|
Exhibit
10.104
EXECUTION
COPY
AMENDED AND RESTATED
RECEIVABLES PURCHASE AGREEMENT
DATED AS OF APRIL 30,
2007
BY AND
AMONG
CNX FUNDING
CORPORATION
as Seller
AND
CONSOL ENERGY
INC.
as initial
Servicer
AND
CONSOL ENERGY SALES
COMPANY, CONSOL OF KENTUCKY INC.,
CONSOL PENNSYLVANIA COAL
COMPANY, CONSOLIDATION
COAL COMPANY,
ISLAND
CREEK COAL COMPANY,
WINDSOR COAL COMPANY, MCELROY COAL
COMPANY, KEYSTONE COAL
MINING CORPORATION, EIGHTY-FOUR MINING
COMPANY AND CNX MARINE
TERMINALS INC.
as
Sub-Servicers
AND
THE CONDUIT PURCHASERS
PARTY HERETO
AND
THE PURCHASER AGENTS PARTY
HERETO
AND
THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
FROM TIME TO TIME PARTIES HERETO,
as LC
Participants
AND
PNC BANK, NATIONAL
ASSOCIATION,
as Administrator and LC
Bank
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Page |
|
ARTICLE I.
|
|
AMOUNTS
AND TERMS OF THE PURCHASES |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.1
|
|
Purchase
Facility |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.2
|
|
Making
Purchases |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.3
|
|
Purchased
Interest Computation |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.4
|
|
Settlement
Procedures |
|
5 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.5
|
|
Fees |
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.6
|
|
Payments and
Computations, Etc. |
|
8 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.7
|
|
Increased Costs
and Yield Protection |
|
9 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.8
|
|
Requirements of
Law; Funding Losses |
|
10 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.9
|
|
Inability to
Determine Euro-Rate |
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.10
|
|
[Reserved]. |
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.11
|
|
Letters of
Credit |
|
12 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.12
|
|
Issuance of
Letters of Credit |
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.13
|
|
Requirements
For Issuance of Letters of Credit |
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.14
|
|
Disbursements,
Reimbursement |
|
13 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.15
|
|
Repayment of
Participation Advances |
|
14 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.16
|
|
Documentation |
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.17
|
|
Determination
to Honor Drawing Request |
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.18
|
|
Nature of
Participation and Reimbursement Obligations |
|
15 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.19
|
|
Indemnity |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
Section 1.20
|
|
Liability for
Acts and Omissions |
|
17 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE II.
|
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES; COVENANTS; TERMINATION
EVENTS |
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Section 2.1
|
|
Representations
and Warranties; Covenants |
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Section 2.2
|
|
Termination
Events |
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE III.
|
|
INDEMNIFICATION |
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Section 3.1
|
|
Indemnities by
the Seller |
|
19 |
|
|
|
|
Section 3.2
|
|
Indemnities by
the Servicer |
|
21 |
|
|
|
|
Section 3.3
|
|
Notice of
Claims |
|
21 |
|
|
|
|
ARTICLE IV.
|
|
ADMINISTRATION AND COLLECTIONS |
|
22 |
|
|
|
|
Section 4.1
|
|
Appointment of
the Servicer |
|
22 |
|
|
|
|
Section 4.2
|
|
Duties of the
Servicer |
|
23 |
i
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Page |
| Section 4.3 |
|
Lock-Box
Arrangements |
|
24 |
|
|
|
| Section
4.4 |
|
Enforcement
Rights |
|
24 |
|
|
|
| Section
4.5 |
|
Responsibilities
of the Seller |
|
25 |
|
|
|
| Section
4.6 |
|
Servicing
Fee |
|
26 |
|
|
|
| ARTICLE V. |
|
ADMINISTRATOR |
|
26 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.1 |
|
Appointment and
Authorization |
|
26 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.2 |
|
Delegation of
Duties |
|
27 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.3 |
|
Exculpatory
Provisions |
|
27 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.4 |
|
Reliance by
Administrator |
|
28 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.5 |
|
Notice of
Termination Events |
|
28 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.6 |
|
Non-Reliance on
Administrator |
|
29 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.7 |
|
Administrator,
Purchasers, Purchaser Agents and Affiliates |
|
29 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.8 |
|
Indemnification |
|
30 |
|
|
|
| Section
5.9 |
|
Successor
Administrator |
|
30 |
|
|
|
| Section 5.10 |
|
Certain Tax
Matters |
|
30 |
|
|
|
| ARTICLE VI. |
|
MISCELLANEOUS |
|
31 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.1 |
|
Amendments,
Etc |
|
