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EXHIBIT 4.4
AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
FNB FINANCIAL SERVICES, LP
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE 1 ORGANIZATIONAL
MATTERS................................................. 1
Section 1.1 -
Formation..........................................................
1
Section 1.2 -
Name...............................................................
1
Section 1.3 - Purpose and Character of
Business.................................. 1
Section 1.4 - Effective Date;
Term............................................... 1
Section 1.5 - Registered
Agent................................................... 1
Section 1.6 -
Partners...........................................................
2
ARTICLE 2
DEFINITIONS............................................................
2
ARTICLE 3 CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS;
LOANS........................................... 2
Section 3.1 -
Capital............................................................
2
Section 3.2 -
Interest...........................................................
2
Section 3.3 - Additional Required
Funds.......................................... 2
Section 3.4 -
Loans..............................................................
3
Section 3.5 - Distributions and
Withdrawals...................................... 3
Section 3.6 - Subsequent
Partners................................................ 3
ARTICLE 4 ALLOCATIONS OF PROFITS AND LOSSES; DISTRIBUTIONS;
ACCOUNTING........... 3
Section 4.1 - Allocation of Income and
Loss...................................... 3
Section 4.2 - Distribution of Cash
Flow.......................................... 4
Section 4.3 - Books and
Records.................................................. 4
Section 4.4 - Accounting Period and
Method....................................... 5
Section 4.5 - Capital
Accounts................................................... 5
Section 4.6 - Charges Against Capital
Accounts................................... 5
Section 4.7 - Tax
Election.......................................................
5
Section 4.8 - Tax Matters
Partner................................................ 5
ARTICLE 5
MANAGEMENT.............................................................
6
Section 5.1 - Powers of the General
Partner...................................... 6
Section 5.2 - Duties of the Managing
Partners.................................... 7
Section 5.3 - Compensation to the Managing
Partners.............................. 7
Section 5.4 - Prohibition on Authority of the Managing
Partners.................. 7
Section 5.5 - Exculpation and
Indemnification.................................... 8
Section 5.6 -
Expenses...........................................................
8
Section 5.7 -
Insurance..........................................................
8
ARTICLE 6 RIGHTS AND PROHIBITIONS AFFECTING GENERAL
PARTNERS..................... 9
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Section 6.1 - Withdrawal of General
Partner...................................... 9
Section 6.2 - Additional General
Partners........................................ 9
ARTICLE 7 RIGHTS AND PROHIBITIONS AFFECTING LIMITED
PARTNERS..................... 9
Section 7.1 - Rights, Powers, and
Restrictions................................... 9
Section 7.2 - Limitation on
Withdrawal........................................... 9
Section 7.3 - Additional Limited
Partners........................................ 9
Section 7.4 - Voting - Limited
Partners.......................................... 9
ARTICLE 8 TRANSFER OF INTEREST;
WITHDRAWAL....................................... 10
Section 8.1 - Unrestricted
Transfers............................................. 10
Section 8.2 - Right of First
Refusal............................................. 10
Section 8.4 -
Transferees........................................................
11
Section 8.5 - Admission of
Transferees........................................... 11
Section 8.6 -
Compliance.........................................................
12
Section 8.7 - Withdrawal of a General
Partner.................................... 12
Section 8.8 - Withdrawal of Sole General
Partner................................. 12
ARTICLE 9 DISSOLUTION; TERMINATION OF THE
PARTNERSHIP............................ 12
Section 9.1 - Causes of
Termination.............................................. 12
Section 9.2 -
Liquidation........................................................
12
Section 9.3 - Final
Accounting...................................................
13
ARTICLE 10
MISCELLANEOUS.........................................................
13
Section 10.1 - Governing
Law..................................................... 13
Section 10.2 -
Amendments........................................................
13
Section 10.3 - Further
Action.................................................... 14
Section 10.4 - Binding
Effect.................................................... 14
Section 10.5 -
Ratification......................................................
