EXHIBIT
4.1
SERVICER APPOINTMENT,
ASSUMPTION AND
AMENDMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS SERVICER APPOINTMENT, ASSUMPTION AND
AMENDMENT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”), dated as of
January 2, 2007, 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
a servicer (“Wells Fargo”), GMAC Mortgage, LLC
(“GMACM”), 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,
predecessor in interest to GMACM, and the Trustee entered into the
Pooling and Servicing Agreement (the “Pooling and Servicing
Agreement”), dated as of September 1, 2006, relating to
Nomura Asset Acceptance Corporation, Mortgage Pass-Through
Certificates, Series 2006-AR3;
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 “Wells Fargo 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 Wells Fargo 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 Servicers are maintained or to make such other provisions with
respect to matters or questions arising under the Pooling and
Servicing 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 (or the Swap Provider unless the
Swap Provider shall have consented to the amendment, which consent
shall not be unreasonably withheld); 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) of the Pooling and Servicing Agreement to a Successor
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 Wells Fargo 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 the servicer
under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement with respect to the Wells
Fargo Mortgage Loans to be effective as of the close of business on
January 2, 2007 (the “Termination Date”).
(b)
In connection with the appointment
of Wells Fargo as a 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 Wells Fargo 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 a
Servicer under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement and hereby
designates Wells Fargo as the Servicer of the Wells Fargo 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 Wells Fargo 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, as of the date hereof, 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 Wells Fargo 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)
Article 1 of the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement is hereby amended by adding the following
definitions in alphabetical order:
Wells Fargo : Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, and
any successor appointed under this Agreement in connection with the
servicing and administration of the Wells Fargo Mortgage
Loans.
Wells Fargo Mortgage Loans
: Those Mortgage Loans serviced by
Wells Fargo pursuant to the terms of this Agreement as specified on
the Mortgage Loan Schedule.
(b)
Article 1 of the Pooling and
Servicing Agreement is hereby further amended by deleting the
definition of Servicer and replacing it with the
following:
Servicer : GMACM, Wachovia or Wells Fargo or any
successor thereto approvied hereunder or under the Servicing
Agreement in connection with the servicing and administration of
the related Mortgage Loans.
(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
t