GUARANTY AGREEMENT (Lease for Home Place of New Bern)
Exhibit 99.8
GUARANTY AGREEMENT
(Lease for Home Place of New Bern)
THIS GUARANTY AGREEMENT (this “Guaranty”) is entered into as of June 20, 2011 by FIVE STAR QUALITY CARE, INC., a Maryland corporation (“Guarantor”), for the benefit of SNH/LTA SE HOME PLACE NEW BERN LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“Landlord”).
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Lease Agreement, dated as of the date hereof (as the same may be amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, the “Lease”), between Landlord and FVE SE Home Place New Bern LLC (“Tenant”), Landlord is leasing to Tenant and Tenant is leasing from Landlord that certain senior living community known as Home Place of New Bern and located at ▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇, all as further described in the Lease; and
WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to Landlord’s entering into the Lease that Guarantor guarantee all of the payment and performance obligations of Tenant with respect to the Lease; and
WHEREAS, Tenant is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Guarantor and the transactions contemplated by the Lease are of direct material benefit to Guarantor;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good and valuable consideration, the mutual receipt and legal sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, Guarantor hereby agrees as follows:
1. Certain Terms. Capitalized terms used and not otherwise defined in this Guaranty shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Lease.
2. Guaranteed Obligations. For purposes of this Guaranty the term “Guaranteed Obligations” shall mean the payment and performance of each and every obligation of Tenant to Landlord under the Lease or relating thereto, whether now existing or hereafter arising, and including, without limitation, the payment of the full amount of the Rent payable under the Lease.
3. Representations and Covenants. Guarantor represents, warrants, covenants, and agrees that:
3.1 Incorporation of Representations and Warranties. The representations and warranties of Tenant set forth in the Lease are true and correct on and as of the date hereof in all material respects.
3.2 Performance of Covenants and Agreements. Guarantor hereby agrees to take all lawful action in its power to cause Tenant duly and punctually to perform all of the covenants and agreements set forth in the Lease.
3.3 Validity of Agreement. Guarantor has duly and validly executed and delivered this Guaranty; this Guaranty constitutes the legal, valid and binding obligation of Guarantor, enforceable against Guarantor in accordance with its terms, except as the enforceability thereof may be subject to bankruptcy, fraudulent conveyance, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium and other laws relating to or affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general equitable principles, regardless of whether enforceability is considered in a proceeding at law or in equity; and the execution, delivery and performance of this Guaranty have been duly authorized by all requisite action of Guarantor and such execution, delivery and performance by Guarantor will not result in any breach of the terms, conditions or provisions of, or conflict with or constitute a default under, or result in the creation of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of Guarantor pursuant to the terms of, any indenture, mortgage, deed of trust, note, other evidence of indebtedness, agreement or other instrument to which it may be a party or by which it or any of its property or assets may be bound, or violate any provision of law, or any applicable order, writ, injunction, judgment or decree of any court or any order or other public regulation of any governmental commission, bureau or administrative agency.
3.4 Payment of Expenses. Guarantor agrees, as principal obligor and not as guarantor only, to pay to Landlord forthwith, upon demand, in immediately available federal funds, all costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and disbursements) incurred or expended by Landlord in connection with the enforcement of this Guaranty, together with interest on amounts recoverable under this Guaranty from the time such amounts become due until payment at the Overdue Rate. Guarantor’s covenants and agreements set forth in this Section 3.4 shall survive the termination of this Guaranty.
3.5 Notices. Guarantor shall promptly give notice to Landlord of any event known to it which might reasonably result in a material adverse change in its financial condition.
3.6 Reports. Guarantor shall promptly provide to Landlord each of the financial reports, certificates and other documents required of it under the Lease.
