EXHIBIT 4.4
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IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
AMENDED AND RESTATED
TRUST AGREEMENT
AMONG
INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION, AS DEPOSITOR,
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS PROPERTY TRUSTEE,
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS DELAWARE TRUSTEE,
AND
THE ADMINISTRATIVE TRUSTEES NAMED HEREIN
DATED AS OF MARCH __, 2003
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ARTICLE I DEFINED TERMS.............................................................1
Section 101 Definitions............................................................1
ARTICLE II ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST...............................................10
Section 201 Name .................................................................10
Section 202 Office of the Delaware Trustee; Principal Place of Business...........10
Section 203 Initial Contribution of Trust Property; Organizational Expenses.......10
Section 204 Issuance of the Preferred Securities..................................10
Section 205 Issuance of the Common Securities; Subscription and Purchase of
Debentures............................................................11
Section 206 Declaration of Trust..................................................11
Section 207 Authorization to Enter into Certain Transactions......................11
Section 208 Assets of Trust.......................................................15
Section 209 Title to Trust Property...............................................15
ARTICLE III PAYMENT ACCOUNT..........................................................15
Section 301 Payment Account.......................................................15
ARTICLE IV DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION................................................16
Section 401 Distributions.........................................................16
Section 402 Redemption............................................................16
Section 403 Subordination of Common Securities....................................19
Section 404 Payment Procedures....................................................19
Section 405 Tax Returns and Reports...............................................19
Section 406 Payment of Taxes, Duties, etc. of the Trust...........................20
Section 407 Payments Under Indenture..............................................20
ARTICLE V TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES............................................20
Section 501 Initial Ownership.....................................................20
Section 502 The Trust Securities Certificates.....................................20
Section 503 Execution, Authentication and Delivery of Trust Securities
Certificates..........................................................20
Section 503A Global Preferred Security.............................................21
Section 504 Registration of Transfer and Exchange of Preferred Securities
Certificates..........................................................22
Section 505 Mutilated, Destroyed, Lost or Stolen Trust Securities Certificates....23
Section 506 Persons Deemed Securityholders........................................24
Section 507 Access to List of Securityholders' Names and Addresses................24
Section 508 Maintenance of Office or Agency.......................................24
Section 509 Appointment of Paying Agent...........................................25
Section 510 Ownership of Common Securities by Depositor...........................25
Section 511 Trust Securities Certificates.........................................25
Section 512 Notices to Clearing Agency............................................26
Section 513 Rights of Securityholders.............................................26
ARTICLE VI ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING................................27
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Section 601 Limitations on Voting Rights..........................................27
Section 602 Notice of Meetings....................................................28
Section 603 Meetings of Preferred Securityholders.................................28
Section 604 Voting Rights.........................................................28
Section 605 Proxies, etc..........................................................28
Section 606 Securityholder Action by Written Consent..............................29
Section 607 Record Date for Voting and Other Purposes.............................29
Section 608 Acts of Securityholders...............................................29
Section 609 Inspection of Records.................................................30
ARTICLE VII REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES...........................................30
Section 701 Representations and Warranties of the Bank and the Property
Trustee........................ ......................................30
Section 702 Representations and Warranties of the Delaware Bank and the
Delaware Trustee......................................................31
Section 703 Representations and Warranties of Depositor...........................32
ARTICLE VIII TRUSTEES.................................................................33
Section 801 Certain Duties and Responsibilities...................................33
Section 802 Certain Notices.......................................................34
Section 803 Certain Rights of Property Trustee....................................34
Section 804 Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Securities................36
Section 805 May Hold Securities...................................................37
Section 806 Compensation; Indemnity; Fees.........................................37
Section 807 Corporate Property Trustee Required; Eligibility of Trustees..........37
Section 808 Conflicting Interests.................................................38
Section 809 Co-Trustees and Separate Trustee......................................38
Section 810 Resignation and Removal; Appointment of Successor.....................39
Section 811 Acceptance of Appointment by Successor................................41
Section 812 Merger, Conversion, Consolidation or Succession to Business...........41
Section 813 Preferential Collection of Claims Against Depositor or Trust..........41
Section 814 Reports by Property Trustee...........................................42
Section 815 Reports to the Property Trustee.......................................42
Section 816 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent......................42
Section 817 Number of Trustees....................................................42
Section 818 Delegation of Power...................................................43
Section 819 Voting................................................................43
ARTICLE IX TERMINATION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER......................................43
Section 901 Termination Upon Expiration Date......................................43
Section 902 Early Termination.....................................................43
Section 903 Termination...........................................................44
Section 904 Liquidation...........................................................44
Section 905 Mergers, Consolidations, Amalgamations or Replacements of the
Trust.................................................................45
ARTICLE X MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.................................................46
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
(continued)
Section 1001 Limitation of Rights of Securityholders...............................46
Section 1002 Amendment.............................................................47
Section 1003 Separability..........................................................48
Section 1004 Governing Law.........................................................48
Section 1005 Payments Due on Non-Business Day......................................48
Section 1006 Successors............................................................48
Section 1007 Headings..............................................................49
Section 1008 Reports, Notices and Demands..........................................49
Section 1009 Agreement Not to Petition.............................................49
Section 1010 Trust Indenture Act; Conflict with Trust Indenture Act................50
Section 1011 Acceptance of Terms of Trust Agreement, Guarantee and
Indenture.............................................................50
Section 1012 Counterparts..........................................................50
EXHIBITS
Exhibit A Form of Certificate of Trust
Exhibit B Form of Common Securities Certificate
Exhibit C Form of Expense Agreement
Exhibit D Form of Preferred Securities Certificate
Exhibit E Form of Preferred Securities Certificate Authentication
Exhibit F Form of Certificate Depositary Agreement
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CROSS-REFERENCE TABLE
Section of Section of
Trust Indenture Act Amended and Restated Trust Agreement
of 1939, as amended ------------------------------------
-------------------
310(a)(1)....................................................................807
310(a)(2)....................................................................807
310(a)(3)....................................................................807
310(a)(4).............................................................207(a)(ii)
310(b).......................................................................808
311(a).......................................................................813
311(b).......................................................................813
312(a).......................................................................507
312(b).......................................................................507
312(c).......................................................................507
313(a)....................................................................814(a)
313(a)(4).................................................................814(b)
313(b)....................................................................814(b)
313(c)......................................................................1008
313(d)....................................................................814(c)
314(a).......................................................................815
314(b)............................................................Not Applicable
314(c)(1)....................................................................816
314(c)(2)....................................................................816
314(c)(3).........................................................Not Applicable
314(d)............................................................Not Applicable
314(e)..................................................................101, 816
315(a)............................................................801(a), 803(a)
315(b).................................................................802, 1008
315(c)....................................................................801(a)
315(d)..................................................................801, 803
316(a)(2).........................................................Not Applicable
316(b)............................................................Not Applicable
316(c).......................................................................607
317(a)(1).........................................................Not Applicable
317(a)(2).........................................................Not Applicable
317(b).......................................................................509
318(a)......................................................................1010
Note: This Cross-Reference Table does not constitute part of this Agreement
and shall not affect the interpretation of any of its terms or
provisions.
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AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT
AMENDED AND RESTATED TRUST AGREEMENT, dated as of March __, 2003, among
(i) INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION, a Michigan corporation (including any
successors or assigns, the "Depositor"), (ii) U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a
national banking association, as property trustee (the "Property Trustee" and,
in its separate corporate capacity and not in its capacity as Property Trustee,
the "Bank"), (iii) U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a national banking
association, as Delaware trustee (the "Delaware Trustee," and, in its separate
corporate capacity and not in its capacity as Delaware Trustee, the "Delaware
Bank"), (iv) ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. VAN LOAN, an individual, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, an
individual, and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, an individual, each of whose address is
c/o Company (each an "Administrative Trustee" and collectively the
"Administrative Trustees") (the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee and the
Administrative Trustees referred to collectively as the "Trustees"), and (v) the
several Holders (as hereinafter defined).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Depositor, the Delaware Trustee, and ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Van Loan,
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, each as an Administrative Trustee,
have heretofore duly declared and established a statutory trust pursuant to the
Delaware Statutory Trust Act by the entering into of that certain Trust
Agreement, dated as of February 26, 2003 (the "Original Trust Agreement"), and
by the execution and filing by the Delaware Trustee, the Depositor and the
Administrative Trustees with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware of
the Certificate of Trust, filed on February 26, 2003, the form of which is
attached as Exhibit A; and
WHEREAS, the Depositor, the Delaware Trustee, the Property Trustee and
the Administrative Trustees 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 (as defined herein) by the
Trust (as defined herein) to the Depositor; (ii) the issuance and sale of the
Preferred Securities (as defined herein) by the Trust pursuant to the
Underwriting Agreement (as defined herein); (iii) the acquisition by the Trust
from the Depositor of all of the right, title and interest in the Debentures (as
defined herein); and (iv) the appointment of the 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 are hereby acknowledged, each party, for the benefit of the
other parties and for the benefit of the Securityholders (as defined herein),
hereby amends and restates the Original Trust Agreement in its entirety and
agrees as follows:
ARTICLE I
DEFINED TERMS
SECTION 101 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 I have the meanings assigned to
them in this Article I 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) unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to an
"Article" or a "Section" refers to an Article or a Section, as the case may be,
of this Trust Agreement; and
(d) the words "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 608(a).
"Additional Amount" means, with respect to Trust Securities of a given
Liquidation Amount and/or a given period, the amount of additional interest
accrued on interest in arrears and paid by the Depositor on a Like Amount of
Debentures for such period.
"Additional Interest" has the meaning specified in Section 1.1 of the
Indenture.
"Administrative Trustee" means each of ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Van Loan, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, solely in his capacity as Administrative
Trustee of the Trust formed and continued hereunder and not in his individual
capacity, or such Administrative Trustee's successor in interest in such
capacity, or any successor trustee appointed as herein provided.
"Affiliate" means, with respect to a specified Person, (a) any Person
directly or indirectly owning, controlling or holding with power to vote 10% or
more of the outstanding voting securities or other ownership interests of the
specified Person; (b) any Person 10% or more of whose outstanding voting
securities or other ownership interests are directly or indirectly owned,
controlled or held with power to vote by the specified Person; (c) any Person
directly or indirectly controlling, controlled by, or under common control with
the specified Person; (d) a partnership in which the specified Person is a
general partner; (e) any officer or director of the specified Person; and (f) if
the specified Person is an individual, any entity of which the specified Person
is an officer, director or general partner.
"Applicable Procedures" has the meaning specified in Section 503A(c).
"Authenticating Agent" means an authenticating agent with respect to
the Preferred Securities appointed by the Property Trustee pursuant to Section
503.
"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 adjudging such Person a bankrupt or insolvent, or approving as
properly filed a petition seeking liquidation or reorganization of or in respect
of such Person under the United States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended, or
any other similar applicable federal or state law, and the continuance of any
such decree
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or order unvacated and unstayed for a period of 90 days; or the commencement of
an involuntary case under the United States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended,
in respect of such Person, which shall continue undismissed for a period of 90
days or entry of an order for relief in such case; or the entry of a decree or
order of a court having jurisdiction in the premises for the appointment on the
ground of insolvency or bankruptcy of a receiver, custodian, liquidator, trustee
or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of such Person or of its property, or
for the winding up or liquidation of its affairs, and such decree or order shall
have remained in force unvacated and unstayed for a period of 90 days; or
(b) the institution by such Person of proceedings to be adjudicated a
voluntary bankrupt, or the consent by such Person to the filing of a bankruptcy
proceeding against it, or the filing by such Person of a petition or answer or
consent seeking liquidation or reorganization under the United States Bankruptcy
Code of 1978, as amended, or other similar applicable federal or state law, or
the consent by such Person to the filing of any such petition or to the
appointment on the ground of insolvency or bankruptcy of a receiver or custodian
or liquidator or trustee or assignee in bankruptcy or insolvency of such Person
or of its property, or shall make a general assignment for the benefit of
creditors.
"Bankruptcy Laws" has the meaning specified in Section 1009.
"Board Resolution" means a copy of a resolution certified by the
Secretary of the Depositor to have been duly adopted by the Depositor's Board of
Directors, or such committee of the 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 appropriate Trustee.
"Business Day" means a day other than a Saturday or Sunday, a day on
which banking institutions in The City of New York are authorized or required by
law, executive order or regulation to remain closed, or 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 Depositary Agreement" means the agreement among Depositor,
Trust and DTC, as the initial Clearing Agency, dated as of the Closing Date,
substantially in the form attached as Exhibit F as the same may be amended and
supplemented from time to time.
"Certificate of Trust" means the certificate of trust filed with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware with respect to the Trust, as
amended or restated from time to time.
"Change in 1940 Act Law" shall have the meaning set forth in the
definition of "Investment Company Event."
"Clearing Agency" means an organization registered as a "clearing
agency" pursuant to Section 17A of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended. DTC shall be the initial Clearing Agency.
"Clearing Agency Participant" means a broker, dealer, bank or 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.
3
"Closing Date" means 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 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 Security" means an undivided beneficial interest in the assets
of the 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 as provided herein.
"Common Securities Certificate" means a certificate evidencing
ownership of Common Securities, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit B.
"Company" means Independent Bank Corporation.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office at which, at any particular
time, the corporate trust business of the Property Trustee or the Debenture
Trustee, as the case may be, shall be principally administered, which office at
the date hereof, in each such case, is located at ▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate Trust Services Division.
"Debenture Event of Default" means an "Event of Default" as defined in
Section 7.1 of the Indenture.
"Debenture Redemption Date" means, with respect to any Debentures to be
redeemed under the Indenture, the date fixed for redemption under the Indenture.
"Debenture Tax Event" means a "Tax Event" as specified in Section 1.1
of the Indenture.
"Debenture Trustee" means U.S. Bank National Association, a national
banking association, and any successor thereto, as trustee under the Indenture.
"Debentures" means up to $52,164,950 aggregate principal amount of the
Depositor's __% Junior Subordinated Debentures due 2033, issued pursuant to the
Indenture.