14
Section 10.6 - Entire
Agreement.................................................. 14
Section 10.7 - Headings,
Etc..................................................... 14
Section 10.8 -
Severability......................................................
14
Section 10.9 -
Notices...........................................................
14
Section 10.10 - Power of
Attorney................................................ 15
Section 10.11 -
Counterparts.....................................................
15
Section 10.12 -
Exhibits.........................................................
15
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AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OF
FNB FINANCIAL SERVICES, LP
THIS AGREEMENT OF LIMITED PARTNERSHIP (the "Agreement"), is
entered into
by and among Regency Consumer Financial Services Inc.
(hereinafter referred to
as the "General Partner"), and FNB Consumer Financial Services
Inc. (hereinafter
referred to as the "Limited Partner") (the Limited Partner and
the General
Partner are hereinafter sometimes collectively referred to as
the "Partners" and
individually as a "Partner") who hereby agree to form a limited
partnership
under and governed by the provisions of the Delaware Revised
Uniform Limited
Partnership Act, Title 6, Chapter 17 of the Delaware Code (the
"Act"). The
limited partnership is formed for the purposes and upon the
terms and conditions
hereinafter set forth.
ARTICLE 1
ORGANIZATIONAL MATTERS
Section 1.1 - Formation. The Partners hereby enter into this
Agreement
under the Act for the purpose of evidencing their agreement to
operate the
Partnership as a partnership for federal tax purposes. The
Partners have
authorized the formation of the Partnership as a Delaware
limited partnership
pursuant to the provisions of the Act and have caused to be
filed a Certificate
of Limited Partnership with the Secretary of State of Delaware.
The Partners
shall forthwith execute and cause to be filed any additional
documents and
instruments as may be necessary or appropriate in connection
with the
transaction of business by the Partnership.
Section 1.2 - Name. The name of the Partnership is FNB FINANCIAL
SERVICES,
LP (the "Partnership"). The Partnership shall conduct business
under such name
or such variations of such name as the General Partner deems
appropriate to
comply with the laws of any other jurisdiction in which the
Partnership
qualifies to do business.
Section 1.3 - Purpose and Character of Business. The Partnership
is formed
to issue, administer and repay Securities (as defined in the
Indenture) being
issued pursuant to and authenticated under that certain
Indenture by and among
the Partnership, F.N.B. Corporation, as Guarantor and J.P.
Morgan Trust Company,
National Association, as Trustee ("Trustee"), dated as of
January ____, 2005
(the "Indenture"), as well as to perform any other actions
necessary or
appropriate to effectuate the issuance, administration and
repayment of such
Securities.
Section 1.4 - Effective Date; Term. This Agreement shall be
deemed to be
effective on the date that an executed copy of the Certificate
of Limited
Partnership required by Section 17-201 of the Act was filed with
the Secretary
of State of Delaware. The term of the Partnership shall be
perpetual unless
earlier dissolved and terminated pursuant to the Act or any
provision of this
Agreement.
Section 1.5 - Registered Agent. The name of the registered agent
for
service of process on the Partnership shall be Entity Services
Group, LLC
#9272016, and the address of the registered agent and registered
office in the
State of Delaware is 103 Foulk Road, Suite 200, Wilmington,
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Delaware 19803. Upon any change of the Registered Agent, the
Partnership shall
file a notice of change with the Secretary of State of Delaware
as required
under the Act.
Section 1.6 - Partners. Upon the execution of a counterpart
signature page
to this Agreement, (i) the General Partner shall be admitted as
a general
partner of the Partnership and (ii) the Limited Partner shall be
admitted as the
limited partner of the Partnership. The names, mailing addresses
and number of
Units of the Partners are set forth on Exhibit A attached
hereto.
ARTICLE 2
DEFINITIONS
For purposes of this Agreement, unless the context clearly
indicates
otherwise: (i) all of the capitalized words in this Agreement
shall have the
meanings set forth in the Appendix; and (ii) all non-capitalized
words defined
in the Act shall have the meanings set forth therein.
