SERVICER APPOINTMENT,
ASSUMPTION AND
AMENDMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS SERVICER APPOINTMENT, ASSUMPTION AND
AMENDMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of
April 28, 2006, is by and among Nomura Asset Acceptance
Corporation, as depositor (the “Depositor”), Nomura
Credit & Capital, Inc., as seller (in such capacity, the
“Sponsor”), Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
servicer (“Wells Fargo”), Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association, as master servicer (the “Master Servicer”)
and securities administrator (the “Securities
Administrator”), and HSBC Bank USA, National Association, as
trustee (the “Trustee”).
W I T N E S S E T H
WHEREAS, the
Depositor, the Sponsor, the Master Servicer, the Securities
Administrator, GMAC Mortgage Corporation (“GMAC”), as
Servicer, and the Trustee entered into the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement (the “Pooling and Servicing Agreement”),
dated as of March 1, 2006, relating to Nomura Asset Acceptance
Corporation, Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series
2006-AR2;
WHEREAS,
pursuant to Section 7.06 of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement,
the Sponsor has the right to terminate GMACM as Servicer of the
Mortgage Loans set forth on Schedule 1 attached hereto (the
“Mortgage Loans”) without cause upon the satisfaction
of certain conditions set forth in the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement;
WHEREAS, the Depositor and the Sponsor desire to
amend certain provisions of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement to
better effectuate the replacement of GMACM as the Servicer
thereunder with respect to the Mortgage Loans;
WHEREAS, Section 11.01 of the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement provides that the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement may be amended from time to time by the parties thereto,
without the consent of any of the Certificateholders to cure any
ambiguity, to correct or supplement any provisions therein, to
change the manner in which the Distribution Account maintained by
the Securities Administrator or the Custodial Account maintained by
the Servicer is maintained or to make such other provisions with
respect to matters or questions arising under this Agreement as
shall not be inconsistent with any other provisions therein if such
action shall not, as evidenced by an Opinion of Counsel, adversely
affect in any material respect the interests of any
Certificateholder; provided that any such amendment shall be deemed
not to adversely affect in any material respect the interests of
the Certificateholders and no such Opinion of Counsel shall be
required if the Person requesting such amendment obtains a letter
from each Rating Agency stating that such amendment would not
result in the downgrading or withdrawal of the respective ratings
then assigned to the Certificates provided further that any such
amendment shall be deemed not to adversely affect in any material
respect the interests of the Certificateholders and no such Opinion
of Counsel nor any letter from the Rating Agencies stating that
such amendment would not result in the downgrading or withdrawal of
the respective ratings then assigned to the Certificates shall be
required if such amendment is to effect a transfer of servicing
pursuant to Section 7.06(a) to a servicer satisfying the Minimum
Servicing Requirements;
NOW, THEREFORE,
for good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of
which are hereby acknowledged, and of the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
SECTION 1.
Defined Terms.
For purposes of
this Agreement, unless the context clearly requires otherwise, all
capitalized terms which are used but not otherwise defined herein
shall have the respective meanings assigned to such terms in the
Pooling and Servicing Agreement.
SECTION 2.
Appointment of Servicer.
(a)
The Sponsor hereby proposes that Wells Fargo be appointed as
the Servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement with respect
to the Mortgage Loans and, subject to the satisfaction of the
conditions precedent set forth in Section 5 of this Agreement, the
Sponsor will provide written notification to GMACM of its
termination as Servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement
with respect to the Mortgage Loans to be effective as of the close
of business on April 28, 2006 (the “Termination
Date”).
(b)
In connection with the appointment of Wells Fargo as the
Servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, on the
Termination Date, the Sponsor shall cause Wells Fargo to reimburse
GMACM for all outstanding Advances and Servicing Advances due and
owing to GMACM under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement in
connection with GMACM’s servicing and administration of the
Mortgage Loans prior to the Termination Date.
(c)
The Master Servicer, subject to the satisfaction of the
conditions precedent set forth in Section 5 of this Agreement,
consents to the appointment of Wells Fargo as the Servicer under
the Pooling and Servicing Agreement and hereby designates Wells
Fargo as the Servicer of the Mortgage Loans from and after the
Termination Date.
