Amount represented by such Preferred
Securities so transferred as provided in Section 5.4(c).
(ii) DEFINITIVE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE TO DEFINITIVE
PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE. A Definitive Preferred Securities
Certificate may be transferred, in whole or in part, to a Person who takes
delivery in the form of another Definitive Preferred Securities Certificate
as provided in Section 5.5(a).
(iii) EXCHANGES BETWEEN BOOK-ENTRY PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE
AND DEFINITIVE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE. A beneficial interest in a
Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate may be exchanged for a
Definitive Preferred Securities Certificate as provided in Section 5.4.
Section 5.6. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
If (a) any mutilated Securities Certificate shall be surrendered to the
Securities Registrar, or if the Securities Registrar shall receive evidence to
its satisfaction of the destruction, loss or theft of any Securities
Certificate, and (b) there shall be delivered to the Securities Registrar and
the Administrative Trustees such security or indemnity as may be required by
them to save each of them harmless, then in the absence of notice that such
Securities Certificate shall have been acquired by a protected purchaser, the
Administrative Trustees, or any one of them, on behalf of the Issuer Trust shall
execute and make available for delivery, in exchange for or in lieu of any such
mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Securities Certificate, a new Securities
Certificate of like class, tenor and denomination. In connection with the
issuance of any new Securities Certificate under this Section 5.6, the
Administrative Trustees or the Securities Registrar may require the payment of a
sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed
in connection therewith. Any duplicate Securities Certificate issued pursuant to
this Section 5.6 shall constitute conclusive evidence of an undivided beneficial
interest in the assets of the Issuer Trust corresponding to that evidenced by
the lost, stolen or destroyed Securities Certificate, as if originally issued,
whether or not the lost, stolen or destroyed Securities Certificate shall be
found at any time.
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Section 5.7. PERSONS DEEMED HOLDERS.
The Issuer Trustees and the Securities Registrar shall each treat the
Person in whose name any Securities Certificate shall be registered in the
Securities Register as the owner of such Securities Certificate for the purpose
of receiving Distributions and for all other purposes whatsoever, and none of
the Issuer Trustees and the Securities Registrar shall be bound by any notice to
the contrary.
Section 5.8. ACCESS TO LIST OF HOLDERS' NAMES AND ADDRESSES.
Each Holder and each Owner shall be deemed to have agreed not to hold the
Depositor, the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or the Administrative
Trustees accountable by reason of the disclosure of its name and address in
compliance with Section 312 of the Trust Indenture Act, regardless of the source
from which such information was derived.
Section 5.9. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Administrative Trustees shall maintain an office or offices or agency
or agencies where Preferred Securities Certificates may be surrendered for
registration of transfer or exchange and where notices and demands to or upon
the Issuer Trustees in respect of the Securities Certificates may be served. The
Administrative Trustees initially designate State Street Bank and Trust Company,
2 Avenue de Lafayette, Boston, Massachusetts 02111-1724, Attention: Corporate
Trust Department (Seacoast Capital Trust I), as its office and agency for such
purposes. The Property Trustee shall give prompt written notice to the
Depositor, the Administrative Trustees and to the Holders of any change in the
location of the Securities Register or any such office or agency.
Section 5.10. APPOINTMENT OF PAYING AGENTS.
The Paying Agent or Agents shall make Distributions to Holders from the
Payment Account and shall report the amounts of such Distributions to the
Property Trustee and the Administrative Trustees. Any Paying Agent shall have
the revocable power to withdraw funds from the Payment Account solely for the
purpose of making the Distributions referred to above. The Administrative
Trustees may revoke such power and remove the Paying Agent in their sole
discretion. The Paying Agent shall initially be the Property Trustee. Any Person
acting as Paying Agent shall be permitted to resign as Paying Agent upon 30
days' written notice to the Administrative Trustees and the Property Trustee. If
the Property Trustee shall no longer be the Paying Agent or a successor Paying
Agent shall resign or its authority to act be revoked, the Administrative
Trustees shall appoint a successor (which shall be a bank or trust company) that
is reasonably acceptable to the Depositor to act as Paying Agent. Such successor
Paying Agent or any additional Paying Agent appointed by the Administrative
Trustees shall execute and deliver to the Issuer Trustees an instrument in which
such successor Paying Agent or additional Paying Agent shall agree with the
Issuer Trustees that as Paying Agent, such successor Paying Agent or additional
Paying Agent will hold all sums, if
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any, held by it for payment to the Holders in trust for the benefit of the
Holders entitled thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Holders. The
Paying Agent shall return all unclaimed funds to the Property Trustee and upon
removal of a Paying Agent such Paying Agent shall also return all funds in its
possession to the Property Trustee. The provisions of Sections 8.1, 8.3 and 8.6
herein shall apply to the Property Trustee also in its role as Paying Agent, for
so long as State Street Bank and Trust Company shall act as Paying Agent and, to
the extent applicable, to any other Paying Agent appointed hereunder. Any
reference in this Agreement to the Paying Agent shall include any co-paying
agent unless the context requires otherwise.
Section 5.11. OWNERSHIP OF COMMON SECURITIES BY DEPOSITOR.
At the Time of Delivery, and at the Option Closing Date, if any, the
Depositor shall acquire, and thereafter shall retain, beneficial and record
ownership of the Common Securities. Neither the Depositor nor any successor
Holder of the Common Securities may transfer less than all the Common
Securities, and the Depositor or any such successor Holder may transfer the
Common Securities only (i) in connection with a consolidation or merger of the
Depositor into another Person, or any conveyance, transfer or lease by the
Depositor of its properties and assets substantially as an entirety to any
Person, pursuant to Section 8.1 of the Indenture, or (ii) to the Depositor or an
Affiliate of the Depositor in compliance with applicable law (including the
Securities Act and applicable state securities and blue sky laws), and in either
case only upon an effective assignment and delegation by the Holder of all the
Common Securities to its transferee of all of its rights and obligations under
the Expense Agreement. To the fullest extent permitted by law, any attempted
transfer of the Common Securities other than as set forth in the next preceding
sentence shall be void. The Administrative Trustees shall cause each Common
Securities Certificate issued to the Depositor to contain a legend stating
substantially "THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO THE DEPOSITOR OR
AN AFFILIATE OF THE DEPOSITOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW AND SECTION 5.11
OF THE TRUST AGREEMENT (AS DEFINED BELOW) AND ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH A
SIMULTANEOUS DELEGATION AND ASSIGNMENT OF THE EXPENSE AGREEMENT REFERRED TO
THEREIN."
Section 5.12. NOTICES TO CLEARING AGENCY.
To the extent that a notice or other communication to the Holders is
required under this Trust Agreement, for so long as Preferred Securities are
represented by a Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate, the Issuer
Trustees shall give all such notices and communications specified herein to be
given to the Clearing Agency, and shall have no obligations to the Owners.
Section 5.13. RIGHTS OF HOLDERS; WAIVERS OF PAST DEFAULTS.
(a) The legal title to the Trust Property is vested exclusively in the
Property Trustee (in its capacity as such) in accordance with Section 2.9, and
the Holders shall not
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have any right or title therein other than the undivided beneficial interest in
the assets of the Issuer Trust conferred by their Trust Securities and they
shall have no right to call for any partition or division of property, profits
or rights of the Issuer Trust except as described below. The Trust Securities
shall be personal property giving only the rights specifically set forth therein
and in this Trust Agreement. The Trust Securities shall have no preemptive or
similar rights and when issued and delivered to Holders against payment of the
purchase price therefor will be fully paid and nonassessable by the Issuer
Trust. Subject to the provisions of Section 4.8, the Holders of the Trust
Securities, in their capacities as such, shall be entitled to the same
limitation of personal liability extended to stockholders of private
corporations for profit organized under the General Corporation Law of the State
of Delaware.
(b) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain Outstanding, if, upon a
Debenture Event of Default, the Debenture Trustee fails or the holders of not
less than 25% in principal amount of the outstanding Debentures fail to declare
the principal of all of the Debentures to be immediately due and payable, the
Holders of at least 25% in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then
Outstanding shall have the right to make such declaration by a notice in writing
to the Property Trustee, the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee.
At any time after a declaration of acceleration with respect to the
Debentures has been made and before a judgment or decree for payment of the
money due has been obtained by the Debenture Trustee as provided in the
Indenture, if the Property Trustee fails to annul any such declaration and waive
such default, the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities, by written notice to the Property Trustee, the Depositor
and the Debenture Trustee, may rescind and annul such declaration and its
consequences if:
(i) the Depositor has paid or deposited with the Debenture Trustee a
sum sufficient to pay
(A) all overdue installments of interest on all of the
Debentures,
(B) any accrued Additional Interest on all of the Debentures,
(C) the principal of any Debentures that have become due
otherwise than by such declaration of acceleration and interest and
Additional Interest thereon at the rate borne by the Debentures, and
(D) all sums paid or advanced by the Debenture Trustee under the
Indenture and the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and
advances of the Debenture Trustee and the Property Trustee, their
agents and counsel; and
(ii) all Events of Default with respect to the Debentures, other than
the non-payment of the principal of the Debentures that has become due
solely by
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such acceleration, have been cured or waived as provided in Section 5.13 of
the Indenture.
The Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred
Securities may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Preferred Securities, waive
any past default or Event of Default under the Indenture, except a default or
Event of Default in the payment of principal or interest (unless such default or
Event of Default has been cured and a sum sufficient to pay all matured
installments of interest and principal due otherwise than by acceleration has
been deposited with the Debenture Trustee) or a default or Event of Default in
respect of a covenant or provision that under the Indenture cannot be modified
or amended without the consent of the holder of each outstanding Debenture. No
such rescission shall affect any subsequent default or impair any right
consequent thereon.
Upon receipt by the Property Trustee of written notice declaring such an
acceleration, or rescission and annulment thereof, by Holders of any part of the
Preferred Securities a record date shall be established for determining Holders
of Outstanding Preferred Securities entitled to join in such notice, which
record date shall be at the close of business on the day the Property Trustee
receives such notice. The Holders on such record date, or their duly designated
proxies, and only such Persons, shall be entitled to join in such notice,
whether or not such Holders remain Holders after such record date; PROVIDED
that, unless such declaration of acceleration, or rescission and annulment, as
the case may be, shall have become effective by virtue of the requisite
percentage having joined in such notice prior to the day that is 90 days after
such record date, such notice of declaration of acceleration, or rescission and
annulment, as the case may be, shall automatically and without further action by
any Holder be canceled and of no further effect. Nothing in this paragraph shall
prevent a Holder, or a proxy of a Holder, from giving, after expiration of such
90-day period, a new written notice of declaration of acceleration, or
rescission and annulment thereof, as the case may be, that is identical to a
written notice that has been canceled pursuant to the proviso to the preceding
sentence, in which event a new record date shall be established pursuant to the
provisions of this Section 5.13(b).
(c) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain Outstanding, to the
fullest extent permitted by law and subject to the terms of this Trust Agreement
and the Indenture, upon a Debenture Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(1)
or 5.1(2) of the Indenture, any Holder of Preferred Securities shall have the
right to institute a proceeding directly against the Depositor, pursuant to
Section 5.8 of the Indenture, for enforcement of payment to such Holder of any
amounts payable in respect of Debentures having an aggregate principal amount
equal to the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities of such
Holder (a "DIRECT ACTION"). Except as set forth in Section 5.13(b) and this
Section 5.13(c), the Holders of Preferred Securities shall have no right to
exercise directly any right or remedy available to the holders of, or in respect
of, the Debentures.
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(d) Except as otherwise provided in paragraphs (a), (b) and (c) of this
Section 5.13, the Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities may, on behalf of the Holders of all the Preferred
Securities, waive any past default or Event of Default and its consequences.