"Definitive Preferred Securities Certificates" means Preferred
Securities Certificates issued in certified, fully registered form as provided
in Section 503.
"Delaware Bank" has the meaning specified in the Preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"Delaware Statutory Trust Act" means Chapter 38 of Title 12 of the
Delaware Code, 12 Delaware Code Sections 3801 et seq. as it may be amended from
time to time.
"Delaware Trustee" means the commercial bank or trust company
identified as the "Delaware Trustee" in the Preamble to this Trust Agreement
solely in its capacity as Delaware
4
Trustee of the Trust formed and continued hereunder and not in its individual
capacity, or its successor in interest in such capacity, or any successor
trustee appointed as herein provided.
"Depositary" means DTC or any successor thereto.
"Depositor" has the meaning specified in the Preamble to this Trust
Agreement.
"Distribution Date" has the meaning specified in Section 401(a).
"Distributions" means amounts payable in respect of the Trust
Securities as provided in Section 401.
"DTC" means The Depository Trust Company.
"Event of Default" means any one of the following events (whatever the
reason for such Event of Default 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):
(a) the occurrence of a Debenture Event of Default; or
(b) default by the 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 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 Trustees in this Trust Agreement (other than a
covenant or warranty a default in the performance of which or the breach of
which is dealt with 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 defaulting Trustee or Trustees 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 and the failure by the Depositor to appoint a successor Property Trustee
within 60 days thereof.
"Exchange Act" means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
"Expense Agreement" means the Agreement as to Expenses and Liabilities
between the Depositor and the Trust, substantially in the form attached as
Exhibit C, as amended from time to time.
"Expiration Date" has the meaning specified in Section 901.
5
"Extended Interest Payment Period" has the meaning specified in Section
4.1 of the Indenture.
"Global Preferred Securities Certificate" means a Preferred Securities
Certificate evidencing ownership of a Global Preferred Security.
"Global Preferred Security" means a Preferred Security, the ownership
and transfer of which shall be made through book entries by a Clearing Agency as
described herein.
"Guarantee" means the Preferred Securities Guarantee Agreement executed
and delivered by the Depositor and U.S. Bank National Association, as 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.
"Indenture" means the Indenture, dated as of March __, 2003, between
the Depositor and the Debenture Trustee, as trustee, as amended or supplemented
from time to time.
"Investment Company Act," means the Investment Company Act of 1940, as
amended, as in effect at the date of execution of this instrument.
"Investment Company Event" means the receipt by the Trust and the
Depositor of an Opinion of Counsel, rendered by a law firm having a recognized
national tax and securities law practice, to the effect that, as a result of the
occurrence of a change in law or regulation or a change in interpretation or
application of law or regulation by any legislative body, court, governmental
agency or regulatory authority (a "Change in 1940 Act Law"), the Trust is or
shall be considered an "investment company" that is required to be registered
under the Investment Company Act, which Change in 1940 Act Law becomes effective
on or after the date of original issuance of the Preferred Securities under this
Trust Agreement, provided, however, that the Depositor or the Trust shall have
requested and received such an Opinion of Counsel with regard to such matters
within a reasonable period of time after the Depositor or the Trust shall have
become aware of the possible occurrence of any such event.
"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 Trust
Securities, Trust Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount equal to the
aggregate principal amount of Debentures to be contemporaneously redeemed in
accordance with the Indenture and the proceeds of which shall be used to pay the
Redemption Price of such Trust Securities; and (b) with respect to a
distribution of Debentures to Holders of Trust Securities in connection with a
termination or liquidation of the Trust, Debentures having a principal amount
equal to the Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities of the Holder to whom
such Debentures are distributed. Each Debenture distributed pursuant to clause
(b) above shall carry with it accrued interest in an amount equal to the accrued
and unpaid interest then due on such Debentures.
"Liquidation Amount" means the stated amount of $25 per Trust Security.
6
"Liquidation Date" means the date on which Debentures are to be
distributed to Holders of Trust Securities in connection with a termination and
liquidation of the Trust pursuant to Section 904(a).
"Liquidation Distribution" has the meaning specified in Section 904(d).
"Officers' Certificate" means a certificate signed by the President or
an Executive Vice President and by the Chief Financial Officer or the Treasurer
or the Secretary, of the Depositor, and delivered to the appropriate Trustee.
One of the officers signing an Officers' Certificate given pursuant to Section
816 shall be the principal executive, financial or accounting officer of the
Depositor. Any Officers' Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a
condition or covenant provided for in this Trust Agreement shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers' Certificate has
read the covenant or condition and the definitions relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the examination or
investigation undertaken by each officer in rendering the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that each such officer has made such examination or
investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is necessary to enable such officer
to express an informed opinion as to whether or not such covenant or condition
has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each such officer,
such condition or covenant has been complied with.
"Opinion of Counsel" means an opinion in writing of independent,
outside legal counsel for the Trust, the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee
or the Depositor, who shall be reasonably acceptable to the Property Trustee.
"Option Closing Date" has the meaning specified in the Underwriting
Agreement.
"Original Trust Agreement" has the meaning specified in the Recitals to
this Trust Agreement.
"Outstanding", when used with respect to Preferred Securities, means,
as of the date of determination, all Preferred Securities theretofore executed
and delivered under this Trust Agreement, except:
(a) Preferred Securities theretofore canceled by the Property Trustee
or delivered to the Property Trustee for cancellation;
(b) Preferred Securities for whose payment or redemption money in the
necessary amount has been theretofore deposited with the Property Trustee or any
Paying Agent for the Holders of such Preferred Securities; provided that, if
such Preferred Securities are to be redeemed, notice of such redemption has been
duly given pursuant to this Trust Agreement; and
7
(c) Preferred Securities which have been paid or in exchange for or in
lieu of which other Preferred Securities have been executed and delivered
pursuant to Sections 504, 505 and 511; 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 by the
Depositor, any Trustee or any Affiliate of the Depositor or any Trustee shall be
disregarded and deemed not to be Outstanding, except that (a) in determining
whether any Trustee shall be protected in relying upon any such request, demand,
authorization, direction, notice, consent or waiver, only Preferred Securities
that such Trustee knows to be so owned shall be so disregarded; and (b) the
foregoing shall not apply at any time when all of the outstanding Preferred
Securities are owned by the Depositor, one or more of the Trustees and/or any
such Affiliate. Preferred Securities so owned which have been pledged in good
faith may be regarded as Outstanding if the pledgee establishes to the
satisfaction of the Administrative Trustees the pledgee's right so to act with
respect to such Preferred Securities and the pledgee is not the Depositor or any
other Obligor upon the Preferred Securities or a Person directly or indirectly
controlling or controlled by or under direct or indirect common control with the
Depositor or any Affiliate of the Depositor.
"Paying Agent" means any paying agent or co-paying agent appointed
pursuant to Section 509 and shall initially be the Property Trustee.
"Payment Account" means a segregated non-interest-bearing corporate
trust account maintained by the Property Trustee with the Bank in its trust
department for the benefit of the Securityholders in which all amounts paid in
respect of the Debentures shall be held and from which the Property Trustee
shall make payments to the Securityholders in accordance with Sections 401 and
402.
"Person" means any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture,
trust, limited liability company or corporation, unincorporated organization or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Preferred Security" means an undivided beneficial interest in the
assets of the 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 as provided herein.
"Preferred Securities Certificate", means a certificate evidencing
ownership of Preferred Securities, substantially in the form attached as Exhibit
D.
"Property Trustee" means the commercial bank or trust company
identified as the "Property Trustee," in the Preamble to this Trust Agreement
solely in its capacity as Property Trustee of the Trust heretofore formed and
continued hereunder 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 stated maturity
of the Debentures shall be a Redemption Date for a Like Amount of Trust
Securities.
8
"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 allocated on a pro rata basis (based on
Liquidation Amounts) among the Trust Securities.
"Relevant Trustee" shall have the meaning specified in Section 810(a).
"Securities Register" and "Securities Registrar" have the respective
meanings specified in Section 504.
"Securityholder" or "Holder" means a Person in whose name a Trust
Security is or Trust Securities are registered in the Securities Register; any
such Person is a beneficial owner within the meaning of the Delaware Statutory
Trust Act.
"Trust" means the Delaware statutory trust created and continued hereby
and identified on the cover page to this Trust 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 all exhibits hereto, including, 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
amended, as in force at the date as of which this instrument was executed;
provided, however, that in the event the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as
amended, 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) the rights of the
Property Trustee under the Guarantee; (c) any cash on deposit in, or owing to,
the Payment Account; and (d) 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.
"Trust Securities Certificate" means any one of the Common Securities
Certificates or the Preferred Securities Certificates.
"Trustees" means, collectively, the Property Trustee, the Delaware
Trustee and the Administrative Trustees.
"Underwriting Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement, dated as of
March __, 2003, among the Trust, the Depositor and the Underwriters named
therein.
9
ARTICLE II
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE TRUST
SECTION 201. NAME.
The Trust continued hereby shall be known as "IBC Capital Finance II,"
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
Trustees, in which name the Trustees may engage in the transactions contemplated
hereby, make and execute contracts and other instruments on behalf of the Trust
and ▇▇▇ and be sued.
SECTION 202. OFFICE OF THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE; PRINCIPAL PLACE OF
BUSINESS.
The address of the Delaware Trustee in the State of Delaware is c/o
U.S. Bank Trust National Association, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate Trust Services Division, or
such other address in the State of Delaware as the Delaware Trustee may
designate by written notice to the Securityholders and the Depositor. The
principal executive office of the Trust is c/o Independent Bank Corporation, ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇.
SECTION 203. INITIAL CONTRIBUTION OF TRUST PROPERTY; ORGANIZATIONAL
EXPENSES.
The Trustees acknowledge receipt in trust from the Depositor in
connection with the Original Trust Agreement of the sum of $25, which
constituted the initial Trust Property. The Depositor shall pay organizational
expenses of the Trust as they arise or shall, upon request of any Trustee,
promptly reimburse such Trustee for any such expenses paid by such Trustee. The
Depositor shall make no claim upon the Trust Property for the payment of such
expenses.
SECTION 204. ISSUANCE OF THE PREFERRED SECURITIES.
On March __, 2003, the Depositor and an Administrative Trustee, on
behalf of the Trust and 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
Trust, shall execute in accordance with Section 502 and deliver in accordance
with the Underwriting Agreement, Preferred Securities Certificates, registered
in the name of Persons entitled thereto in an aggregate amount of 1,760,000
Preferred Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $44,000,000
against receipt of the aggregate purchase price of such Preferred Securities of
$44,000,000, which amount such Administrative Trustee shall promptly deliver to
the Property Trustee. If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option
and there is an Option Closing Date, then an Administrative Trustee, on behalf
of the Trust, shall execute in accordance with Section 502 and deliver in
accordance with the Underwriting Agreement, Preferred Securities Certificates,
registered in the name of the Persons entitled thereto, in an additional
aggregate amount of up to 264,000 Preferred Securities having an aggregate
Liquidation Amount of up to $6,600,000 against receipt of the aggregate purchase
price of such Preferred Securities of up to $6,600,000, which amount such
Administrative Trustee shall promptly deliver to the Property Trustee.
10
SECTION 205. 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 Trust, shall execute in
accordance with Section 502 and deliver to the Depositor, Common Securities
Certificates, registered in the name of the Depositor, in an aggregate amount of
Common Securities having an aggregate Liquidation Amount of $1,360,825 against
payment by the Depositor of such amount. Contemporaneously therewith, an
Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall subscribe to and purchase
from the Depositor Debentures, registered in the name of the Property Trustee on
behalf of the Trust and having an aggregate principal amount equal to
$45,360,825, and, in satisfaction of the purchase price for such Debentures, the
Property Trustee, on behalf of the Trust, shall deliver to the Depositor the sum
of $45,360,825.
(b) If the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option and there
is an Option Closing Date, then an Administrative Trustee, on behalf of the
Trust, shall execute in accordance with Section 502 and deliver to the
Depositor, Common Securities Certificates, registered in the name of the
Depositor, in an additional aggregate amount of Common Securities having an
aggregate Liquidation Amount of up to $204,125 against payment by the Depositor
of such amount. Contemporaneously therewith, an Administrative Trustee, on
behalf of the Trust, shall subscribe to and purchase from the Depositor,
additional Debentures, registered in the name of the Trust and having an
aggregate principal amount of up to $6,804,125, and, in satisfaction of the
purchase price of such Debentures, the Property Trustee, on behalf of the Trust,
shall deliver to the Depositor up to $6,804,125, such aggregate amount to be
equal to the sum of the amounts received from the Depositor pursuant to Section
205(b) and from one of the Administrative Trustees pursuant to the last sentence
of Section 204.
SECTION 206. DECLARATION OF TRUST.
The exclusive purposes and functions of the 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 those activities necessary, advisable or
incidental thereto. The Depositor hereby appoints the Trustees as trustees of
the Trust, to have all the rights, powers and duties to the extent set forth
herein, and the Trustees hereby accept such appointment. The Property Trustee
hereby declares that it shall hold the Trust Property in trust upon and subject
to the conditions set forth herein for the benefit of the Securityholders. 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 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 Property Trustee or the Administrative Trustees set
forth herein. The Delaware Trustee shall be one of the Trustees of the Trust for
the sole and limited purpose of fulfilling the requirements of Section 3807 of
the Delaware Statutory Trust Act.
SECTION 207. AUTHORIZATION TO ENTER INTO CERTAIN TRANSACTIONS.