3.7 Books and Records. Guarantor shall at all times keep proper books of record and account in which full, true and correct entries shall be made of its transactions in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and shall set aside on its books from its earnings for each fiscal year all such proper reserves, including reserves for depreciation, depletion, obsolescence and amortization of its properties during such fiscal year, as shall be required in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied, in connection with its business. Guarantor shall permit access by Landlord and its agents to the books and records maintained by Guarantor during normal business hours and upon reasonable notice. Any proprietary information obtained by Landlord with respect to Guarantor pursuant to the provisions of this Guaranty shall be treated as confidential, except that such information may be disclosed or used, subject to appropriate confidentiality safeguards, pursuant to any court order or in any litigation between the parties and except further that Landlord may disclose such information to its prospective lenders, provided that Landlord shall direct such lenders to maintain such information as confidential.
3.8 Taxes, Etc. Guarantor shall pay and discharge promptly as they become due and payable all taxes, assessments and other governmental charges or levies imposed upon
Guarantor or the income of Guarantor or upon any of the property, real, personal or mixed, of Guarantor, or upon any part thereof, as well as all claims of any kind (including claims for labor, materials and supplies) which, if unpaid, might by law become a lien or charge upon any property and result in a material adverse change in the financial condition of Guarantor; provided, however, that Guarantor shall not be required to pay any such tax, assessment, charge, levy or claim if the amount, applicability or validity thereof shall currently be contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings or other appropriate actions promptly initiated and diligently conducted and if Guarantor shall have set aside on its books such reserves of Guarantor, if any, with respect thereto as are required by generally accepted accounting principles.
3.9 Legal Existence of Guarantor. Guarantor shall do or cause to be done all things necessary to preserve and keep in full force and effect its legal existence.
3.10 Compliance. Guarantor shall use reasonable business efforts to comply in all material respects with all applicable statutes, rules, regulations and orders of, and all applicable restrictions imposed by, all governmental authorities in respect of the conduct of its business and the ownership of its property (including, without limitation, applicable statutes, rules, regulations, orders and restrictions relating to environmental, safety and other similar standards or controls).
3.11 Insurance. Guarantor shall maintain, with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by owners of established reputation engaged in the same or similar businesses and similarly situated, in such amounts and by such methods as shall be customary for such owners and deemed adequate by Guarantor.
3.12 No Change in Control. Guarantor shall not permit the occurrence of any direct or indirect Change in Control of Tenant or Guarantor.
4. Guarantee. Guarantor hereby unconditionally guarantees that the Guaranteed Obligations which are monetary obligations shall be paid in full when due and payable, whether upon demand, at the stated or accelerated maturity thereof pursuant to the Lease, or otherwise, and that the Guaranteed Obligations which are performance obligations shall be fully performed at the times and in the manner such performance is required by the Lease. With respect to the Guaranteed Obligations which are monetary obligations, this guarantee is a guarantee of payment and not of collectability and is absolute and in no way conditional or contingent. In case any part of the Guaranteed Obligations shall not have been paid when due and payable or performed at the time performance is required, Guarantor shall, in the case of monetary obligations, within five (5) Business Days after receipt of notice from Landlord, pay or cause to be paid to Landlord the amount thereof as is then due and payable and unpaid (including interest and other charges, if any, due thereon through the date of payment in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Lease) or, in the case of non-monetary obligations, perform or cause to be performed such obligations in accordance with the Lease.
5. Set-Off. Guarantor hereby authorizes Landlord, at any time and without notice, to set off the whole or any portion or portions of any or all sums credited by or due from Landlord to it against amounts payable under this Guaranty. Landlord shall promptly notify
Guarantor of any such set-off made by Landlord and the application made by Landlord of the proceeds thereof.
6. Unenforceability of Guaranteed Obligations, Etc. If Tenant is for any reason under no legal obligation to discharge any of the Guaranteed Obligations (other than because the same have been previously discharged in accordance with the terms of the Lease), or if any other moneys included in the Guaranteed Obligations have become unrecoverable from Tenant by operation of law or for any other reason, including, without limitation, the invalidity or irregularity in whole or in part of any Guaranteed Obligation or of the Lease or any limitation on the liability of Tenant thereunder not contemplated by the Lease or any limitation on the method or terms of payment thereunder which may now or hereafter be caused or imposed in any manner whatsoever, the guarantees contained in this Guaranty shall nevertheless remain in full force and effect and shall be binding upon Guarantor to the same extent as if Guarantor at all times had been the principal debtor on all such Guaranteed Obligations.
