EXHIBIT 1.2
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INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
among
FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE INC.,
ABFS 1997-2, INC.
AMERICAN BUSINESS CREDIT, INC.
HOMEAMERICAN CREDIT, INC. D/B/A UPLAND MORTGAGE
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES SECURED FINANCING CORPORATION
and
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
Dated as of September 17, 1997
ABFS Mortgage Loan Trust 1997-2
Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1997-2
$98,000,000 Class A-1, Class A-2, Class A-3, Class A-4,
Class A-5 and Class A-6 Certificates
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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SECTION 1. DEFINITIONS...................................................... 1
SECTION 2. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS OF FINANCIAL SECURITY. 3
SECTION 3. REPRESENTATIONS, WARRANTIES AND AGREEMENTS OF THE UNDERWRITER.... 5
SECTION 4. INDEMNIFICATION.................................................. 6
SECTION 5. INDEMNIFICATION PROCEDURES....................................... 6
SECTION 6. CONTRIBUTION..................................................... 7
SECTION 7. MISCELLANEOUS.................................................... 8
EXHIBIT
Exhibit A Opinion of General Counsel
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT
INDEMNIFICATION AGREEMENT dated as of September 17, 1997, among
FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE INC. ("Financial Security"), PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES
SECURED FINANCING CORPORATION (the "Depositor"), AMERICAN BUSINESS CREDIT, INC.
(the "Company"), ABFS 1997-2, INC. (the "Seller"), HOMEAMERICAN CREDIT, INC.,
D/B/A UPLAND MORTGAGE (the "Originator") and PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
(the "Underwriter"):
Section 1. Definitions. For purposes of this Agreement, the following
terms shall have the meanings provided below:
"Agreement" means this Indemnification Agreement, as amended from
time to time.
"Company Party" means any of the Company, its parent, subsidiaries
and affiliates and any shareholder, director, officer, employee, agent or
"controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities Act) of any of the
foregoing.
"Depositor Party" means any of the Depositor, its parent,
subsidiaries and affiliates and any shareholder, director, officer, employee,
agent or "controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities Act) of
any of the foregoing.
"Financial Security Agreements" means this Agreement and the
Insurance Agreement.
"Financial Security Information" has the meaning provided in Section
2(g) hereof.
"Financial Security Party" means any of Financial Security, its
parent, subsidiaries and affiliates, and any shareholder, director, officer,
employee, agent or "controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities
Act) of any of the foregoing.
"Indemnified Party" means any party entitled to any indemnification
pursuant to Section 4 hereof.
"Indemnifying Party" means any party required to provide
indemnification pursuant to Section 4 hereof.
"Insurance Agreement" means the Insurance and Indemnity Agreement,
dated as of September 1, 1997, by and among Financial Security, the Depositor,
the Company, the Originator and the Seller.
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"Losses" means (a) any actual out-of-pocket damages incurred by the
party entitled to indemnification or contribution hereunder, (b) any actual
out-of-pocket costs or actual expenses reasonably incurred by such party,
including reasonable fees or expenses of its counsel and other expenses incurred
in connection with investigating or defending any claim, action or other
proceeding which entitle such party to be indemnified hereunder (subject to the
limitations set forth in Section 5 hereof), to the extent not paid, satisfied or
reimbursed from funds provided by any other Person other than an affiliate of
such party (provided that the foregoing shall not create or imply any obligation
to pursue recourse against any such other Person), plus (c) interest on the
amount paid by the party entitled to indemnification or contribution from the
date of such payment to the date of payment by the party who is obligated to
indemnify or contribute hereunder at the statutory rate applicable to judgments
for breach of contract.
"Offering Circular" means the Prospectus dated June 10, 1997,
including the Prospectus Supplement thereto dated September 17, 1997, relating
to the Securities.
"Offering Document" means the Offering Circular and any amendments or
supplements thereto and any other material or documents delivered by the
Underwriter to any Person in connection with the offer or sale of the
Securities.