(d)
Wells Fargo hereby (i) represents and warrants that it meets
all requirements of a servicer set forth in Section 8.02 of the
Pooling and Servicing Agreement, (ii) accepts the appointment as
the Servicer of the Mortgage Loans under the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement, (iii) assumes and agrees to discharge the due and
punctual performance and observance of each covenant and condition
to be performed and observed by a servicer under the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement, as amended hereby, and (iv) assumes and agrees
to be bound by all terms and conditions of the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement, as amended hereby.
(e)
On the Termination Date, each account that, pursuant to the
terms of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement, is required to be
established and maintained by GMACM with respect to the Mortgage
Loans shall be moved to and maintained by Wells Fargo at Wells
Fargo. This Agreement shall be deemed to satisfy any and all
requirements in the Pooling and Servicing Agreement for notice of
change in any such account.
SECTION 3.
Amendments to Pooling and Servicing Agreement.
(a)
The following definition is added to Article 1:
“Wells
Fargo: Wells Fargo Bank, National Association acting in its
capacity as the Servicer.”
(b)
The definition of Servicer in Article 1 is amended by
replacing “GMAC Mortgage Corporation” with “Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association”.
(c)
The following representations and warranties are hereby made
by Wells Fargo to the Sponsor, the Depositor, the Master Servicer,
the Securities Administrator and the Trustee as of the date hereof
and such representations and warranties shall replace the
representations and warranties of GMACM set forth in Section
2.03(a) of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement:
(i) It is duly
organized and is validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the United States and is duly authorized and qualified to
transact any and all business contemplated by this Agreement to be
conducted by it in any state in which a Mortgaged Property is
located or is otherwise not required under applicable law to effect
such qualification and, in any event, is in compliance with the
doing business laws of any such state, to the extent necessary to
ensure its ability to service the Mortgage Loans in accordance with
the terms of this Agreement and to perform any of its other
obligations under this Agreement in accordance with the terms
hereof.
(ii) It has the
full corporate power and authority to service each Mortgage Loan,
and to execute, deliver and perform, and to enter into and
consummate the transactions contemplated by this Agreement and has
duly authorized by all necessary corporate action on its part the
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement; and this
Agreement, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery
hereof by the other parties hereto, constitutes its legal, valid
and binding obligation, enforceable against it in accordance with
its terms, except that (a) the enforceability hereof may be limited
by the effect of insolvency, liquidation, conservatorship and other
similar laws administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation affecting the enforcement of contract obligations of
insured banks and (b) the remedy of specific performance and
injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to
equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which
any proceeding therefor may be brought and further subject to
public policy with respect to indemnity and contribution under
applicable securities law.
(iii) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by it, the servicing of
the Mortgage Loans by it under this Agreement, the consummation of
any other of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and
the fulfillment of or compliance with the terms hereof are in its
ordinary course of business and will not (A) result in a material
breach of any term or provision of its charter or by-laws or (B)
materially conflict with, result in a material breach, violation or
acceleration of, or result in a material default under, the terms
of any other material agreement or instrument to which it is a
party or by which it may be bound, or (C) constitute a material
violation of any statute, order or regulation applicable to it of
any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental
body having jurisdiction over it; and it is not in breach or
violation of any material indenture or other material agreement or
instrument, or in violation of any statute, order or regulation of
any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental
body having jurisdiction over it which breach or violation may
materially impair its ability to perform or meet any of its
obligations under this Agreement.
(iv) It is an
approved servicer of conventional mortgage loans for Fannie Mae or
Freddie Mac and is a mortgagee approved by the Secretary of Housing
and Urban Development pursuant to sections 203 and 211 of the
National Housing Act.
(v) No
litigation is pending or, to the best of its knowledge, threatened
in writing, against it that would materially and adversely affect
the execution, delivery or enforceability of this Agreement or its
ability to service the Mortgage Loans or to perform any of its
other obligations under this Agreement in accordance with the terms
hereof.
(vi) No consent,
approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental
agency or body is required for its execution, delivery and
performance of, or compliance with, this Agreement or the
consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, or if any
such consent, approval, authorization or order is required, it has
obtained the same.