(a) The Trustees shall conduct the affairs of the Trust in accordance
with the terms of this Trust Agreement. Subject to the limitations set forth in
paragraph (b) of this Section 207 and
11
Article VIII, and in accordance with the following provisions (i) and (ii), the
Administrative Trustees shall have the authority to enter into all transactions
and agreements determined by the Administrative Trustees to be appropriate in
exercising the authority, express or implied, otherwise granted to the
Administrative Trustees under this Trust Agreement, and to perform all acts in
furtherance thereof, including without limitation, the following:
(i) As among the Trustees, each Administrative Trustee,
acting singly or jointly, shall have the power and
authority to act on behalf of the Trust with respect
to the following matters:
(A) the issuance and sale of the Trust
Securities and the compliance with the
Underwriting Agreement in connection
therewith;
(B) to cause the Trust to enter into, and to
execute, deliver and perform on behalf of
the Trust, the Expense Agreement and such
other agreements or documents as may be
necessary or desirable in connection with
the purposes and function of the Trust;
(C) assisting in the registration of the
Preferred Securities under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, and under 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 the listing of the Preferred
Securities upon the Nasdaq National Market
or such securities exchange or exchanges as
shall be determined by the Depositor, the
registration of the Preferred Securities
under the Exchange Act, the compliance with
the listing requirements of the Nasdaq
National Market or other applicable
securities exchange and the preparation and
filing of all periodic and other reports and
other documents pursuant to the foregoing;
(E) the sending of notices (other than notices
of default) and other information regarding
the Trust Securities and the Debentures to
the Securityholders in accordance with this
Trust Agreement;
(F) the appointment of a Paying Agent,
Authenticating Agent and Securities
Registrar in accordance with this Trust
Agreement;
(G) to the extent provided in this Trust
Agreement, the winding up of the affairs of
and liquidation of the Trust and the
preparation, execution and filing of the
certificate of cancellation with the
Secretary of State of the State of Delaware;
(H) to take all action that may be necessary or
appropriate for the preservation and the
continuation of the Trust's valid existence,
rights, franchises and privileges as a
statutory trust under the laws of the State
of Delaware and of each other jurisdiction
in which such existence is necessary to
protect the limited liability of the Holders
of
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the Preferred Securities or to enable the
Trust to effect the purposes for which the
Trust was created; and
(I) the taking of any action incidental to the
foregoing as the Administrative Trustees may
from time to time determine is necessary or
advisable to give effect to the terms of
this Trust Agreement for the benefit of the
Securityholders (without consideration of
the effect of any such action on any
particular Securityholder).
(ii) As among the Trustees, the Property Trustee shall
have the power, duty and authority to act on behalf
of the 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 in the Payment Account;
(D) the distribution of amounts owed to the
Securityholders in respect of the Trust
Securities in accordance with the terms of
this Trust Agreement;
(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 Securityholders 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 Trust;
(I) after an Event of Default, 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 Securityholders
(without consideration of the effect of any
such action on any particular
Securityholder);
(J) registering transfers of the Trust
Securities in accordance with this Trust
Agreement; and
13
(K) except as otherwise provided in this Section
207(a)(ii), the Property Trustee shall have
none of the duties, liabilities, powers or
the authority of the Administrative Trustees
set forth in Section 207(a)(i).
(b) So long as this Trust Agreement remains in effect, the Trust (or
the Trustees acting on behalf of the Trust) shall not undertake any business,
activities or transaction except as expressly provided herein or contemplated
hereby. In particular, the Trustees 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 Securityholders,
except as expressly provided herein; (iii) take any action that would cause the
Trust to fail or cease to qualify as 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 Trust or the
Securityholders in their capacity as Securityholders.
(c) In connection with the issue and sale of the Preferred Securities,
the Depositor shall have the right and responsibility to assist the Trust with
respect to, or effect on behalf of the 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 Trust with the
Commission and the execution on behalf of the Trust
of a registration statement on the appropriate form
in relation to the Preferred Securities, the
Debentures, and the Guarantee, including any
amendments thereto;
(ii) the determination of the states in which to take
appropriate action to qualify or, register for sale
all or part of the Preferred Securities and to do any
and all such acts, other than actions which must be
taken by or on behalf of the Trust, and advise the
Trustees of actions they must take on behalf of the
Trust, and prepare for execution and filing any
documents to be executed and filed by the Trust or on
behalf of the Trust, as the Depositor deems necessary
or advisable in order to comply with the applicable
laws of any such States;
(iii) the preparation for filing by the Trust and execution
on behalf of the Trust of an application to the
Nasdaq National Market or a national stock exchange
or other organizations for listing upon notice of
issuance of any Preferred Securities and to file or
cause an Administrative Trustee to file thereafter
with such exchange or organization such notifications
and documents as may be necessary from time to time;
(iv) the preparation for filing by the Trust with the
Commission and the execution on behalf of the 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;
14
(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.
(d) Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Trustees are
authorized and directed to conduct the affairs of the Trust and to operate the
Trust so that the Trust shall not be deemed to be an "investment company"
required to be registered under the Investment Company Act, shall be classified
as a "grantor trust" and not as an association taxable as a corporation for
United States federal income tax purposes and so that the Debentures shall be
treated as indebtedness of the Depositor for United States federal income tax
purposes. In this connection, subject to Section 1002, the Depositor and the
Administrative Trustees are authorized to take any action, not inconsistent with
applicable law or this Trust Agreement, that each of the Depositor and the
Trustees determines in their discretion to be necessary or desirable for such
purposes.
SECTION 208. ASSETS OF TRUST.
The assets of the Trust shall consist of the Trust Property.
SECTION 209. 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 for the benefit of the Securityholders in accordance with
this Trust Agreement.
ARTICLE III
PAYMENT ACCOUNT
SECTION 301. PAYMENT ACCOUNT.
(a) On or prior to the Closing Date, the Property Trustee shall
establish the Payment Account. The Property Trustee and any agent of the
Property Trustee shall have exclusive control and sole right of withdrawal with
respect to the Payment Account for the purpose of making deposits 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 Securityholders 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.
15
ARTICLE IV
DISTRIBUTIONS; REDEMPTION
SECTION 401. DISTRIBUTIONS.
(a) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be cumulative, and
shall accumulate whether or not there are funds of the Trust available for the
payment of Distributions. Distributions shall accumulate from March __, 2003,
and, except during any Extended Interest Payment Period with respect to the
Debentures, shall be payable quarterly in arrears on the last calendar day of
March, June, September and December of each year, commencing on June 30, 2003.
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 that is a Business Day (and without any interest or
other payment in respect of any such delay) except that, if such Business Day is
in the next succeeding calendar year, such payment shall be made on the
immediately preceding Business Day (and without any reduction of interest or any
other payment in respect of any such acceleration), in each case with the same
force and effect as if made on such date (each date on which distributions are
payable in accordance with this Section 401(a), a "Distribution Date").
(b) The Trust Securities represent undivided beneficial interests in
the Trust Property. Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be payable at a
rate of ___% per annum of the Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities. The
amount of Distributions payable for any full period shall be computed on the
basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. The amount of Distributions for
any partial period shall be computed on the basis of the number of days elapsed
in a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. During any Extended Interest Payment
Period with respect to the Debentures, Distributions on the Preferred Securities
shall be deferred for a period equal to the Extended Interest Payment Period.
The amount of Distributions payable for any period shall include the Additional
Amount, if applicable.
(c) Distributions on the Trust Securities shall be made by the Property
Trustee solely from the Payment Account and shall be payable on each
Distribution Date only to the extent that the Trust has funds on hand and
immediately available by 12:00 p.m. (Noon), New York City time, on each
Distribution Date in the Payment Account for the payment of such Distributions.
(d) 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 on the relevant record date, which
shall be the 15th day of March, June, September or December for Distributions
payable on the last calendar day of the respective month; provided, however,
that for any Trust Securities held in global form, Distributions shall be
payable to the Holder thereof as of one Business Day immediately preceding the
Distribution Date.
SECTION 402. REDEMPTION.
(a) On each Debenture Redemption Date and on the maturity of the
Debentures, the Trust shall 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
16
Holder of Trust Securities to be redeemed, at such Holder's address appearing in
the Securities Register. The Property Trustee shall have no responsibility for
the accuracy of any CUSIP number contained in such notice. All notices of
redemption shall state:
(i) the Redemption Date;
(ii) the Redemption Price;
(iii) the CUSIP number;
(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
shall become due and payable upon each such Trust
Security to be redeemed and that Distributions
thereon shall cease to accumulate on and after said
date, except as provided in Section 402(d); and
(vi) the place or places at which Trust Securities are to
be surrendered for the payment of the Redemption
Price.
(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 Trust has immediately available 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 p.m. (noon), New York City time, on the
Redemption Date, the Property Trustee, subject to Section 402(c), shall, with
respect to Preferred Securities held in global form, deposit with the Clearing
Agency for such 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 Trust Securities that are
not held in global form, the Property Trustee, subject to Section 402(c), shall
deposit with the Paying Agent funds sufficient to pay the applicable Redemption
Price and shall give the Paying Agent irrevocable instructions and authority to
pay the Redemption Price to the record holders thereof 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 for the Trust Securities on the relevant
record dates for the related Distribution Dates. If notice of redemption shall
have been given and funds deposited as required, then upon the date of such
deposit, (i) all rights of Securityholders holding Trust Securities so called
for redemption shall cease, except the right of such Securityholders to receive
the Redemption Price, but without interest, (ii) such Trust Securities shall
cease to be Outstanding, (iii) the Clearing Agency for the Preferred Securities
or its nominee, as the registered Holder of the Global Preferred Securities
Certificate, shall receive a registered global certificate or
17
certificates representing the Debentures to be delivered upon such distribution
with respect to Preferred Securities held by the Clearing Agency or its nominee,
and (iv) any Trust Securities Certificates not held by the Clearing Agency for
the Preferred Securities or its nominee as specified in clause (iii) above will
be deemed to represent Debentures having a principal amount equal to the stated
Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities represented thereby and bearing
accrued and unpaid interest in an amount equal to the accumulated and unpaid
Distributions on such Trust Securities until such certificates are presented to
the Securities Registrar for transfer or reissuance. 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 shall be made on the next succeeding
day that is a Business Day (and without any interest or other payment in respect
of any such delay) except that, if such Business Day is in the next succeeding
calendar year, such payment shall be made on the immediately preceding Business
Day (and without any reduction of interest or any other payment in respect of
any such acceleration), 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 Trust or by the Depositor pursuant to the Guarantee,
Distributions on such Trust Securities shall continue to accumulate, at the then
applicable rate, from the Redemption Date originally established by the Trust
for such Trust Securities to the date such Redemption Price is actually paid, in
which case the actual payment date shall be the date fixed for redemption for
purposes of calculating the Redemption Price.
(e) Payment of the Redemption Price on the Trust Securities shall be
made to the record holders thereof as they appear on the Securities Register for
the Trust Securities on the relevant record date, which shall be the date 15
days prior to the relevant Redemption Date.
(f) Subject to Section 403(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 on a
pro rata basis (based on Liquidation Amounts) among the Common Securities and
the Preferred Securities. The particular Preferred Securities to be redeemed
shall be selected not more than 60 days prior to the Redemption Date by the
Property Trustee from the Outstanding Preferred Securities not previously called
for redemption, by such method (including, without limitation, by lot) as the
Property Trustee shall deem fair and appropriate and which may provide for the
selection for redemption of portions (equal to such Liquidation Amount or an
integral multiple of such Liquidation Amount in excess thereof) of the
Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities of a denomination larger than such
Liquidation Amount; provided, however, in the event the redemption relates only
to Preferred Securities purchased and held by the Depositor being redeemed in
exchange for a Like Amount of Debentures, the Property Trustee shall select
those particular Preferred Securities for redemption. 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 Liquidation Amount of Preferred Securities which has been or
is to be redeemed.
18
SECTION 403. SUBORDINATION OF COMMON SECURITIES.
(a) Payment of Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if
applicable) on, and the Redemption Price of, the Trust Securities, as
applicable, shall be made, subject to Section 402(f), 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 or
Redemption Date any Event of Default resulting from a Debenture Event of Default
shall have occurred and be continuing, no payment of any Distribution (including
Additional Amounts, if applicable) on, or Redemption Price 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 Additional Amounts,
if applicable) 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, 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
Additional Amounts, if applicable) on, or the Redemption Price of, Preferred
Securities then due and payable.
(b) In the case of the occurrence of any Event of Default resulting
from a Debenture Event of Default, the Holder of Common Securities shall be
deemed to have waived any 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 shall have been cured, waived or otherwise
eliminated. Until any such Event of Default under this Trust Agreement with
respect to the Preferred Securities shall 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 the Holder of the Common Securities,
and only the Holders of the Preferred Securities shall have the right to direct
the Property Trustee to act on their behalf.
SECTION 404. PAYMENT PROCEDURES.
Payments of Distributions (including Additional Amounts, if applicable)
in respect of the Preferred Securities shall be made by check mailed to the
address of the Person entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the
Securities Register or, if the Preferred Securities are held by a Clearing
Agency, such Distributions shall be made to the Clearing Agency in immediately
available funds, which will credit the relevant accounts on the applicable
Distribution Dates. Payments in respect of the Common Securities shall be made
in such manner as shall be mutually agreed between the Property Trustee and the
Common Securityholder.
SECTION 405. TAX RETURNS AND REPORTS.
The Administrative Trustees shall prepare (or cause to be prepared), at
the Depositor's expense, 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
Trust. In this regard, the Administrative Trustees shall (a) prepare and file
(or cause to be prepared and filed) the appropriate Internal Revenue Service
forms required to be filed in respect of the Trust in each taxable year of the
Trust; and (b) prepare and furnish (or cause to be prepared and furnished) to
each Securityholder the appropriate Internal Revenue Service forms required to
be furnished to such Securityholder or the information required
19
to be provided on such form. The Administrative Trustees shall provide the
Depositor with a copy of all such returns and reports promptly after such filing
or furnishing. The Property Trustee shall comply with United States federal
withholding and backup withholding tax laws and information reporting
requirements with respect to any payments to Securityholders under the Trust
Securities.
SECTION 406. PAYMENT OF TAXES, DUTIES, ETC. OF THE TRUST.
Upon receipt under the Debentures of Additional Interest, the Property
Trustee, at the written direction of an Administrative Trustee or the Depositor,
shall promptly pay any taxes, duties or governmental charges of whatsoever
nature (other than withholding taxes) imposed on the Trust by the United States
or any other taxing authority.
SECTION 407. PAYMENTS UNDER INDENTURE.