Upon such waiver, any such default or Event of Default shall cease to exist, and
any default or Event of Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been
cured, for every purpose of this Trust Agreement, but no such waiver shall
extend to any subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any
right consequent thereon.
ARTICLE VI.
ACTS OF HOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
Section 6.1. LIMITATIONS ON VOTING RIGHTS.
(a) Except as expressly provided in this Trust Agreement and in the
Indenture and as otherwise required by law, no Holder of Preferred Securities
shall have any right to vote or in any manner otherwise control the
administration, operation and management of the Issuer Trust or the obligations
of the parties hereto, nor shall anything herein set forth, or contained in the
terms of the Securities Certificates, be construed so as to constitute the
Holders from time to time as partners or members of an association.
(b) So long as any Debentures are held by the Property Trustee on behalf of
the Issuer Trust, the Property Trustee shall not (i) direct the time, method and
place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Debenture
Trustee, or execute any trust or power conferred on the Property Trustee with
respect to the Debentures, (ii) waive any past default that may be waived under
Section 5.13 of the Indenture, (iii) exercise any right to rescind or annul a
declaration that the principal of all the Debentures shall be due and payable,
or (iv) consent to any amendment, modification or termination of the Indenture
or the Debentures, where such consent shall be required, without, in each case,
obtaining the prior approval of the Holders of at least a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that where a
consent under the Indenture would require the consent of each Holder of
Debentures affected thereby, no such consent shall be given by the Property
Trustee without the prior written consent of each Holder of Preferred
Securities. The Property Trustee shall not revoke any action previously
authorized or approved by a vote of the Holders of the Preferred Securities,
except by a subsequent vote of the Holders of the Preferred Securities. The
Property Trustee shall notify all Holders of the Preferred Securities of any
notice of default received with respect to the Debentures. In addition to
obtaining the foregoing approvals of the Holders of the Preferred Securities,
prior to taking any of the foregoing actions, the Issuer Trustees shall, at the
expense of the Depositor, obtain an Opinion of Counsel experienced in such
matters to the effect that such action shall not cause the Issuer Trust to be
taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United
States Federal income tax purposes.
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(c) If any proposed amendment to the Trust Agreement provides for, or the
Issuer Trustees otherwise propose to effect, (i) any action that would adversely
affect in any material respect the powers, preferences or special rights of the
Preferred Securities, whether by way of amendment to the Trust Agreement or
otherwise, or (ii) the dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Issuer
Trust, other than pursuant to the terms of this Trust Agreement, then the
Holders of Outstanding Preferred Securities as a class will be entitled to vote
on such amendment or proposal and such amendment or proposal shall not be
effective except with the approval of the Holders of at least a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities. Notwithstanding any other
provision of this Trust Agreement, no amendment to this Trust Agreement may be
made if, as a result of such amendment, it would cause the Issuer Trust to be
taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a grantor trust for United
States Federal income tax purposes.
Section 6.2. NOTICE OF MEETINGS.
Notice of all meetings of the Holders of the Preferred Securities, stating
the time, place and purpose of the meeting, shall be given by the Property
Trustee pursuant to Section 10.8 to each Holder of Preferred Securities, at such
Holder's registered address, at least 15 days and not more than 90 days before
the meeting. At any such meeting, any business properly before the meeting may
be so considered whether or not stated in the notice of the meeting. Any
adjourned meeting may be held as adjourned without further notice.
Section 6.3. MEETINGS OF HOLDERS OF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES.
No annual meeting of Holders is required to be held. The Administrative
Trustees, however, shall call a meeting of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities to vote on any matter upon the written request of the Holders of at
least 25% in aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Outstanding Preferred
Securities and the Administrative Trustees or the Property Trustee may, at any
time in their discretion, call a meeting of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities to vote on any matters as to which such Holders are entitled to vote.
The Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred
Securities, present in person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any
meeting of the Holders of the Preferred Securities.
If a quorum is present at a meeting, an affirmative vote by the Holders
present, in person or by proxy, holding Preferred Securities representing at
least a majority of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities
held by the Holders present, either in person or by proxy, at such meeting shall
constitute the action of the Holders of the Preferred Securities, unless this
Trust Agreement requires a greater number of affirmative votes.
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Section 6.4. VOTING RIGHTS.
Holders shall be entitled to one vote for each $25 of Liquidation Amount
represented by their Outstanding Trust Securities in respect of any matter as to
which such Holders are entitled to vote.
Section 6.5. PROXIES, ETC.
At any meeting of Holders, any Holder entitled to vote thereat may vote by
proxy, PROVIDED that no proxy shall be voted at any meeting unless it shall have
been placed on file with the Administrative Trustees, or with such other officer
or agent of the Issuer Trust as the Administrative Trustees may direct, for
verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken. Pursuant to a
resolution of the Property Trustee, proxies may be solicited in the name of the
Property Trustee or one or more officers of the Property Trustee. Only Holders
of record shall be entitled to vote. When Trust Securities are held jointly by
several persons, any one of them may vote at any meeting in person or by proxy
in respect of such Trust Securities, but if more than one of them shall be
present at such meeting in person or by proxy, and such joint owners or their
proxies so present disagree as to any vote to be cast, such vote shall not be
received in respect of such Trust Securities. A proxy purporting to be executed
by or on behalf of a Holder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at or prior
to its exercise, and the burden of proving invalidity shall rest on the
challenger. No proxy shall be valid more than three years after its date of
execution.
Section 6.6. HOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT.
Any action that may be taken by Holders at a meeting may be taken without a
meeting and without prior notice if Holders holding at least a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of all Preferred Securities entitled to vote in respect of
such action (or such larger proportion thereof as shall be required by any other
provision of this Trust Agreement) shall consent to the action in writing. Any
action that may be taken by the Holder of all the Common Securities may be taken
if such Holders shall consent to the action in writing.
Section 6.7. RECORD DATE FOR VOTING AND OTHER PURPOSES.
For the purposes of determining the Holders who are entitled to notice of
and to vote at any meeting or by written consent, or to participate in any
distribution on the Trust Securities in respect of which a record date is not
otherwise provided for in this Trust Agreement, or for the purpose of any other
action, the Administrative Trustees may from time to time fix a date, not more
than 90 days prior to the date of any meeting of Holders or the payment of a
distribution or other action, as the case may be, as a record date for the
determination of the identity of the Holders of record for such purposes.
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Section 6.8. ACTS OF HOLDERS.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or
other action provided or permitted by this Trust Agreement to be given, made or
taken by Holders may be embodied in and evidenced by one or more instruments of
substantially similar tenor signed by such Holders in person or by an agent duly
appointed in writing; and, except as otherwise expressly provided herein, such
action shall become effective when such instrument or instruments are delivered
to an Administrative Trustee. Such instrument or instruments (and the action
embodied therein and evidenced thereby) are herein sometimes referred to as the
"ACT" of the Holders signing such instrument or instruments. Proof of execution
of any such instrument or of a writing appointing any such agent shall be
sufficient for any purpose of this Trust Agreement and (subject to Section 8.1)
conclusive in favor of the Issuer Trustees, if made in the manner provided in
this Section.
The fact and date of the execution by any Person of any such instrument or
writing may be proved by the affidavit of a witness of such execution or by a
certificate of a notary public or other officer authorized by law to take
acknowledgments of deeds, certifying that the individual signing such instrument
or writing acknowledged to him the execution thereof. Where such execution is by
a signer acting in a capacity other than such signer's individual capacity, such
certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of such signer's
authority. The fact and date of the execution of any such instrument or writing,
or the authority of the Person executing the same, may also be proved in any
other manner that any Issuer Trustee receiving the same deems sufficient.
The ownership of Trust Securities shall be proved by the Securities
Register.
Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent, waiver or
other Act of the Holder of any Trust Security shall bind every future Holder of
the same Trust Security and the Holder of every Trust Security issued upon the
registration of transfer thereof or in exchange therefor or in lieu thereof in
respect of anything done, omitted or suffered to be done by the Issuer Trustees,
the Depositor or the Issuer Trust in reliance thereon, whether or not notation
of such action is made upon such Trust Security.
Without limiting the foregoing, a Holder entitled hereunder to take any
action hereunder with regard to any particular Trust Security may do so with
regard to all or any part of the Liquidation Amount of such Trust Security or by
one or more duly appointed agents each of which may do so pursuant to such
appointment with regard to all or any part of such Liquidation Amount.
If any dispute shall arise among the Holders or the Issuer Trustees with
respect to the authenticity, validity or binding nature of any request, demand,
authorization, direction, consent, waiver or other Act of such Holder or Issuer
Trustee under this Article VI, then the determination of such matter by the
Property Trustee shall be conclusive with respect to such matter.
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Section 6.9. INSPECTION OF RECORDS.
Upon reasonable written request to the Administrative Trustees and the
Property Trustee, the records of the Issuer Trust shall be open to inspection by
Holders during normal business hours for any purpose reasonably related to such
Holder's interest as a Holder.
ARTICLE VII.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
Section 7.1. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE PROPERTY TRUSTEE AND THE
DELAWARE TRUSTEE.
The Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee, each severally on behalf of
and as to itself (and only as to itself), hereby represents and warrants for the
benefit of the Depositor and the Holders that:
(a) the Property Trustee is a Massachusetts trust company, duly organized,
validly existing and in good standing under The Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(b) the Property Trustee has full corporate power, authority and legal
right to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Trust Agreement
and has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and
performance by it of this Trust Agreement;
(c) the Delaware Trustee is a Delaware banking corporation;
(d) the Delaware Trustee has full corporate power, authority and legal
right to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Trust Agreement
and has taken all necessary action to authorize the execution, delivery and
performance by it of this Trust Agreement;
(e) this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and delivered
by the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee and constitutes the valid and
legally binding agreement of each of the Property Trustee and the Delaware
Trustee enforceable against each of them in accordance with its terms, subject
to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent transfer, reorganization, moratorium and
similar laws of general applicability relating to or affecting creditors' rights
and to general equity principles;
(f) the execution, delivery and performance of this Trust Agreement have
been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other action on the part of
the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee and do not require any approval of
stockholders of the Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee and such
execution, delivery and performance will not (i) violate the Charter or By-laws
of the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, (ii) violate any provision of,
or constitute, with or without notice or lapse of
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time, a default under, or result in the creation or imposition of, any Lien on
any properties included in the Trust Property pursuant to the provisions of, any
indenture, mortgage, credit agreement, license or other agreement or instrument
to which the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee is a party or by which it
is bound, or (iii) violate any law, governmental rule or regulation of the
United States, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the State of Delaware, as
the case may be, governing the banking, trust or general powers of the Property
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee (as appropriate in context) or any order,
judgment or decree applicable to the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee;
provided, however, that no representation or warranty is made or intended
herein, with respect to registration under or compliance with any federal or
state securities laws or tax laws that may be applicable;
(g) neither the authorization, execution or delivery by the Property
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee of this Trust Agreement nor the consummation of
any of the transactions by the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee (as
appropriate in context) contemplated herein requires the consent or approval of,
the giving of notice to, the registration with or the taking of any other action
with respect to any governmental authority or agency under any existing law of
the United States, The Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the State of Delaware
governing the banking, trust or general powers of the Property Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee, as the case may be; provided, however, that no representation
or warranty is made or intended herein, with respect to registration under or
compliance with any federal or state securities laws or tax laws that may be
applicable; and
(h) there are no proceedings pending or, to the best of each of the
Property Trustee's and the Delaware Trustee's knowledge, threatened against or
affecting the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee in any court or before
any governmental authority, agency or arbitration board or tribunal that,
individually or in the aggregate, would materially and adversely affect the
Issuer Trust or would question the right, power and authority of the Property
Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as the case may be, to enter into or perform
its obligations as one of the Issuer Trustees under this Trust Agreement.