(vii) Wells Fargo
has accurately and fully reported, and will continue to accurately
and fully report, its borrower credit files to each of the credit
repositories in a timely manner materially in accordance with the
Fair Credit Reporting Act and its implementing
legislation.
(viii) Wells Fargo
is a member of MERS in good standing, and will comply in all
material respects with the rules and procedures of MERS in
connection with the servicing of the Mortgage Loans that are
registered with MERS.
(ix) Wells Fargo
will not waive any Prepayment Charge with respect to a Mortgage
Loan unless it is waived in accordance with the standard set forth
in Section 3.01.
(d)
With respect to the Mortgage Loans, from and after the
Termination Date, any and all references to the representations and
warranties of GMACM in the Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall,
and shall be deemed to be, references to the representations and
warranties of Wells Fargo set forth in clause (a) above.
(e) Section
3.13(a) is hereby amended by deleting such paragraph in its
entirety and replacing it with the following:
“The
Master Servicer and the Securities Administrator shall deliver or
otherwise make available (and shall cause each Servicing Function
Participant engaged by it to deliver) to the Depositor and the
Securities Administrator on or before March 15 of each year, and
the Servicer shall deliver or otherwise make available (and shall
cause each Servicing Function Participant engaged by it to deliver)
to the Depositor and the Securities Administrator on or before
March 1 of each year (but in no instance later than March 10 of
each year), in each case commencing in March 2007, an
Officer’s Certificate stating, as to the signer thereof, that
(A) a review of such party’s activities during the preceding
calendar year or portion thereof and of such Servicing Function
Participant’s performance under this Agreement, or such other
applicable agreement in the case of a Servicing Function
Participant, has been made under such officer’s supervision
and (B) to the best of such officer’s knowledge, based on
such review, such party has fulfilled all its obligations under
this Agreement, or such other applicable agreement in the case of a
Servicing Function Participant (other than the Servicer, the Master
Servicer or the Securities Administrator), in all material respects
throughout such year or portion thereof, or, if there has been a
failure to fulfill any such obligation in any material respect,
specifying each such failure known to such officer and the nature
and status thereof.”
(f) Section
3.14(a) is hereby amended by deleting such paragraph in its
entirety and replacing it with the following:
“By March
15 of each year, commencing in March 2007, the Master Servicer and
the Securities Administrator, and by March 1 (but in no event later
than March 10) of each year, commencing in March 2007, the
Servicer, each at its own expense and pursuant to Item 1122(a)
of Regulation AB, shall furnish or otherwise make available, and
shall cause any Servicing Function Participant engaged by it to
furnish, which in each case shall not be an expense of the Trust
Fund, to the Securities Administrator and the Depositor, a report
on an assessment of compliance with the Relevant Servicing Criteria
that contains (A) a statement by such party of its responsibility
for assessing compliance with the Relevant Servicing Criteria, (B)
a statement that such party used the Relevant Servicing Criteria to
assess compliance with the Relevant Servicing Criteria, (C) such
party’s assessment of compliance with the Relevant Servicing
Criteria for the period consisting of the prior calendar year,
including, if there has been any material instance of noncompliance
with the Relevant Servicing Criteria, a discussion of each such
failure and the nature and status thereof, and (D) a statement that
a registered public accounting firm has issued an attestation
report on such party’s assessment of compliance with the
Relevant Servicing Criteria for the period consisting of the prior
calendar year.”
(g) Section
7.06(a) of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement is hereby amended by
deleting the section in its entirety and replacing it with the
following:
“(a)
If at any time, the Sponsor acquires from Wells Fargo Bank,
N.A. the rights to service any of the Mortgage Loans, then Wells
Fargo Bank, N.A. shall continue to service the related Mortgage
Loans as the Servicer hereunder. Upon Sponsor acquiring the
Servicing Rights, the Sponsor may, at its option, terminate the
servicing responsibilities of Wells Fargo Bank, N,A., as Servicer
hereunder with respect to any such Mortgage Loans without cause. No
such termination shall become effective unless and until a
successor to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. shall have been appointed to
service and administer the related Mortgage Loans pursuant to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement. No appointment shall be
effective unless (i) such successor to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. meets
the eligibility criteria contained in Section 8.02, (ii) the
Trustee shall have consented to such appointment, (iii) the Rating
Agencies have been notified in writing of such appointment and such
successor servicer meets the Minimum Servicing Requirements, (iv)
such successor has agreed to assume the obligations of Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A. hereunder to the extent of the related Mortgage Loans
and (v) all amounts reimbursable to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. pursuant
to the terms of this Agreement shall have been paid to Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A. by the successor appointed pursuant to the terms of this
Section 7.06 or by the Sponsor including without limitation, all
unreimbursed Advances and Servicing Advances made by Wells Fargo
Bank, N.A. and all out-of-pocket expenses of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A.