Any amount payable hereunder to any Holder of Preferred Securities
shall be reduced by the amount of any corresponding payment such Holder has
directly received under the Indenture pursuant to Section 513(b) or (c) hereof.
ARTICLE V
TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES
SECTION 501. INITIAL OWNERSHIP.
Upon the creation of the Trust and the contribution by the Depositor
pursuant to Section 203 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 Trust.
SECTION 502. THE TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
The Preferred Securities Certificates shall be issued in minimum
denominations of the Liquidation Amount and integral multiples of the
Liquidation Amount in excess thereof, and the Common Securities Certificates
shall be issued in denominations of the Liquidation Amount and multiples thereof
(which may, in the case of the Common Securities, include fractional amounts).
The Trust Securities Certificates shall be executed on behalf of the Trust by
manual or facsimile signature of at least one Administrative Trustee. Trust
Securities Certificates bearing the manual or facsimile signatures of
individuals who were, at the time when such signatures shall have been affixed,
authorized to sign on behalf of the 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 Trust Securities Certificates or did not hold such offices at the date of
delivery of such Trust Securities Certificates. A transferee of a Trust
Securities Certificate shall become a Securityholder, and shall be entitled to
the rights and subject to the obligations of a Securityholder hereunder, upon
due registration of such Trust Securities Certificate in such transferee's name
pursuant to Sections 504 and 511.
SECTION 503. EXECUTION, AUTHENTICATION AND DELIVERY OF TRUST SECURITIES
CERTIFICATES.
(a) On the Closing Date and on any Option Closing Date, as applicable,
the Administrative Trustees shall cause Trust Securities Certificates, in an
aggregate Liquidation
20
Amount as provided in Sections 204 and 205, to be executed on behalf of the
Trust by at least one of the Administrative Trustees and delivered to or upon
the written order of the Depositor, signed by its Chief Executive Officer,
President, any Vice President or its Treasurer without further corporate action
by the Depositor, in authorized denominations.
(b) A Preferred Securities Certificate shall not be valid until
authenticated by the manual signature of an authorized signatory of the Property
Trustee in substantially the form of Exhibit E attached hereto. The signature
shall be conclusive evidence that the Preferred Securities Certificate has been
authenticated under this Trust Agreement. Each Preferred Security Certificate
shall be dated the date of its authentication.
Upon the written order of the Trust signed by one of the Administrative
Trustees, the Property Trustee shall authenticate and make available for
delivery the Preferred Securities Certificates.
The Property Trustee may appoint an Authenticating Agent acceptable to
the Trust to authenticate the Preferred Securities. An Authenticating Agent may
authenticate the Preferred Securities whenever the Property Trustee may do so.
Each reference in this Trust Agreement to authentication by the Property Trustee
includes authentication by such agent. An Authenticating Agent has the same
rights as the Property Trustee to deal with the Company or the Trust.
SECTION 503A. GLOBAL PREFERRED SECURITY.
(a) Any Global Preferred Security issued under this Trust Agreement
shall be registered in the name of the nominee of the Clearing Agency and
delivered to such custodian or its agent therefor, and such Global Preferred
Security shall constitute a single Preferred Security for all purposes of this
Trust Agreement.
(b) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Trust Agreement, no
Global Preferred Security may be exchanged for Preferred Securities registered
in the names of persons other than the Depositary or its nominee unless (i) the
Depositary notifies the Debenture Trustee that it is unwilling or unable to
continue as a depositary for such Global Preferred Securities and the Depositor
is unable to locate a qualified successor depositary, (ii) the Depositor
executes and delivers to the Debenture Trustee a written order stating that it
elects to terminate the book-entry system through the Depositary or (iii) there
shall have occurred and be continuing a Debenture Event of Default.
(c) If a Preferred Security is to be exchanged in whole or in part for
a beneficial interest in a Global Preferred Security, then either (i) such
Preferred Security shall be so surrendered for exchange or cancellation as
provided in this Article V or (ii) the Liquidation Amount thereof shall be
reduced or increased by an amount equal to the portion thereof to be so
exchanged or cancelled, or equal to the Liquidation Amount of such other
Preferred Securities to be so exchanged for a beneficial interest therein, 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
rules and procedures of the Depositary for such Global Preferred Security (the
"Applicable Procedures"), shall instruct the Clearing Agency or its authorized
representative to make a corresponding adjustment to its records. Upon any such
surrender or adjustment of a Global Preferred Security by the Clearing
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Agency, accompanied by registration instructions, the Administrative Trustees
shall execute and the Property Trustee shall, subject to Section 504(b) and as
otherwise provided in this Article V, authenticate and deliver any Preferred
Securities issuable in exchange for such Global Preferred Security (or any
portion thereof) in accordance with the instructions of the Clearing Agency. The
Property Trustee shall not be liable for any delay in delivery of such
instructions and may conclusively rely on, and shall be fully protected in
relying on, such instructions.
(d) Every Preferred Security executed, authenticated and delivered upon
registration of transfer of, or in exchange for or in lieu of, a Global
Preferred Security or any portion thereof, whether pursuant to this Article V or
otherwise, shall be executed, authenticated and delivered in the form of, and
shall be, a Global Preferred Security, unless such Global Preferred Security is
registered in the name of a Person other than the Clearing Agency for such
Global Preferred Security or a nominee thereof.
(e) The Clearing Agency or its nominee, as the registered owner of a
Global Preferred Security, shall be considered the Holder of the Preferred
Securities represented by such Global Preferred Security for all purposes under
this Trust Agreement and the Preferred Securities, and owners of beneficial
interests in such Global Preferred Security shall hold such interests pursuant
to the Applicable Procedures and, except as otherwise provided herein, shall not
be entitled to receive physical delivery of any such Preferred Securities in
definitive form and shall not be considered the Holders thereof under this Trust
Agreement. Accordingly, any such owner's beneficial interest in the Global
Preferred Securities shall be shown only on, and the transfer of such interest
shall be effected only through, records maintained by the Clearing Agency or its
nominee. Neither the Property Trustee, the Securities Registrar nor the
Depositor shall have any liability in respect of any transfers effected by the
Clearing Agency.
(f) The rights of owners of beneficial interests in a Global Preferred
Security shall be exercised only through the Clearing Agency and shall be
limited to those established by law and agreements between such owners and the
Clearing Agency.
SECTION 504. REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER AND EXCHANGE OF PREFERRED
SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
(a) The Depositor shall keep or cause to be kept, at the office or
agency maintained pursuant to Section 508, a register or registers for the
purpose of registering Trust Securities Certificates and, subject to the
provisions of Section 503A, transfers and exchanges of Preferred Securities
Certificates (herein referred to as the "Securities Register") in which the
registrar designated by the Depositor (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 (subject to Section 510 in the case of the Common Securities
Certificates) and registration of transfers and exchanges of Preferred
Securities Certificates as herein provided. The Property Trustee shall be the
initial Securities Registrar.
(b) Subject to the provisions of Section 503A, upon surrender for
registration of transfer of any Preferred Securities Certificate at the office
or agency maintained pursuant to Section 508, the Administrative Trustees or any
one of them shall execute and deliver, in the name of the designated transferee
or transferees, one or more new Preferred Securities Certificates in authorized
22
denominations of a like aggregate Liquidation Amount dated the date of execution
by such Administrative Trustee or Trustees. The Securities Registrar shall not
be required to register the transfer of any Preferred Securities that have been
called for redemption. At the option of a Holder, Preferred Securities
Certificates may be exchanged for other Preferred Securities Certificates in
authorized denominations of the same class and of a like aggregate Liquidation
Amount upon surrender of the Preferred Securities Certificates to be exchanged
at the office or agency maintained pursuant to Section 508.
(c) Every Preferred Securities Certificate presented or surrendered for
registration of transfer or exchange, subject to the provisions of Section 503A,
shall be accompanied by a written instrument of transfer in form satisfactory to
the Property Trustee and the Securities Registrar duly executed by the Holder or
his 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 its
customary practice. The Trust shall not be required to (i) issue, register the
transfer of, or exchange any Preferred Securities during a period beginning at
the opening of business 15 calendar days before the date of mailing of a notice
of redemption of any Preferred Securities called for redemption and ending at
the close of business on the day of such mailing; or (ii) register the transfer
of or exchange any Preferred Securities so selected for redemption, in whole or
in part, except the unredeemed portion of any such Preferred Securities being
redeemed in part.
(d) No service charge shall be made for any registration of transfer or
exchange of Preferred Securities Certificates, subject to the provisions of
Section 503A, but the Securities Registrar 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.
(e) Preferred Securities may only be transferred, in whole or in part,
in accordance with the terms and conditions set forth in this Trust Agreement.
Any transfer or purported transfer of any Preferred Security not made in
accordance with this Trust Agreement shall be null and void. A Preferred
Security that is not a Global Preferred Security may be transferred, in whole or
in part, to a Person who takes delivery in the form of another Preferred
Security that is not a Global Preferred Security as provided in Section 504(a).
A beneficial interest in a Global Preferred Security may be exchanged for a
Preferred Security that is not a Global Preferred Security only as provided in
Section 503A.
SECTION 505. MUTILATED, DESTROYED, LOST OR STOLEN TRUST SECURITIES
CERTIFICATES.
If (a) any mutilated Trust 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 Trust
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 Trust Securities Certificate shall have been acquired by a bona fide
purchaser, the Administrative Trustees, or any one of them, on behalf of the
Trust shall execute and make available for delivery, in exchange for or in lieu
of any such mutilated, destroyed, lost or stolen Trust Securities Certificate, a
new Trust Securities Certificate of like class, tenor and denomination. In
connection with the issuance of any new Trust Securities Certificate under this
Section 505, the Administrative Trustees or the Securities ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇
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
Trust Securities Certificate issued pursuant to this Section 505 shall
constitute conclusive evidence of an undivided beneficial interest in the assets
of the Trust, as if originally issued, whether or not the lost, stolen or
destroyed Trust Securities Certificate shall be found at any time.
SECTION 506. PERSONS DEEMED SECURITYHOLDERS.
The Trustees, the Paying Agent and the Securities Registrar shall treat
the Person in whose name any Trust Securities Certificate shall be registered in
the Securities Register as the owner of such Trust Securities Certificate for
the purpose of receiving Distributions and for all other purposes whatsoever,
and neither the Trustees nor the Securities Registrar shall be bound by any
notice to the contrary.
SECTION 507. ACCESS TO LIST OF SECURITYHOLDERS' NAMES AND ADDRESSES.
At any time when the Property Trustee is not also acting as the
Securities Registrar, the Administrative Trustees or the Depositor shall furnish
or cause to be furnished to the Property Trustee (a) within five Business Days
of March 15, June 15, September 15 and December 15 of each year, a list, in such
form as the Property Trustee may reasonably require, of the names and addresses
of the Securityholders as of the most recent record date; and (b) promptly after
receipt by any Administrative Trustee or the Depositor of a request therefor
from the Property Trustee in order to enable the Property Trustee to discharge
its obligations under this Trust Agreement, in each case to the extent such
information is in the possession or control of the Administrative Trustees or
the Depositor and is not identical to a previously supplied list or has not
otherwise been received by the Property Trustee in its capacity as Securities
Registrar. The rights of Securityholders to communicate with other
Securityholders with respect to their rights under this Trust Agreement or under
the Trust Securities, and the corresponding rights of the Trustee shall be as
provided in the Trust Indenture Act. Each Holder, by receiving and holding a
Trust Securities Certificate, and each owner shall be deemed to have agreed not
to hold the Depositor, the Property Trustee or the Administrative Trustees
accountable by reason of the disclosure of its name and address, regardless of
the source from which such information was derived.
SECTION 508. MAINTENANCE OF OFFICE OR AGENCY.
The Administrative Trustees shall maintain, or cause to be maintained,
in Boston, Massachusetts, 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 Trustees in
respect of the Trust Securities Certificates may be served. The Administrative
Trustees initially designate the Corporate Trust Office of the Property Trustee,
U.S. Bank National Association, as the principal corporate trust office for such
purposes. The Administrative Trustees shall give prompt written notice to the
Depositor and to the Securityholders of any change in the location of the
Securities Register or any such office or agency.
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SECTION 509. APPOINTMENT OF PAYING AGENT.
The Paying Agent shall make Distributions to Securityholders 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 for the purpose
of making the Distributions referred to above. The Administrative Trustees may
revoke such power and remove the Paying Agent if such Trustees determine in
their sole discretion that the Paying Agent shall have failed to perform its
obligations under this Trust Agreement in any material respect. The Paying Agent
shall initially be the Property Trustee, and any co-paying agent chosen by the
Property Trustee must be acceptable to the Administrative Trustees and the
Depositor. Any Person acting as Paying Agent shall be permitted to resign as
Paying Agent upon 30 days' written notice to the Administrative Trustees, the
Property Trustee and the Depositor. In the event that 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 that is acceptable to the Property Trustee and the Depositor to act as
Paying Agent (which shall be a bank or trust company). The Administrative
Trustees shall cause such successor Paying Agent or any additional Paying Agent
appointed by the Administrative Trustees to execute and deliver to the Trustees
an instrument in which such successor Paying Agent or additional Paying Agent
shall agree with the Trustees that as Paying Agent, such successor Paying Agent
or additional Paying Agent shall hold all sums, if any, held by it for payment
to the Securityholders in trust for the benefit of the Securityholders entitled
thereto until such sums shall be paid to such Securityholders. 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 801, 803 and 806 shall apply to
the Property Trustee also in its role as Paying Agent, for so long as the
Property Trustee 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 510. OWNERSHIP OF COMMON SECURITIES BY DEPOSITOR.
On the Closing Date, the Depositor shall acquire and retain beneficial
and record ownership of the Common Securities. To the fullest extent permitted
by law, any attempted transfer of the Common Securities (other than a transfer
in connection with a merger or consolidation of the Depositor into another
corporation pursuant to Section 12.1 of the Indenture) shall be void. The
Administrative Trustees shall cause each Common Securities Certificate issued to
the Depositor to contain a legend stating "THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT
TRANSFERABLE."