ARTICLE 3
CAPITAL CONTRIBUTIONS; LOANS
Section 3.1 - Capital. Concurrently with the execution of this
Agreement,
the Partners shall make a Capital Contribution in cash or
property having a fair
market value in the amount set forth opposite each Partner's
name in Exhibit A
attached hereto. All Capital Contributions of the partners shall
be credited to
the Partners' Capital Accounts and maintained by the Partnership
in accordance
with Section 4.5 hereof.
Section 3.2 - Interest. No Partner shall be entitled to any
interest on
its Capital Account or on its contributions to the capital of
the Partnership.
Section 3.3 - Additional Required Funds. If additional capital
is
required, as determined by the General Partner, each Partner
may, but shall not
be required to, contribute such capital in proportion to the
number of Units
owned by each Partner as compared to the total number of Units
owned by all of
the Partners. If additional Capital Contributions are made by
the Partners to
the Partnership, additional Units (General Partnership Units or
Limited
Partnership Units, as the case may be) shall be issued by the
General Partner to
such Partners. The determination of the amount of Units to be
issued shall be
determined by the General Partner, taking into account the value
of said Capital
Contribution and the then net fair market value of the
underlying Partnership
property immediately before the contribution. If any Partner
shall not make such
additional contribution, the other Partners shall have the
right, but not the
duty, to make such contributions, in proportion to the number of
Units owned by
such Partner or as otherwise agreed, in exchange for additional
Units. The
Partners agree that the sole remedy for failure to make an
additional Capital
Contribution under this Section 3.3 shall be the dilution of
their ownership
interest in the Partnership by the reason of the issuance of
additional Units to
other Partners who have made such additional Capital
Contributions.
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Section 3.4 - Loans. In the event the Partnership shall require
funds to
carry on the business of the Partnership, any Partner shall have
the right, but
not be required, to loan money upon terms and conditions
acceptable to such
Partner and the Partnership ("Loans").
Section 3.5 - Distributions and Withdrawals. No Partner shall be
entitled
to make withdrawals from the Partnership except to the extent of
distributions
made pursuant to express provisions of this Agreement.
Distributions may be made
in cash or in property or partly in each. No Partner shall have
the right to
require that a distribution be made other than in cash, except
as expressly
provided otherwise in this Agreement.
Section 3.6 - Subsequent Partners. Any Person who subsequently
becomes a
Partner by contributing property to the Partnership shall be
given full and fair
Capital Account credit therefor based upon the net fair market
value of the
property at the date of the contribution, as determined by
mutual agreement of
the Person contributing the property and the General Partner.
Upon any such
contributions, the Capital Account balances of the other
Partners shall be
adjusted to reflect the then net fair market value of the
underlying Partnership
property after the contribution in accordance with Section
704(b) of the Code
and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
ARTICLE 4
ALLOCATIONS OF PROFITS AND LOSSES;
DISTRIBUTIONS; ACCOUNTING
Section 4.1 - Allocation of Income and Loss. For purposes of
maintaining
the Capital Accounts and in determining the rights of the
Partners among
themselves, the Partnership's items of income, gain, loss, and
deduction shall
be allocated among the Partners for each fiscal year (or portion
thereof) as
provided herein below.
a. Profits. Except as otherwise provided, after giving effect to
the
Regulatory Allocations and Curative Allocations, Profits of
the
Partnership for each fiscal year shall be allocated among
the
Partners as follows:
(i) First, to the Partners in proportion to and to the extent
of
the cumulative amount of Losses allocated to the Partners
pursuant to Section 4.1(b)(ii) hereof for all prior fiscal
years, over the cumulative Profits allocated to the Partners
pursuant to this Section 4.1(a)(i) for all prior fiscal
years;
(ii) Second, to the Partners in proportion to and to the extent
of
the cumulative amount of Losses allocated to the Partners
pursuant to Section 4.1(b)(i) hereof for all prior fiscal
years, over the cumulative Profits allocated to the Partners
pursuant to this Section 4.1(a)(ii) for all prior fiscal
years;
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(iii) The balance, if any, to the Partners in proportion to
the
total number of Units owned by each Partner as compared to
the
total number of Units owned by all of the Partners.