31 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.2 |
|
Notices,
Etc |
|
31 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.3 |
|
Assignability |
|
31 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.4 |
|
Costs, Expenses
and Taxes |
|
34 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.5 |
|
No Proceedings;
Limitation on Payments |
|
35 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.6 |
|
Confidentiality |
|
35 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.7 |
|
GOVERNING LAW
AND JURISDICTION |
|
36 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.8 |
|
Execution in
Counterparts |
|
36 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.9 |
|
Survival of
Termination |
|
36 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.10 |
|
WAIVER OF JURY
TRIAL |
|
36 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.11 |
|
Entire
Agreement |
|
37 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.12 |
|
Headings |
|
37 |
|
|
|
| Section
6.13 |
|
Purchasers’
and Purchaser Agents’ Liabilities |
|
37 |
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT |
|
DEFINITIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT
II |
|
CONDITIONS OF PURCHASES |
|
|
ii
TABLE OF
CONTENTS
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
Page |
|
EXHIBIT III
|
|
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES |
|
|
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT IV |
|
COVENANTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| EXHIBIT V |
|
TERMINATION EVENTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCHEDULE I |
|
CREDIT
AND COLLECTION POLICY |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCHEDULE II |
|
LOCK-BOX
BANKS AND LOCK-BOX ACCOUNTS |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCHEDULE III |
|
TRADE
NAMES |
|
|
|
|
|
| SCHEDULE IV |
|
OFFICE
LOCATIONS |
|
|
|
|
|
| ANNEX
A |
|
FORM OF
INFORMATION PACKAGE |
|
|
|
|
|
| ANNEX
B |
|
FORM OF
PURCHASE NOTICE |
|
|
|
|
|
| ANNEX
C |
|
FORM OF
PAYDOWN NOTICE |
|
|
|
|
|
| ANNEX
D |
|
FORM OF
COMPLIANCE CERTIFICATE |
|
|
|
|
|
| ANNEX
E |
|
FORM OF
LETTER OF CREDIT APPLICATION |
|
|
iii
This AMENDED AND RESTATED
RECEIVABLES PURCHASE AGREEMENT (as amended, supplemented or
otherwise modified from time to time, this “ Agreement
”) is entered into as of April 30, 2007, by and among
CNX FUNDING CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation, as seller (the
“ Seller ”), CONSOL ENERGY INC., a Delaware
corporation (“ CONSOL Energy ”), as initial
servicer (in such capacity, together with its successors and
permitted assigns in such capacity, the “ Servicer
”), CONSOL ENERGY SALES COMPANY, a Delaware corporation,
CONSOL OF KENTUCKY INC., a Delaware corporation, CONSOL
PENNSYLVANIA COAL COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, CONSOLIDATION
COAL COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, ISLAND CREEK COAL COMPANY, a
Delaware corporation, WINDSOR COAL COMPANY, a West Virginia
corporation, MCELROY COAL COMPANY, a Delaware corporation, KEYSTONE
COAL MINING CORPORATION, a Pennsylvania corporation, EIGHTY-FOUR
MINING COMPANY, a Pennsylvania corporation, and CNX MARINE
TERMINALS INC., a Delaware corporation (each a “
Sub-Servicer ” and collectively, the “
Sub-Servicers ”), the CONDUIT PURCHASERS PARTY HERETO
(each, a “ Conduit Purchaser ”), the PURCHASER
AGENTS PARTY HERETO (each, a “ Purchaser Agent
”), THE FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FROM TIME TO TIME PARTIES
HERETO AS LC PARTICIPANTS (each together with their successors and
permitted assigns in such capacity, an “ LC
Participant ”), and PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, a
national banking association (“ PNC ”), as
Purchaser Agent for Market Street, and as administrator for the
Conduit Purchasers (in such capacity, together with its successors
and assigns in such capacity, the “ Administrator
”) and as issuer of Letters of Credit (in such capacity,
together with its successors and assigns in such capacity, the
“ LC Bank ”) and each of the other members of
each Purchaser Group party hereto or that become parties hereto by
executing an Assumption Agreement or a Transfer
Supplement.
PRELIMINARY STATEMENTS.
Certain terms that are capitalized and used throughout this
Agreement are used as defined in Exhibit I . References to
the “Agreement” in the Exhibits hereto refer to this
Agreement.
The Seller (i) desires
to sell, transfer and assign an undivided variable percentage
interest in a pool of receivables, and the Conduit Purchasers
desire to acquire such undivided variable percentage interest, as
such percentage interest shall be adjusted from time to time based
upon, in part, reinvestment payments that are made by the Conduit
Purchasers and (ii) may, subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, request that the LC Bank issue or cause the issuance of one
or more Letters of Credit.