"Originator Party" means any of the Originator, its parent,
subsidiaries and affiliates and any shareholder, director, officer, employee,
agent or "controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities Act) of
any of the foregoing.
"Person" means any individual, partnership, joint venture,
corporation, trust, unincorporated organization or other organization or entity
(whether governmental or private).
"Policy" means the financial guaranty insurance policy delivered by
Financial Security with respect to the Securities.
"Securities" means the Class A-1, Class A-2, Class A-3, Class A-4,
Class A-5 and Class A-6 Certificates issued pursuant to a Pooling and Servicing
Agreement, dated as of September 1, 1997 by and among, the Depositor, the
Company and The Chase Manhattan Bank, as trustee.
"Securities Act" means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended from
time to time.
"Seller Party" means any of the Seller, its parent, subsidiaries and
affiliates, and any shareholder, director, officer, employee, agent or
"controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities Act) of any of the
foregoing.
"Underwriting Agreement" means the Underwriting Agreement dated as of
September 17, 1997, between the Depositor and the Underwriter in respect of the
Securities.
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"Underwriter Information" has the meaning provided in Section 3(c)
hereof.
"Underwriter Party" means any of the Underwriter, its parent,
subsidiaries and affiliates and any shareholder, director, officer, employee,
agent or "controlling person" (as such term is used in the Securities Act) of
any of the foregoing.
Section 2. Representations, Warranties and Agreements of Financial
Security. Financial Security represents, warrants and agrees, as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date, as follows:
(a) Organization, Etc. Financial Security is a stock insurance
company duly organized, validly existing and authorized to transact financial
guaranty insurance business under the laws of the State of New York.
(b) Authorization, Etc. The Policy and the Financial Security
Agreements have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by Financial
Security.
(c) Validity, Etc. The Policy and the Financial Security Agreements
constitute valid and binding obligations of Financial Security, enforceable
against Financial Security in accordance with their terms, subject, as to the
enforcement of remedies, to bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization,
rehabilitation, moratorium and other similar laws affecting the enforceability
of creditors' rights generally applicable in the event of the bankruptcy or
insolvency of Financial Security and to the application of general principles of
equity and subject, in the case of this Agreement, to principles of public
policy limiting the right to enforce the indemnification provisions contained
herein.
(d) Exemption From Registration. The Policy is exempt from
registration under the Securities Act.
(e) No Conflicts. Neither the execution or delivery by Financial
Security of the Policy or the Financial Security Agreements, nor the performance
by Financial Security of its obligations thereunder, will conflict with any
provision of the certificate of incorporation or the bylaws of Financial
Security or result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, any material
agreement or other instrument to which Financial Security is a party or by which
any of its property is bound nor violate any judgment, order or decree
applicable to Financial Security of any governmental or regulatory body,
administrative agency, court or arbitrator having jurisdiction over Financial
Security (except that, in the published opinion of the Securities and Exchange
Commission, the indemnification provisions of this Agreement, insofar as they
relate to indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act, are
against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and are therefore
unenforceable).
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(f) Financial Information. The consolidated balance sheets of
Financial Security as of December 31, 1996 and the related consolidated
statements of income, changes in shareholder's equity and cash flows for the
fiscal year then ended, furnished by Financial Security for use in the Offering
Circular, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition of
Financial Security as of such dates and for such periods in accordance with
generally accepted accounting principles consistently applied (subject as to
interim statements to normal year-end adjustments) and since the date of the
most current interim consolidated balance sheet referred to above there has been
no change in the financial condition of Financial Security which would
materially and adversely affect its ability to perform its obligations under the
Policy.
(g) Financial Security Information. The information in the Offering
Circular set forth under the caption "The Certificate Insurer" (as revised from
time to time in accordance with the provisions hereof, the "Financial Security
Information") is limited and does not purport to provide the scope of disclosure
required to be included in a prospectus with respect to a registrant in
connection with the offer and sale of securities of such registrant registered
under the Securities Act. Within such limited scope of disclosure, however, as
of the date of the Offering Circular and as of the date hereof, the Financial
Security Information does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact,
or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements contained
therein, in light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading.