b. Losses. Except as otherwise provided, after giving effect to
the
Regulatory and Curative Allocations, Losses of the Partnership
for
each fiscal year shall be allocated among the Partners as
follows:
(i) First, to the Partners, up to an amount, if any, necessary
to
reduce their respective positive Capital Account balance to
zero, in proportion to their respective positive Capital
Account balances; and
(ii) The balance, if any, to the Partners in proportion to
the
total number of Units owned by each Partner as compared to
the
total number of Units owned by all of the Partners.
c. Varying Unit Ownership. Partners whose Units in the
Partnership vary
during a fiscal year shall be allocated Profits and Losses
by
allocating to them the appropriate pro rata part amount of
such
items based on the number of days that they held their Units
during
the fiscal year.
Section 4.2 - Distribution of Cash Flow. Except as provided in
Article 9
hereof, the General Partner may distribute Cash Flow, from time
to time, first
to the payment of the principal and accrued interest, if any, of
the Loans
contemplated by Section 3.4 hereof, in proportion to the
relative amounts of
each; then to the Partners in proportion to the total number of
Units owned by
each Partner as compared to the total number of Units owned by
all of the
Partners, provided that the General Partner has adequately
funded Working
Capital Reserves to meet the future liabilities of the
Partnership.
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary contained in this
Agreement, the
Partnership shall not be required to make a distribution to a
Partner on account
of its interest in the Partnership if such distribution would
violate the Act or
any other applicable law.
Section 4.3 - Books and Records. The books and records of the
Partnership
shall be kept in sufficient detail to determine the Profits,
Losses, credits and
the federal income tax items of the Partnership for each period
for which an
allocation is to be made pursuant to this Agreement. The
Partnership shall also
keep such books and records in sufficient detail so as to permit
preparation of
financial statements in accordance with customary accounting
principles
consistently applied. Such books and records and financial
statements, together
with any other records and documents required to be made
available by the
Partnership for inspection under the Act, shall be maintained at
the principal
office of the Partnership. Such documents shall be open for
inspection and
examination, copying, verification or audit thereof by any
Partner or its duly
authorized representative for any purpose reasonably related to
such Partner's
interest in the Partnership. The General Partner shall have the
right to keep
confidential from the Limited Partners for such period of time
as the General
Partner deems reasonable, any information which the General
Partner reasonably
believes to be in the nature of trade secrets or other
information the
disclosure of which the General Partner in good faith believes
is not in the
best interest of the Partnership or could damage the Partnership
or its
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business or which the Partnership is required by law or by
agreement with a
third party to keep confidential.
Section 4.4 - Accounting Period and Method. The accounting
period and
fiscal year of the Partnership shall be the period ending
December 31 each year.
The Partnership shall prepare all financial statements on the
cash method of
accounting or such other reasonable accounting method approved
by the General
Partner.
Section 4.5 - Capital Accounts. A separate Capital Account shall
be
determined and maintained for each Partner. No Partner shall
have any interest
in the Capital Account of any other Partner. Capital Accounts
shall be
determined and maintained on the same basis as Capital Accounts
are determined
and maintained by the Partnership for purposes of federal income
taxation in
accordance with the requirements of Section 704(b) of the Code
and Section
1.704-1(b) of the Treasury Regulations promulgated
thereunder.
Section 4.6 - Charges Against Capital Accounts. If the
Partnership shall
suffer Losses as a result of which the Capital Account of any
Partner shall be
negative, such Losses shall be carried as a charge against such
Partner's
Capital Account and a subsequent share of Profits and gain of
the Partnership
shall be applied to restore such deficit in such Partner's
Capital Account.