SECTION 511. TRUST SECURITIES CERTIFICATES.
(a) Upon their original issuance, Preferred Securities Certificates
shall be issued in the form of one or more fully registered Global Preferred
Securities Certificates which will be deposited with or on behalf of the
Clearing Agency and registered in the name of the Clearing Agency's nominee.
Unless and until it is exchangeable in whole or in part for the Preferred
Securities in definitive form, a global security 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
25
Agency or by the Clearing Agency or any such nominee to a successor of such
Clearing Agency or a nominee of such successor.
(b) 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 512. 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 Global Preferred Securities Certificate, the Trustees shall
give all such notices and communications specified herein to be given to the
Clearing Agency, and shall have no obligation to provide notice to the owners of
the beneficial interest in the Global Preferred Securities.
SECTION 513. RIGHTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
(a) The legal title to the Trust Property is vested exclusively in the
Property Trustee (in its capacity as such) in accordance with Section 209 and
the Securityholders shall not have any right or title therein other than the
undivided beneficial interest in the assets of the 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 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. When issued and delivered to Holders
of the Preferred Securities against payment of the purchase price therefor, the
Preferred Securities shall be fully paid and nonassessable interests in the
Trust. The Holders of the Preferred 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 such right by a notice in writing to the
Depositor and the Debenture Trustee; and upon any such declaration such
principal amount of and the accrued interest on all of the Debentures shall
become immediately due and payable, provided that the payment of principal and
interest on such Debentures shall remain subordinated to the extent provided in
the Indenture.
(c) For so long as any Preferred Securities remain Outstanding, upon a
Debenture Event of Default arising from the failure to pay interest or principal
on the Debentures, the Holders of any Preferred Securities then Outstanding
shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, have the right to directly
institute proceedings for enforcement of payment to such Holders of principal of
or interest on the Debentures having a principal amount equal to the Liquidation
Amount of the Preferred Securities of such Holders.
26
ARTICLE VI
ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS; MEETINGS; VOTING
SECTION 601. LIMITATIONS ON VOTING RIGHTS.
(a) Except as provided in this Section 601, in Sections 513, 810 and
1002 and in the Indenture and as otherwise required by law, no record Holder of
Preferred Securities shall have any right to vote or in any manner otherwise
control the administration, operation and management of the Trust or the
obligations of the parties hereto, nor shall anything herein set forth, or
contained in the terms of the Trust Securities Certificates, be construed so as
to constitute the Securityholders 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 Trust, the Trustees shall not (i) direct the time, method and
place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the Debenture
Trustee, or executing any trust or power conferred on the Debenture Trustee with
respect to such Debentures; (ii) waive any past default which is waivable under
Article VII 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 all Outstanding Preferred Securities; provided, however,
that where a consent under the Indenture would require the consent of each
holder of outstanding 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 Trustees shall not revoke any action previously
authorized or approved by a vote of the Holders of the Outstanding Preferred
Securities, except by a subsequent vote of the Holders of the Outstanding
Preferred Securities. The Property Trustee shall notify each Holder of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities of any notice of default received from the
Debenture Trustee 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 Trustees shall, at the expense of the
Depositor, obtain an Opinion of Counsel experienced in such matters to the
effect that the Trust shall continue to be classified as a grantor trust and not
as an association taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax
purposes on account of such action.
(c) If any proposed amendment to the Trust Agreement provides for, or
the 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 Trust,
other than pursuant to the terms of this Trust Agreement, then the Holders of
Outstanding Preferred Securities as a class shall 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 Outstanding Preferred Securities. No amendment to this Trust
Agreement may be made if, as a result of such amendment, the Trust would cease
to be classified as a grantor trust or would be classified as an association
taxable as a corporation for United States federal income tax purposes.
27
SECTION 602. NOTICE OF MEETINGS.
Notice of all meetings of the Preferred Securityholders, stating the
time, place and purpose of the meeting, shall be given by the Property Trustee
pursuant to Section 1008 to each Preferred Securityholder of record, at his
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 603. MEETINGS OF PREFERRED SECURITYHOLDERS.
(a) No annual meeting of Securityholders is required to be held. The
Administrative Trustees, however, shall call a meeting of Securityholders to
vote on any matter in respect of which Preferred Securityholders are entitled to
vote upon the written request of the Preferred Securityholders of 25% of the
Outstanding Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount)
and the Administrative Trustees or the Property Trustee may, at any time in
their discretion, call a meeting of Preferred Securityholders to vote on any
matters as to which the Preferred Securityholders are entitled to vote.
(b) Preferred Securityholders of record of 50% of the Outstanding
Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount), present in
person or by proxy, shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of Securityholders.
(c) If a quorum is present at a meeting, an affirmative vote by the
Preferred Securityholders of record present, in person or by proxy, holding at
least a majority of the Preferred Securities (based upon their aggregate
Liquidation Amount) held by the Preferred Securityholders of record present,
either in person or by proxy, at such meeting shall constitute the action of the
Securityholders, unless this Trust Agreement requires a greater number of
affirmative votes.
SECTION 604. VOTING RIGHTS.
Securityholders shall be entitled to one vote for each $25 of
Liquidation Amount represented by their Trust Securities (with any fractional
multiple thereof rounded up or down as the case may be to the closest integral
multiple) in respect of any matter as to which such Securityholders are entitled
to vote.
SECTION 605. PROXIES, ETC.
At any meeting of Securityholders, any Securityholder 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 Trust as the Administrative Trustees may
direct, for verification prior to the time at which such vote shall be taken.
Only Holders 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 Securityholder shall be deemed valid unless challenged at
or prior to its exercise, and the burden
28
of proving invalidity shall rest on the challenger. No proxy shall be valid more
than three years after its date of execution.
SECTION 606. SECURITYHOLDER ACTION BY WRITTEN CONSENT.
Any action which may be taken by Securityholders at a meeting may be
taken without a meeting if Securityholders holding more than a majority of all
Outstanding Trust Securities (based upon their aggregate Liquidation Amount)
entitled to vote in respect of such action (or such larger proportion thereof as
shall be required by any express provision of this Trust Agreement) shall
consent to the action in writing (based upon their aggregate Liquidation
Amount).
SECTION 607. RECORD DATE FOR VOTING AND OTHER PURPOSES.
For the purposes of determining the Securityholders 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 or the Property Trustee may from time
to time fix a date, not more than 90 days prior to the date of any meeting of
Securityholders or the payment of Distribution or other action, as the case may
be, as a record date for the determination of the identity of the
Securityholders of record for such purposes.
SECTION 608. ACTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
(a) 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 Securityholders may be embodied in and evidenced by one
or more instruments of substantially similar tenor signed by such
Securityholders 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 Securityholders
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 801) conclusive in favor
of the Trustees, if made in the manner provided in this Section 608.
(b) 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 his individual
capacity, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof
of his 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 which any Trustee receiving the same deems sufficient.
(c) The ownership of Preferred Securities shall be proved by the
Securities Register.
(d) Any request, demand, authorization, direction, notice, consent,
waiver or other Act of the Securityholder of any Trust Security shall bind every
future Securityholder of the same Trust
29
Security and the Securityholder 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 Trustees or the
Trust in reliance thereon, whether or not notation of such action is made upon
such Trust Security.
(e) Without limiting the foregoing, a Securityholder 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.
(f) A Securityholder may institute a legal proceeding directly against
the Depositor under the Guarantee to enforce its rights under the Guarantee
without first instituting a legal proceeding against the Guarantee Trustee (as
defined in the Guarantee), the Trust or any Person.
SECTION 609. INSPECTION OF RECORDS.
Upon reasonable notice to the Administrative Trustees and the Property
Trustee, the records of the Trust shall be open to inspection at the principal
executive office of the Trust (as indicated in Section 202) by Holders of the
Trust Securities during normal business hours for any purpose reasonably related
to such Holder's interest as a Holder.
ARTICLE VII
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES
SECTION 701. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE BANK AND THE
PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
The Bank and the Property Trustee, each severally on behalf of and as
to itself, as of the date hereof, and each successor Property Trustee at the
time of the successor Property Trustee's acceptance of its appointment as
Property Trustee hereunder (in the case of a successor Property Trustee, the
term "Bank" as used herein shall be deemed to refer to such successor Property
Trustee in its separate corporate capacity), hereby represents and warrants (as
applicable) for the benefit of the Depositor and the Securityholders that:
(a) the Bank is a national banking association, validly existing and in
good standing under the laws of the United States of America;
(b) the Bank 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) this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Property Trustee and constitutes the valid and legally binding
agreement of the Property Trustee enforceable against it 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;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance by the Property Trustee of
this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or
other action on the part of the
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Property Trustee and does not require any approval of stockholders of the Bank
and such execution, delivery and performance shall not (i) violate the Bank's
charter or by-laws; (ii) violate any provision of, or constitute, with or
without notice or lapse of 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
Bank is a party or by which it is bound; or (iii) violate any law, governmental
rule or regulation of the United States or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as
the case may be, governing the banking or trust powers of the Bank or the
Property Trustee (as appropriate in context) or any order, judgment or decree
applicable to the Property Trustee or the Bank;
(e) neither the authorization, execution or delivery by the Property
Trustee of this Trust Agreement nor the consummation of any of the transactions
by the Property Trustee contemplated herein or therein 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 federal law governing the banking or trust powers of the Bank or the
Property Trustee, as the case may be, under the laws of the United States or the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts;
(f) there are no proceedings pending or, to the best of the Property
Trustee's knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Bank or the Property
Trustee in any court or before any governmental authority, agency or arbitration
board or tribunal which, individually or in the aggregate, would materially and
adversely affect the Trust or would question the right, power and authority of
the Property Trustee to enter into or perform its obligations as one of the
Trustees under this Trust Agreement; and
(g) the Property Trustee is a Person eligible pursuant to the Trust
Indenture Act to act as such and has a combined capital and surplus of at least
$50,000,000.
SECTION 702. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF THE DELAWARE BANK AND
THE DELAWARE TRUSTEE.
The Delaware Bank and the Delaware Trustee, each severally on behalf of
and as to itself, as of the date hereof, and each successor Delaware Trustee at
the time of the successor Delaware Trustee's acceptance of appointment as
Delaware Trustee hereunder (the term "Delaware Bank" being used to refer to such
successor Delaware Trustee in its separate corporate capacity), hereby
represents and warrants (as applicable) for the benefit of the Depositor and the
Securityholders that:
(a) the Delaware Bank is a national banking association, validly
existing and in good standing under the laws of the United States of America;
(b) the Delaware Bank 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) this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by the Delaware Trustee and constitutes the valid and legally binding
agreement of the Delaware Trustee enforceable against it in accordance with its
terms, subject to bankruptcy, insolvency, fraudulent
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transfer, reorganization, moratorium and similar laws of general applicability
relating to or affecting creditors' rights and to general equity principles;
(d) the execution, delivery and performance by the Delaware Trustee of
this Trust Agreement has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or
other action on the part of the Delaware Trustee and does not require any
approval of stockholders of the Delaware Bank and such execution, delivery and
performance shall not (i) violate the Delaware Bank's charter or by-laws; (ii)
violate any provision of, or constitute, with or without notice or lapse of
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 Delaware Bank 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 or the State of Delaware, as the case may be, governing the banking or
trust powers of the Delaware Bank or the Delaware Trustee (as appropriate in
context) or any order, judgment or decree applicable to the Delaware Bank or the
Delaware Trustee;
(e) neither the authorization, execution or delivery by the Delaware
Trustee of this Trust Agreement nor the consummation of any of the transactions
by the Delaware Trustee contemplated herein or therein 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 federal law governing the banking or trust powers of the Delaware Bank
or the Delaware Trustee, as the case may be, under the laws of the United States
or the State of Delaware; and
(f) there are no proceedings pending or, to the best of the Delaware
Trustee's knowledge, threatened against or affecting the Delaware Bank or the
Delaware Trustee in any court or before any governmental authority, agency or
arbitration board or tribunal which, individually or in the aggregate, would
materially and adversely affect the Trust or would question the right, power and
authority of the Delaware Trustee to enter into or perform its obligations as
one of the Trustees under this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 703. REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF DEPOSITOR.
The Depositor hereby represents and warrants for the benefit of the
Securityholders that:
(a) the Trust Securities Certificates issued on the Closing Date or the
Option Closing Date, if applicable, on behalf of the Trust have been duly
authorized and, shall have been, duly and validly executed, issued and delivered
by the Administrative Trustees pursuant to the terms and provisions of, and in
accordance with the requirements of, this Trust Agreement and the
Securityholders shall be, as of such date, entitled to the benefits of this
Trust Agreement; and
(b) there are no taxes, fees or other governmental charges payable by
the Trust (or the Trustees on behalf of the Trust) under the laws of the State
of Delaware or any political subdivision thereof in connection with the
execution, delivery and performance by the Bank, the Property Trustee or the
Delaware Trustee, as the case may be, of this Trust Agreement.
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ARTICLE VIII
TRUSTEES
SECTION 801. CERTAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
(a) The duties and responsibilities of the Trustees shall be as
provided by this Trust Agreement and, in the case of the Property Trustee, by
the Trust Indenture Act. Notwithstanding the foregoing, no provision of this
Trust Agreement shall require the Trustees to expend or risk their own funds or
otherwise incur any financial liability in the performance of any of their
duties hereunder, or in the exercise of any of their rights or powers, if 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. No Administrative Trustee nor the Delaware Trustee shall be liable for its
act or omissions hereunder except as a result of its own gross negligence or
willful misconduct. The Property Trustee's liability shall be determined under
the Trust Indenture Act. 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 Trustees shall be subject to the
provisions of this Section 801. To the extent that, at law or in equity, the
Delaware Trustee or an Administrative Trustee has duties (including fiduciary
duties) and liabilities relating thereto to the Trust or to the Securityholders,
the Delaware Trustee or such Administrative Trustee shall not be liable to the
Trust or to any Securityholder for such 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 Delaware Trustee
or the Administrative Trustees otherwise existing at law or in equity, are
agreed by the Depositor and the Securityholders to replace such other duties and
liabilities of the Delaware Trustee or the Administrative Trustees, as the case
may be.