This Agreement amends and
restates in its entirety, as of the Restatement Date, the
Receivables Purchase Agreement, dated as of April 30, 2003 (as
amended, restated, supplemented or otherwise modified prior to the
date hereof, the “Original Agreement”), among the
Seller, the Servicer, the Sub-Servicers, the Conduit Purchasers
from time to time party thereto, the Purchaser Agents party
thereto, and the Administrator. Notwithstanding the amendment and
restatement of the Original Agreement by this Agreement, the Seller
and Servicer shall continue to be liable to PNC, the Conduit
Purchasers or any other Indemnified Party or Affected Person (as
such terms are defined in the Original Agreement) for fees and
expenses which are accrued and unpaid under the Original Agreement
on the date hereof (collectively, the “Original Agreement
Outstanding Amounts”) and all agreements to indemnify such
parties in connection with events or conditions arising or existing
prior to the effective date
of this Agreement. Upon the
effectiveness of this Agreement, PNC as LC Bank and PNC and each
other LC Participant noted on the signature pages hereto shall
become a party to this Agreement and each reference to the Original
Agreement in any other document, instrument or agreement shall mean
and be a reference to this Agreement.
In consideration of the
mutual agreements, provisions and covenants contained herein, the
Original Agreement is hereby amended and restated to read in its
entirety as follows:
ARTICLE I.
AMOUNTS AND TERMS OF THE
PURCHASES
Section 1.1 Purchase
Facility .
(a) On the terms and
conditions hereinafter set forth, each Conduit Purchaser hereby
agrees, ratably based on its respective Commitment, to purchase,
and make reinvestments in, and the LC Bank hereby agrees (if so
requested) to issue Letters of Credit in return for (and each LC
Participant hereby severally agrees to make participation advances
in connection with any draws under such Letters of Credit equal to
such LC Participant’s Pro Rata Share of such draws),
undivided percentage ownership interests with regard to the
Purchased Interest from the Seller from time to time from the date
hereof to the Facility Termination Date.
The Seller may, subject to
the remainder of this paragraph (a) and the other
requirements and conditions herein, use the proceeds of any
purchase or reinvestment by the Conduit Purchasers hereunder to
satisfy its Reimbursement Obligation to the LC Bank and the LC
Participants (ratably, based on the outstanding amounts funded by
the LC Bank and each such LC Participant) pursuant to
Section 1.14 below.
In addition, in the event the
Seller fails to reimburse the LC Bank for the full amount of any
drawing under any Letter of Credit on the applicable Drawing Date
(out of its own funds available therefor, or otherwise, at such
time), pursuant to Section 1.14 below, then the Seller
shall, automatically (and without the requirement of any further
action on the part of any Person hereunder), be deemed to have
requested a new purchase from the Conduit Purchasers on such date,
pursuant to the terms hereof, in an amount equal to the amount of
such Reimbursement Obligation at such time. Subject to the
limitations on funding set forth in the remainder of this
paragraph (a) below (and the other requirements and
conditions herein), the Conduit Purchasers shall fund such deemed
purchase request and deliver the proceeds thereof directly to the
Administrator to be immediately distributed (ratably) to the LC
Bank and the applicable LC Participants in satisfaction of the
Seller’s Reimbursement Obligation pursuant to
Section 1.14 below, to the extent of the amounts
permitted to be funded by the Conduit Purchasers, at such time,
hereunder.
Notwithstanding anything set
forth in this paragraph (a) or otherwise herein to the
contrary, under no circumstances shall any Purchaser make any such
purchase or reinvestment (including, without limitation, any deemed
purchases by the Conduit Purchasers pursuant to the immediately
preceding paragraphs of this Section 1.1(a) ), or issue
any Letter of Credit, as applicable, if, after giving effect to
such purchase, reinvestment or issuance, the (i) aggregate
outstanding amount of the Capital funded by such Purchaser shall
exceed (A) its Purchaser
2
Group’s Group Commitment, as the
same may be reduced from time to time pursuant to
Section 1.1(b) , minus (B) in the case of any LC
Participant, such LC Participant’s Pro Rata Share of the face
amount of any outstanding Letters of Credit or (ii) the
aggregate outstanding Capital plus the LC Participation Amount
would exceed the Purchase Limit.
(b) The Seller may, upon at
least 60 days’ written notice to the Administrator, terminate
the purchase facility provided in this Section in whole or, upon at
least 30 days’ written notice to the Administrator, from time
to time, irrevocably reduce in part the unused portion of the
Purchase Limit; provided, that each partial reduction shall be in
the amount of at least $5,000,000, or an integral multiple of
$1,000,000 in excess thereof, and that, unless terminated in whole,
the Purchase Limit shall in no event be reduced below $50,000,000.