Section 7.2. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF DEPOSITOR.
The Depositor hereby represents and warrants for the benefit of the Holders
that:
(a) the Securities Certificates issued at the Time of Delivery, and at the
Option Closing Date, if any, on behalf of the Issuer Trust have been duly
authorized and will have been duly and validly executed, issued and delivered by
the Issuer Trustees pursuant to the terms and provisions of, and in accordance
with the requirements of, this Trust Agreement and the Holders will be, as of
each such date, entitled to the benefits of this Trust Agreement; and
(b) there are no taxes, fees or other governmental charges payable by the
Issuer Trust (or the Issuer Trustees on behalf of the Issuer Trust) under the
laws of the State of
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Delaware or any political subdivision thereof in connection with the execution,
delivery and performance by either Issuer Trustee of this Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE VIII.
THE ISSUER TRUSTEES
Section 8.1. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) The duties and responsibilities of the Issuer Trustees shall be as
provided by this Trust Agreement and, in the case of the Property Trustee,
subject to the Trust Indenture Act, to the extent applicable. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, no provision of this Trust Agreement shall require any of the
Issuer Trustees to expend or risk its or their own funds or otherwise incur any
financial liability in the performance of any of its or their duties hereunder,
or in the exercise of any of its or their rights or powers, if it or they shall
have reasonable grounds for believing that repayment of such funds or adequate
indemnity against such risk or liability is not reasonably assured to it or
them. Whether or not therein expressly so provided, every provision of this
Trust Agreement relating to the conduct or affecting the liability of or
affording protection to the Issuer Trustees shall be subject to the provisions
of this Section 8.1. Nothing in this Trust Agreement shall be construed to
release an Administrative Trustee from liability for such Administrative
Trustee's own grossly negligent action, such Administrative Trustee's gross
negligent failure to act, or such Administrative Trustee's own willful
misconduct. To the extent that, at law or in equity, an Issuer Trustee has
duties and liabilities relating to the Issuer Trust or to the Holders, such
Issuer Trustee shall not be liable to the Issuer Trust or to any Holder for such
Issuer Trustee's good faith reliance on the provisions of this Trust Agreement.
The provisions of this Trust Agreement, to the extent that they restrict the
duties and liabilities of the Issuer Trustees otherwise existing at law or in
equity, are agreed by the Depositor and the Holders to replace such other duties
and liabilities of the Issuer Trustees.
(b) All payments made by the Property Trustee or a Paying Agent in respect
of the Trust Securities shall be made only from the revenue and proceeds from
the Trust Property and only to the extent that there shall be sufficient revenue
or proceeds from the Trust Property to enable the Property Trustee or a Paying
Agent to make payments in accordance with the terms hereof. Each Holder, by its
acceptance of a Trust Security, agrees that it will look solely to the revenue
and proceeds from the Trust Property to the extent legally available for
distribution to it as herein provided and that the Issuer Trustees are not
personally liable to it for any amount distributable in respect of any Trust
Security or for any other liability in respect of the Issuer Trust or any Trust
Security. This Section 8.1(b) does not limit the liability of the Issuer
Trustees expressly set forth elsewhere in this Trust Agreement or, in the case
of the Property Trustee, in the Trust Indenture Act, to the extent applicable.
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(c) The Property 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 Agreement (including pursuant to Section 10.10), and no implied covenants
shall be read into this Trust Agreement against the Property Trustee. If an
Event of Default has occurred (that has not been cured or waived pursuant to
Section 5.13), the Property Trustee shall exercise such of the rights and powers
vested in it by this Trust Agreement, 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 Agreement shall be construed to relieve the
Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee from liability for its own negligent
action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own wilful 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 Property Trustee shall be
determined solely by the express provisions of this Trust Agreement
(including pursuant to Section 10.10), and the Property Trustee shall
not be liable except for the performance of such duties and
obligations as are specifically set forth in this Trust Agreement
(including pursuant to Section 10.10); and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of the Property
Trustee, the Property 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 Property
Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Trust Agreement;
but in the case of any such certificates or opinions that by any
provision hereof or of the Trust Indenture Act are specifically
required to be furnished to the Property Trustee, the Property Trustee
shall be under a duty to examine the same to determine whether or not
they conform to the requirements of this Trust Agreement.
(ii) the Property Trustee shall not be liable for any error of
judgment made in good faith by an authorized officer of the Property
Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the Property Trustee was negligent
in ascertaining the pertinent facts;
(iii) the Property 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 at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount
of the Preferred Securities relating to the time, method and place of
conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Property Trustee,
or exercising any trust or power conferred upon the Property Trustee under
this Trust Agreement;
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(iv) the Property Trustee's sole duty with respect to the custody,
safe keeping and physical preservation of the Debentures and the Payment
Account shall be to deal with such Property in a similar manner as the
Property Trustee deals with similar property for its own account, subject
to the protections and limitations on liability afforded to the Property
Trustee under this Trust Agreement and the Trust Indenture Act;
(v) the Property Trustee shall not be liable for any interest on any
money received by it except as it may otherwise agree with the Depositor;
and money held by the Property Trustee need not be segregated from other
funds held by it except in relation to the Payment Account maintained by
the Property Trustee pursuant to Section 3.1 and except to the extent
otherwise required by law;
(vi) the Property Trustee shall not be responsible for monitoring the
compliance by the Administrative Trustees, the Delaware Trustee or the
Depositor with their respective duties under this Trust Agreement, nor
shall the Property Trustee be liable for the default or misconduct of any
other Issuer Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or the Depositor; and
(vii) no provision of this Trust Agreement shall require the Property
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 Property 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
Agreement or adequate indemnity against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
(e) The Administrative Trustees shall not be responsible for monitoring the
compliance by the other Issuer Trustees or the Depositor with their respective
duties under this Trust Agreement, nor shall either Administrative Trustee be
liable for the default or misconduct of any other Administrative Trustee, the
other Issuer Trustees or the Depositor.
(f) If an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Property
Trustee shall enforce this Trust Agreement for the benefit of the Holders,
subject to the terms of this Trust Agreement.
Section 8.2. CERTAIN NOTICES.
Within five Business Days after the occurrence of any Event of Default
actually known to the Property Trustee, the Property Trustee shall transmit, in
the manner and to the extent provided in Section 10.8, notice of such Event of
Default to the Holder, the Administrative Trustees, and the Depositor unless
such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived.
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Within five Business Days after the receipt of notice of the Depositor's
exercise of its right to defer the payment of interest on the Debentures
pursuant to the Indenture, the Property Trustee shall transmit, in the manner
and to the extent provided in Section 10.8, notice of such exercise to the
Holders and the Administrative Trustees, unless such exercise shall have been
revoked.
The Property Trustee shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Event of
Default unless the Property Trustee shall have received written notice or a
Responsible Officer of the Property Trustee charged with the administration of
this Trust Agreement shall have obtained actual knowledge of such Event of
Default.
Section 8.3. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
Subject to the provisions of Section 8.1:
(a) the Property Trustee may rely and shall be protected in acting or
refraining from acting in good faith upon any resolution, Opinion of Counsel,
certificate, written representation of a Holder or transferee, certificate of
auditors or any other certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, consent, order, appraisal, bond, debenture, note, other
evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by it to be genuine
and to have been signed or presented by the proper party or parties;
(b) if (i) in performing its duties under this Trust Agreement the Property
Trustee is required to decide between alternative courses of action, (ii) in
construing any of the provisions of this Trust Agreement the Property Trustee
finds the same ambiguous or inconsistent with any other provisions contained
herein, or (iii) the Property Trustee is unsure of the application of any
provision of this Trust Agreement, then, except as to any matter as to which the
Holders of the Preferred Securities are entitled to vote under the terms of this
Trust Agreement, the Property Trustee shall deliver a notice to the Depositor
requesting the Depositor's opinion as to the course of action to be taken and
the Property Trustee shall take such action, or refrain from taking such action,
as the Property Trustee shall be instructed in writing to take, or to refrain
from taking, by the Depositor; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, if the Property Trustee
does not receive such instructions of the Depositor within ten Business Days
after it has delivered such notice, or such reasonably shorter period of time
set forth in such notice (which to the extent practicable shall not be less than
two Business Days), it may, but shall be under no duty to, take or refrain from
taking such action not inconsistent with this Trust Agreement as it shall deem
advisable and in the best interests of the Holders, in which event the Property
Trustee shall have no liability except for its own bad faith, negligence or
willful misconduct;
(c) any direction or act of the Depositor contemplated by this Trust
Agreement shall be sufficiently evidenced by an Officers' Certificate;
(d) any direction or act of an Administrative Trustee contemplated by this
Trust Agreement shall be sufficiently evidenced by a certificate executed by
such Administrative Trustee and setting forth such direction or act;
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(e) the Property Trustee shall have no duty to see to any recording, filing
or registration of any instrument (including any financing or continuation
statement or any filing under tax or securities laws) or any rerecording,
refiling or re-registration thereof;
(f) the Property Trustee may consult with counsel (which counsel may be,
but is not required to be, counsel to the Depositor or any of its Affiliates,
and may include any of its employees) and the advice of such counsel 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 reliance thereon and in
accordance with such advice; the Property Trustee shall have the right at any
time to seek instructions concerning the administration of this Trust Agreement
from any court of competent jurisdiction;
(g) the Property Trustee shall be under no obligation to exercise any of
the rights or powers vested in it by this Trust Agreement at the request or
direction of any of the Holders pursuant to this Trust Agreement, unless such
Holders shall have offered to the Property Trustee reasonable security or
indemnity against the costs, expenses and liabilities that might be incurred by
it in compliance with such request or direction; PROVIDED that, nothing
contained in this Section 8.3(g) shall be taken to relieve the Property Trustee,
upon the occurrence of an Event of Default, of its obligation otherwise,
independent of direction of any Holders, to exercise the rights and powers
vested in it by this Trust Agreement in accordance with the terms of this Trust
Agreement;
(h) the Property 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, consent, order, approval, bond,
debenture, note or other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document,
unless requested in writing to do so by one or more Holders, but the Property
Trustee may make such further inquiry or investigation into such facts or
matters as it may see fit;
(i) the Property Trustee may execute any of the trusts or powers hereunder
or perform any duties hereunder either directly or by or through its agents or
attorneys; PROVIDED that the Property Trustee shall be responsible for its own
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct with respect to selection of any
agent or attorney appointed by it hereunder;
(j) whenever in the administration of this Trust Agreement the Property
Trustee shall deem it desirable to receive instructions with respect to
enforcing any remedy or right or taking any other action hereunder, the Property
Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders (which instructions may
only be given by the Holders of the same proportion in Liquidation Amount of the
Trust Securities as would be entitled to direct the Property Trustee under the
terms of the Trust Securities in respect of such remedy, right or action), (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 acting in
accordance with such instructions; and
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(k) except as otherwise expressly provided by this Trust Agreement, the
Property Trustee shall not be under any obligation to take any action that is
discretionary under the provisions of this Trust Agreement.
No provision of this Trust Agreement shall be deemed to impose any duty or
obligation on any Issuer Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any
right, power, duty or obligation conferred or imposed on it, in any jurisdiction
in which it shall be illegal, or in which such Person 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 any Issuer Trustee shall be construed to be a duty.
Section 8.4. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES.
The recitals contained herein and in the Securities Certificates shall be
taken as the statements of the Depositor, and the Issuer Trustees do not assume
any responsibility for their correctness. The Issuer Trustees shall not be
accountable for the use or application by the Depositor of the proceeds of the
Debentures.
Section 8.5. MAY HOLD SECURITIES.
Any Issuer Trustee or any other agent of any Issuer Trustee or the Issuer
Trust, in its individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee
of Trust Securities and, subject to Sections 8.8 and 8.13, and except as
provided in the definition of the term "OUTSTANDING" in Article I, may otherwise
deal with the Issuer Trust with the same rights it would have if it were not an
Issuer Trustee or such other agent.