(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
Securityholder, by its acceptance of a Trust Security, agrees that it shall 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 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 any Trust Security. This
Section 801(b) does not limit the liability of the Trustees expressly set forth
elsewhere in this Trust Agreement or, in the case of the Property Trustee, in
the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) No provision of this Trust Agreement shall be construed to relieve
the Property Trustee from liability for its own negligent action, its own
negligent failure to act, or its own willful misconduct, except that:
(i) 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;
(ii) 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
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Holders of not less than a majority in Liquidation
Amount of the Trust 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;
(iii) 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;
(iv) 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 301 and except to the extent
otherwise required by law; and
(d) the Property Trustee shall not be responsible for monitoring the
compliance by the Administrative Trustees or the Depositor with their respective
duties under this Trust Agreement, nor shall the Property Trustee be liable for
the negligence, default or misconduct of the Administrative Trustees or the
Depositor.
SECTION 802. CERTAIN NOTICES.
(a) 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 1008, notice of
such Event of Default to the Securityholders, the Administrative Trustees and
the Depositor, unless such Event of Default shall have been cured or waived. For
purposes of this Section 802 the term "Event of Default" means any event that
is, or after notice or lapse of time or both would become, an Event of Default.
(b) The Administrative Trustees shall transmit, to the Securityholders
in the manner and to the extent provided in Section 1008, notice of the
Depositor's election to begin or further extend an Extended Interest Payment
Period on the Debentures (unless such election shall have been revoked) and of
any election by the Depositor to accelerate the Maturity Date of the Debentures,
as defined in the Indenture, within the time specified for transmitting such
notice to the holders of the Debentures pursuant to the Indenture as originally
executed.
SECTION 803. CERTAIN RIGHTS OF PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
Subject to the provisions of Section 801:
(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,
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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; or
(ii) in construing any of the provisions of this Trust Agreement the Property
Trustee finds the same ambiguous or inconsistent with 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
Preferred Securityholders are entitled to vote under the terms of this Trust
Agreement, the Property Trustee shall deliver a notice to the Depositor
requesting written instructions of the Depositor 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 10
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 2 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 Securityholders, 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 or the Administrative
Trustees contemplated by this Trust Agreement shall be sufficiently evidenced by
an Officers' Certificate;
(d) whenever in the administration of this Trust Agreement, the
Property Trustee shall deem it desirable that a matter be established before
undertaking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Property Trustee
(unless other evidence is herein specifically prescribed) may, in the absence of
bad faith on its part, request and conclusively rely upon an Officers'
Certificate which, upon receipt of such request, shall be promptly delivered by
the Depositor or the Administrative Trustees;
(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, any filing under tax or securities laws or any filing
under tax or securities laws) or any rerecording, refiling or reregistration
thereof;
(f) the Property Trustee may consult with counsel of its choice (which
counsel may be counsel to the Depositor or any of its Affiliates) 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, such counsel may be
counsel to the Depositor or any of its Affiliates, and may include any of its
employees; 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 Securityholders pursuant to this Trust Agreement, unless
such Securityholders shall have offered to the Property
35
Trustee reasonable security or indemnity against the costs, expenses and
liabilities which might be incurred by it in compliance with such request or
direction; nothing contained herein shall, however, relieve the Property Trustee
of the obligation, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default (that has not
been cured or waived) to exercise such of the rights and powers vested in it by
this Trust Agreement, and to use the same degree of care and skill in their
exercise as a prudent man would exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his own affairs;
(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 Securityholders, 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, and the Property Trustee shall not be liable for the
default or misconduct of such other agents or attorneys; provided that the
Property Trustee shall be responsible for its own negligence or recklessness
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 of the Trust Securities
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
(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 the Property
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 the Property Trustee shall be unqualified or incompetent in
accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts, or to exercise
any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power or authority
available to the Property Trustee shall be construed to be a duty.
SECTION 804. NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RECITALS OR ISSUANCE OF SECURITIES.
The Recitals contained herein and in the Trust Securities Certificates
shall be taken as the statements of the Trust, and the Trustees do not assume
any responsibility for their correctness. The Trustees shall not be accountable
for the use or application by the Depositor of the proceeds of the Debentures.
36
SECTION 805. MAY HOLD SECURITIES.
Any Trustee or any other agent of any Trustee or the Trust, in its
individual or any other capacity, may become the owner or pledgee of Trust
Securities and, subject to Sections 808 and 813 and except as provided in the
definition of the term "Outstanding" in Article I, may otherwise deal with the
Trust with the same rights it would have if it were not a Trustee or such other
agent.
SECTION 806. COMPENSATION; INDEMNITY; FEES.
The Depositor agrees:
(a) to pay to the Trustees from time to time compensation for all
services rendered by them hereunder (which compensation shall not be limited by
any provision of law in regard to the compensation of a trustee of an express
trust), in the case of the Property Trustee, as set forth in a written agreement
between the Depositor and the Property Trustee;
(b) except as otherwise expressly provided herein, to reimburse the
Trustees upon request for all reasonable expenses, disbursements and advances
incurred or made by the Trustees in accordance with any provision of this Trust
Agreement (including the reasonable compensation and the expenses and
disbursements of its agents and counsel), except any such expense, disbursement
or advance as may be attributable to such Trustee's negligence, bad faith or
willful misconduct (or, in the case of the Administrative Trustees or the
Delaware Trustee, any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be
attributable to its, his or her gross negligence, bad faith or willful
misconduct); and
(c) to indemnify each of the Trustees or any predecessor Trustee for,
and to hold the Trustees harmless against, any loss, damage, claims, liability,
penalty or expense of any kind or nature whatsoever, arising out of or in
connection with the acceptance or administration of this Trust Agreement,
including the costs and expenses of defending itself against any claim or
liability in connection with the exercise or performance of any of its powers or
duties hereunder, except any such expense, disbursement or advance as may be
attributable to such Trustee's negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct for
(or, in the case of the Administrative Trustees or the Delaware Trustee, any
such expense, disbursement or advance as may be attributable to its, his or her
gross negligence, bad faith or willful misconduct).
(d) No Trustee may claim any Lien or charge on Trust Property as a
result of any amount due and unpaid pursuant to this Section 806.
SECTION 807. CORPORATE PROPERTY TRUSTEE REQUIRED; ELIGIBILITY OF
TRUSTEES.
(a) There shall at all times be a Property Trustee hereunder with
respect to the Trust Securities. The Property Trustee shall be a Person that is
eligible pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act to act as such and has 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
807, 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
37
Trust Securities shall cease to be eligible in accordance with the provisions of
this Section 807, it shall resign immediately in the manner and with the effect
hereinafter specified in this Article VIII.
(b) There shall at all times be one or more Administrative Trustees
hereunder with respect to the Trust Securities. 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 with respect to the
Trust Securities. 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 that shall act
through one or more persons authorized to bind such entity.
SECTION 808. CONFLICTING INTERESTS.
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.
SECTION 809. CO-TRUSTEES AND SEPARATE TRUSTEE.
(a) Unless a Debenture 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 shall have power
to appoint, and upon the written request of the Property Trustee, the Depositor
shall for such purpose join with the Property Trustee 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 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 809. If the Depositor does not
join in such appointment within 15 days after the receipt by it of a request so
to do, or in case a Debenture Event of Default has occurred and is continuing,
the Property Trustee alone shall have power to make such appointment. Any
co-trustee or separate trustee appointed pursuant to this Section 809 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.
(b) 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.
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(c) 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:
(i) The Trust Securities shall be executed and delivered
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 Trustees
specified hereunder, shall be exercised, solely by
such Trustees and not by such co-trustee or separate
trustee.
(ii) 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.
(iii) 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 809, and, in case a Debenture
Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the
Property Trustee shall have the 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 resignation or removal. A successor
to any co-trustee or separate trustee so resigned or
removed may be appointed in the manner provided in
this Section 809.
(iv) 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.
(v) The Property Trustee shall not be liable by reason of
any act of a co-trustee or separate trustee.
(vi) 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 810. RESIGNATION AND REMOVAL; APPOINTMENT OF SUCCESSOR.
(a) No resignation or removal of any Trustee (the "Relevant Trustee")
and no appointment of a successor Trustee pursuant to this Article VIII shall
become effective until the
39
acceptance of appointment by the successor Trustee in accordance with the
applicable requirements of Section 811.
(b) Subject to the immediately preceding paragraph, the Relevant
Trustee may resign at any time with respect to the Trust Securities by giving
written notice thereof to the Securityholders. If the instrument of acceptance
by the successor Trustee required by Section 811 shall not have been delivered
to the Relevant Trustee within 30 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 with respect to the Trust Securities.
(c) Unless a Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and be
continuing, any Trustee may be removed at any time by Act of the Common
Securityholder. 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 on behalf of the Trust). An Administrative Trustee may
be removed by the Common Securityholder at any time.
(d) If any Trustee shall resign, be removed or become incapable of
acting as Trustee, or if a vacancy shall occur in the office of any Trustee for
any cause, at a time when no Debenture Event of Default shall have occurred and
be continuing, the Common Securityholder, by Act of the Common Securityholder
delivered to the retiring Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor Trustee or
Trustees with respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, and the successor
Trustee shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 811. 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 is continuing, the Preferred Securityholders, by Act of the
Securityholders of a majority in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities
then Outstanding delivered to the retiring Relevant Trustee, shall promptly
appoint a successor Relevant Trustee or Trustees with respect to the Trust
Securities and the Trust, and such successor Trustee shall comply with the
applicable requirements of Section 811. 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 Common Securityholder, by Act of the Common Securityholder delivered to an
Administrative Trustee, shall promptly appoint a successor Administrative
Trustee or Administrative Trustees with respect to the Trust Securities and the
Trust, and such successor Administrative Trustee or Administrative Trustees
shall comply with the applicable requirements of Section 811. If no successor
Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities shall have been so
appointed by the Common Securityholder or the Preferred Securityholders and
accepted appointment in the manner required by Section 811, any Securityholder
who has been a Securityholder of Trust Securities on behalf of himself and all
others similarly situated may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for the
appointment Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities.
(e) The Property Trustee shall give notice of each resignation and each
removal of a Trustee and each appointment of a successor Trustee to all
Securityholders in the manner provided in Section 1008 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.
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(f) Notwithstanding the foregoing or any other provision of this Trust
Agreement, in the event 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 remaining Administrative Trustees if
there are at least two of them; or (b) otherwise by the Depositor (with the
successor in each case being a Person who satisfies the eligibility requirement
for Administrative Trustees set forth in Section 807).
SECTION 811. ACCEPTANCE OF APPOINTMENT BY SUCCESSOR.
(a) In case of the appointment hereunder of a successor Relevant
Trustee with respect to the Trust Securities and the Trust, the retiring
Relevant Trustee and each successor Relevant Trustee with respect to the Trust
Securities shall execute and deliver an instrument hereto wherein each successor
Relevant Trustee shall accept such appointment and which 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 Trust and upon the execution and delivery of such instrument 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 with respect to the Trust Securities
and the Trust; but, on request of the 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 Trust.
(b) Upon request of any such successor Relevant Trustee, the Trust
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 immediately preceding paragraph, as the case may be.
(c) 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 VIII.
SECTION 812. MERGER, CONVERSION, CONSOLIDATION OR SUCCESSION TO
BUSINESS.
Any Person into which the Property Trustee, the Delaware Trustee or any
Administrative 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
corporation succeeding to all or substantially all the corporate trust business
of such Relevant Trustee, shall be the successor of such Relevant Trustee
hereunder, provided such Person shall be otherwise qualified and eligible under
this Article VIII, without the execution or filing of any paper or any further
act on the part of any of the parties hereto.
SECTION 813. PREFERENTIAL COLLECTION OF CLAIMS AGAINST DEPOSITOR OR
TRUST.
If and when the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee shall be or
become a creditor of the Depositor or the Trust (or any other obligor upon the
Debentures or the Trust Securities), the
41
Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, as the case may be, shall be subject
to and shall take all actions necessary in order to comply with the provisions
of the Trust Indenture Act regarding the collection of claims against the
Depositor or Trust (or any such other obligor).
SECTION 814. REPORTS BY PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
(a) On or before July 15 of each year, commencing July 15, 2003, the
Property Trustee shall transmit to the Securityholders such reports concerning
the Property Trustee, its actions under this Trust Agreement and the property
and funds in its possession in its capacity as the Property Trustee as of May 15
if and to the extent required pursuant to the Trust Indenture Act in the manner
provided pursuant thereto.
(b) A copy of each such report shall, at the time of such transmission
to Holders, be filed by the Property Trustee with the Nasdaq National Market,
and each national securities exchange or other organization upon which the Trust
Securities are listed, and also with the Commission and the Depositor.
SECTION 815. REPORTS TO THE PROPERTY TRUSTEE.
The Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the 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.
SECTION 816. EVIDENCE OF COMPLIANCE WITH CONDITIONS PRECEDENT.
Each of the Depositor and the Administrative Trustees on behalf of the
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.
SECTION 817. NUMBER OF TRUSTEES.
(a) The number of Trustees shall be five, provided that the Holder of
all of the Common Securities by written instrument may increase or decrease the
number of Administrative Trustees. The Property Trustee and the Delaware Trustee
may be the same Person.
(b) If a Trustee ceases to hold office for any reason and the number of
Administrative Trustees is not reduced pursuant to Section 817(a), or if the
number of Trustees is increased pursuant to Section 817(a), a vacancy shall
occur. The vacancy shall be filled with a Trustee appointed in accordance with
Section 810.
(c) The death, resignation, retirement, removal, bankruptcy,
incompetence or incapacity to perform the duties of a Trustee shall not operate
to annul the Trust. 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 Section 810, the Administrative
Trustees in office,
42
regardless of their number (and notwithstanding any other provision of this
Agreement), shall have all the powers granted to the Administrative Trustees and
shall discharge all the duties imposed upon the Administrative Trustees by this
Trust Agreement.