Section 4.7 - Tax Election. All elections and options available
to the
Partnership for federal and state tax purposes shall be taken or
rejected by the
Partnership in the sole discretion of the General Partner. The
General Partner
may elect pursuant to Section 754 of the Code to adjust the
basis of the
Partnership's assets, in the case of a distribution of property,
in the manner
provided in Section 734 of the Code and, in the case of a
transfer of a
Partner's Units, in the manner provided in Section 743 of the
Code.
Section 4.8 - Tax Matters Partner. The General Partner shall act
as the
initial Tax Matters Partner as defined in Section 6231 of the
Code. The Tax
Matters Partner shall provide the Partners with a copy of all
correspondence and
shall keep the other Partners reasonably informed of any audit,
administrative
or judicial proceedings involving the potential adjustment at
the Partnership
level of any item required to be taken into account by the
Partners for purposes
of federal, state and local income taxation. In any controversy
with the
Internal Revenue Service or any other taxing authority involving
the
Partnership, either directly or indirectly, the Tax Matters
Partner may, in
respect thereof, incur expenses on behalf of the Partnership
which it deems
necessary and advisable and in the best interests of the
Partnership including,
but not limited to, attorneys' and accounting fees. The Tax
Matters Partner may
execute or agree to a settlement or a compromise of such
controversy, waive or
extend the statute of limitations, choose a forum for litigation
and file
amended tax returns without the prior consent of the Partners.
The Partnership
shall indemnify the Tax Matters Partner and make advancement of
expenses as
provided in Section 5.5 of this Agreement.
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ARTICLE 5
MANAGEMENT
Section 5.1 - Powers of the General Partner. The General Partner
shall
have all the rights, powers and restrictions conferred in this
Agreement and
under the Act which are consistent with the characterization and
treatment of
the Partnership as a limited partnership. Subject to the
limitations imposed
under the Act and this Agreement, the General Partner shall have
all the rights,
powers and restrictions which may be possessed by a general
partner under the
Act as are necessary to manage and carry on the business of the
Partnership.
Such rights and powers shall include, but shall not be limited
to, the right and
power to:
a. cause the issuance, administration and repayment of the
Securities
issued pursuant to and authenticated under the Indenture in
such
manner as the General Partner deems reasonable and appropriate
under
the circumstances;
b. manage the day-to-day operations of the Partnership,
including the
right to establish bank accounts for the Partnership and
make
deposits of the capital and other funds for the Partnership in
and
withdrawals from such accounts, and to borrow funds, use the
assets
of the Partnership as collateral, or guarantee any obligation of
the
Partnership as the General Partner deems necessary to carry on
the
Partnership business;
c. incur and pay reasonable expenses with respect to the conduct
and
operation of the Partnership business, including expenses in
connection with the registration, administration and repayment
of
securities, and expenses for accounting, legal, appraisal,
investment advice, clerical and other services;
d. disseminate information concerning the Partnership's affairs
to the
Partners as it deems necessary or appropriate;
e. perform any reasonable act in furtherance of the
Partnership
business;
f. render periodic reports to the Partners with respect to
the
operations of the Partnership;
g. maintain complete and accurate books of account (containing
such
information as shall be necessary to record allocations and
distributions), and make such records and books of account
available
for inspection and audit by any Partner or its duly
authorized
representative (at the expense of such Partner) during
regular
business hours and at the principal office of the
Partnership;
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h. prepare and distribute to the Partners, within the time
prescribed
by law, all required tax reporting information for each fiscal
year
and arrange for the preparation and filing of all tax returns of
the
Partnership;
i. cause to be timely filed all governmental filings for the
Partnership, and do such other acts as may be required by law
to
qualify and maintain the Partnership as a limited partnership
under
the Act; and
j. execute any and all documents, in the name of and on behalf
of the
Partnership, which are necessary to effectuate any of the
foregoing
or otherwise necessary to carry out its duties as General
Partner.
