Exhibit 99.8
EXECUTION COPY
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ASSIGNMENT, ASSUMPTION AND RECOGNITION AGREEMENT
among
GS MORTGAGE SECURITIES CORP.,
as Assignor
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY,
AS TRUSTEE FOR GSAA HOME EQUITY TRUST 2006-4,
as Assignee
and
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS SERVICING LP,
as Servicer
and as acknowledged by
▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Master Servicer
Dated as of
March 2, 2006
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ASSIGNMENT, ASSUMPTION AND RECOGNITION AGREEMENT
ASSIGNMENT, ASSUMPTION AND RECOGNITION AGREEMENT, dated March 2,
2006 (this "Agreement"), among GS Mortgage Securities Corp. ("Assignor" or
"Depositor"), Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, not in its individual
capacity but solely as trustee (the "Trustee") on behalf of GSAA Home Equity
Trust 2006-4 ("Assignee"), Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP (the
"Servicer") and as acknowledged by ▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N.A., as master servicer
(the "Master Servicer").
For and in consideration of the mutual promises contained herein and
other good and valuable consideration the receipt and sufficiency of which are
hereby acknowledged, and of the mutual covenants herein contained, the parties
hereto hereby agree as follows:
1. Assignment, Assumption and Conveyance.
The Assignor hereby conveys, sells, grants, transfers and assigns to
the Assignee all of the right, title and interest (other than those rights
specifically retained by the Assignor pursuant to this Agreement) of the
Assignor, as purchaser, in, to and under (a) those certain Mortgage Loans
listed on the schedule (the "Mortgage Loan Schedule") attached hereto as
Exhibit A (the "Mortgage Loans"), (b) the Representations and Warranties
Agreement, dated as of March 2, 2006, between ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ Mortgage Company
and the Assignor (the "Representations and Warranties Agreement") and (d)
solely insofar as it relates to the Mortgage Loans, that certain Flow
Servicing Agreement, dated as of May 1, 2005 (the "Servicing Agreement"), by
and between ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ Sachs Mortgage Company as predecessor to the Assignor (in
such capacity, the "Owner") and the Servicer. The Assignor hereby agrees that
it will (i) deliver possession of notes evidencing the Mortgage Loans to, or
at the direction of, the Assignee or its designee and (ii) take in a timely
manner all necessary steps under all applicable laws to convey and to perfect
the conveyance of the Mortgage Loans as required under the Master Servicing
and Trust Agreement, dated as of February 1, 2006 (the "Trust Agreement"),
among the Depositor, Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, as trustee, ▇▇▇▇▇
Fargo Bank, N.A., as master servicer (in such capacity, the "Master Servicer")
and as securities administrator (in such capacity, the "Securities
Administrator"), U.S. Bank National Association, Deutsche Bank National Trust
Company and JPMorgan Chase Bank, National Association, each as a custodian.
The Assignor specifically reserves and does not assign to the
Assignee hereunder (i) any and all right, title and interest in, to and under
and any obligations of the Assignor with respect to any mortgage loans subject
to the Servicing Agreement that are not the Mortgage Loans set forth on the
Mortgage Loan Schedule and are not the subject of this Agreement, (ii) any
rights and obligations of the Assignor pursuant to the Servicing Agreement
arising prior to the date hereof, (iii) the rights and obligations of the
Owner under the following sections of the Servicing Agreement: Section 6.01(b)
(relating to the Owner's right to terminate the Servicer), Section 4.09
(relating to the Owner's right to receive information from the Servicer) and
Sections 13.13(i) and 13.15 (relating the Owner's obligation to execute
certain confidentiality agreements) or (iv) any rights of the Assignor under
the Commitment Letter, dated as of March
2, 2006 (the "Commitment Letter") between the Owner and the Company, which
rights shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement.
The Assignee hereby assumes all of the Assignor's obligations under
the Mortgage Loans and the Servicing Agreement solely insofar as such
obligations relate to the Mortgage Loans, other than the obligations set forth
in clauses (ii) and (iii) of the preceding paragraph.