Each reduction in the Commitments hereunder shall be made ratably
among the Purchasers in accordance with their respective pro rata
shares. The Administrator shall promptly advise the Purchaser
Agents of any notice received by it pursuant to this
Section 1.1(b) ; it being understood that (in addition
to and without limiting any other requirements for termination,
prepayment and/or the funding of the LC Collateral Account
hereunder) no such termination or reduction shall be effective
unless and until (i) in the case of a termination, the amount
on deposit in the LC Collateral Account is at least equal to the
then outstanding LC Participation Amount and (ii) in the case
of a partial reduction, the amount on deposit in the LC Collateral
Account is at least equal to the positive difference between the
then outstanding LC Participation Amount and the Purchase Limit as
so reduced by such partial reduction.
Section 1.2 Making
Purchases .
(a) Each Funded Purchase (but
not reinvestment) of undivided percentage ownership interests with
regard to the Purchased Interest hereunder shall be made upon the
Seller’s irrevocable written notice in the form of Annex
B (the “ Purchase Notice ”) delivered to the
Administrator and each Purchaser Agent in accordance with
Section 5.2 (which notice must be received by the
Administrator and each Purchaser Agent before 11:00 a.m., New York
City time) at least two Business Days before the requested purchase
date, which notice shall specify: (A) in the case of a Funded
Purchase (other than one made pursuant to
Section 1.14(b) ), the amount requested to be paid to
the Seller with respect to each Conduit Purchaser (such amount,
which shall not be less than $300,000 (or an integral multiple of
$100,000 in excess thereof), or such lesser amount as is agreed to
by the Administrator and each Purchaser Agent, with respect to each
Purchaser Group, being the Capital relating to the undivided
percentage ownership interest then being purchased by such Conduit
Purchaser), (B) the date of such Funded Purchase (which shall
be a Business Day), and (C) the pro forma calculation of the
Purchased Interest after giving effect to the increase in
Capital.
(b) On the date of each
Funded Purchase (but not reinvestment or issuance of a Letter of
Credit) of undivided percentage ownership interests with regard to
the Purchased Interest hereunder, each Conduit Purchaser (or the
related Purchaser Agent on its behalf) shall, upon satisfaction of
the conditions set forth in Exhibit II , make available to
the Seller in same day funds, at PNC Bank, National Association,
account number 1017289343, ABA 043000096 or any other account
designated by the Seller, an amount equal to its Capital relating
to the undivided percentage ownership interest then being
purchased.
3
(c) Effective on the date of
each Funded Purchase pursuant to this Section and each reinvestment
pursuant to Section 1.4 , the Seller hereby sells and
assigns to the Administrator (for the benefit of the Purchasers
(ratably based on the sum of the Capital plus the LC Participation
Amount outstanding at such time,) an undivided percentage ownership
interest in: (i) each Pool Receivable then existing,
(ii) all Related Security with respect to such Pool
Receivables, and (iii) all Collections with respect to, and
other proceeds of, such Pool Receivables and Related
Security.
(d) To secure all of the
Seller’s obligations (monetary or otherwise) under this
Agreement and the other Transaction Documents to which it is a
party, whether now or hereafter existing or arising, due or to
become due, direct or indirect, absolute or contingent, the Seller
hereby grants to the Administrator for the benefit of the
Purchasers a security interest in all of the Seller’s right,
title and interest (including any undivided interest of the Seller)
in, to and under all of the following, whether now or hereafter
owned, existing or arising: (i) all Pool Receivables,
(ii) all Related Security with respect to such Pool
Receivables, (iii) all Collections with respect to such Pool
Receivables, (iv) the Lock-Box Accounts and all amounts on
deposit therein, and all certificates and instruments, if any, from
time to time evidencing such Lock-Box Accounts and amounts on
deposit therein, (v) all rights (but none of the obligations)
of the Seller under the Sale Agreement and the CONSOL Guaranty, and
(vi) all proceeds of, and all amounts received or receivable
under any or all of, the foregoing (collectively, the “
Pool Assets ”). The Administrator, for the benefit of
the Purchasers, shall have, with respect to the Pool Assets, and in
addition to all the other rights and remedies available to the
Administrator and the Purchasers, all the rights and remedies of a
secured party under any applicable UCC.
(e) Whenever the LC Bank
issues a Letter of Credit pursuant to Section 1.12 hereof,
each LC Participant shall, automatically and without further action
of any kind upon the effective date of issuance of such Letter of
Credit, have irrevocably been deemed to make a Funded Purchase
hereunder in the event that such Letter of Credit is subsequently
drawn and such drawn amount shall not have been reimbursed pursuant
to Section 1.14 upon such draw. All such Funded Purchases
shall be made ratably by the LC Participants according to their Pro
Rata Shares and shall accrue Discount from the date of such draw.