7. Additional Guarantees. This Guaranty shall be in addition to any other guarantee or other security for the Guaranteed Obligations and it shall not be prejudiced or rendered unenforceable by the invalidity of any such other guarantee or security or by any waiver, amendment, release or modification thereof.
8. Consents and Waivers, Etc. Guarantor hereby acknowledges receipt of a correct and complete copy of the Lease, and consents to all of the terms and provisions thereof, as the same may be from time to time hereafter amended or changed in accordance with the terms and conditions thereof, and, except as otherwise provided herein, to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, waives (a) presentment, demand for payment, and protest of nonpayment, of any principal of or interest on any of the Guaranteed Obligations, (b) notice of acceptance of this Guaranty and of diligence, presentment, demand and protest, (c) notice of any default hereunder and any default, breach or nonperformance or Event of Default under any of the Guaranteed Obligations or the Lease, (d) notice of the terms, time and place of any private or public sale of any collateral held as security for the Guaranteed Obligations, (e) demand for performance or observance of, and any enforcement of any provision of, or any pursuit or exhaustion of rights or remedies against Tenant or any other guarantor of the Guaranteed Obligations, under or pursuant to the Lease, or any agreement directly or indirectly relating thereto and any requirements of diligence or promptness on the part of the holders of the Guaranteed Obligations in connection therewith, and (f) to the extent Guarantor lawfully may do so, any and all demands and notices of every kind and description with respect to the foregoing or which may be required to be given by any statute or rule of law and any defense of any kind which it may now or hereafter have with respect to this Guaranty, or the Lease or the Guaranteed Obligations (other than that the same have been discharged in accordance with the Lease).
9. No Impairment, Etc. The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of Guarantor under this Guaranty shall not be affected or impaired by any assignment or transfer in whole or in part of any of the Guaranteed Obligations without notice to Guarantor, or any waiver by Landlord or any holder of any of the Guaranteed Obligations or by the holders of all of the Guaranteed Obligations of the performance or observance by Tenant or any other guarantor of any of the agreements, covenants, terms or conditions contained in the Guaranteed Obligations or the Lease or any indulgence in or the extension of the time for payment by Tenant or any other guarantor of any amounts payable under or in connection with the Guaranteed Obligations
or the Lease or any other instrument or agreement relating to the Guaranteed Obligations or of the time for performance by Tenant or any other guarantor of any other obligations under or arising out of any of the foregoing or the extension or renewal thereof (except that with respect to any extension of time for payment or performance of any of the Guaranteed Obligations granted by Landlord or any other holder of such Guaranteed Obligations to Tenant, Guarantor’s obligations to pay or perform such Guaranteed Obligation shall be subject to the same extension of time for performance), or the modification or amendment (whether material or otherwise) of any duty, agreement or obligation of Tenant or any other guarantor set forth in any of the foregoing, or the voluntary or involuntary sale or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of Tenant or any other guarantor or insolvency, bankruptcy, or other similar proceedings affecting Tenant or any other guarantor or any assets of Tenant or any such other guarantor, or the release or discharge of Tenant or any such other guarantor from the performance or observance of any agreement, covenant, term or condition contained in any of the foregoing without the consent of the holders of the Guaranteed Obligations by operation of law, or any other cause, whether similar or dissimilar to the foregoing.