The parties hereto agree that, notwithstanding anything to the
contrary contained in the Commitment Letter, with respect to the Mortgage
Loans being serviced under the Servicing Agreement the Servicing Fee Rate for
the Mortgage Loans shall be the rate set forth on the Mortgage Loan Schedule.
2. Recognition of the Assignee.
The Servicer hereby acknowledges and agrees that from and after the
date hereof (i) the Trust will be the owner of the Mortgage Loans and the
Servicer will be the servicer of the Mortgage Loans on or after the applicable
Transfer Date pursuant to the terms set forth in the Trust Agreement, (ii) the
Servicer shall look solely to the Trust (including the Trustee and the Master
Servicer acting on the Trust's behalf) for performance of any obligations of
the Assignor under the Mortgage Loans and the Servicing Agreement (solely
insofar as it relates to the Mortgage Loans) (except for such obligations of
the Assignor retained by the Assignor hereunder), (iii) the Trust (including
the Trustee and the Master Servicer acting on the Trust's behalf) shall have
all the rights and remedies available to the Assignor, insofar as they relate
to the Mortgage Loans, under the applicable Purchase Agreement pursuant to
which the Owner purchased the related Mortgage Loans from the related Seller
and the Servicing Agreement, including, without limitation, the enforcement of
the document delivery requirements set forth in Section 6.03 of the related
Purchase Agreement, and shall be entitled to enforce all of the obligations of
the Servicer thereunder insofar as they relate to the Mortgage Loans,
including without limitation, the remedies for breaches of representations and
warranties set forth in Article 10 of the Servicing Agreement (except for the
rights and remedies retained by the Assignor hereunder), (iv) all references
to the Owner under the Servicing Agreement insofar as they relate to the
Mortgage Loans shall be deemed to refer to the Trust (except to the extent of
the rights and obligations retained by the Assignor hereunder) (including the
Trustee and the Servicer acting on the Trust's behalf) and (v) the Mortgage
Loans will be part of a REMIC, and the Servicer shall service the Mortgage
Loans and any real property acquired upon default thereof (including, without
limitation, making or permitting any modification, waiver or amendment of any
term of any Mortgage Loan) prior to the applicable Transfer Date in accordance
with the Servicing Agreement but in no event in a manner that would (A) cause
the REMIC to fail to qualify as a REMIC or (B) result in the imposition of a
tax upon the REMIC (including but not limited to the tax on prohibited
transactions as defined in Section 860F(a)(2) of the Code, the tax on
contributions to a REMIC set forth in Section 860G(d) of the Code, and the tax
on "net income from foreclosure property" as set forth in Section 860G(c) of
the Code). Neither the Servicer nor the Assignor shall amend or agree to
amend, modify, waiver, or otherwise alter any of the terms or provisions of
the Servicing Agreement which amendment, modification, waiver or other
alteration would in any way affect the Mortgage Loans or the
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Servicer's performance under the Servicing Agreement with respect to the
Mortgage Loans without the prior written consent of the Master Servicer.
3. Representations and Warranties of the Assignee. The Assignee
hereby represents and warrants to the Assignor as follows:
(a) Decision to Purchase. The Assignee represents and warrants that
it is a sophisticated investor able to evaluate the risks and merits of
the transactions contemplated hereby, and that it has not relied in
connection therewith upon any statements or representations of the
Assignor, the Servicer or Countrywide other than those contained in the
Servicing Agreement, the Sale Agreement or this Assignment Agreement.
(b) Authority. The Assignee hereto represents and warrants that it
is duly and legally authorized to enter into this Assignment Agreement
and to perform its obligations hereunder and under the Servicing
Agreement and Sale Agreement.