In the event that any Letter of Credit expires or is surrendered
without being drawn (in whole or in part) then, in such event, the
foregoing commitment to make Funded Purchases shall expire with
respect to such Letter of Credit and the LC Participation Amount
shall automatically reduce by the amount of the Letter of Credit
which is no longer outstanding.
Section 1.3 Purchased
Interest Computation .
The Purchased Interest shall
be initially computed on the date of the initial purchase
hereunder. Thereafter, until the Facility Termination Date, the
Purchased Interest shall be automatically recomputed (or deemed to
be recomputed) on each Business Day other than a Termination Day.
The Purchased Interest as computed (or deemed recomputed) as of the
day before the Facility Termination Date shall thereafter remain
constant. The Purchased Interest shall become zero when
(a) the Capital thereof and Discount thereon shall have been
paid in full, (b) an amount equal to 100% of the LC
Participation Amount has been deposited in the LC Collateral
Account, or all Letters of Credit have expired and (c) all the
amounts owed by the Seller or the Servicer hereunder to each
Purchaser, the Administrator and any other Indemnified Party or
Affected Person are paid in full, and the Servicer shall have
received the accrued Servicing Fee thereon.
4
Section 1.4 Settlement
Procedures .
(a) The collection of the
Pool Receivables shall be administered by the Servicer in
accordance with this Agreement. The Seller shall provide to the
Servicer on a timely basis all information needed for such
administration, including notice of the occurrence of any
Termination Day and current computations of the Purchased
Interest.
(b) The Servicer shall, on
each day on which Collections of Pool Receivables are received (or
deemed received) by the Seller or the Servicer:
(i) set aside and hold in
trust (and shall, at the request of the Administrator, segregate in
a separate account approved by the Administrator) for the
Administrator (for the benefit of the Purchasers), out of the
Purchasers’ Share of such Collections, first, an amount equal
to the Purchasers’ aggregate amount of Discount accrued
through such day for each Portion of Capital and not previously set
aside, second, an amount equal to the fees set forth in the Fee
Letters accrued and unpaid through such day, and third, to the
extent funds are available therefor, an amount equal to the
aggregate of each Purchaser Group’s Ratable Share of the
Purchasers’ Share of the Servicing Fee accrued through such
day and not previously set aside,
(ii) subject to
Section 1.4(f) , if such day is not a Termination Day,
remit to the Seller, ratably, on behalf of each Purchaser Group,
the remainder of the Purchasers’ Share of such Collections.
Such remainder shall, to the extent representing a return on the
aggregate Capital, be automatically deemed to be reinvested in Pool
Receivables, and in the Related Security, Collections and other
proceeds with respect thereto ratably, according to each
Purchaser’s Capital; provided, however, that if the Purchased
Interest would exceed 100%, then the Servicer shall not reinvest,
but shall set aside and hold in trust for Administrator (for the
benefit of the Purchasers) (and shall, at the request of the
Administrator, segregate in a separate account approved by the
Administrator) a portion of such Collections that, together with
the other Collections set aside pursuant to this paragraph, shall
equal the amount necessary to reduce the Purchased Interest to
100%; provided , further , that in the case of any
Purchaser that has provided notice (an “ Exiting
Notice ”) to its Purchaser Agent of its refusal, to
extend its Commitment hereunder (an “ Exiting
Purchaser ”), then such Exiting Purchaser’s ratable
share of such Collections based on its Capital shall not be
reinvested (after the termination of its Commitment) and shall
instead be held in trust for Administrator (for the benefit of such
Exiting Purchaser) and applied in accordance with clause
(iii) below,
(iii) if such day is a
Termination Day (or any day following the provision of an Exiting
Notice), set aside, segregate and hold in trust for the
Administrator (for the benefit of the Purchasers) (and shall, at
the request of the Administrator, segregate in a separate account
approved by the Administrator) for the benefit of each Purchaser
Group the entire remainder of the Purchasers’ Share of the
Collections (or in the case of an Exiting Purchaser an amount equal
to such Purchaser’s ratable share of such Collections based
on its Capital; provided , that solely for the purpose of
determining such Purchaser’s ratable share of such
Collections, such Purchaser’s Capital shall be deemed to
remain constant from the date of the provision of an
5
Exiting Notice until the date such
Purchaser’s Capital has been paid in full; it being
understood that if such day is also a Termination Day, such Exiting
Purchaser’s Capital shall be recalculated taking into account
amounts received by such Purchaser in respect of this parenthetical
and thereafter Collections shall be set aside for such Purchaser
ratably in respect of its Capital (as recalculated)); provided,
that if amounts are set aside and held in trust on any Termination
Day of the type described in clause (a) of the definition of
“Termination Day” and, thereafter, the conditions set
forth in Section 2 of Exhibit II are satisfied
or waived by the appropriate Person or Persons, such previously
set-aside amounts shall, to the extent representing a return on
aggregate Capital (other than the Capital of any Exiting Purchaser)
and ratably in accordance with each Purchaser’s (other than
an Exiting Purchaser) Capital, be reinvested in accordance with
clause (ii) on the day of such subsequent satisfaction
or waiver of conditions, and
(iv) release to the Seller
(subject to Section 1.4(f) ) for its own account any
Collections in excess of: (x) amounts required to be
reinvested in accordance with clause (ii) or the proviso to
clause (iii) plus (y) the amounts that are required to be
set aside pursuant to clause (i) , the proviso to clause
(ii) and clause (iii) plus (z) the
Seller’s Share of the Servicing Fee accrued and unpaid
through such day plus (aa) all other amounts then due and payable
by the Seller under this Agreement to any Purchasers, the
Administrator, and any other Indemnified Party or Affected
Person.
