Exhibit 10.1
MODIFICATION NUMBER
TWO
TO MASTER LOAN
AGREEMENT
THIS MODIFICATION NUMBER TWO TO
MASTER LOAN AGREEMENT (the “Agreement”), dated as of
May 7, 2009, effective as of April 29, 2009 (the
“Effective Date”) between NP FLM L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, PREMIER NSN L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, ASBURY ATLANTA JAGUAR L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, ASBURY ATLANTA LEX L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, CN MOTORS, LTD., a Florida limited partnership,
C&O PROPERTIES, LTD., a Florida limited partnership, CFP
MOTORS, LTD., a Florida limited partnership, AVENUES MOTORS, LTD.,
a Florida limited partnership, AF MOTORS, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, ALM MOTORS, L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, ASBURY-DELAND IMPORTS, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, COGGIN CHEVROLET L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, COGGIN CARS L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, CH MOTORS, LTD., a Florida limited partnership,
HFP MOTORS L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, CROWN GPG
L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, CROWN CHV L.L.C., a
Delaware limited liability company, CROWN GHO L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, CROWN GDO L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, CROWN RIB L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability
company, CROWN MOTORCAR COMPANY L.L.C., a Delaware limited
liability company, ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE ATLANTA L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, MCDAVID IRVING-HON, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, MCDAVID PLANO-ACRA, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, MCDAVID AUSTIN-ACRA, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, MCDAVID HOUSTON-HON, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company, MCDAVID HOUSTON-NISS, L.L.C., a Delaware
limited liability company and ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE TEXAS REAL ESTATE
HOLDINGS L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company (each
referred to herein individually and collectively as
“Borrower”), and WACHOVIA BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a
national banking association (together with its successors and
assigns, “WBNA”) and WACHOVIA FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC.,
a North Carolina corporation (together with its successors and
assigns, “WFSI”) (WBNA and WFSI referred to herein
individually and collectively as “Lender”).
RECITALS
A. Lender is the holder of certain
Notes, as modified from time to time, executed and delivered by
Borrower and certain other loan documents, including without
limitation, a Master Loan Agreement, dated as of June 4, 2008,
as modified from time to time (the “Loan
Agreement”).
B. Borrower and Lender have agreed
to modify the terms of the Loan Agreement as set forth
herein.
In consideration of Lender’s continued
extension of credit and the agreements contained herein, the
parties agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
BALANCE. Borrower
acknowledges that the most recent Commercial Loan Invoices sent to
Borrower with respect to the Obligations under each Note is
correct.
DEFINITIONS.
Terms used in this Agreement which
are capitalized and not otherwise defined herein shall have the
meanings ascribed to such terms in the Loan Agreement.
MODIFICATIONS.
1. Section 1.1 “ Defined Terms
” of the Loan Agreement is hereby amended by deleting the
definition of “Revolving Credit Agreement” in its
entirety and substituting the following new definition of
“Revolving Credit Facility” in lieu thereof:
“‘ Revolving Credit
Facility ’ means that certain senior credit facility
evidenced in part by that Credit Agreement, dated as of
September 26, 2008, among Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.,
certain lenders and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative Agent,
Swing Line Lender and L/C Issuer, as modified, renewed or extended
from time to time and that certain Subsidiary Guaranty Agreement,
dated as of September 26, 2008, by and among certain
subsidiaries of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (including Borrower)
and Bank of America, N.A., as Administrative
Agent.”
2. Section 5.15 of the Loan Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and the following new
Section 5.15 is hereby substituted in lieu thereof:
“ 5.15
Subordination . Borrower shall cause all debt and other
obligations now or hereafter owed to any Affiliate (other than
Guarantor), other than trade payables incurred and receivables
established in the ordinary course of business, to be subordinated
in right of payment and security to the Obligations in accordance
with subordination agreements satisfactory to
Lender.”
3. Section 6.1 of the Loan Agreement is hereby
amended by deleting the phrase “Revolving Credit
Agreement” throughout and replacing it with the phrase
“Revolving Credit Facility.”
4. Section 8.1.8 of the Loan Agreement is
hereby deleted in its entirety and the following new
Section 8.1.8 is hereby substituted in lieu
thereof:
“8.1.8 Default under the
Revolving Credit Facility . There shall occur any default under
the Revolving Credit Facility, which is not cured within any
applicable grace period, if any; or”.
5. The Loan Agreement is hereby amended by deleting
Exhibit 5.15 in its entirety.
FACILITY FEE.
In connection with the modification
of the Loans, Borrower shall pay to Lender contemporaneously with
the execution hereof a non-refundable, fully earned facility fee in
the aggregate amount of $140,000.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND
REPRESENTATIONS. Borrower
acknowledges and represents that the Note, the Loan Agreement and
other Loan Documents, as amended hereby, are in full force and
effect without any defense, counterclaim, right or claim of
set-off; that, after giving effect to this
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Agreement, no Event of Default under the Loan
Documents has occurred, all representations and warranties
contained in the Loan Documents are true and correct as of the
Effective Date, all necessary action to authorize the execution and
delivery of this Agreement has been taken; and this Agreement is a
modification of an existing obligation and is not a
novation.
COLLATERAL.
Borrower acknowledges and confirms
that there have been no changes in the ownership of any Collateral
since the Collateral was originally pledged; Borrower acknowledges
and confirms that the Lender has existing, valid first priority
security interests and liens in the Collateral; and that such
security interests and liens shall secure Borrower’s
Obligations, including any modification of the Note or Loan
Agreement, if any, and all future modifications, extensions,
renewals and/or replacements of the Loan Documents.