(h) Additional Information. Financial Security will furnish to the
Underwriter, the Company, the Seller or the Depositor, upon request of the
Underwriter, the Company, the Seller or the Depositor, as the case may be,
copies of Financial Security's most recent financial statements (annual or
interim, as the case may be) which fairly present in all material respects the
financial condition of Financial Security as of the dates and for the periods
indicated, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
consistently applied except as noted therein (subject, as to interim statements,
to normal year-end adjustments); provided, however, that, if the Underwriter,
the Company, the Seller or the Depositor shall require a manually signed report
or consent of Financial Security's auditors in connection with such financial
statements, such report or consent shall be at the expense of the Underwriter,
the Company, the Seller or the Depositor, as the case may be. In addition, if
the delivery of an Offering Circular relating to the Securities is required at
any time prior to the expiration of nine months after the time of issue of the
Offering Circular in connection with the offering or sale of the Securities, the
Depositor or the Underwriter will notify Financial Security of such requirement
to deliver an Offering Circular and Financial Security will promptly provide the
Underwriter and the Depositor with any revisions to the Financial Security
Information that are in the judgment of Financial Security necessary to prepare
an amended Offering Circular or a supplement to the Offering Circular which will
correct such statement or omission.
(i) Opinion of Counsel. Financial Security will furnish to the
Seller, the Originator, the Depositor, the Underwriter and the Company on the
closing date for the sale of the Securities an opinion of its Associate General
Counsel, to the effect set forth in Exhibit A
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attached hereto, dated such closing date and addressed to the Seller, the
Originator, the Depositor, the Underwriter and the Company.
(j) Consents and Reports of Independent Accountants. Financial
Security will furnish to the Underwriter, the Company and the Depositor, upon
request, as comfort from its independent accountants in respect of its financial
condition, (i) at the expense of the Person specified in the Insurance
Agreement, a copy of the Offering Circular, including either a manually signed
consent or a manually signed report of Financial Security's independent
accountants and (ii) the quarterly review letter by Financial Security's
independent accountants in respect of the most recent interim financial
statements of Financial Security.
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as a representation or
warranty by Financial Security concerning the rating of its claims-paying
ability by Standard & Poor's Ratings Services or ▇▇▇▇▇'▇ Investors Service, Inc.
or any other rating agency (collectively, the "Rating Agencies"). The Rating
Agencies, in assigning such ratings, take into account facts and assumptions not
described in the Offering Circular and the facts and assumptions which are
considered by the Rating Agencies, and the ratings issued thereby, are subject
to change over time.
Section 3. Representations, Warranties and Agreement of the
Underwriter. The Underwriter represents, warrants and agrees, as of the date
hereof and as of the Closing Date, as follows:
(a) Compliance With Laws. The Underwriter will comply in all material
respects with all legal requirements in connection with offers and sales of the
Securities and make such offers and sales in the manner provided in the Offering
Circular.
(b) Offering Document. The Underwriter will not use, or distribute to
other broker-dealers for use, any Offering Document in connection with the offer
and sale of the Securities unless such Offering Document includes such
information as has been furnished by Financial Security for inclusion therein
and the information therein concerning Financial Security has been approved by
Financial Security in writing. Financial Security hereby consents to the
information in respect of Financial Security included in the Offering Circular.
Each Offering Document will include the following statement: "The Policy is not
covered by the property/casualty insurance security fund specified in Article 76
of the New York Insurance Law".
(c) Underwriting Information. The following information constitutes
the only information furnished by the Underwriter (the "Underwriter
Information"): (i) the statements set forth in the last two paragraphs on the
front cover page of the Offering Circular regarding market making; (ii) the
statements set forth under the heading "Plan of Distribution"; and (iii) the
statements set forth in materials delivered by the Underwriter to the Depositor
within the meaning of the no-action letter dated May 20, 1994 issued by the
Division of Corporation Finance of the Securities Exchange Commission (the
"Commission") to ▇▇▇▇▇▇, Peabody Acceptance Corporation I,
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▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ & Co. Incorporated and ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Structured Asset Corporation and
the no-action letter dated May 27, 1994 issued by the Division of Corporation
Finance of the Commission to the Public Securities Association and filed by the
Sponsor with the Commission in the Current Report or Reports on Form 8-K (the
"Form 8-K"). The Underwriter confirms that such statements (to such extent) are
correct.