10. Reimbursement, Subrogation, Etc. Guarantor hereby covenants and agrees that it will not enforce or otherwise exercise any rights of reimbursement, subrogation, contribution or other similar rights against Tenant (or any other person against whom Landlord may proceed) with respect to the Guaranteed Obligations prior to the payment in full of all amounts owing with respect to the Lease, and until all indebtedness of Tenant to Landlord shall have been paid in full, Guarantor shall not have any right of subrogation, and Guarantor waives any defense it may have based upon any election of remedies by Landlord which destroys its subrogation rights or its rights to proceed against Tenant for reimbursement, including, without limitation, any loss of rights Guarantor may suffer by reason of any rights, powers or remedies of Tenant in connection with any anti-deficiency laws or any other laws limiting, qualifying or discharging the indebtedness to Landlord. Until all obligations of Tenant pursuant to the Lease shall have been paid and satisfied in full, Guarantor further waives any right to enforce any remedy which Landlord now has or may in the future have against Tenant, any other guarantor or any other person and any benefit of, or any right to participate in, any security whatsoever now or in the future held by Landlord.
11. Defeasance. This Guaranty shall terminate at such time as the Guaranteed Obligations have been paid and performed in full and all other obligations of Guarantor to Landlord under this Guaranty have been satisfied in full; provided, however, if at any time, all or any part of any payment applied on account of the Guaranteed Obligations is or must be rescinded or returned for any reason whatsoever (including, without limitation, the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of Tenant), this Guaranty, to the extent such payment is or must be rescinded or returned, shall be deemed to have continued in existence notwithstanding any such termination.
12. Notices.
(a) Any and all notices, demands, consents, approvals, offers, elections and other communications required or permitted under this Guaranty shall be deemed adequately given if in writing and the same shall be delivered either in hand, by telecopier with written acknowledgment of receipt, or by mail or Federal Express or similar expedited commercial carrier, addressed to the recipient of the notice, postpaid and registered or certified with return
receipt requested (if by mail), or with all freight charges prepaid (if by Federal Express or similar carrier).
(b) All notices required or permitted to be sent hereunder shall be deemed to have been given for all purposes of this Guaranty upon the date of acknowledged receipt, in the case of a notice by telecopier, and, in all other cases, upon the date of receipt or refusal, except that whenever under this Guaranty a notice is either received on a day which is not a Business Day or is required to be delivered on or before a specific day which is not a Business Day, the day of receipt or required delivery shall automatically be extended to the next Business Day.
(c) All such notices shall be addressed,
if to Landlord to:
c/o Senior Housing Properties Trust
Two ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Place
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇
[Telecopier No. (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇]
if to Guarantor to:
Five Star Quality Care, Inc.
▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇▇
▇▇▇▇▇▇, ▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇▇▇▇
Attn: ▇▇. ▇▇▇▇▇ ▇. ▇▇▇▇▇▇ ▇▇.
[Telecopier No. (▇▇▇) ▇▇▇-▇▇▇▇]
(d) By notice given as herein provided, the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns shall have the right from time to time and at any time during the term of this Guaranty to change their respective addresses effective upon receipt by the other parties of such notice and each shall have the right to specify as its address any other address within the United States of America.
13. Successors and Assigns. Whenever in this Guaranty any of the parties hereto is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include the successors and assigns of such party, including without limitation the holders, from time to time, of the Guaranteed Obligations; and all representations, warranties, covenants and agreements by or on behalf of Guarantor which are contained in this Guaranty shall inure to the benefit of Landlord’s successors and assigns, including without limitation said holders, whether so expressed or not.
14. Applicable Law. Except as to matters regarding the internal affairs of Landlord and issues of or limitations on any personal liability of the shareholders and trustees of Landlord for obligations of Landlord, as to which the laws of the state of Landlord’s organization shall govern, this Guaranty shall be interpreted, construed, applied and enforced in accordance with the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts applicable to contracts between residents of Massachusetts which are to be performed entirely within Massachusetts, regardless of (a) where any such instrument is executed or delivered; or (b) where any payment or other performance
required by any such instrument is made or required to be made; or (c) where any breach of any provision of any such instrument occurs, or any cause of action otherwise accrues; or (d) where any action or other proceeding is instituted or pending; or (e) the nationality, citizenship, domicile, principal place of business, or jurisdiction of organization or domestication of any party; or (f) whether the laws of the forum jurisdiction otherwise would apply the laws of a jurisdiction other than The Commonwealth of Massachusetts; or (g) any combination of the foregoing.