(c) The Servicer shall
deposit into each Purchaser Agent’s account (as designated by
such Purchaser Agent to Servicer on or prior to the date hereof, or
such other account designated by such Purchaser to Servicer from
time to time), on each Settlement Date, Collections held for the
applicable Purchaser, pursuant to clause (b)(i) or
(f) plus the amount of Collections then held for the
Administrator (for the benefit of such Purchaser) pursuant to
clauses (b)(ii) and (iii) of
Section 1.4 ; provided, that if CONSOL Energy or an
Affiliate thereof is the Servicer, such day is not a Termination
Day and the Administrator has not notified CONSOL Energy (or such
Affiliate) that such right is revoked, CONSOL Energy (or such
Affiliate) may retain the portion of the Collections set aside
pursuant to clause (b)(i) that represents the aggregate of
each Purchaser Group’s Ratable Share of the Purchasers’
Share of the Servicing Fee. On the last day of each Settlement
Period, each Purchaser or (its Purchaser Agent) will notify the
Servicer by facsimile of the amount of Discount accrued with
respect to each Portion of Capital during such Settlement Period or
portion thereof.
(d) Upon receipt of funds
deposited pursuant to clause (c) , each Purchaser Agent
shall cause such funds to be distributed as follows:
(i) if such distribution
occurs on a day that is not a Termination Day and the Purchased
Interest does not exceed 100%, first to such Purchaser Agent
ratably according to the Discount accrued during the applicable
Settlement Period (for the benefit of the relevant Purchasers
within such Purchaser Agent’s Purchaser Group) in payment in
full of all accrued Discount and fees (other than Servicing Fees)
with respect to each Portion of Capital maintained by such
Purchasers; it being understood that each Purchaser Agent shall
distribute such amounts to the Purchasers within its Purchaser
Group ratably according to the Discount with respect to each
Portion of Capital maintained by such Purchaser, and second, if the
Servicer has set aside amounts in respect of the Servicing Fee
pursuant to clause (b)(i) and has not retained such amounts
pursuant to clause (c) , to the Servicer (payable in arrears
on each Settlement Date) in payment in full of the aggregate of
each Purchaser Group’s Ratable Share of the Purchaser’s
Share of accrued Servicing Fees so set aside, and
6
(ii) if such distribution
occurs on a Termination Day or on a day when the Purchased Interest
exceeds 100%, first to such Purchaser Agent ratably according to
Discount (for the benefit of the relevant Purchasers within such
Purchaser Agent’s Purchaser Group) in payment in full of all
accrued Discount with respect to each Portion of Capital funded or
maintained by the Purchasers within such Purchaser Agent’s
Purchaser Group, second to such Purchaser Agent ratably according
to the aggregate of the Capital of each Purchaser in each such
Purchaser Agent’s Purchaser Group (for the benefit of the
relevant Purchasers within such Purchaser Agent’s Purchaser
Group) in payment in full of each Purchaser’s Capital (or, if
such day is not a Termination Day, such Purchaser’s ratable
share of the amount necessary to reduce the Purchased Interest to
100%), third, to the Servicer in payment in full of the aggregate
of such Purchaser Group’s Ratable Share of all accrued
Servicing Fees, fourth, to the LC Collateral Account for the
benefit of the LC Bank and the LC Participants, the amount
necessary to cash collateralized the LC Participation Amount until
the amount of cash collateral held in such LC Collateral Account
equals the aggregate outstanding amount of the LC Participation
Amount and if the Capital and accrued Discount with respect to the
Purchasers in its Purchaser Group’s percentage interest of
Capital have been reduced to zero or if such day is not a
Termination Day, the Purchased Interest is reduced to 100%, and all
accrued Servicing Fees payable to the Servicer have been paid in
full, to the Administrator for distribution to each Purchaser, each
Purchaser Agent, the Administrator and any other Indemnified Party
or Affected Person any other amounts then owed thereto by the
Seller hereunder, ratably in accordance with the amounts due
thereto.