incurred in connection with the transfer of servicing to such
successor. The Sponsor shall provide a copy of the written
confirmation of the Rating Agencies and the agreement executed by
such successor to the Trustee and the Master
Servicer.”
(h) Section
7.06(b) of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement is hereby amended by
deleting the section in its entirety.
SECTION 4.
Representations and Warranties of the Depositor and
Sponsor.
(a)
The following representations and warranties are hereby made
by the Depositor to the Sponsor, Wells Fargo, the Master Servicer,
the Securities Administrator and the Trustee as of the date
hereof:
(i) The
Depositor is duly organized and is validly existing as a
corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of
Delaware and has full power and authority (corporate and other)
necessary to own or hold its properties and to conduct its business
as now conducted by it and to enter into and perform its
obligations under this Agreement.
(ii) The
Depositor has the full corporate power and authority to execute,
deliver and perform, and to enter into and consummate the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement and has duly
authorized, by all necessary corporate action on its part, the
execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement; and this
Agreement, assuming the due authorization, execution and delivery
hereof by the other parties hereto, constitutes its legal, valid
and binding obligation of the Depositor, enforceable against the
Depositor in accordance with its terms, subject, as to
enforceability, to (a) bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium,
receivership and other similar laws relating to creditors’
rights generally and (b) the remedy of specific performance and
injunctive and other forms of equitable relief may be subject to
equitable defenses and to the discretion of the court before which
any proceeding therefor may be brought and further subject to
public policy with respect to indemnity and contribution under
applicable securities law.
(iii) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Depositor, the
consummation of any of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and the fulfillment of or compliance with the terms
hereof are in the ordinary course of business of the Depositor and
will not (A) result in a material breach of any term or provision
of the charter or by-laws of the Depositor or (B) materially
conflict with, result in a material breach, violation or
acceleration of, or result in a material default under, the terms
of any other material agreement or instrument to which it is a
party or by which it may be bound, or (C) constitute a material
violation of any statute, order or regulation applicable to it of
any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental
body having jurisdiction over the Depositor; and the Depositor is
not in breach or violation of any material indenture or other
material agreement or instrument, or in violation of any statute,
order or regulation of any court, regulatory body, administrative
agency or governmental body having jurisdiction over it which
breach or violation may materially impair its ability to perform or
meet any of its obligations under this Agreement.
(iv) No
litigation is pending or, to the best of its knowledge, threatened,
against the Depositor that would materially and adversely affect
the execution, delivery or enforceability of this Agreement or the
ability of the Depositor to perform any of its obligations under
this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof.
(v) No consent,
approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental
agency or body is required for its execution, delivery and
performance by the Depositor of, or compliance by the Depositor
with, this Agreement or the consummation of the transactions
contemplated hereby, or if any such consent, approval,
authorization or order is required, it has obtained the
same.
(b)
The following representations and warranties are hereby made
by the Sponsor to the Depositor, Wells Fargo, the Master Servicer,
the Securities Administrator and the Trustee as of the date
hereof:
(i) The Sponsor
is duly organized, validly existing and in good standing under the
laws of the State of Delaware and is duly authorized and qualified
to transact any and all business contemplated by this Agreement to
be conducted by the Sponsor in any state in which a Mortgaged
Property is located or is otherwise not required under applicable
law to effect such qualification and, in any event, is in
compliance with the doing business laws of any such state, to the
extent necessary to ensure its ability to enforce each Mortgage
Loan, to sell the Mortgage Loans in accordance with the terms of
this Agreement and to perform any of its other obligations under
this Agreement in accordance with the terms hereof.