15. Disputes.
(a) Any disputes, claims or controversies between the parties (i) arising out of or relating to this Guaranty, or (ii) brought by or on behalf of any shareholder of any party or a direct or indirect parent of a party (which, for purposes of this Section 15, shall mean any shareholder of record or any beneficial owner of shares of any party, or any former shareholder of record or beneficial owner of shares of any party), either on his, her or its own behalf, on behalf of any party or on behalf of any series or class of shares of any party or shareholders of any party against any party or any member, trustee, officer, manager (including Reit Management & Research LLC or its successor), agent or employee of any party, including disputes, claims or controversies relating to the meaning, interpretation, effect, validity, performance or enforcement of this Guaranty, including this arbitration provision, or the declarations of trust, limited liability company agreements or bylaws of any party hereto (all of which are referred to as “Disputes”), or relating in any way to such a Dispute or Disputes shall, on the demand of any party to such Dispute be resolved through binding and final arbitration in accordance with the Commercial Arbitration Rules (the “Rules”) of the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) then in effect, except as those Rules may be modified in this Section 15. For the avoidance of doubt, and not as a limitation, Disputes are intended to include derivative actions against trustees, officers or managers of any party and class actions by a shareholder against those individuals or entities and any party. For the avoidance of doubt, a Dispute shall include a Dispute made derivatively on behalf of one party against another party. For purposes of this Section 15, the term “party” shall include any direct or indirect parent of a party.
(b) Selection of Arbitrators. There shall be three arbitrators. If there are only two parties to the Dispute, each party shall select one arbitrator within 15 days after receipt of a demand for arbitration. Such arbitrators may be affiliated or interested persons of such parties. If there are more than two parties to the Dispute, all claimants, on the one hand, and all respondents, on the other hand, shall each select, by the vote of a majority of the claimants or the respondents, as the case may be, one arbitrator within 15 days after receipt of a demand for arbitration. Such arbitrators may be affiliated or interested persons of the claimants or the respondents, as the case may be. If either a claimant (or all claimants) or a respondent (or all respondents) fail to timely select an arbitrator then the party (or parties) who has selected an arbitrator may request the AAA to provide a list of three proposed arbitrators in accordance with the Rules (each of whom shall be neutral, impartial and unaffiliated with any party) and the party (or parties) that failed to timely appoint an arbitrator shall have ten days from the date the AAA provides such list to select one of the three arbitrators proposed by AAA. If such party (or parties) fail to select such arbitrator by such time, the party (or parties) who have appointed the first arbitrator shall then have ten days to select one of the three arbitrators proposed by AAA to be the second arbitrator; and, if he/they should fail to select such arbitrator by such time, the AAA shall select, within 15 days thereafter, one of the three arbitrators it had proposed as the
second arbitrator. The two arbitrators so appointed shall jointly appoint the third and presiding arbitrator (who shall be neutral, impartial and’unaffiliated with any party) within fifteen (15) days of the appointment of the second arbitrator. If the third arbitrator has not been appointed within the time limit specified herein, then the AAA shall provide a list of proposed arbitrators in accordance with the Rules, and the arbitrator shall be appointed by the AAA in accordance with a listing, striking and ranking procedure, with each party having a limited number of strikes, excluding strikes for cause.
(c) Location of Arbitration. The place of arbitration shall be Boston, Massachusetts unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
(d) Scope of Discovery. There shall be only limited documentary discovery of documents directly related to the issues in dispute, as may be ordered by the arbitrators.