After the Capital, Discount, fees
payable pursuant to the Fee Letters and Servicing Fees with respect
to the Purchased Interest, and any other amounts payable by the
Seller and the Servicer to each Purchaser Group, the Administrator
or any other Indemnified Party or Affected Person hereunder, have
been paid in full, and (on and after a Termination Day) after an
amount equal to 100% of the LC Participation Amount has been
deposited in the LC Collateral Account, all additional Collections
with respect to the Purchased Interest shall be paid to the Seller
for its own account.
(e) For the purposes of this
Section 1.4 :
(i) if on any day the
Outstanding Balance of any Pool Receivable is reduced or adjusted
as a result of any defective, rejected, returned, repossessed or
foreclosed goods or services, or any revision, cancellation,
allowance, rebate, discount or other adjustment made by the Seller
or any Affiliate of the Seller, or any setoff or dispute between
the Seller or any Affiliate of the Seller and an Obligor, the
Seller shall be deemed to have received on such day a Collection of
such Pool Receivable in the amount of such reduction or
adjustment;
(ii) if on any day any of the
representations or warranties in Section 1(g) or
(n) of Exhibit III is not true with respect to
any Pool Receivable, the Seller shall be deemed to have received on
such day a Collection of such Pool Receivable in full;
(iii) except as provided in
clause (i) or (ii) , or as otherwise required
by applicable law or the relevant Contract, all Collections
received from an Obligor of any
7
Receivable shall be applied to the
Receivables of such Obligor in the order of the age of such
Receivables, starting with the oldest such Receivable, unless such
Obligor designates in writing its payment for application to
specific Receivables; and
(iv) if and to the extent the
Administrator or any Purchaser shall be required for any reason to
pay over to an Obligor (or any trustee, receiver, custodian or
similar official in any Insolvency Proceeding) any amount received
by it hereunder, such amount shall be deemed not to have been so
received by the Administrator or such Purchaser but rather to have
been retained by the Seller and, accordingly, the Administrator or
such Purchaser, as the case may be, shall have a claim against the
Seller for such amount, payable when and to the extent that any
distribution from or on behalf of such Obligor is made in respect
thereof
(f) If at any time the Seller
shall wish to cause the reduction of Capital (but not to commence
the liquidation, or reduction to zero, of the entire Capital of the
Purchased Interest), the Seller may do so as follows:
(i) the Seller shall give the
Administrator, the Purchaser Agents and the Servicer written notice
in the form of Annex C (the “ Paydown Notice
”) at least two Business Days prior to the date of such
reduction;
(ii) On the proposed date of
the commencement of such reduction and on each day thereafter, the
Servicer shall cause Collections not to be reinvested until the
amount thereof not so reinvested shall equal the desired amount of
reduction; and
(iii) the Servicer shall hold
such Collections in trust for the Purchasers ratably (based on
their respective Portions of Capital funded thereby), for payment
to the Purchaser Agents on the next Settlement Date immediately
following the current Settlement Period or such other date approved
by the Purchaser Agents, and Capital shall be deemed reduced in the
amount to be paid to the Purchaser Agents only when in fact finally
so paid.
Section 1.5 Fees
.
The Seller shall pay to each
Purchaser Agent for the benefit of the related Purchasers certain
fees in the amounts and on the dates set forth in certain fee
letters, among (i) CONSOL Energy, the Seller and the
applicable Purchaser Agent dated the date hereof, and
(ii) CONSOL Energy, the Seller, and each Purchaser Agent other
than the Purchaser Group to which Market Street and Liberty Street
Funding Corp. are members dated as of the date such Purchaser Group
becomes party to this Agreement (as such letter agreements may be
amended, supplemented or otherwise modified from time to time, the
“ Fee Letters ”).
Section 1.6 Payments and
Computations, Etc .
(a) All amounts to be paid or
deposited by the Seller or the Servicer hereunder shall be made
without reduction for offset or counterclaim and shall be paid or
deposited no later than noon, New York City, New York time on the
day when due in same day funds to each Purchaser Agent’s
account. All amounts received after noon, New York City, New York
time, will be deemed to have been received on the next Business
Day.
8
(b) The Seller or the
Servicer, as the case may be, shall, to the extent permitted by
applicable law, pay interest on any amount not paid or deposited by
the Seller or the Servicer, as the case may be, when due hereunder,
at an interest rate equal to 2.0% per annum above the Base
Rate, payable on demand.