Section 8.6. COMPENSATION; INDEMNITY; FEES.
The Depositor agrees:
(a) to pay to each Issuer Trustee and Paying Agent from time to time such
reasonable compensation for all services rendered by them hereunder as may be
agreed by the Depositor and such Issuer Trustee or Paying Agent, as the case may
be, from time to time (which compensation shall not be limited by any provision
of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express trust);
(b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse each Issuer
Trustee and Paying Agent upon request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements
and advances incurred or made by each Issuer Trustee and Paying Agent in
accordance with any provision of this Trust Agreement (including the reasonable
compensation and the expenses and disbursements of their agents and counsel),
except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to their
negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct; and
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(c) to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to indemnify and
hold harmless (i) each Issuer Trustee, (ii) each Paying Agent, (iii) any
Affiliate of any Issuer Trustee, (iv) any officer, director, shareholder,
employee, representative or agent of any Issuer Trustee, and (v) any employee or
agent of the Issuer Trust (referred to herein as an "Indemnified Person") from
and against any loss, damage, liability, tax, penalty, expense (including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys fees and expenses) or claim of any kind
or nature whatsoever incurred by such Indemnified Person by reason of the
creation, operation or termination of the Issuer Trust or any act or omission
performed or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith on behalf of the
Issuer Trust and in a manner such Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be
within the scope of authority conferred on such Indemnified Person by this Trust
Agreement, except that no Indemnified Person shall be entitled to be indemnified
in respect of any loss, damage or claim incurred by such Indemnified Person by
reason of negligence (or in the case of the Administrative Trustees, gross
negligence), bad faith or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or
omissions.
The provisions of this Section 8.6 shall survive the termination of this
Trust Agreement and the removal or resignation of any Issuer Trustee.
No Issuer Trustee or Paying Agent may claim any Lien on any Trust Property
as a result of any amount due pursuant to this Section 8.6.
The Depositor, any Issuer Trustee (subject to Section 8.8) and any Paying
Agent may engage in or possess an interest in other business ventures of any
nature or description, independently or with others, similar or dissimilar to
the business of the Issuer Trust, and the Issuer Trust and the Holders of Trust
Securities shall have no rights by virtue of this Trust Agreement in and to such
independent ventures or the income or profits derived therefrom, and the pursuit
of any such venture, even if competitive with the business of the Issuer Trust,
shall not be deemed wrongful or improper. Neither the Depositor, any Paying
Agent nor any Issuer Trustee shall be obligated to present any particular
investment or other opportunity to the Issuer Trust even if such opportunity is
of a character that, if presented to the Issuer Trust, could be taken by the
Issuer Trust, and the Depositor, any Issuer Trustee or any Paying Agent shall
have the right to take for its own account (individually or as a partner or
fiduciary) or to recommend to others any such particular investment or other
opportunity. Any Issuer Trustee or Paying Agent may engage or be interested in
any financial or other transaction with the Depositor or any Affiliate of the
Depositor, or may act as depository for, trustee or agent for, or act on any
committee or body of holders of, securities or other obligations of the
Depositor or its Affiliates.
Section 8.7. CORPORATE PROPERTY TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY OF ISSUER
TRUSTEES.
(a) There shall at all times be a Property Trustee hereunder. The Property
Trustee shall be a Person that is a national or state chartered bank or trust
company and eligible
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pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such, and that has at the time of
such appointment a combined capital and surplus of at least $50,000,000. If any
such Person publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or
to the requirements of its supervising or examining authority, then for the
purposes of this Section 8.7 and to the extent permitted by the Trust Indenture
Act, the combined capital and surplus of such Person shall be deemed to be its
combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent report of condition
so published. If at any time the Property Trustee with respect to the Trust
Securities shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of this
Section 8.7, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
hereinafter specified in this Article. At the time of appointment, the Property
Trustee must have securities rated in one of the three highest rating categories
by a nationally recognized statistical rating organization.
(b) There shall at all times be one or more Administrative Trustees
hereunder. Each Administrative Trustee shall be either a natural person who is
at least 21 years of age or a legal entity that shall act through one or more
persons authorized to bind that entity.
(c) There shall at all times be a Delaware Trustee. The Delaware Trustee
shall either be (i) a natural person who is at least 21 years of age and a
resident of the State of Delaware, or (ii) a legal entity with its principal
place of business in the State of Delaware and that otherwise meets the
requirements of applicable Delaware law and that shall act through one or more
persons authorized to bind such entity.
Section 8.8. CONFLICTING INTERESTS.
(a) If the Property Trustee has or shall acquire a conflicting interest
within the meaning of the Trust Indenture Act, the Property Trustee shall either
eliminate such interest or resign, to the extent and in the manner provided by,
and subject to the provisions of, the Trust Indenture Act and this Trust
Agreement.
(b) The Guarantee Agreement and the Indenture shall be deemed to be
specifically described in this Trust Agreement for the purposes of clause (i) of
the first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
Section 8.9. CO-TRUSTEES AND SEPARATE TRUSTEE.
Unless an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, at any
time or times, for the purpose of meeting the legal requirements of the Trust
Indenture Act or of any jurisdiction in which any part of the Trust Property may
at the time be located, the Depositor and the Administrative Trustees, by agreed
action of the majority of such Trustees, shall have power to appoint, and upon
the written request of the Administrative Trustees, the Depositor shall for such
purpose join with the Administrative Trustees in the execution, delivery, and
performance of all instruments and agreements necessary or proper to appoint,
one or more Persons approved by the Property Trustee either to act as
co-trustee, jointly with the Property Trustee, of all or any part of such Trust
Property, or
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to the extent required by law to act as separate trustee of any such property,
in either case with such powers as may be provided in the instrument of
appointment, and to vest in such Person or Persons in the capacity aforesaid,
any property, title, right or power deemed necessary or desirable, subject to
the other provisions of this Section 8.9. Any co-trustee or separate trustee
appointed pursuant to this Section 8.9 shall either be (i) a natural person who
is at least 21 years of age and a resident of the United States, or (ii) a legal
entity with its principal place of business in the United States that shall act
through one or more persons authorized to bind such entity. If an Event of
Default under the Indenture shall have occurred and be continuing, the Property
Trustee alone shall have the power to make such appointment.
Should any written instrument from the Depositor be required by any
co-trustee or separate trustee so appointed for more fully confirming to such
co-trustee or separate trustee such property, title, right, or power, any and
all such instruments shall, on request, be executed, acknowledged and delivered
by the Depositor.
Every co-trustee or separate trustee shall, to the extent permitted by law,
but to such extent only, be appointed subject to the following terms, namely:
(a) The Trust Securities shall be executed by one or more Administrative
Trustees, and the Trust Securities shall be delivered by the Property Trustee in
accordance with Sections 2.4 and 2.5, and all rights, powers, duties, and
obligations hereunder in respect of the custody of securities, cash and other
personal property held by, or required to be deposited or pledged with, the
Property Trustee specified hereunder shall be exercised solely by the Property
Trustee and not by such co-trustee or separate trustee.
(b) The rights, powers, duties, and obligations hereby conferred or imposed
upon the Property Trustee in respect of any property covered by such appointment
shall be conferred or imposed upon and exercised or performed by the Property
Trustee or by the Property Trustee and such co-trustee or separate trustee
jointly, as shall be provided in the instrument appointing such co-trustee or
separate trustee, except to the extent that under any law of any jurisdiction in
which any particular act is to be performed, the Property Trustee shall be
incompetent or unqualified to perform such act, in which event such rights,
powers, duties and obligations shall be exercised and performed by such
co-trustee or separate trustee.
(c) The Property Trustee at any time, by an instrument in writing executed
by it, with the written concurrence of the Depositor, may accept the resignation
of or remove any co-trustee or separate trustee appointed under this Section
8.9, and, in case a Debenture Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,
the Property Trustee shall have power to accept the resignation of, or remove,
any such co-trustee or separate trustee without the concurrence of the
Depositor. Upon the written request of the Property Trustee, the Depositor shall
join with the Property Trustee in the execution, delivery and performance of all
instruments and agreements necessary or proper to effectuate such
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resignation or removal. A successor to any co-trustee or separate trustee so
resigning or removed may be appointed in the manner provided in this
Section 8.9.
(d) No co-trustee or separate trustee hereunder shall be personally liable
by reason of any act or omission of the Property Trustee or any other trustee
hereunder.
(e) The Property Trustee shall not be liable by reason of any act of a
co-trustee or separate trustee.
(f) Any Act of Holders delivered to the Property Trustee shall be deemed to
have been delivered to each such co-trustee and separate trustee.
Section 8.10. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.
No resignation or removal of any Issuer Trustee (the "RELEVANT TRUSTEE")
and no appointment of a successor Issuer Trustee pursuant to this Article shall
become effective until the acceptance of appointment by the successor Issuer
Trustee in accordance with the applicable requirements of Section 8.11.
Subject to the immediately preceding paragraph, the Relevant Trustee may
resign at any time by giving written notice thereof to the Depositor. If the
instrument of acceptance by the successor Issuer Trustee required by Section
8.11 shall not have been delivered to the Relevant Trustee within 60 days after
the giving of such notice of resignation, the Relevant Trustee may petition, at
the expense of the Depositor, any court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment of a successor Relevant Trustee.
Unless a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing,
any Issuer Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Holder of all the
Common Securities. If a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, or both of them, may
be removed at such time by Act of the Holders of a Majority in Liquidation
Amount of the Preferred Securities, delivered to the Relevant Trustee (in its
individual capacity and, in the case of the Property Trustee, on behalf of the
Issuer Trust). An Administrative Trustee may be removed by the Holders of Common
Securities at any time.
If any Issuer Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of
acting as Issuer Trustee, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of any
Issuer Trustee for any cause, at a time when no Debenture Event of Default shall
have occurred and be continuing, the Holder of all the Common Securities, by Act
delivered to the retiring Issuer Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor
Issuer Trustee or Issuer Trustees, and such successor Issuer Trustee shall
comply with the applicable requirements of Section 8.11. If the Property Trustee
or the Delaware Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of
continuing to act as the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as the case
may be, at a time when a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, the Holders of Preferred Securities, by Act of the Holders of a
Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities then Outstanding
delivered to the retiring
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Relevant Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor Relevant Trustee or
Trustees, and such successor Issuer Trustee shall comply with the applicable
requirements of Section 8.11. If an Administrative Trustee shall resign, be
removed or become incapable of acting as Administrative Trustee, at a time when
a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, the Holder
of all the Common Securities by Act delivered to the Administrative Trustee
shall promptly appoint a successor Administrative Trustee or Administrative
Trustees and such successor Administrative Trustee or Trustees shall comply with
the applicable requirements of Section 8.11. If no successor Relevant Trustee
shall have been so appointed by the Holder of all the Common Securities or the
Holders of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities, as the
case may be, and accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 8.11,
any Holder who has been a Holder of Trust Securities for at least six months, on
behalf of such Holder and all others similarly situated, or any other Issuer
Trustee, may petition any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of
a successor Relevant Trustee.
The Property Trustee shall give notice of each resignation and each removal
of an Issuer Trustee and each appointment of a successor Issuer Trustee to all
Holders in the manner provided in Section 10.8 and shall give notice to the
Depositor. Each notice shall include the name of the successor Relevant Trustee
and the address of its Corporate Trust Office if it is the Property Trustee.
Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Trust
Agreement, if any Administrative Trustee or a Delaware Trustee who is a natural
person dies or becomes, in the opinion of the Depositor, incompetent or
incapacitated, the vacancy created by such death, incompetence or incapacity may
be filled by (a) the unanimous act of the remaining Administrative Trustees if
there are at least two of them or (b) otherwise by the Depositor (with the
successor in either case being a Person who satisfies the eligibility
requirement for Administrative Trustees or Delaware Trustee, as the case may be,
set forth in Section 8.7).