(e) Arbitration Award. In rendering an award or decision (the “Award”), the arbitrators shall be required to follow the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any arbitration proceedings or Award rendered hereunder and the validity, effect and interpretation of this arbitration Guaranty shall be governed by the Federal Arbitration Act, 9 U.S.C. §1 et seq. The Award shall be in writing and may, but shall not be required to, briefly state the findings of fact and conclusions of law on which it is based.
(f) Costs. Except to the extent expressly provided by this Guaranty or as otherwise agreed by the parties, each party involved in a Dispute shall bear its own costs and expenses (including attorneys’ fees), and the arbitrators shall not render an award that would include shifting of any such costs or expenses (including attorneys’ fees) or, in a derivative case or class action, award any portion of a party’s award to the claimant or the claimant’s attorneys. Each party (or, if there are more than two parties to the Dispute, all claimants, on the one hand, and all respondents, on the other hand, respectively) shall bear the costs and expenses of its (or their) selected arbitrator and the parties (or, if there are more than two parties to the Dispute, all claimants, on the one hand, and all respondents, on the other hand) shall equally bear the costs and expenses of the third appointed arbitrator.
(g) Final Judgment. An Award shall be final and binding upon the parties thereto and shall be the sole and exclusive remedy between such parties relating to the Dispute, including any claims, counterclaims, issues or accounting presented to the arbitrators. Judgment upon the Award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. To the fullest extent permitted by law, no application or appeal to any court of competent jurisdiction may be made in connection with any question of law arising in the course of arbitration or with respect to any award made except for actions relating to enforcement of this Guaranty to arbitrate or any arbitral award issued hereunder and except for actions seeking interim or other provisional relief in aid of arbitration proceedings in any court of competent jurisdiction.
(h) Payment. Any monetary award shall be made and payable in U.S. dollars free of any tax, deduction or offset. Each party against which the Award assesses a monetary obligation shall pay that obligation on or before the 30th day following the date of the Award or such other date as the Award may provide.
(i) Beneficiaries. This Section 15 is intended to benefit and be enforceable by the shareholders, members, direct and indirect parents, trustees, directors, officers, managers (including Reit Management & Research LLC or its successor), agents or employees of any party and the parties and shall be binding on the shareholders of any party and the parties, as applicable, and shall be in addition to, and not in substitution for, any other rights to indemnification or contribution that such individuals or entities may have by contract or otherwise.
16. Modification of Agreement. No modification or waiver of any provision of this Guaranty, nor any consent to any departure by Guarantor therefrom, shall in any event be effective unless the same shall be in writing and signed by Landlord, and such modification, waiver or consent shall be effective only in the specific instances and for the purpose for which given. No notice to or demand on Guarantor in any case shall entitle Guarantor to any other or further notice or demand in the same, similar or other circumstances. This Guaranty may not be amended except by an instrument in writing executed by or on behalf of the party against whom enforcement of such amendment is sought.
17. Waiver of Rights by Landlord. Neither any failure nor any delay on Landlord’s part in exercising any right, power or privilege under this Guaranty shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall a single or partial exercise thereof preclude any other or further exercise or the exercise of any other right, power or privilege.
18. Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions contained in this Guaranty should be invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect, the validity, legality and enforceability of the remaining provisions contained herein shall not in any way be affected or impaired thereby, but this Guaranty shall be reformed and construed and enforced to the maximum extent permitted by applicable law.
19. Entire Contract. This Guaranty constitutes the entire agreement between the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede and take the place of any other instruments purporting to be an agreement of the parties hereto relating to the subject matter hereof.
20. Headings; Counterparts. Headings in this Guaranty are for purposes of reference only and shall not limit or otherwise affect the meaning hereof. This Guaranty may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but all of which together shall constitute one instrument, and in pleading or proving any provision of this Guaranty, it shall not be necessary to produce more than one of such counterparts.
21. Remedies Cumulative. No remedy herein conferred upon Landlord is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy, and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or otherwise.
[Remainder of page intentionally left blank.]