Section 5.2 - Duties of the General Partner. The General Partner
shall owe
no duties to the Partnership or the other Partners, other than
as expressly
stated in this Agreement; provided, however, that the General
Partner must
comply with the implied contractual covenant of good faith and
fair dealing. In
addition to the obligations expressly imposed upon it by this
Agreement:
a. The General Partner will comply with all the obligations
imposed
upon it, and will cause the Partnership to comply with all
obligations imposed upon the Partnership by the Indenture.
b. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, shall give to
any
Person, other than the parties hereto and their successors
hereunder
and the Trustee and the Holders, which are hereby expressly
made
third party beneficiaries of this Agreement, any benefit or
any
legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under this
Agreement,
provided, however, that any such benefit, legal or equitable
right,
remedy or claim of such Trustee and Holders shall be
enforceable
only, and subject to all the limitations and restrictions
thereon,
as provided by the Indenture; provided, however, that in no
event
shall the General Partner be liable for the payment of the
principal
of, or the interest on, the Securities.
Section 5.3 - Compensation to the General Partner. The General
Partner
shall be allowed reasonable compensation for services rendered
to the
Partnership. The General Partner shall also be entitled to
reimbursement for any
reasonable expenses paid by it arising out of the business of
the Partnership.
Section 5.4 - Prohibition on Authority of the General Partner.
The General
Partner shall not have the authority to:
a. do any act in contravention of the Certificate of Limited
Partnership, the Act or this Agreement;
b. do any act which would make it impossible to carry on the
ordinary
business of the Partnership; or
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c. possess Partnership property or assign the rights of the
Partnership
in specific Partnership property for other than a
Partnership
purpose.
Section 5.5 - Exculpation and Indemnification.
a. No Partner shall be liable to the Partnership or any other
Partner
for any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act
or
omission performed or omitted by such Person, except that a
Person
shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim incurred
by
reason of such Person's bad faith violation of the implied
contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
b. The Partnership shall, to the fullest extent permitted by
law,
indemnify any Partner who was or is a party or is threatened to
be
made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action,
suit or
proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or
investigative
by reason of the fact that such Partner is a partner of the
Partnership, against expenses (including attorneys' fees),
judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably incurred by such Partner in connection with such
action,
suit or proceeding; provided, however, the Partnership shall
not
indemnify any Partner for such Partner's bad faith violation of
the
implied contractual covenant of good faith and fair dealing.
The
termination of any action, suit or proceeding by judgment,
order,
settlement, conviction, or upon a plea of nolo contendere or
its
equivalent, shall not of itself create a presumption that
the
Partner did not act in good faith and in a manner which the
Partner
reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best
interests of
the Partnership and, with respect to any criminal action or
proceeding, had reasonable cause to believe that such
Partner's
conduct was unlawful.
Section 5.6 - Expenses. Expenses incurred in defending a civil
or criminal
action, suit or proceeding may be paid by the Partnership in
advance of the
final disposition of such action, suit or proceeding upon
receipt of an
understanding by or on behalf of a Partner to repay such amount
unless it shall
ultimately be determined that such Partner is entitled to be
indemnified by the
Partnership as authorized in this Article 5.
Section 5.7 - Insurance. The Partnership shall have power to
purchase and
maintain insurance on behalf of any Person who is or was a
Partner of the
Partnership against any liability asserted against such Person
and incurred by
such Person in such Person's capacity as a Partner, or arising
out of such
Person's status as such.
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ARTICLE 6
RIGHTS AND PROHIBITIONS AFFECTING GENERAL PARTNERS
Section 6.1 - Withdrawal of General Partner. A General Partner
ceases to
be a general partner of the Partnership upon the happening of
any of the events
of wit
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