Section 8.11. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.
In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Issuer Trustee such
successor Issuer Trustee so appointed shall execute, acknowledge and deliver to
the Issuer Trust and to the retiring Issuer Trustee an instrument accepting such
appointment, and thereupon the resignation or removal of the retiring Issuer
Trustee shall become effective and such successor Issuer Trustee, without any
further act, deed or conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights,
powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Issuer Trustee; but, on the request of
the Depositor or the successor Issuer Trustee, such retiring Issuer Trustee
shall, upon payment of its charges, execute and deliver an instrument
transferring to such successor Issuer Trustee all the rights, powers and trusts
of the retiring Issuer Trustee and if the Property Trustee is the resigning
Issuer Trustee shall duly assign, transfer and deliver to the successor Issuer
Trustee all property and money held by such retiring Property Trustee hereunder.
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In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Relevant Trustee, the
retiring Relevant Trustee (if requested by the Depositor) and each successor
Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities shall execute and deliver
an amendment hereto wherein each successor Relevant Trustee shall accept such
appointment and which (a) shall contain such provisions as shall be necessary or
desirable to transfer and confirm to, and to vest in, each successor Relevant
Trustee all the rights, powers, trusts and duties of the retiring Relevant
Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities and the Issuer Trust, and (b) shall
add to or change any of the provisions of this Trust Agreement as shall be
necessary to provide for or facilitate the administration of the Issuer Trust by
more than one Relevant Trustee, it being understood that nothing herein or in
such amendment shall constitute such Relevant Trustees co-trustees and upon the
execution and delivery of such amendment the resignation or removal of the
retiring Relevant Trustee shall become effective to the extent provided therein
and each such successor Relevant Trustee, without any further act, deed or
conveyance, shall become vested with all the rights, powers, trusts and duties
of the retiring Relevant Trustee; but, on request of the Issuer Trust or any
successor Relevant Trustee such retiring Relevant Trustee shall duly assign,
transfer and deliver to such successor Relevant Trustee all Trust Property, all
proceeds thereof and money held by such retiring Relevant Trustee hereunder with
respect to the Trust Securities and the Issuer Trust.
Upon request of any Issuer Trustee or any such successor Relevant Trustee,
the retiring Relevant Trustee or the Issuer Trust, as the case may be, shall
execute any and all instruments for more fully and certainly vesting in and
confirming to such successor Relevant Trustee all such rights, powers and trusts
referred to in the first or second preceding paragraph, as the case may be.
No successor Relevant Trustee shall accept its appointment unless at the
time of such acceptance such successor Relevant Trustee shall be qualified and
eligible under this Article.
Section 8.12. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO BUSINESS.
Any Person into which the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee may be
merged or converted or with which it may be consolidated, or any Person
resulting from any merger, conversion or consolidation to which such Relevant
Trustee shall be a party, or any Person, succeeding to all or substantially all
the corporate trust business of such Relevant Trustee, shall be the successor of
such Relevant Trustee hereunder; PROVIDED that such Person shall be otherwise
qualified and eligible under this Article, without the execution or filing of
any paper or any further act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
Section 8.13. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST DEPOSITOR OR ISSUER
TRUST.
If and when the Property Trustee shall be or become a creditor of the
Depositor or the Issuer Trust (or any other obligor upon the Preferred
Securities), the Property Trustee
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shall be subject to the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the
collection of claims against the Depositor or the Issuer Trust (or any such
other obligor).
Section 8.14. PROPERTY TRUSTEE MAY FILE PROOFS OF CLAIM.
In case of any receivership, insolvency, liquidation, bankruptcy,
reorganization, arrangement, adjustment, composition or other similar judicial
proceeding relative to the Issuer Trust or any other obligor upon the Trust
Securities or the property of the Issuer Trust or of such other obligor or their
creditors, the Property Trustee (irrespective of whether any Distributions on
the Trust Securities shall then be due and payable and irrespective of whether
the Property Trustee shall have made any demand on the Issuer Trust for the
payment of any past due Distributions) shall be entitled and empowered, to the
fullest extent permitted by law, by intervention in such proceeding or
otherwise:
(a) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of any Distributions
owing and unpaid in respect of the Trust Securities and to file such other
papers or documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims
of the Property Trustee (including any claim for the reasonable compensation,
expenses, disbursements and advances of the Property Trustee, its agents and
counsel) and of the Holders allowed in such judicial proceeding, and
(b) to collect and receive any moneys or other property payable or
deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;
and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or
other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by
each Holder to make such payments to the Property Trustee and, in the event the
Property Trustee shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the
Holders, to pay to the Property Trustee any amount due it for the reasonable
compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Property Trustee, its
agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Property Trustee.
Nothing herein contained shall be deemed to authorize the Property Trustee
to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Holder any plan
of reorganization, arrangement adjustment or compensation affecting the Trust
Securities or the rights of any Holder thereof or to authorize the Property
Trustee to vote in respect of the claim of any Holder in any such proceeding.
Section 8.15. REPORTS BY PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
(a) Not later than 60 days after May 15 of each year commencing with May
15, 2003, the Property Trustee shall transmit to all Holders in accordance with
Section 10.8, and to the Depositor, a brief report, dated as of May 15 of such
year, with respect to:
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(i) its eligibility under Section 8.7 or, in lieu thereof, if to the
best of its knowledge it has continued to be eligible under said Section, a
written statement to such effect;
(ii) a statement that the Property Trustee has complied with all of
its obligations under this Trust Agreement during the twelve-month period
(or, in the case of the initial report, the period since the Closing Date)
ending with such December 31 or, if the Property Trustee has not complied
in any material respect with such obligations, a description of such
noncompliance; and
(iii) any change in the property and funds in its possession as
Property Trustee since the date of its last report and any action taken by
the Property Trustee in the performance of its duties hereunder which it
has not previously reported and which in its opinion materially affects the
Trust Securities.
(b) In addition the Property Trustee shall transmit to Holders such reports
concerning the Property Trustee and its actions under this Trust Agreement as
may be required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act at the times and in the
manner provided pursuant thereto.
(c) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission to
Holders, be filed by the Property Trustee with each national stock exchange, the
Nasdaq National Market or such other interdealer quotation system or
self-regulatory organization upon which the Trust Securities are listed or
traded, with the Commission and with the Depositor.
Section 8.16. REPORTS TO THE PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
Each of the Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the
Issuer Trust shall provide to the Property Trustee such documents, reports and
information as required by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act (if any) and
the compliance certificate required by Section 314(a) of the Trust Indenture Act
in the form, in the manner and at the times required by Section 314 of the Trust
Indenture Act. The Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the
Issuer Trust shall annually file with the Property Trustee a certificate
specifying whether such Person is in compliance with all of the terms and
covenants applicable to such Person hereunder.
Section 8.17. EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Each of the Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the
Issuer Trust shall provide to the Property Trustee such evidence of compliance
with any conditions precedent, if any, provided for in this Trust Agreement 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) of the Trust Indenture Act shall be given in the form of an
Officers' Certificate.
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Section 8.18. NUMBER OF ISSUER TRUSTEES.
(a) The number of Issuer Trustees shall be four, provided that the Property
Trustee and the Delaware Trustee may be the same Person if the Property Trustee
meets the applicable requirements.
(b) If an Issuer Trustee ceases to hold office for any reason, a vacancy
shall occur. The vacancy shall be filled with an Issuer Trustee appointed in
accordance with Section 8.10.
(c) The death, resignation, retirement, removal, bankruptcy, incompetence
or incapacity to perform the duties of an Issuer Trustee shall not operate to
annul, dissolve or terminate the Issuer Trust.
Section 8.19. DELEGATION OF POWER.
(a) Any Administrative Trustee may, by power of attorney consistent with
applicable law, delegate to any other natural person over the age of 21 such
Administrative Trustee's power for the purpose of executing any documents
contemplated in Section 2.7(a), including any registration statement or
amendment thereto filed with the Commission, or making any other governmental
filing; and
(b) The Administrative Trustees shall have power to delegate from time to
time to such of their number or to the Depositor the doing of such things and
the execution of such instruments either in the name of the Issuer Trust or the
names of the Administrative Trustees or otherwise as the Administrative Trustees
may deem expedient, to the extent such delegation is not prohibited by
applicable law or contrary to the provisions of this Trust Agreement.
Section 8.20. APPOINTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES.
(a) The Administrative Trustees shall initially be Kevin G. Champagne, an
individual, and Francis S. Mascianica, Jr., an individual, and their successors
shall be appointed by the Holder of a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Common Securities, and may resign or be removed by the Holders of a Majority in
Liquidation Amount of the Common Securities at any time. Upon any resignation or
removal, the Depositor shall appoint a successor Administrative Trustee. If at
any time there is no Administrative Trustee, the Property Trustee or any Holder
who has been a Holder of Trust Securities for at least six months may petition
any court of competent jurisdiction for the appointment of one or more
Administrative Trustees.
(b) Whenever a vacancy in the number of Administrative Trustees shall
occur, until such vacancy is filled by the appointment of an Administrative
Trustee in accordance with this Section 8.20, the Administrative Trustees in
office, regardless of their number (and notwithstanding any other provision of
this Agreement), shall have all
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the powers granted to the Administrative Trustees and shall discharge all the
duties imposed upon the Administrative Trustees by this Trust Agreement.
(c) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Trust
Agreement, if any Administrative Trustee who is a natural person dies or
becomes, in the opinion of the Holder of a Majority in Liquidation Amount the
Common Securities, incompetent or incapacitated, the vacancy created by such
death, incompetence or incapacity may be filled by the unanimous act of the
remaining Administrative Trustees, if there were at least two of them prior to
such vacancy, and by the Depositor, if there were not two such Administrative
Trustees immediately prior to such vacancy (with the successor being a Person
who satisfies the eligibility requirement for Administrative Trustees set forth
in Section 8.7).
ARTICLE IX.
TERMINATION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
Section 9.1. DISSOLUTION UPON EXPIRATION DATE.
Unless earlier dissolved pursuant to Section 9.2, the Issuer Trust shall
automatically dissolve, and its affairs be wound up, on June 30, 2032 (the
"EXPIRATION DATE").
Section 9.2. EARLY TERMINATION.
The first to occur of any of the following events is an "EARLY TERMINATION
EVENT", upon the occurrence of which the Trust shall dissolve:
(a) the occurrence of a Bankruptcy Event in respect of, or the dissolution
or liquidation of, the Depositor;
(b) the written direction to the Property Trustee from the Holder of all
the Common Securities at any time to dissolve the Issuer Trust and, after
satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the Issuer Trust, to distribute the
Debentures to Holders in exchange for the Preferred Securities (which direction
is optional and wholly within the discretion of the Holder of all the Common
Securities);
(c) the redemption of all of the Preferred Securities in connection with
the payment at Maturity (as defined in the Indenture) or the redemption of all
the Debentures; and
(d) the entry of an order for dissolution of the Issuer Trust by a court of
competent jurisdiction.
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Section 9.3. TERMINATION.
The respective obligations and responsibilities of the Issuer Trustees and
the Issuer Trust created and continued hereby shall terminate upon the latest to
occur of the following: (a) the distribution by the Property Trustee to Holders
of all amounts required to be distributed hereunder upon the liquidation of the
Issuer Trust pursuant to Section 9.4, or upon the redemption of all of the Trust
Securities pursuant to Section 4.2; (b) the payment of any expenses owed by the
Issuer Trust; (c) the discharge of all administrative duties of the
Administrative Trustees, including the performance of any tax reporting
obligations with respect to the Issuer Trust or the Holders; and (d) the filing
of a certificate of cancellation in accordance with the Delaware Business Trust
Act.