Section 4. Indemnification. (a) Financial Security agrees, upon the
terms and subject to the conditions provided herein, to indemnify, defend and
hold harmless each Depositor Party, each Company Party, each Seller Party, each
Originator Party and each Underwriter Party against (i) any and all Losses
incurred by them with respect to the offer and sale of the Securities and
resulting from Financial Security's breach of any of its representations,
warranties or agreements set forth in Section 2 hereof and (ii) any and all
Losses to which any Depositor Party, Company Party, Seller Party, Originator
Party or Underwriter Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or
otherwise, insofar as such Losses arise out of or result from an untrue
statement of a material fact contained in any Offering Document or the omission
to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to
make the statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only
to the extent, that such untrue statement or omission was made in the Financial
Security Information included therein in accordance with the provisions hereof.
(b) The Underwriter agrees, upon the terms and subject to the
conditions provided herein, to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each
Financial Security Party against (i) any and all Losses incurred by them with
respect to the offer and sale of the Securities and resulting from the
Underwriter's breach of any of its representations, warranties or agreements set
forth in Section 3 hereof and (ii) any and all Losses to which any Financial
Security Party may become subject, under the Securities Act or otherwise,
insofar as such Losses arise out of or result from an untrue statement of a
material fact contained in any Offering Document or the omission to state
therein a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the
statements therein not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the
extent, that such untrue statement or omission was made in the Underwriter
Information included therein.
(c) Upon the incurrence of any Losses for which a party is entitled
to indemnification hereunder, the Indemnifying Party shall reimburse the
Indemnified Party promptly upon establishment by the Indemnified Party to the
Indemnifying Party of the Losses incurred.
Section 5. Indemnification Procedures. Except as provided below in
Section 6 with respect to contribution or in Section 7(e), the indemnification
provided herein by an Indemnifying Party shall be the exclusive remedy of any
and all Indemnified Parties for the breach of a representation, warranty or
agreement hereunder by an Indemnifying Party; provided, however, that each
Indemnified Party shall be entitled to pursue any other remedy at law or in
equity for any such breach so long as the damages sought to be recovered shall
not exceed the Losses incurred thereby resulting from such breach. In the event
that any action or regulatory proceeding shall be commenced or claim asserted
which may entitle an Indemnified Party to be indemnified under this Agreement,
such party shall give the Indemnifying Party written or
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telegraphic notice of such action or claim reasonably promptly after receipt of
written notice thereof. The Indemnifying Party shall be entitled to participate
in and, upon notice to the Indemnified Party, assume the defense of any such
action or claim in reasonable cooperation with, and with the reasonable
cooperation of, the Indemnified Party. The Indemnified Party will have the right
to employ its own counsel in any such action in addition to the counsel of the
Indemnifying Party, but the fees and expenses of such counsel will be at the
expense of such Indemnified Party, unless (a) the employment of counsel by the
Indemnified Party at its expense has been authorized in writing by the
Indemnifying Party, (b) the Indemnifying Party has not in fact employed counsel
to assume the defense of such action within a reasonable time after receiving
notice of the commencement of the action, or (c) the named parties to any such
action or proceeding (including any impleaded parties) include both the
Indemnifying Party and one or more Indemnified Parties, and the Indemnified
Parties shall have been advised by counsel that there may be one or more legal
defenses available to them which are different from or additional to those
available to the Indemnifying Party (it being understood, however, that the
Indemnifying Party shall not, in connection with any one such action or
proceeding or separate but substantially similar or related actions or
proceedings in the same jurisdiction arising out of the same general allegations
or circumstances, be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of more than
one separate firm of attorneys at any time for all Depositor Parties, one such
firm for all Underwriter Parties, one such firm for all Company Parties, one
such firm for all Seller Parties, one such firm for all Originator Parties and
one such firm for all Financial Security Parties, as the case may be, which firm
shall be designated in writing by the Depositor in respect of the Depositor
Parties, by the Underwriter in respect of the Underwriter Parties, by the
Company in respect of the Company Parties, by the Seller in respect of the
Seller Parties, by the Originator in respect of the Originator Parties and by
Financial Security in respect of the Financial Security Parties), in each of
which cases the fees and expenses of counsel will be at the expense of the
Indemnifying Party and all such fees and expenses will be reimbursed promptly as
they are incurred. The Indemnifying Party shall not be liable for any settlement
of any such claim or action unless the Indemnifying Party shall have consented
thereto or be in default in its obligations hereunder. Any failure by an
Indemnified Party to comply with the provisions of this Section shall relieve
the Indemnifying Party of liability only if such failure is prejudicial to the
position of the Indemnifying Party and then only to the extent of such
prejudice.