MISCELLANEOUS.
This Agreement shall be construed in
accordance with and governed by the laws of the Jurisdiction as
originally provided in the Loan Documents, without reference to the
Jurisdiction’s conflicts of law principles. This Agreement
and the other Loan Documents constitute the sole agreement of the
parties with respect to the subject matter thereof and supersede
all oral negotiations and prior writings with respect to the
subject matter thereof. No amendment of this Agreement, and no
waiver of any one or more of the provisions hereof shall be
effective unless set forth in writing and signed by the parties
hereto. The illegality, unenforceability or inconsistency of any
provision of this Agreement shall not in any way affect or impair
the legality, enforceability or consistency of the remaining
provisions of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents. This
Agreement and the other Loan Documents are intended to be
consistent. However, in the event of any inconsistencies among this
Agreement and any of the Loan Documents, the terms of this
Agreement, and then the Loan Agreement, shall control. This
Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts and by
different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which
when so executed and delivered shall be deemed an original and all
of which when taken together shall constitute but one and the same
instrument. Any signature delivered by a party by facsimile
transmission shall be deemed to be an original signature hereto.
LIMITATION ON LIABILITY; WAIVER OF PUNITIVE DAMAGES. EACH OF
THE PARTIES HERETO, INCLUDING LENDER BY ACCEPTANCE HEREOF, AGREES
THAT IN ANY JUDICIAL, MEDIATION OR ARBITRATION PROCEEDING OR ANY
CLAIM OR CONTROVERSY BETWEEN OR AMONG THEM (A
“DISPUTE”) THAT MAY ARISE OUT OF OR BE IN ANY WAY
CONNECTED WITH THIS AGREEMENT, THE LOAN DOCUMENTS OR ANY OTHER
AGREEMENT OR DOCUMENT BETWEEN OR AMONG THEM OR THE OBLIGATIONS
EVIDENCED HEREBY OR RELATED HERETO, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY PARTY
HAVE A REMEDY OF, OR BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER FOR, (A) INDIRECT,
SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR (B) PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY
DAMAGES. EACH OF THE PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT OR
CLAIM TO PUNITIVE OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES THEY MAY HAVE OR WHICH MAY
ARISE IN THE FUTURE IN CONNECTION WITH ANY SUCH PROCEEDING, CLAIM
OR CONTROVERSY, WHETHER THE DISPUTE IS RESOLVED BY ARBITRATION,
MEDIATION, JUDICIALLY OR OTHERWISE. Final Agreement. This
Agreement and the other Loan Documents represent the final
agreement between the parties and may not be contradicted by
evidence of prior, contemporaneous or subsequent oral agreements of
the parties. There are no unwritten oral agreements between the
parties.
ARBITRATION.
Upon demand of any party hereto,
whether made before or after institution of any judicial
proceeding, any claim or controversy arising out of or relating to
the Loan Documents
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between parties hereto shall be resolved by
binding arbitration conducted under and governed by the Commercial
Financial Disputes Arbitration Rules (the “Arbitration
Rules”) of the American Arbitration Association (the
“AAA”) and the Federal Arbitration Act. Disputes may
include, without limitation, tort claims, counterclaims, a dispute
as to whether a matter is subject to arbitration, or claims arising
from documents executed in the future, but shall specifically
exclude claims brought as or converted to class actions. A judgment
upon the award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, this arbitration provision does not
apply to disputes under or related to swap agreements. Special
Rules. All arbitration hearings shall be conducted in
Charlotte, North Carolina. A hearing shall begin within 90 days of
demand for arbitration and all hearings shall conclude within 120
days of demand for arbitration. These time limitations may not be
extended unless a party shows cause for extension and then for no
more than a total of 60 days. The expedited procedures set forth in
Rule 51 et seq. of the Arbitration Rules shall be applicable
to claims of less than $1,000,000.00. Arbitrators shall be licensed
attorneys selected from the Commercial Financial Dispute
Arbitration Panel of the AAA. The parties do not waive applicable
Federal or state substantive law except as provided herein.
Preservation and Limitation of Remedies. Notwithstanding the
preceding binding arbitration provisions, the parties agree to
preserve, without diminution, certain remedies that any party may
exercise before or after an arbitration proceeding is brought. The
parties shall have the right to proceed in any court of proper
jurisdiction or by self-help to exercise or prosecute the following
remedies, as applicable: (a) all rights to foreclose against
any real or personal property or other security by exercising a
power of sale or under applicable law by judicial foreclosure
including a proceeding to confirm the sale; (b) all rights of
self-help including peaceful occupation of real property and
collection of rents, set-off, and peaceful possession of personal
property; (c) obtaining provisional or ancillary remedies
including injunctive relief, sequestration, garnishment,
attachment, appointment of receiver and filing an involuntary
bankruptcy proceeding; and (d) when applicable, a judgment by
confession of judgment. Any claim or controversy with regard to any
party’s entitlement to such remedies is a Dispute. Waiver
of Jury Trial. THE PARTIES ACKNOWLEDGE THAT BY AGREEING TO
BINDING ARBITRATION THEY HAVE IRREVOCABLY WAIVED ANY RIGHT THEY MAY
HAVE TO JURY TRIAL WITH REGARD TO A DISPUTE.
[Signatures on following
page]
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF
, the parties hereto have caused
this Modification Number Two to Master Loan Agreement to be duly
executed under seal as of the day and year first above
written.
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Property
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CH MOTORS,
LTD., a Florida limited partnership
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