Section 9.4. LIQUIDATION.
(a) If an Early Termination Event specified in clause (a), (b) or (d) of
Section 9.2 occurs or upon the Expiration Date, the Issuer Trust shall be
liquidated by the Issuer Trustees as expeditiously as the Issuer Trustees
determine to be possible by distributing, after satisfaction of liabilities to
creditors of the Issuer Trust as provided by applicable law, to each Holder a
Like Amount of Debentures, subject to Section 9.4(d). Notice of liquidation
shall be given by the Property Trustee by first-class mail, postage prepaid
mailed not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the Liquidation Date to
each Holder of Trust Securities at such Holder's address appearing in the
Securities Register. All such notices of liquidation shall:
(i) state the Liquidation Date;
(ii) state that from and after the Liquidation Date, the Trust
Securities will no longer be deemed to be Outstanding and any Securities
Certificates not surrendered for exchange will be deemed to represent a
Like Amount of Debentures; and
(iii) provide such information with respect to the mechanics by which
Holders may exchange Securities Certificates for Debentures, or if Section
9.4(d) applies receive a Liquidation Distribution, as the Property Trustee
or Administrative Trustees shall deem appropriate.
(b) Except where Section 9.2(c) or 9.4(d) applies, in order to effect the
liquidation of the Issuer Trust and distribution of the Debentures to Holders,
the Property Trustee, either itself acting as exchange agent or through the
appointment of a separate exchange agent, shall establish a record date for such
distribution (which shall be not more than 45 days prior to the Liquidation
Date) and, establish such procedures as it shall deem appropriate to effect the
distribution of Debentures in exchange for the Outstanding Securities
Certificates.
(c) Except where Section 9.2(c) or 9.4(d) applies, after the Liquidation
Date, (i) the Trust Securities will no longer be deemed to be Outstanding, (ii)
certificates
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representing a Like Amount of Debentures will be issued to Holders of Securities
Certificates, upon surrender of such Securities Certificates to the exchange
agent for exchange, (iii) the Depositor shall use its best efforts to have the
Debentures listed on the Nasdaq National Market or on such other exchange,
interdealer quotation system or self-regulatory organization on which the
Preferred Securities are then listed, (iv) any Securities Certificates not so
surrendered for exchange will be deemed to represent a Like Amount of Debentures
bearing accrued and unpaid interest in an amount equal to the accumulated and
unpaid Distributions on such Securities Certificates until such certificates are
so surrendered (and until such certificates are so surrendered, no payments of
interest or principal will be made to Holders of Securities Certificates with
respect to such Debentures) and (v) all rights of Holders holding Trust
Securities will cease, except the right of such Holders to receive Debentures
upon surrender of Securities Certificates.
(d) If, notwithstanding the other provisions of this Section 9.4, whether
because of an order for dissolution entered by a court of competent jurisdiction
or otherwise, distribution of the Debentures in the manner provided herein is
determined by the Property Trustee not to be practical, or if an Early
Termination Event specified in clause (c) of Section 9.2 occurs, the Trust
Property shall be liquidated, and the Issuer Trust shall be wound-up by the
Property Trustee in such manner as the Property Trustee determines. In such
event, Holders will be entitled to receive out of the assets of the Issuer Trust
available for distribution to Holders, after satisfaction of liabilities to
creditors of the Issuer Trust as provided by applicable law, an amount equal to
the Liquidation Amount per Trust Security plus accumulated and unpaid
Distributions thereon to the date of payment (such amount being the "LIQUIDATION
DISTRIBUTION"). If, upon any such winding up, the Liquidation Distribution can
be paid only in part because the Issuer Trust has insufficient assets available
to pay in full the aggregate Liquidation Distribution, then, subject to the next
succeeding sentence, the amounts payable by the Issuer Trust on the Trust
Securities shall be paid on a PRO RATA basis (based upon Liquidation Amounts).
The Holder of all the Common Securities will be entitled to receive Liquidation
Distributions upon any such dissolution, winding-up or termination PRO RATA
(determined as aforesaid) with Holders of Preferred Securities, except that, if
a Debenture Event of Default specified in Section 5.1(1) or 5.1(2) of the
Indenture has occurred and is continuing, the Preferred Securities shall have a
priority over the Common Securities as provided in Section 4.3.
Section 9.5. MERGERS, CONSOLIDATIONS, AMALGAMATIONS OR REPLACEMENTS OF
ISSUER TRUST.
The Issuer Trust may not merge with or into, consolidate, amalgamate, or be
replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets
substantially as an entirety to any Person, except pursuant to this Article IX.
At the request of the Holders of the Common Securities, with the consent of the
Administrative Trustees, but without the consent of the Holders of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities, the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee,
the Issuer Trust may merge with or into, consolidate, amalgamate, or be replaced
by or convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an
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entirety to a trust organized as such under the laws of any State; PROVIDED that
(i) such successor entity either (A) expressly assumes all of the obligations of
the Issuer Trust with respect to the Preferred Securities or (B) substitutes for
the Preferred Securities other securities having substantially the same terms as
the Preferred Securities (the "SUCCESSOR SECURITIES") so long as the Successor
Securities have the same priority as the Preferred Securities with respect to
distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and otherwise, (ii) a
trustee of such successor entity possessing the same powers and duties as the
Property Trustee is appointed to hold the Debentures, (iii) such merger,
consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not
cause the Preferred Securities (including any Successor Securities) to be
downgraded by any nationally recognized statistical rating organization that
then assigns a rating to the Preferred Securities, (iv) the Successor Securities
are listed, or any Successor Securities will be listed upon notice of issuance,
on any national securities exchange or interdealer quotation system on which the
Preferred Securities are then listed, if any, (v) such merger, consolidation,
amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not adversely
affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities (including any Successor Securities) in any material respect, (vi)
such successor entity has a purpose substantially identical to that of the
Issuer Trust, (vii) prior to such merger, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, the Depositor has received an
Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (A) such merger, consolidation,
amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease does not adversely
affect the rights, preferences and privileges of the Holders of the Preferred
Securities (including any Successor Securities) in any material respect, and (B)
following such merger, consolidation, amalgamation, replacement, conveyance,
transfer or lease, neither the Issuer Trust nor such successor entity will be
required to register as an "investment company" under the Investment Company
Act, and (viii) the Depositor or its permitted transferee owns all of the Common
Securities of such successor entity and guarantees the obligations of such
successor entity under the Successor Securities at least to the extent provided
by the Guarantee Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Issuer Trust
shall not, except with the consent of holders of all of the Preferred
Securities, consolidate, amalgamate, merge with or into, or be replaced by or
convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an entirety
to any other entity or permit any other entity to consolidate, amalgamate, merge
with or into, or replace it if such consolidation, amalgamation, merger,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease would cause the Issuer Trust or the
successor entity to be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a
grantor trust for United States Federal income tax purposes.
Section 9.6. EXCHANGE OF PREFERRED SECURITIES FOR DEBENTURES BY DEPOSITOR
AFFILIATED HOLDER.
(a) If at any time the Depositor or any of its Affiliates (in either case,
a "DEPOSITOR AFFILIATED HOLDER") is the Holder of any Preferred Securities, such
Depositor Affiliated Holder shall have the right to deliver to the Property
Trustee all or such portion of its Preferred Securities as it elects and
receive, in exchange therefor, a Like Amount of Debentures. Such election (i)
shall be exercisable effective on any Distribution Date by
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such Depositor Affiliated Holder delivering to the Property Trustee a written
notice of such election specifying the aggregate Liquidation Amount of Preferred
Securities with respect to which such election is being made and the
Distribution Date on which such exchange shall occur, which Distribution Date
shall be not less than ten Business Days after the date of receipt by the
Property Trustee of such election notice and (ii) shall be conditioned upon such
Depositor Affiliated Holder having delivered or caused to be delivered to the
Property Trustee or its designee the Preferred Securities which are the subject
of such election by 10:00 A.M. Boston time, on the Distribution Date on which
such exchange is to occur. After the exchange, such Preferred Securities will be
canceled and will no longer be deemed to be Outstanding and all rights of the
Depositor or its Affiliate(s) with respect to such Preferred Securities will
cease.
(b) In the case of an exchange described in Section 9.6(a), the Issuer
Trust will, on the date of such exchange, exchange Debentures for a Like Amount
of Common Securities, based on the ratio of the aggregate Liquidation Amount of
the Preferred Securities exchanged pursuant to Section 9.6(a) divided by the
aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities outstanding immediately
prior to such exchange, for such Like Amount of Common Securities held by the
Depositor (which contemporaneously shall be canceled and no longer be deemed to
be outstanding); provided, that the Depositor delivers or caused to be delivered
to the Property Trustee or its designee the required amount of Common Securities
to be exchanged by 10:00 A.M. Boston time, on the Distribution Date on which
such exchange is to occur.
ARTICLE X.
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 10.1. LIMITATION OF RIGHTS OF HOLDERS.
Except as set forth in Section 9.2, the death, bankruptcy, dissolution,
termination, or incapacity of any Person having an interest, beneficial or
otherwise, in Trust Securities shall not operate to terminate this Trust
Agreement, nor dissolve, terminate or annul the Trust, nor entitle the legal
representatives, successors or heirs of such Person or any Holder for such
Person, to claim an accounting, take any action or bring any proceeding in any
court for a partition or winding up of the arrangements contemplated hereby, nor
otherwise affect the rights, obligations and liabilities of the parties hereto
or any of them.
Section 10.2. AMENDMENT.
(a) This Trust Agreement may be amended from time to time by the Depositor,
the Administrative Trustees and Holder of all the Common Securities, without the
consent of any Holder of the Preferred Securities and without the consent (or
signature) of the Delaware Trustee and the Property Trustee, except as set forth
in clauses (e) and (g) of this Section 10.2, but with written notice (and a copy
of such amendment) to each
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of the Property Trustee and Delaware Trustee, (i) to cure any ambiguity, correct
or supplement any provision herein that may be inconsistent with any other
provision herein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or
questions arising under this Trust Agreement, which shall not be inconsistent
with the other provisions of this Trust Agreement or (ii) to modify, eliminate
or add to any provisions of this Trust Agreement to such extent as shall be
necessary to ensure that the Issuer Trust will not be taxable as a corporation
or will be classified as a grantor trust for United States Federal income tax
purposes at all times that any Trust Securities are Outstanding or to ensure
that the Issuer Trust will not be required to register as an "investment
company" under the Investment Company Act; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that in the case
of either clauses (i) or (ii) such action shall not adversely affect in any
material respect the interests of any Holder.
(b) Except as provided in Section 10.2(c) hereof, any provision of this
Trust Agreement may be amended by the Depositor, the Administrative Trustees and
the Holder of all the Common Securities and without the consent (or signature)
of the Delaware Trustee and the Property Trustee, except as set forth in clauses
(e) and (g) of this Section 10.2, but with written notice (and a copy of such
amendment) to each of the Property Trustee and Delaware Trustee, and with (i)
the consent of Holders of at least a Majority in Liquidation Amount of the
Preferred Securities, and (ii) receipt by the Issuer Trustees of an Opinion of
Counsel to the effect that such amendment or the exercise of any power granted
to the Issuer Trustees in accordance with such amendment will not cause the
Issuer Trust to be taxable as a corporation or classified as other than a
grantor trust for United States Federal income tax purposes or affect the Issuer
Trust's exemption from status as an "investment company" under the Investment
Company Act.