SECTION 818. 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 his
or her power for the purpose of executing any documents contemplated in Section
207(a); 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 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 the Trust, as set forth herein.
SECTION 819. VOTING.
Except as otherwise provided in this Trust Agreement, the consent or
approval of the Administrative Trustees shall require consent or approval by not
less than a majority of the Administrative Trustees, unless there are only two,
in which case both must consent.
ARTICLE IX
TERMINATION, LIQUIDATION AND MERGER
SECTION 901. TERMINATION UPON EXPIRATION DATE.
Unless earlier dissolved, the Trust shall automatically dissolve on
March 31, 2033 (the "Expiration Date") subject to distribution of the Trust
Property in accordance with Section 904.
SECTION 902. EARLY TERMINATION.
The first to occur of any of the following events is an "Early
Termination Event:"
(a) the occurrence of a Bankruptcy Event in respect of, or the
dissolution or liquidation of, the Depositor;
(b) delivery of written direction to the Property Trustee by the
Depositor at any time (which direction is wholly optional and within the
discretion of the Depositor, subject to Depositor having received prior approval
of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System if so required under
applicable guidelines, policies or regulations thereof) to dissolve the Trust
and distribute the Debentures to Securityholders in exchange for the Preferred
Securities in accordance with Section 904;
(c) the redemption of all of the Preferred Securities in connection
with the redemption of all of the Debentures (whether upon a Debenture
Redemption Date or the maturity of the Debenture); or
43
(d) an order for dissolution of the Trust shall have been entered by a
court of competent jurisdiction.
SECTION 903. TERMINATION.
The respective obligations and responsibilities of the Trustees and the
Trust created and continued hereby shall terminate upon the latest to occur of
the following: (a) the distribution by the Property Trustee to Securityholders
upon the liquidation of the Trust pursuant to Section 904, or upon the
redemption of all of the Trust Securities pursuant to Section 402, of all
amounts required to be distributed hereunder upon the final payment of the Trust
Securities; (b) the payment of any expenses owed by the Trust; (c) the discharge
of all administrative duties of the Administrative Trustees, including the
performance of any tax reporting obligations with respect to the Trust or the
Securityholders; and (d) the filing of a Certificate of Cancellation by an
Administrative Trustee under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act.
SECTION 904. LIQUIDATION.
(a) If an Early Termination Event specified in clause (a), (b), or (d)
of Section 902 occurs or upon the Expiration Date, the Trust shall be liquidated
by the Trustees as expeditiously as the Trustees determine to be possible by
distributing, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the Trust as
provided by applicable law, to each Securityholder a Like Amount of Debentures,
subject to Section 904(d). Notice of liquidation shall be given by the Property
Trustee by first-class mail, postage prepaid, mailed not later 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 notices of
liquidation shall:
(i) state the Liquidation Date;
(ii) state that from and after the Liquidation Date, the
Trust Securities shall no longer be deemed to be
Outstanding and any Trust Securities Certificates not
surrendered for exchange shall be deemed to represent
a Like Amount of Debentures; and
(iii) provide such information with respect to the
mechanics by which Holders may exchange Trust
Securities Certificates for Debentures, or, if
Section 904(d) applies, receive a Liquidation
Distribution, as the Administrative Trustees or the
Property Trustee shall deem appropriate.
(b) Except where Section 902(c) or 904(d) applies, in order to effect
the liquidation of the Trust and distribution of the Debentures to
Securityholders, the Property Trustee shall establish a record date for such
distribution (which shall be not more than 45 days prior to the Liquidation
Date) and, either itself acting as exchange agent or through the appointment of
a separate exchange agent, shall establish such procedures as it shall deem
appropriate to effect the distribution of Debentures in exchange for the
Outstanding Trust Securities Certificates.
(c) Except where Section 902(c) or 904(d) applies, after the
Liquidation Date, (i) the Trust Securities shall no longer be deemed to be
outstanding; (ii) certificates representing a Like Amount of Debentures shall be
issued to Holders of Trust Securities Certificates upon surrender of
44
such certificates to the Administrative Trustees or their 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 securities exchange or automated
quotation system as the Preferred Securities are then listed or traded; (iv) any
Trust Securities Certificates not so surrendered for exchange shall be deemed to
represent a Like Amount of Debentures, accruing interest at the rate provided
for in the Debentures from the last Distribution Date on which a Distribution
was made on such Trust Securities Certificates until such certificates are so
surrendered (and until such certificates are so surrendered, no payments of
interest or principal shall be made to Holders of Trust Securities Certificates
with respect to such Debentures); and (v) all rights of Securityholders holding
Trust Securities shall cease, except the right of such Securityholders to
receive Debentures upon surrender of Trust Securities Certificates.
(d) In the event that, notwithstanding the other provisions of this
Section 904, 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, the Trust Property shall be liquidated, and the Trust shall be
dissolved, wound-up or terminated, by the Property Trustee in such manner as the
Property Trustee determines. In such event, on the date of the dissolution,
winding-up or other termination of the Trust, Securityholders shall be entitled
to receive out of the assets of the Trust available for distribution to
Securityholders, after satisfaction of liabilities to creditors of the 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
dissolution, winding-up or termination, the Liquidation Distribution can be paid
only in part because the 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 Trust on the Trust Securities shall be paid
on a pro rata basis (based upon Liquidation Amounts). The Holder of the Common
Securities shall 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
has occurred and is continuing, the Preferred Securities shall have a priority
over the Common Securities.
SECTION 905. MERGERS, CONSOLIDATIONS, AMALGAMATIONS OR REPLACEMENTS OF
THE TRUST.
The Trust may not merge with or into, convert into, consolidate,
amalgamate, or be replaced by, or convey, transfer or lease its properties and
assets substantially as an entirety to any corporation or other Person, except
pursuant to this Section 905. At the request of the Depositor, with the consent
of the Administrative Trustees and without the consent of the Holders of the
Preferred Securities, the Property Trustee or the Delaware Trustee, the Trust
may merge with or into, convert into, consolidate, amalgamate, be replaced by or
convey, transfer or lease its properties and assets substantially as an 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
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 rank the same as the Preferred Securities rank in priority with
respect to distributions and payments upon liquidation, redemption and
otherwise; (ii) the Depositor expressly appoints a trustee of such successor
entity possessing substantially the same powers and duties as the Property
Trustee as the holder of the Debentures; (iii) the Successor Securities are
listed or
45
traded, or any Successor Securities shall be listed or traded upon notification
of issuance, on any national securities exchange or other organization on which
the Preferred Securities are then listed, if any; (iv) such merger, conversion,
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; (v) such successor entity has a purpose substantially identical to that
of the Trust; (vi) prior to such merger, conversion, consolidation,
amalgamation, replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, the Depositor has
received an Opinion of Counsel to the effect that (a) such merger, conversion,
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, conversion, consolidation, amalgamation,
replacement, conveyance, transfer or lease, neither the Trust nor such successor
entity shall be required to register as an "investment company" under the
Investment Company Act; and (vii) the Depositor 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, the Debentures, this Trust Agreement and the Expense
Agreement. For purposes of this Section 905, any such consolidation, conversion,
merger, sale, conveyance, transfer or other disposition as a result of which (a)
the Company is not the surviving Person, and (b) the same Person is not both (i)
the primary obligor in respect of the Debentures and (ii) the Guarantor under
that certain Preferred Securities Guarantee Agreement of even date herewith (the
"Guarantee") between the Company and U.S. Bank National Association, shall be
deemed to constitute a replacement of the Trust by a successor entity; provided
further that, notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that upon the
consummation of such a consolidation, conversion, merger, sale, conveyance,
transfer or other disposition, the parent company (if any) of the Company, or
its successor, is a bank holding company or financial holding company or
comparably regulated financial institution, such parent company shall guarantee
the obligations of the Trust (and any successor thereto) under the Preferred
Securities (including any Successor Securities) at least to the extent provided
by the Guarantee, the Debentures, the Trust Agreement and the Expense Agreement.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Trust shall not, except with the consent of
holders of 100% in Liquidation Amount of the Preferred Securities, consolidate,
convert, 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
Person or permit any other Person to consolidate, convert, amalgamate, merge
with or into, or replace it if such consolidation, conversion, amalgamation,
merger or replacement would cause the Trust or the successor entity to be
classified as other than a grantor trust for United States federal income tax
purposes.
ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
SECTION 1001. LIMITATION OF RIGHTS OF SECURITYHOLDERS.
The death or incapacity of any Person having an interest, beneficial or
otherwise, in Trust Securities shall not operate to terminate this Trust
Agreement, nor entitle the legal representatives or heirs of such Person or any
Securityholder 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.
46
SECTION 1002. AMENDMENT.
(a) This Trust Agreement may be amended from time to time by the
Trustees and the Depositor, without the consent of any Securityholders, (i) as
provided in Section 811 with respect to acceptance of appointment by a successor
Trustee; or (ii) to cure any ambiguity, correct or supplement any provision
herein or therein which may be inconsistent with any other provision herein or
therein, or to make any other provisions with respect to matters or questions
arising under this Trust Agreement, that shall not be inconsistent with the
other provisions of this Trust Agreement; or (iii) to modify, eliminate or add
to any provisions of this Trust Agreement to such extent as shall be necessary
to ensure that the Trust shall be classified for United States federal income
tax purposes as a grantor trust at all times that any Trust Securities are
outstanding or to ensure that the Trust shall not be required to register as an
"investment company" under the Investment Company Act; or (iv) to reduce or
increase the Liquidation Amount per Trust Security and simultaneously to
correspondingly increase or decrease the number of Trust Securities issued and
Outstanding solely for the purpose of maintaining the eligibility of the
Preferred Securities for quotation or listing on any national securities
exchange or other organization on which the Preferred Securities are then quoted
or listed (including, if applicable, the Nasdaq National Market); provided,
however, that in the case of clause (ii), such action shall not adversely affect
in any material respect the interests of any Securityholder, and provided
further, that in the case of clause (iv) the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the
Trust Securities Outstanding upon completion of any such reduction must be the
same as the aggregate Liquidation Amount of the Trust Securities Outstanding
immediately prior to such reduction or increase; and any amendments of this
Trust Agreement shall become effective when notice thereof is given to the
Securityholders (or in the case of an amendment pursuant to clause (iv), as of
the date specified in the notice).
(b) Except as provided in Section 601(c) or Section 1002(c) hereof, any
provision of this Trust Agreement may be amended by the Trustees and the
Depositor (i) with the consent of Trust Securityholders representing not less
than a majority (based upon Liquidation Amounts) of the Trust Securities then
Outstanding; and (ii) upon receipt by the Trustees of an Opinion of Counsel to
the effect that such amendment or the exercise of any power granted to the
Trustees in accordance with such amendment shall not affect the Trust's status
as a grantor trust for United States federal income tax purposes or the Trust's
exemption from status of 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 Securityholder (such
consent being obtained in accordance with Section 603 or 606 hereof), 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 Securityholder to institute suit
for the enforcement of any such payment on or after such date; notwithstanding
any other provision herein, without the unanimous consent of the Securityholders
(such consent being obtained in accordance with Section 603 or 606 hereof), this
paragraph (c) of this Section 1002 may not be amended.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Trust Agreement, no
Trustee shall enter into or consent to any amendment to this Trust Agreement
which would cause the Trust to fail or cease to qualify for the exemption from
status of an "investment company" under the Investment
47
Company Act or to fail or cease to be classified as a grantor trust for United
States federal income tax purposes.
(e) Notwithstanding anything in this Trust Agreement to the contrary,
without the consent of the Depositor, this Trust Agreement may not be amended in
a manner which imposes any additional obligation on the Depositor.
(f) In the event that any amendment to this Trust Agreement is made,
the Administrative Trustees shall promptly provide to the Depositor 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 which affects its
own rights, duties or immunities under this Trust Agreement. The Property
Trustee shall be entitled to receive an Opinion of Counsel and an Officers'
Certificate stating that any amendment to this Trust Agreement has been effected
in compliance with this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 1003. SEPARABILITY.
In case any provision in this Trust Agreement or in the Trust
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 1004. GOVERNING LAW.
THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND THE RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF EACH OF THE
SECURITYHOLDERS, THE TRUST AND THE 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 REGARD TO CONFLICT OF LAWS PRINCIPLES
THEREOF).
SECTION 1005. 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 which is a Business Day, except that, if
such Business Day is in the next succeeding calendar year, such payment shall be
made on the immediately preceding Business Day (and without any reduction of
interest or any other payment in respect of any such acceleration), in each case
with the same force and effect as though made on the date fixed for such
payment, and no distribution shall accumulate thereon for the period after such
date.
SECTION 1006. SUCCESSORS.
This Trust Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the
benefit of any successor to the Depositor, the Trust or the Relevant Trustee(s),
including any successor by operation of law. Except in connection with a
consolidation, merger or sale involving the Depositor that is permitted under
Article XII 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.
48
SECTION 1007. HEADINGS.
The Article and Section headings are for convenience only and shall not
affect the construction of this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 1008. REPORTS, NOTICES AND DEMANDS.
Any report, notice, demand or other communication which by any
provision of this Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or served
to or upon any Securityholder 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 Preferred Securityholder, to such Preferred Securityholder as such
Securityholder's name and address may appear on the Securities Register; and (b)
in the case of the Common Securityholder or the Depositor, to Independent Bank
Corporation, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇.
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, facsimile no.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇. Any notice to Preferred Securityholders
shall also be given to such owners as have, within two years preceding the
giving of such notice, filed their names and addresses with the Property Trustee
for that purpose. Such notice, demand or other communication to or upon a
Securityholder shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made, for all
purposes, upon hand delivery, mailing or transmission.