Section 6. Contribution. (a) To provide for just and equitable
contribution if the indemnification provided by any Indemnifying Party is
determined to be unavailable for any Indemnified Party (other than due to
application of this Section), each Indemnifying Party shall contribute to the
Losses arising from any breach of any of its representations, warranties or
agreements contained in this Agreement in such proportion as is appropriate to
reflect (i) the benefits received by such Indemnifying Party relative to the
benefits received by the Indemnified Party or (ii) if the allocation provided by
clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is
appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i)
above but also the relative fault of the Indemnifying Party on the one hand and
the Indemnified Party on the other in connection with such Loss; provided,
however, that an Indemnifying Party
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shall in no event be required to contribute to all Indemnified Parties an
aggregate amount in excess of the Losses incurred by such Indemnified Parties
resulting from the breach of representations, warranties or agreements contained
in this Agreement.
(b) The relative fault of each Indemnifying Party, on the one hand,
and of each Indemnified Party, on the other, shall be determined by reference
to, among other things, whether the breach of, or alleged breach of, any
representations, warranties or agreements contained in this Agreement relates to
information supplied by, or action within the control of, the Indemnifying Party
or the Indemnified Party and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to
information and opportunity to correct or prevent such breach.
(c) The parties agree that Financial Security shall be solely
responsible for the Financial Security Information, the Underwriter shall be
solely responsible for the Underwriter Information and that, as and to the
extent provided in the Insurance Agreement, the balance of the Offering Document
shall be the responsibility of the Company, the Originator, the Seller and the
Depositor.
(d) Notwithstanding anything in this Section 6 to the contrary, the
Underwriter shall not be required to contribute an amount greater than the
excess, if any, of (x) the purchase prices paid by investors to the Underwriter
for the Certificates over (y) the purchase price paid by the Underwriter for the
Certificates.
(e) No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the
meaning of Section 11(f) of the Securities Act) shall be entitled to
contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent
misrepresentation.
(f) Upon the incurrence of any Losses entitled to contribution
hereunder, the contributor shall reimburse the party entitled to contribution
promptly upon establishment by the party entitled to contribution to the
contributor of the Losses incurred.
(g) The provisions relating to contribution set forth in this Section
6 do not limit the rights of any party to indemnification under Section 4.
Section 7. Miscellaneous.
(a) Notices. All notices and other communications provided for under
this Agreement shall be delivered to the address set forth below or to such
other address as shall be designated by the recipient in a written notice to the
other party or parties hereto.
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If to Financial Security: Financial Security Assurance Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Surveillance Department
Re: ABFS Mortgage Loan Trust 1997-2
Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 1997-2
If to the Depositor: Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Managing Director,
Asset-Backed Finance Group
If to the Company: American Business Credit, Inc.
BalaPointe Office Centre
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
If to the Underwriter: Prudential Securities Incorporated
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: Managing Director,
Asset-Backed Finance Group
If to the Seller: ABFS 1997-2, Inc.