(ii) The Sponsor
has the full corporate power and authority and to execute, deliver
and perform, and to enter into and consummate the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement and has duly authorized by all
necessary corporate action on its part the execution, delivery and
performance of this Agreement; and this Agreement, assuming the due
authorization, execution and delivery hereof by the other parties
hereto, constitutes its legal, valid and binding obligation of the
Sponsor, enforceable against the Sponsor in accordance with its
terms, except that (a) the enforceability hereof may be limited by
bankruptcy, insolvency, moratorium, receivership and other similar
laws relating to creditors’ rights generally and (b) the
remedy of specific performance and injunctive and other forms of
equitable relief may be subject to equitable defenses and to the
discretion of the court before which any proceeding therefor may be
brought and further subject to public policy with respect to
indemnity and contribution under applicable securities
law.
(iii) The
execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Sponsor, the
consummation of any other of the transactions contemplated by this
Agreement, and the fulfillment of or compliance with the terms
hereof are in its ordinary course of business of the Sponsor and
will not (A) result in a material breach of any term or provision
of its charter or by-laws of the Sponsor or (B) materially conflict
with, result in a material breach, violation or acceleration of, or
result in a material default under, the terms of any other material
agreement or instrument to which it is a party or by which it may
be bound, or (C) constitute a material violation of any statute,
order or regulation applicable to the Sponsor of any court,
regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental body having
jurisdiction over the Sponsor; and the Sponsor is not in breach or
violation of any material indenture or other material agreement or
instrument, or in violation of any statute, order or regulation of
any court, regulatory body, administrative agency or governmental
body having jurisdiction over it which breach or violation may
materially impair its ability to perform or meet any of its
obligations under this Agreement.
(iv) No
litigation is pending or, to the best of the Sponsor’s
knowledge, threatened, against the Sponsor that would materially
and adversely affect the execution, delivery or enforceability of
this Agreement or its ability to perform any of its obligations
under this Agreement in accordance with the terms
hereof.
(v) No consent,
approval, authorization or order of any court or governmental
agency or body is required for the execution, delivery and
performance by the Sponsor of, or compliance with, this Agreement
or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby, or if
any such consent, approval, authorization or order is required, the
Sponsor has obtained the same.
(vi) The Sponsor
has the right to terminate GMACM as the Servicer of the Mortgage
Loans pursuant to Section 7.06 of the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement and such termination shall be exercised in accordance
with the terms and conditions of the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement and all applicable law.
SECTION 5.
Conditions Precedent.
The
transactions contemplated by this Agreement shall be conditioned
upon the satisfaction of the following conditions
precedent:
(i) each of the
Sponsor and the Master Servicer shall have executed this Agreement
evidencing its consent to the appointment of Wells Fargo as the
Servicer of the Mortgage Loans under the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement;
(ii) Wells Fargo
shall have executed this Agreement evidencing its acceptance of its
appointment as the Servicer of the Mortgage Loans under the Pooling
and Servicing Agreement and its agreement to be bound by the terms
of this Agreement and the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement;
(iii) the Sponsor
shall have notified GMACM of its decision to terminate GMACM as the
Servicer of the Mortgage Loans under the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement; and
(iv) each Rating
Agency has been notified in writing of the appointment of Wells
Fargo as Servicer.
SECTION 6.
Effectiveness of this Agreement.
Upon execution
of this Agreement, the Pooling and Servicing Agreement shall be,
and be deemed to be, modified and amended in accordance herewith
and the respective rights, limitations, obligations, duties,
liabilities and immunities of the Depositor, the Sponsor, Wells
Fargo, the Master Servicer, the Securities Administrator and the
Trustee shall hereafter be determined, exercised and enforced
subject in all respects to such modifications and amendments, and
all the terms and conditions of this Agreement shall be deemed to
be part of the terms and conditions of the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement for any and all purposes. Except as modified and
expressly amended by this Agreement, the Pooling and Servicing
Agreement is in all respects ratified and confirmed, and all the
terms, provisions and conditions thereof shall be and remain in
full force and effect.
SECTION 7.
Binding Effect.
The provisions
of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of
the respective successors and assigns of the parties hereto, and
all such provisions shall inure to the benefit of the Depositor,
the S
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