Any notice, demand or other communication which by any provision of
this Trust Agreement is required or permitted to be given or served to or upon
the Trust, the Property Trustee or the Administrative Trustees shall be given in
writing addressed (until another address is published by the Trust) as follows:
(a) with respect to the Property Trustee to U.S. Bank National Association, ▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate
Trust Services Division, with a copy to U.S. Bank National Association, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Attention: Corporate Trust Services
Division; (b) with respect to the Delaware Trustee, to U.S. Bank Trust National
Association, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Corporate Trust Services Division; and (c) with respect to the
Administrative Trustees, to them at the address above for notices to the
Depositor, marked "Attention: Administrative Trustees of IBC Capital Finance
II." Such notice, demand or other communication to or upon the Trust or the
Property Trustee shall be deemed to have been sufficiently given or made only
upon actual receipt of the writing by the Trust or the Property Trustee.
SECTION 1009. AGREEMENT NOT TO PETITION.
Each of the Trustees and the Depositor agree for the benefit of the
Securityholders that, until at least one year and one day after the Trust has
been terminated in accordance with Article IX, they shall not file, or join in
the filing of, a petition against the Trust under any bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar law (including, without limitation, the United
States Bankruptcy Code of 1978, as amended) (collectively, "Bankruptcy Laws") or
otherwise join in the commencement of any proceeding against the Trust under any
Bankruptcy Law. In the event the Depositor or any of the Trustees takes action
in violation of this Section 1009, the Property Trustee agrees, for the benefit
of Securityholders, that at the expense of the Depositor (which expense shall be
paid prior to the filing), it shall file an answer with the bankruptcy court or
otherwise properly contest the filing of such petition by the Depositor or such
Trustee against the Trust or the commencement of such action and raise the
defense that the Depositor or such Trustee has agreed
49
in writing not to take such action and should be stopped and precluded
therefrom. The provisions of this Section 1009 shall survive the termination of
this Trust Agreement.
SECTION 1010. 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 Trustee which is a trustee
for the purposes of the Trust Indenture Act.
(c) If any provision hereof limits, qualifies or conflicts with another
provision hereof which is required to be included in this Trust Agreement by any
of the provisions of the Trust Indenture Act, such required provision 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 to be 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 Securities as equity securities representing
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust.
SECTION 1011. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS OF TRUST AGREEMENT, GUARANTEE AND
INDENTURE.
THE RECEIPT AND ACCEPTANCE OF A TRUST SECURITY OR ANY INTEREST THEREIN
BY OR ON BEHALF OF A SECURITYHOLDER OR ANY BENEFICIAL OWNER, WITHOUT ANY
SIGNATURE OR FURTHER MANIFESTATION OF ASSENT, SHALL CONSTITUTE THE UNCONDITIONAL
ACCEPTANCE BY THE SECURITYHOLDER AND ALL OTHERS HAVING A BENEFICIAL INTEREST IN
SUCH TRUST SECURITY OF ALL THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST AGREEMENT AND
AGREEMENT TO THE SUBORDINATION PROVISIONS AND OTHER TERMS OF THE GUARANTEE AND
THE INDENTURE, AND SHALL CONSTITUTE THE AGREEMENT OF THE TRUST, SUCH
SECURITYHOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS THAT THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS TRUST
AGREEMENT SHALL BE BINDING, OPERATIVE AND EFFECTIVE AS BETWEEN THE TRUST AND
SUCH SECURITYHOLDER AND SUCH OTHERS.
SECTION 1012. COUNTERPARTS.
This Trust Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts,
each of which shall be an original, but such counterparts shall together
constitute but one and the same instrument.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
50
INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION
By:____________________________________
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS
PROPERTY TRUSTEE
By:____________________________________
Name:
Title:
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, AS DELAWARE TRUSTEE
By:____________________________________
Name:
Title:
_______________________________________
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Van Loan,
as Administrative Trustee
_______________________________________
▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
as Administrative Trustee
_______________________________________
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇,
as Administrative Trustee
51
EXHIBIT A
CERTIFICATE OF TRUST
OF
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
THIS CERTIFICATE OF TRUST OF IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II (the "Trust"), is
being duly executed and filed by U.S. Bank Trust National Association, a
national banking association, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Van Loan, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, and ▇▇▇▇▇
▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, each an individual, as trustees, to form a Delaware statutory
trust under the Delaware Statutory Trust Act (12 Del. C. Section 3801 et seq.)
(the "Act").
1. NAME. The name of the Delaware statutory trust formed hereby is IBC
Capital Finance II.
2. DELAWARE TRUSTEE. The name and business address of the trustee of the
Trust in the State of Delaware is U.S. Bank Trust National Association,
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
Attention: Corporate Trust Services Division.
3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Certificate of Trust shall be effective on
February 26, 2003.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Certificate of
Trust in accordance with Section 3811(a)(1) of the Act.
U.S. BANK TRUST NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION, as Delaware trustee
By:
--------------------------------------
Name:
Title:
, as Trustee
-----------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. Van Loan
, as Trustee
-----------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
, as Trustee
-----------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
A-1
EXHIBIT B
THIS CERTIFICATE IS NOT TRANSFERABLE
CERTIFICATE NUMBER __________ NUMBER OF COMMON SECURITIES __________
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCING COMMON SECURITIES
OF
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
COMMON SECURITIES
(LIQUIDATION AMOUNT $25 PER COMMON SECURITY)
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II, a statutory trust created under the laws of the
State of Delaware (the "Trust"), hereby certifies that INDEPENDENT BANK
CORPORATION (the "Holder") is the registered owner of ____________________
(______) common securities of the Trust representing undivided beneficial
interests in the assets of the Trust and designated the Common Securities
(liquidation amount $25 per Common Security) (the "Common Securities"). In
accordance with Section 510 of the Trust Agreement (as defined below), the
Common Securities are not transferable and any attempted transfer hereof 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 Trust dated as of March __, 2003, as the same may be
amended from time to time (the "Trust Agreement"), including the designation of
the terms of the Common Securities as set forth therein. The Trust shall furnish
a copy of the Trust Agreement to the Holder without charge upon written request
to the 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.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrative Trustees of the Trust has
executed this certificate this _____ day of March, 2003.
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
By:
----------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Administrative Trustee
B-1
EXHIBIT C
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES
AGREEMENT AS TO EXPENSES AND LIABILITIES (this "Agreement") dated as of
March __, 2003, between Independent Bank Corporation, a Michigan corporation
(the "Company"), and IBC Capital Finance II, a Delaware statutory trust (the
"Trust").
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Trust intends to issue its common securities (the "Common
Securities") to, and receive ___% Junior Subordinated Debentures (the
"Debentures") from, the Company and to issue and sell IBC Capital Finance II
___% Cumulative Trust Preferred Securities (the "Preferred Securities") with
such powers, preferences and special rights and restrictions as are set forth in
the Amended and Restated Trust Agreement of the Trust dated as of March ___,
2003, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Trust Agreement");
WHEREAS, the Company shall directly or indirectly own all of the Common
Securities of the Trust and shall issue the Debentures;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each holder of the
Preferred Securities, which purchase the Company hereby agrees shall benefit the
Company and which purchase the Company acknowledges shall be made in reliance
upon the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company, including in its
capacity as holder of the Common Securities, and the Trust hereby agree as
follows:
ARTICLE I
SECTION 1.1 GUARANTEE BY THE COMPANY.
Subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Company, including in
its capacity as holder of the Common Securities, hereby irrevocably and
unconditionally guarantees to each person or entity to whom the 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 Trust other than obligations of the Trust to pay to holders
of any Preferred Securities or other similar interests in the Trust the amounts
due such holders pursuant to the terms of the Preferred Securities or such other
similar interests, as the case may be. 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 TERM OF AGREEMENT.
This Agreement shall terminate and be of no further force and effect
upon the later of (a) the date on which full payment has been made of all
amounts payable to all holders of all the Preferred Securities (whether upon
redemption, liquidation, exchange or otherwise); and (b) the date on which there
are no Beneficiaries remaining; 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 Preferred Securities
C-1
or any Beneficiary must restore payment of any sums paid under the Preferred
Securities, under any obligation, under the Preferred Securities Guarantee
Agreement dated the date hereof by the Company and U.S. Bank National
Association as guarantee trustee or under this Agreement for any reason
whatsoever. This Agreement is continuing, irrevocable, unconditional and
absolute.
SECTION 1.3 WAIVER OF NOTICE.
The Company hereby waives notice of acceptance of this Agreement and of
any obligation to which it applies or may apply, and the Company hereby waives
presentment, demand for payment, protest, notice of nonpayment, notice of
dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and demands.
SECTION 1.4 NO IMPAIRMENT.
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the Company 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 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 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 Trust or any of the assets of the
Trust.
There shall be no obligation of the Beneficiaries to give notice to, or obtain
the consent of, the Company with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
SECTION 1.5 ENFORCEMENT.
A Beneficiary may enforce this Agreement directly against the Company,
and the Company waives any right or remedy to require that any action be brought
against the Trust or any other person or entity before proceeding against the
Company.
ARTICLE II
SECTION 2.1 BINDING EFFECT.
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Agreement shall bind
the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees and representatives of the Company
and shall inure to the benefit of the Beneficiaries.
C-2
SECTION 1013. AMENDMENT.
So long as there remains any Beneficiary or any Preferred Securities of
any series are outstanding, this Agreement shall not be modified or amended in
any manner adverse to such Beneficiary or to any of the holders of the Preferred
Securities.
SECTION 1014. NOTICES.
Any notice, request or other communication required or permitted to be
given hereunder shall be given in writing by delivering the same 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 facsimile):
IBC Capital Finance II
c/o Independent Bank Corporation
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chief Financial Officer
Independent Bank Corporation
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Facsimile No.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, Chief Financial Officer
SECTION 1015. GOVERNING LAW.
This agreement shall be governed by and construed and interpreted in
accordance with the laws of the State of Michigan (without regard to conflict of
laws principles).
[SIGNATURE PAGE TO FOLLOW]
C-3
THIS AGREEMENT is executed as of the day and year first above written.
INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION
By:
---------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
By:
---------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Administrative Trustee
C-4
EXHIBIT D
CERTIFICATE NUMBER __________ NUMBER OF PREFERRED SECURITIES __________
CERTIFICATE EVIDENCING PREFERRED SECURITIES
OF
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
___% CUMULATIVE TRUST PREFERRED SECURITIES
(LIQUIDATION AMOUNT $25 PER PREFERRED SECURITY)
CUSIP NO. ___________
IBC Capital Finance II, a statutory trust created under the laws of the
State of Delaware (the "Trust"), hereby certifies that ______________ (the
"Holder") is the registered owner of _________ preferred securities of the Trust
representing undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Trust and
designated the ___% Cumulative Trust Preferred Securities (liquidation amount
$25 per Preferred Security) (the "Preferred Securities"). The Preferred
Securities are transferable on the books and records of the 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 504 of the Trust
Agreement (as defined herein). 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 Trust dated
as of March __, 2003, as the same may be amended from time to time (the "Trust
Agreement"), including the designation of the terms of Preferred Securities as
set forth therein. The Holder is entitled to the benefits of the Preferred
Securities Guarantee Agreement entered into by Independent Bank Corporation, a
Michigan corporation, and U.S. Bank National Association as guarantee trustee,
dated as of March __, 2003, as the same may be amended from time to time (the
"Guarantee"), to the extent provided therein. The Trust shall furnish a copy of
the Trust Agreement and the Guarantee to the Holder without charge upon written
request to the 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.
Unless the Certificate of Authentication has been manually executed by
the Property Trustee, this Certificate is not valid or effective.
D-1
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, one of the Administrative Trustees of the Trust has
executed this Certificate this ____ day of March, 2003.
IBC CAPITAL FINANCE II
By:
------------------------------------
Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Administrative Trustee
D-2
LEGEND
FOR CERTIFICATES EVIDENCING
GLOBAL PREFERRED SECURITIES ONLY:
Unless this certificate is presented by an authorized representative of
The Depository Trust Company, a New York corporation ("DTC"), to Issuer
or its agent for registration of transfer, exchange, or payment, and
any certificate issued is registered in the name of Cede & Co. or in
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 ANY PERSON
IS WRONGFUL inasmuch as the registered owner hereof, Cede & Co., has an
interest herein.
D-3
[FORM OF REVERSE OF CERTIFICATE]
The Trust will furnish without charge to any registered owner of
Preferred Securities who so requests, a copy of the Trust Agreement and the
Guarantee. Any such request should be in writing and addressed to IBC Capital
Finance II, c/o Secretary of Independent Bank Corporation, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ or to the Registrar named on the face of this Certificate.
The following abbreviations, when used in the inscription on the face
of this Certificate, shall be construed as though they were written out in full
according to applicable laws or regulations:
TEN COM-- As tenants in common
TEN ENT-- As tenants by the entireties
JT TEN-- As joint tenants with right of survival
UNIF GIFT MIN ACT-- Under Uniform Gift to Minors Act and not as tenants
Additional abbreviations may also be used though not in the above list.
ASSIGNMENT
FOR VALUE RECEIVED, the undersigned hereby sells, assigns and transfers unto:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Please insert social security or other identifying number of assignee)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(insert address and zip code of assignee)
the within Certificate and all rights and interests represented by the Preferred
Securities evidenced thereby, and hereby irrevocably constitutes and appoints
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
attorney to transfer the said Preferred Securities on the books of the
within-named Trust with full power of substitution in the premises.
Dated: Signature:
---------------------------- ------------------------------
Note: The signature(s) to this
assignment must correspond
with the name(s) as written
upon the face of this
Certificate in every
particular, without alteration
or enlargement, or any change
whatever.
Signature(s) Guaranteed:
-----------------------------------
NOTICE: Signature(s) must be
guaranteed by an "eligible
guarantor institution" that is a
member or participant in a
"signature guarantee program"
(i.e., the Securities Transfer
Agents Medallion Program, the Stock
Exchange Medallion Program or the
New York Stock Exchange, Inc.
Medallion Signature Program).
D-4
EXHIBIT E
FORM OF PREFERRED SECURITIES CERTIFICATE AUTHENTICATION
This is one of the _____% Cumulative Trust Preferred Securities
referred to in the within-mentioned Amended and Restated Trust Agreement.
U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as
Property Trustee
By:
----------------------------------------
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
E-1
EXHIBIT F
CERTIFICATE DEPOSITARY AGREEMENT
F-1