BalaPointe Office Centre
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
If to the Originator: HomeAmerican Credit, Inc. D/B/A Upland Mortgage
BalaPointe Office Centre
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attention: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇, Esq.
(b) Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed by and construed
in accordance with the laws of the State of New York.
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(c) Assignments. This Agreement may not be assigned by any party
without the express written consent of each other party. Any assignment made in
violation of this Agreement shall be null and void.
(d) Amendments. Amendments to this Agreement shall be in writing
signed by each party hereto.
(e) Survival, Etc. The indemnity and contribution agreements
contained in this Agreement shall remain operative and in full force and effect,
regardless of (i) any investigation made by or on behalf of any Indemnifying
Party, (ii) the issuance of the Securities or (iii) any termination of this
Agreement or the Policy. The indemnification provided in this Agreement will be
in addition to any liability which the parties may otherwise have and shall in
no way limit any obligations of the Company, the Depositor, the Seller, the
Originator or the Underwriter under the Underwriting Agreement or the Insurance
Agreement, as applicable.
(f) Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts by
the parties hereto, and all such counterparts shall constitute one and the same
instrument.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to
be duly executed and delivered as of the date first above written.
FINANCIAL SECURITY ASSURANCE INC.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Authorized Officer
ABFS 1997-2, INC.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇.
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇.
Title: President
AMERICAN BUSINESS CREDIT, INC.
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: President
HOMEAMERICAN CREDIT, INC. D/B/A UPLAND MORTGAGE
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Senior Vice President
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES SECURED FINANCING CORPORATION
By /s/ ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
By /s/ ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
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Name: ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
Title: Vice President
EXHIBIT A
OPINION OF GENERAL COUNSEL
Based upon the foregoing, I am of the opinion that:
1. Financial Security is a stock insurance company duly organized,
validly existing and authorized to transact financial guaranty insurance
business under the laws of the State of New York.
2. The Policy and the Agreements have been duly authorized, executed
and delivered by Financial Security.
3. The Policy and the Agreements constitute valid and binding
obligations of Financial Security, enforceable against Financial Security in
accordance with their terms, subject, as to the enforcement of remedies, to
bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, rehabilitation, moratorium and other
similar laws affecting the enforceability of creditors' rights generally
applicable in the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of Financial Security
and to the application of general principles of equity and subject, in the case
of the Indemnification Agreement, to principles of public policy limiting the
right to enforce the indemnification provisions contained therein insofar as
they relate to indemnification for liabilities arising under applicable
securities laws.
4. The Policy is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Act").
5. Neither the execution or delivery by Financial Security of the
Policy or the Agreements, nor the performance by Financial Security of its
obligations thereunder, will conflict with any provision of the certificate of
incorporation or the by-laws of Financial Security or, to the best of my
knowledge, result in a breach of, or constitute a default under, any agreement
or other instrument to which Financial Security is a party or by which it or any
of its property is bound or, to the best of my knowledge, violate any judgment,
order or decree applicable to Financial Security of any governmental or
regulatory body, administrative agency, court or arbitrator having jurisdiction
over Financial Security (except that in the published opinion of the Securities
and Exchange Commission the indemnification provisions of the Indemnification
Agreement, insofar as they relate to indemnification for liabilities arising
under the Act, are against public policy as expressed in the Act and are
therefore unenforceable).
In addition, please be advised that I have reviewed the description
of Financial Security under the caption "The Certificate Insurer" in the
Prospectus Supplement dated June 10, 1997 (the "Offering Document") of the
Depositor with respect to the Securities. The information provided in the
Offering Document with respect to Financial Security is limited and does not
purport to provide the scope of disclosure required to be included in a
prospectus with respect to a registrant under the Act in connection with a
public offering and sale of securities of such registrant. Within such limited
scope of disclosure, however, there has not come to my attention any information
which would cause me to believe that the description of Financial Security
referred to above, as of the date of the Offering Document or as of the date of
this opinion, contained or contains any untrue statement of a material fact or
omitted or omits to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not
misleading (except that I express no opinion with respect to any financial
statements or other financial information contained or referred to therein).