(c) In addition to and notwithstanding any other provision in this Trust
Agreement, without the consent of each affected Holder, this Trust Agreement may
not be amended to (i) change the amount or timing of any Distribution on the
Trust Securities or otherwise adversely affect the amount of any Distribution
required to be made in respect of the Trust Securities as of a specified date,
or (ii) restrict the right of a Holder to institute suit for the enforcement of
any such payment on or after such date; and notwithstanding any other provision
herein, without the unanimous consent of the Holders, this paragraph (c) of this
Section 10.2 may not be amended.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Trust Agreement, no Issuer
Trustee shall enter into or consent to any amendment to this Trust Agreement
that would cause the Issuer Trust to fail or cease to qualify for the exemption
from status as an "investment company" under the Investment Company Act or to be
taxable as a corporation or to be classified as other than a grantor trust for
United States Federal income tax purposes. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Property Trustee shall be entitled to rely in good faith upon any opinion of
counsel it received pursuant to Section 10.2(g) hereof.
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(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Trust Agreement to the contrary,
without the consent of the Depositor and the relevant Issuer Trustee(s), this
Trust Agreement may not be amended in a manner that imposes any additional
obligation, cost or liability, on, or removes, reduces or alters any protection,
immunity or indemnity in favor of, the Depositor or the relevant Issuer
Trustee(s).
(f) If any amendment to this Trust Agreement is made, the Administrative
Trustees shall promptly provide to the Depositor and the Property Trustee a copy
of such amendment.
(g) Neither the Property Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be required
to enter into any amendment to this Trust Agreement that affects its own rights,
duties or immunities under this Trust Agreement. The Property Trustee shall be
entitled to receive and rely upon an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers'
Certificate stating that any amendment to this Trust Agreement, and the
execution thereof or grant of consent thereto by the Property Trustee, is in
compliance with this Trust Agreement.
Section 10.3. SEPARABILITY.
If any provision in this Trust Agreement or in the Securities Certificates
shall be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, the validity, legality and
enforceability of the remaining provisions shall not in any way be affected or
impaired thereby.
Section 10.4. GOVERNING LAW.
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EACH OF THE HOLDERS,
THE ISSUER TRUST, THE DEPOSITOR AND THE ISSUER TRUSTEES WITH RESPECT TO THIS
TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE TRUST SECURITIES SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH
AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE WITHOUT REFERENCE TO ITS
CONFLICTS OF LAWS PROVISIONS. THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 3540 OF TITLE 12 OF THE
DELAWARE CODE SHALL NOT APPLY TO THIS TRUST.
Section 10.5. PAYMENTS DUE ON NON-BUSINESS DAY.
If the date fixed for any payment on any Trust Security shall be a day that
is not a Business Day, then such payment need not be made on such date but may
be made on the next succeeding day that is a Business Day (except as otherwise
provided in Sections 4.1(a) and 4.2(d)), with the same force and effect as
though made on the date fixed for such payment, and no Distributions shall
accumulate on such unpaid amount for the period after such date.
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Section 10.6. SUCCESSORS.
This Trust Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit
of any successor to the Depositor, the Issuer Trust and any Issuer Trustee,
including any successor by operation of law. Except in connection with a
consolidation, merger or sale involving the Depositor that is permitted under
Article VIII of the Indenture and pursuant to which the assignee agrees in
writing to perform the Depositor's obligations hereunder, the Depositor shall
not assign its obligations hereunder.
Section 10.7. HEADINGS.
The Article and Section headings are for convenience only and shall not
affect the construction of this Trust Agreement.
Section 10.8. REPORTS, NOTICES AND DEMANDS.
Any report, notice, demand or other communication that by any provision of
this Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or served to or upon
any Holder or the Depositor may be given or served in writing by deposit
thereof, first-class postage prepaid, in the United States mail, hand delivery
or facsimile transmission, in each case, addressed, (a) in the case of a Holder
of Preferred Securities, to such Holder as such Holder's name and address may
appear on the Securities Register; and (b) in the case of the Holder of all the
Common Securities or the Depositor, to Seacoast Financial Services Corporation,
One Compass Place, New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740, Attention: Treasurer,
Facsimile no.: (508) 994-4874, or to such other address as may be specified in a
written notice by the Holder of all the Common Securities or the Depositor, as
the case may be, to the Property Trustee. Such notice, demand or other
communication to or upon a Holder shall be deemed to have been sufficiently
given or made, for all purposes, upon hand delivery, mailing or transmission.
Such notice, demand or other communication to or upon the Depositor shall be
deemed to have been sufficiently given or made only upon actual receipt of the
writing by the Depositor.
Any notice, demand or other communication that by any provision of this
Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or served to or upon the
Issuer Trust or any Issuer Trustee shall be given in writing by deposit thereof,
first-class postage prepaid, in the U.S. mail, hand delivery or facsimile
transmission, addressed to such Person as follows: (a) with respect to the
Property Trustee to State Street Bank and Trust Company, 2 Avenue de Lafayette,
Boston, Massachusetts 02111-1724, Attention: Corporate Trust Department
(Seacoast Capital Trust I); (b) with respect to the Delaware Trustee, to
Christiana Bank & Trust Company, 1314 King Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801
Attention: Corporate Trust Department; (c) with respect to the Administrative
Trustees, to them at the address above for notices to the Depositor, marked
"Attention: Administrative Trustees of Seacoast Capital Trust I"; and (d) with
respect to the Issuer Trust, to its principal office specified in Section 2.1,
with a copy to the Property Trustee. Such notice, demand or other communication
to or upon the Issuer Trust, the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or the
Administrative Trustees shall be deemed to have
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been sufficiently given or made only upon actual receipt of the writing by the
Issuer Trust, the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or such Administrative
Trustee, as the case may be.
Section 10.9. AGREEMENT NOT TO PETITION.
Each of the Issuer Trustees and the Depositor agree for the benefit of the
Holders that, until at least one year and one day after the Issuer Trust has
been terminated in accordance with Article IX, they shall not file, or join in
the filing of, a petition against the Issuer Trust under any bankruptcy,
insolvency, reorganization or other similar law (including the United States
Bankruptcy Code) (collectively, "Bankruptcy Laws") or otherwise join in the
commencement of any proceeding against the Issuer Trust under any Bankruptcy
Law. If the Depositor takes action in violation of this Section 10.9, the
Property Trustee agrees, for the benefit of Holders, that at the expense of the
Depositor, it shall file an answer with the bankruptcy court or otherwise
properly contest the filing of such petition by the Depositor against the Issuer
Trust or the commencement of such action and raise the defense that the
Depositor has agreed in writing not to take such action and should be estopped
and precluded therefrom and such other defenses, if any, as counsel for the
Issuer Trustee or the Issuer Trust may assert.
Section 10.10. TRUST INDENTURE ACT; CONFLICT WITH TRUST INDENTURE ACT.
(a) This Trust Agreement is subject to the provisions of the Trust
Indenture Act that are required to be part of this Trust Agreement and shall, to
the extent applicable, be governed by such provisions.
(b) The Property Trustee shall be the only Issuer Trustee that is a trustee
for the purposes of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties
imposed by Sections 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act through
operation of Section 318(c) thereof, such imposed duties shall control. If any
provision of this Trust Agreement modifies or excludes any provision of the
Trust Indenture Act which may be so modified or excluded, the latter provision
shall be deemed to apply to this Trust Agreement as so modified or excluded, as
the case may be.
(d) The application of the Trust Indenture Act to this Trust Agreement
shall not affect the nature of the Trust Securities as equity securities
representing undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer Trust.
Section 10.11. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS OF TRUST AGREEMENT, GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
AND INDENTURE.
THE RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE OF A TRUST SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN BY
OR ON BEHALF OF A HOLDER OR ANY BENEFICIAL OWNER, WITHOUT ANY SIGNATURE OR
FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF
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ASSENT, SHALL CONSTITUTE THE UNCONDITIONAL ACCEPTANCE BY THE HOLDER AND ALL
OTHERS HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN SUCH TRUST SECURITY OF ALL THE TERMS AND
PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST AGREEMENT, THE GUARANTEE AGREEMENT AND THE INDENTURE,
AND AGREEMENT TO THE SUBORDINATION PROVISIONS AND OTHER TERMS OF THE GUARANTEE
AGREEMENT AND THE INDENTURE, AND SHALL CONSTITUTE THE AGREEMENT OF THE ISSUER
TRUST, SUCH HOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS THAT THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST
AGREEMENT SHALL BE BINDING, OPERATIVE AND EFFECTIVE AS BETWEEN THE ISSUER TRUST
AND SUCH HOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS.
Section 10.12. COUNTERPARTS.
This instrument may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of
which so executed shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts
shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Amended and
Restated Trust Agreement.
SEACOAST FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION,
as Depositor
By: /s/ Kevin G. Champagne
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST
COMPANY, as Property Trustee
By: /s/ Earl W. Dennison, Jr.
---------------------------------------
Name: Earl W. Dennison, Jr.
Title: Vice President
CHRISTIANA BANK & TRUST
COMPANY, as Delaware Trustee
By: /s/ Debra A. Ballret
--------------------------------------
Name: Debra A. Ballret
Title: Trust Officer
/s/ Kevin G. Champagne
--------------------------------------
Kevin G. Champagne,
as Administrative Trustee
/s/ Francis S. Mascianica, Jr.
--------------------------------------
Francis S. Mascianica, Jr.,
as Administrative Trustee
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EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
This Certificate of Trust of Seacoast Capital Trust I (the "TRUST"),
dated APRIL 9, 2002, is being duly executed and filed by the undersigned, as
trustees, to form a business trust under the Delaware Business Trust Act
(12 Del. C. Section 3801 et seq.)
1. Name. The name of the business trust being formed hereby is Seacoast
Capital Trust I.
2. Delaware Trustee. The name and business address of the trustee of the
Trust with a principal place of business in the State of Delaware is Christiana
Bank & Trust Company, 1314 King Street, Wilmington, Delaware 19801.
3. Effective Date. This Certificate of Trust shall be effective upon its
filing with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being the initial trustees of the
Trust, has executed this Certificate of Trust as of the date first above
written.
CHRISTIANA BANK & TRUST COMPANY
By:
-------------------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
-------------------------------------------------
as Regular Trustee
-------------------------------------------------
as Regular Trustee
A-1
EXHIBIT B
[FORM OF COMMON SECURITIES CERTIFICATE]
THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE EXCEPT TO THE DEPOSITOR OR
AN AFFILIATE OF THE DEPOSITOR IN COMPLIANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAW
AND SECTION 5.11 OF THE TRUST AGREEMENT (AS DEFINED BELOW) AND
ONLY IN CONNECTION WITH A SIMULTANEOUS DELEGATION AND
ASSIGNMENT OF THE EXPENSE AGREEMENT REFERRED TO THEREIN
Certificate Number Number of Common Securities
CI-
Certificate Evidencing Common Securities
Of
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
8.50% Common Securities
(Liquidation Amount $25 per Common Security)
Seacoast Capital Trust I, a statutory business trust created under the
laws of the State of Delaware (the "ISSUER TRUST"), hereby certifies that
Seacoast Financial Services Corporation (the "HOLDER") is the registered
owner of ________ common securities of the Issuer Trust representing
undivided common beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer Trust and
designated the Seacoast Capital Trust I Common Securities, (Liquidation
Amount $25 per Common Security) (the "COMMON SECURITIES"). Except in
accordance with Section 5.11 of the Trust Agreement (as defined below) the
Common Securities are not transferable and, to the fullest extent permitted
by law, any attempted transfer hereof other than in accordance therewith
shall be void. The designations, rights, privileges, restrictions,
preferences and other terms and provisions of the Common Securities are set
forth in, and this certificate and the Common Securities represented hereby
are issued and shall in all respects be subject to the terms and provisions
of, the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of the Issuer Trust, dated as of
May 31, 2002, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "TRUST
AGREEMENT"), among Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, as Depositor,
State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Property Trustee, Christiana Bank &
Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee, the Administrative Trustees named therein
and the several Holders, including the designation of the terms of the Common
Securities as set forth therein. The Issuer Trust will furnish a copy of the
Trust Agreement to the Holder without charge upon written request to the
Issuer Trust at its principal place of business or registered office.