(c) Enforceability. The Assignee hereto represents and warrants that
this Assignment Agreement has been duly authorized, executed and
delivered by it and (assuming due authorization, execution and delivery
thereof by each of the other parties hereto) constitutes its legal, valid
and binding obligation, enforceable in accordance with its terms, except
as such enforcement may be limited by bankruptcy, insolvency,
reorganization or other similar laws affecting the enforcement of
creditors' rights generally and by general equitable principles
(regardless of whether such enforcement is considered in a proceeding in
equity or at law).
4. Representations and Warranties of the Assignor.
The Assignor warrants and represents to the Assignee and the Trust
as of date hereof that:
(a) The Assignor is the sole owner of record and holder of the
Mortgage Loans and the indebtedness evidenced by each Mortgage Note. The
Mortgage Loans are not assigned or pledged, and the Assignor has good,
indefeasible and marketable title thereto, and has full right to transfer
and sell the Mortgage Loans to the Assignee free and clear of any
encumbrance, equity, participation interest, lien, pledge, charge, claim
or security interest, and has full right and authority subject to no
interest or participation of, or agreement with, any other party, to sell
and assign each Mortgage Loan pursuant to this Agreement and following
the sale of each Mortgage Loan, the Assignee will own such Mortgage Loan
free and clear of any encumbrance, equity, participation interest, lien,
pledge, charge, claim or security interest. The Assignor intends to
relinquish all rights to possess, control and monitor the Mortgage Loans;
(b) The Assignor has not waived the performance by any Mortgagor of
any action, if such Mortgagor's failure to perform such action would
cause the Mortgage Loan to be in default, nor has the Servicer waived any
default resulting from any action or inaction by such Mortgagor;
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(c) With respect to the Mortgage Loans, any and all requirements of
any federal, state or local law including, without limitation, usury,
truth-in-lending, real estate settlement procedures, consumer credit
protection, equal credit opportunity and disclosure laws, all applicable
predatory and abusive lending laws or unfair and deceptive practices laws
applicable to the Mortgage Loans, including, without limitation, any
provisions related to Prepayment Premiums, have been complied with, the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby will not involve the
violation of any such laws or regulations; and
(d) With respect to the Mortgage Loans, none of the Mortgage Loans
are (a) subject to the Home Ownership and Equity Protection Act of 1994
or (b) classified as "high cost," "threshold," "covered" or "predatory"
loans under any other applicable federal, state or local law (or a
similarly classified loan using different terminology under a law
imposing heightened regulatory scrutiny or additional legal liability for
residential mortgage loans having high interest rates, points and/or
fees).
5. Remedies for Breach of Representations and Warranties of the
Assignor.
The Assignor hereby acknowledges and agrees that in the event of any
breach of the representations and warranties made by the Assignor set forth in
Section 4 hereof or in Section 1 of the Representations and Warranties
Agreement that materially and adversely affects the value of the Mortgage
Loans or the interest of the Assignee or the Trust therein, within sixty (60)
days of the earlier of either discovery by or notice to the Assignor of such
breach of a representation or warranty, it shall cure, purchase, cause the
purchase of, or substitute for the applicable Mortgage Loan in the same manner
and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 2 of the Representations
and Warranties Agreement.
6. Continuing Effect. Except as contemplated hereby, the Servicing
Agreement and Sale Agreement shall remain in full force and effect in
accordance with their respective terms.
7. Notices. Any notices or other communications permitted or
required hereunder or under the Servicing Agreement or Sale Agreement shall be
in writing and shall be deemed conclusively to have been given if personally
delivered at or mailed by registered mail, postage prepaid, and return receipt
requested or transmitted by telex, telegraph or telecopier and confirmed by a
similar mailed writing, to:
(a) in the case of the Servicer,
Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Investor Accounting
With a copy to:
Countrywide Home Loans Servicing LP
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: General Counsel
or such other address as may hereafter be furnished by the Servicer;
(b) in the case of the Master Servicer,
▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N.A.
▇.▇. ▇▇▇ ▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: GSAA 2006-4
Or in the case of overnight deliveries:
▇▇▇▇▇ Fargo Bank, N.A.
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: GSAA 2006-4
or such address as may hereafter be furnished by the Master Servicer;
(c) in the case of the Assignee,
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇,
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Attention: Trust Administration GS0604
Tel.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
or such other address as may hereafter be furnished by the Assignee; and
(d) in the case of the Assignor,
GS Mortgage Securities Corp.
▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Tel.: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
Fax: (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇
or such address as may hereafter be furnished by the Assignor.
8. Counterparts. This Assignment Agreement may be executed in
counterparts, each of which when so executed shall be deemed to be an original
and all of which when taken together shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
9. Definitions. Any capitalized term used but not defined in this
Assignment Agreement has the meaning assigned thereto in the Servicing
Agreement.
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10. Trustee Capacity. It is expressly understood and agreed by the
parties hereto that (i) this Agreement is executed and delivered by Deutsche
Bank National Trust Company, not individually or personally but solely on
behalf of GSAA Home Equity Trust 2006-4, as the Assignee, in the exercise of
the powers and authority conferred and vested in it, (ii) each of the
representations, undertakings and agreements by Deutsche Bank National Trust
Company is made and intended for the purpose of binding only the GSAA Home
Equity Trust 2006-4, (iii) nothing herein contained shall be construed as
creating any liability for Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, individually
or personally, to perform any covenant (either express or implied) contained
herein, and all such liability, if any, is hereby expressly waived by the
parties hereto, and such waiver shall bind any third party making a claim by
or through one of the parties hereto, and (iv) under no circumstances shall
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company be personally liable for the payment of
any indebtedness or expenses of the GSAA Home Equity Trust 2006-4, or be
liable for the breach or failure of any obligation, representation, warranty
or covenant made or undertaken by the GSAA Home Equity Trust 2006-4 under this
Agreement, the Trust Agreement or any related document.
11. Miscellaneous.
(a) This Agreement shall be construed in accordance with the laws of
the State of New York, without regard to conflicts of law principles, and
the obligations, rights and remedies of the parties hereunder shall be
determined in accordance with such laws.
(b) No term or provision of this Agreement may be waived or modified
unless such waiver or modification is in writing and signed by the party
against whom such waiver or modification is sought to be enforced.
(c) This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of (i) the successors
and assigns of the parties hereto and (ii) the Trust (including the
Trustee and the Servicer acting on the Trust's behalf). Any entity into
which the Assignor or Assignee may be merged or consolidated shall,
without the requirement for any further writing, be deemed Assignor, or
Assignee, respectively, hereunder.
(d) Each of this Agreement and the Servicing Agreement shall survive
the conveyance of the Mortgage Loans and the assignment of the Purchase
Agreements and the Servicing Agreement (to the extent assigned hereunder)
by the Assignor to the Assignee and by Assignee to the Trust and nothing
contained herein shall supersede or amend the terms of the Purchase
Agreements and the Servicing Agreement.
(e) In the event that any provision of this Agreement conflicts with
any provision of the Purchase Agreements or the Servicing Agreement with
respect to the Mortgage Loans, the terms of this Agreement shall control.
[SIGNATURE PAGE FOLLOWS]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Agreement to be
executed by their duly authorized officers as of the date first above written.
GS MORTGAGE SECURITIES CORP.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY,
not in its individual capacity
but solely as Trustee
By: /s/ Hang ▇▇▇
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Name: Hang ▇▇▇
Title: Authorized Signer
COUNTRYWIDE HOME LOANS SERVICING LP,
a Texas limited partnership
By: COUNTRYWIDE GP, INC., general partner
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President
Acknowledged and Agreed:
▇▇▇▇▇ FARGO BANK, N.A.,
as Master Servicer
By: /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
Conduit/Countrywide Step 2 AAR
EXHIBIT A
Mortgage Loan Schedule
[On File with the Securities Administrator as provided by the Depositor]
A-1