Upon receipt of this certificate, the Holder is bound by the Trust
Agreement and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.
B-1
This Common Securities Certificate shall be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
Terms used but not defined herein have the meanings set forth in the Trust
Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrative Trustees of the Issuer Trust
has executed this certificate this ____ day of __________, 2002.
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
By:
--------------------------------
Name:
ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEE
B-2
EXHIBIT C
[FORM OF EXPENSE AGREEMENT]
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES, dated as of May 31, 2002,
between Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation,
as Depositor (the "DEPOSITOR"), and Seacoast Capital Trust I, a Delaware
business trust (the "ISSUER Trust").
WHEREAS, the Issuer Trust intends to issue its 8.50% Common Securities,
(the "COMMON SECURITIES") to and acquire Debentures from the Depositor, and
to issue and sell 8.50% Trust Preferred Securities (the "TRUST PREFERRED
SECURITIES") with such powers, preferences and special rights and
restrictions as are set forth in the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement,
dated as of May 31, 2002, among Seacoast Financial Services Corporation,
as Depositor, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Property Trustee,
Christiana Bank & Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee, the Administrative
Trustees named therein and the several Holders, as the same may be amended
from time to time (the "TRUST AGREEMENT");
WHEREAS, the Depositor will own all of the Common Securities of the Trust;
WHEREAS, capitalized terms used but not defined herein shall have the
meanings set forth in the Trust Agreement;
NOW, THEREFORE, for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and
sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
Section 1.1 GUARANTEE BY THE DEPOSITOR. Subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, the Depositor hereby irrevocably and unconditionally guarantees to each
person or entity to whom the Issuer Trust is now or hereafter becomes indebted
or liable (the "BENEFICIARIES") the full payment, when and as due, of any and
all Obligations (as hereinafter defined) to such Beneficiaries. As used herein,
"OBLIGATIONS" means any costs, expenses or liabilities of the Issuer Trust,
other than obligations of the Issuer Trust to pay to holders of any Trust
Securities the amounts due such holders pursuant to the terms of the Trust
Securities. This Agreement is intended to be for the benefit of, and to be
enforceable by, all such Beneficiaries, whether or not such Beneficiaries have
received notice hereof.
Section 1.2. SUBORDINATION OF GUARANTEE.
(a) The guarantee and other liabilities and obligations of the Depositor
under this Agreement shall constitute unsecured obligations of the Depositor and
shall rank subordinate and junior in right of payment to all Senior Debt (as
defined in the Indenture)
C-1
of the Depositor to the extent and in the manner set forth in the Indenture with
respect to the Debentures, and the provisions of Article XIII of the Indenture
will apply, MUTATIS MUTANDIS, to the obligations of the Depositor hereunder. The
obligations of the Depositor hereunder do not constitute Senior Debt (as defined
in the Indenture) of the Depositor.
(b) Notwithstanding any term hereof to the contrary, any Obligation owing
to the Property Trustee pursuant to Section 8.6 of the Trust Agreement shall not
be subject to the subordination imposed by Section 1.2(a) hereof.
Section 1.3. TERM OF AGREEMENT. This Agreement shall terminate and be of no
further force and effect upon the dissolution of the Issuer Trust; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that this Agreement shall continue to be effective or shall be
reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any holder of Trust Preferred
Securities or any Beneficiary must restore payment of any sums paid under the
Trust Preferred Securities, under any Obligation, under the Guarantee Agreement
dated the date hereof by the Depositor and State Street Bank and Trust Company,
as guarantee trustee, or under this Agreement for any reason whatsoever. This
Agreement is continuing, irrevocable, unconditional and absolute.
Section 1.4. WAIVER OF NOTICE. The Depositor hereby waives notice of
acceptance of this Agreement and of any Obligation to which it applies or may
apply, and the Depositor hereby waives presentment, demand for payment, protest,
notice of nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other
notices and demands.
Section 1.5. NO IMPAIRMENT. The obligations, covenants, agreements and
duties of the Depositor under this Agreement shall in no way be affected or
impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the following:
(a) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer Trust of all or any
portion of the Obligations or for the performance of any other obligation under,
arising out of, or in connection with, the Obligations;
(b) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on the part of the
Beneficiaries to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege, power or
remedy conferred on the Beneficiaries with respect to the Obligations or any
action on the part of the Issuer Trust granting indulgence or extension of any
kind; or
(c) 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 Trust or any of the assets of
the Issuer Trust (other than the dissolution of the Issuer Trust in accordance
with the terms thereof).
There shall be no obligation of the Beneficiaries to give notice to, or obtain
the consent of, the Depositor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
C-2
Section 1.6. ENFORCEMENT. A Beneficiary may enforce this Agreement directly
against the Depositor and the Depositor waives any right or remedy to require
that any action be brought against the Issuer Trust or any other person or
entity before proceeding against the Depositor.
Section 1.7. SUBROGATION. The Depositor shall be subrogated to all rights
(if any) of any Beneficiary against the Issuer Trust in respect of any amounts
paid to the Beneficiaries by the Depositor under this Agreement; PROVIDED,
HOWEVER, that the Depositor shall not (except to the extent required by
mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any rights 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 Agreement, if, at the
time of any such payment, any amounts are due and unpaid under this Agreement.
ARTICLE II
Section 2.1. ASSIGNMENT. This Agreement may not be assigned by either party
hereto without the consent of the other, and any purported assignment without
such consent shall be void; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, that, upon any transfer of the
Common Securities, this Agreement shall be assigned and delegated by the
Depositor to its successor with such transfer without any action by either party
hereto.
Section 2.2. BINDING EFFECT. All guarantees and agreements contained in
this Agreement shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and
representatives of the Depositor and shall inure to the benefit of the
Beneficiaries.
Section 2.3. AMENDMENT. So long as there remains any Beneficiary or any
Trust Preferred Securities are outstanding, this Agreement shall not be modified
or amended in any manner adverse to such Beneficiary or to the holders of the
Trust Preferred Securities without the consent of such Beneficiary or the
holders of the Trust Preferred Securities, as the case may be.
Section 2.4. NOTICES. Any notice, request or other communication required
or permitted to be given hereunder shall be given in writing by delivering the
same against receipt therefor by facsimile transmission (confirmed by mail),
telex or by registered or certified mail, addressed as follows (and if so given,
shall be deemed given when mailed or upon receipt of an answer-back, if sent by
telex):
Seacoast Capital Trust I
One Compass Place
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Facsimile No.: 508-984-4874
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
C-3
Seacoast Financial Services Corporation
One Compass Place
New Bedford, Massachusetts 02740
Facsimile No.: 508-984-4874
Attention: Chief Financial Officer
Section 2.5. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED AND
INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS.
C-4
This Agreement is executed as of the day and year first above written.
SEACOAST FINANCIAL SERVICES CORPORATION
By: /s/ Kevin G. Champagne
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
By: /s/ Francis S. Mascianica, Jr.
--------------------------------------
Name:
ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEE
EXHIBIT D
[FORM OF PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE]
[IF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE IS TO BE EVIDENCED BY A BOOK-ENTRY
PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE, INSERT: This Preferred Securities Certificate
is a Book-Entry Preferred Securities Certificate within the meaning of the Trust
Agreement hereinafter referred to and is registered in the name of a Clearing
Agency or a nominee of a Clearing Agency. This Preferred Securities Certificate
is exchangeable for Preferred Securities Certificates registered in the name of
a person other than the Clearing Agency or its nominee only in the limited
circumstances described in the Trust Agreement and may not be transferred except
as a whole by the Clearing Agency to a nominee of the Clearing Agency or by a
nominee of the Clearing Agency to the Clearing Agency or another nominee of the
Clearing Agency, except in the limited circumstances described in the Trust
Agreement.
Unless this Preferred Security Certificate is presented by an authorized
representative of The Depository Trust Company, a New York Corporation ("DTC"),
to Seacoast Capital Trust I or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange
or payment, and any Preferred Security Certificate issued is registered in the
name of Cede & Co. or such other name as is requested by an authorized
representative of DTC (and any payment is made to Cede & Co. or to such other
entity as is requested by an authorized representative of DTC), ANY TRANSFER,
PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE BY OR TO A PERSON IS WRONGFUL
inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an interest herein.]
D-1
CERTIFICATE NUMBER NUMBER OF PREFERRED SECURITIES
CAI-
CUSIP NO.__________
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCING PREFERRED SECURITIES
OF
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
___ % TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES
(LIQUIDATION AMOUNT $25 PER TRUST PREFERRED SECURITY)
Seacoast Capital Trust I, a statutory business trust created under the
laws of the State of Delaware (the "ISSUER TRUST"), hereby certifies that
Cede & Co. (the "HOLDER") is the registered owner of ( ) Preferred Securities
of the Issuer Trust representing an undivided preferred beneficial interest
in the assets of the Issuer Trust and designated the Seacoast Capital Trust I
8.50% Trust Preferred Securities, (Liquidation Amount $25 per Trust Preferred
Security) (the "TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES"). The Trust Preferred Securities
are transferable on the books and records of the Issuer Trust, in person or
by a duly authorized attorney, upon surrender of this certificate duly
endorsed and in proper form for transfer as provided in Section 5.5 of the
Trust Agreement (as defined below). The designations, rights, privileges,
restrictions, preferences and other terms and provisions of the Preferred
Securities are set forth in, and this certificate and the Preferred
Securities represented hereby are issued and shall in all respects be subject
to the terms and provisions of, the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of
the Issuer Trust, dated as of May 31, 2002, as the same may be amended from
time to time (the "TRUST AGREEMENT"), among Seacoast Financial Services
Corporation, as Depositor, State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Property
Trustee, Christiana Bank & Trust Company, as Delaware Trustee, the
Administrative Trustees named therein and the several Holders, including the
designation of the terms of the Preferred Securities as set forth therein.
The Holder is entitled to the benefits of the Guarantee Agreement entered
into by Seacoast Financial Services Corporation, a Massachusetts corporation,
and State Street Bank and Trust Company, as Guarantee Trustee, dated as of
May 31, 2002, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "GUARANTEE
AGREEMENT"), to the extent provided therein. The Property Trustee will
furnish a copy of the Trust Agreement and the Guarantee Agreement to the
Holder without charge upon written request to the Issuer Trust at its
principal place of business or registered office.
Upon receipt of this certificate, the Holder is bound by the Trust
Agreement and is entitled to the benefits thereunder.
D-2
This Trust Preferred Securities Certificate shall be governed by and
construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware.
All capitalized terms used but not defined in this Trust Preferred
Securities Certificate are used with the meanings specified in the Trust
Agreement, including the Exhibits thereto.
D-3
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrative Trustees of the Issuer Trust
has executed this certificate this 31st day of May, 2002.
SEACOAST CAPITAL TRUST I
By:
--------------------------------------
Name:
ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEE
D-4
ASSIGNMENT
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned assigns and transfers this Trust
Preferred Security to:
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Insert assignee's social security or tax identification number)
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Insert address and zip code of assignee)
and irrevocably appoints
-------------------------------------------------------
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
agent to transfer this Trust Preferred Securities Certificate on the books of
the Issuer Trust. The agent may substitute another to act for him or her.
Date:
---------------------
Signature:
---------------------------------------------------------------
(Sign exactly as your name appears on the other side of this Capital
Security Certificate)
The signature(s) should be guaranteed by an eligible guarantor institution
(banks, stockbrokers, savings and loan associations and credit unions with
membership in an approved signature guarantee medallion program), pursuant to
S.E.C. Rule 17Ad-15.
- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
D-5