(c) All computations of
interest under clause (b) and all computations of
Discount, fees and other amounts hereunder shall be made on the
basis of a year of 360 (or 365 or 366, as applicable, with respect
to Discount or other amounts calculated by reference to the Base
Rate) days for the actual number of days elapsed. Whenever any
payment or deposit to be made hereunder shall be due on a day other
than a Business Day, such payment or deposit shall be made on the
next Business Day and such extension of time shall be included in
the computation of such payment or deposit.
Section 1.7 Increased
Costs and Yield Protection .
(a) If the Administrator, any
Liquidity Provider, any Purchaser Agent, any Purchaser, any other
Program Support Provider or any of their respective Affiliates
(each an “ Affected Person ”) reasonably
determines that the existence of or compliance with: (i) FIN
46 and Subsequent Statements and Interpretations described in
Section 1.7(c) below, (ii) any other law, regulation or
generally accepted accounting principle or any change therein or in
the interpretation or application thereof by a Governmental
Authority or other applicable Person charged with or having the
responsibility or authority to make such interpretations or
applications, in each case adopted, issued or occurring after the
date hereof, or (iii) any request, guideline or directive from
any central bank or other Governmental Authority (whether or not
having the force of law) issued or occurring after the date of this
Agreement, affects or would affect the amount of capital required
or expected to be maintained by such Affected Person, and such
Affected Person reasonably determines that the amount of such
capital is increased by or based upon the existence of any
commitment to make purchases of (or otherwise to maintain the
investment in) Pool Receivables or issue any Letter of Credit
related to this Agreement or any related liquidity facility, credit
enhancement facility and other commitments of the same type, then,
upon demand by such Affected Person (with a copy to the
Administrator and the Purchaser Agents), the Seller shall promptly
pay to such Affected Person, from time to time as specified by such
Affected Person, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such
Affected Person for both increased costs and maintenance of
bargained for yield in the light of such circumstances, to the
extent that such Affected Person reasonably determines such
increase in capital to be allocable to the existence of any of such
commitments. A certificate as to such amounts submitted to the
Seller, the Administrator and the Purchaser Agents by such Affected
Person shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent
manifest error. The Affected Person shall use reasonable efforts to
notify the Seller, orally or in writing, of any event described in
clauses (ii) or (iii) above (Seller is aware of FIN 46
and Subsequent Statements and the Interpretations described in
clause (i) above and in Section 1.7(c) below) that
appears likely to result in a claim for compensation (for increased
costs or maintenance of bargained for yield) under this Section
promptly after the Affected Person learns of such an event and that
it will have adverse implications upon such Affected Person,
provided that any failure to give such notice shall not preclude
such Affected Person from asserting such a claim for compensation
at any time.
9
(b) If, due to either:
(i) FIN 46 and Subsequent Statements and Interpretations,
(ii) the introduction of or any change in or in the
interpretation by a Governmental Authority or other applicable
Person charged with or having the responsibility or authority to
make such changes or interpretations after the date hereof of any
other law, regulation or generally accepted accounting standard or
(iii) compliance with any guideline or request from any
central bank or other Governmental Authority (whether or not having
the force of law), there shall be any increase in the cost to any
Affected Person of agreeing to purchase or purchasing, or
maintaining the ownership of, the Purchased Interest in respect of
which Discount is computed by reference to the Euro-Rate, then,
upon demand by such Affected Person (with a copy to the
Administrator and the Purchaser Agents), the Seller shall promptly
pay to such Affected Person, from time to time as specified by such
Affected Person, additional amounts sufficient to compensate such
Affected Person for both increased costs and maintenance of
bargained for yield. A certificate as to such amounts submitted to
the Seller, the Administrator and the Purchaser Agents by such
Affected Person shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes,
absent manifest error.
(c) For avoidance of doubt
any increase in cost and/or reduction in yield caused by regulatory
capital allocation adjustments due to Financial Accounting
Standards Board’s Interpretation 46 (or any future statement
or interpretation issued by the Financial Accounting Standards
Board or any successor thereto) (collectively, the “ FIN
46 and Subsequent Statements and Interpretations ”) shall
be covered by this Section 1.7 .
(d) If such increased costs
affect the related Affected Person’s portfolio of financing
transactions, such Affected Person shall use reasonable averaging
and attribution methods to allocate such increased costs to the
transactions contemplated by this Agreement.
(e) The Administrator and the
Purchaser Agents will make reasonable efforts to cause the interest
of any Affected Party (other than PNC (in its capacity as
Administrator, a Purchaser Agent, a Purchaser, a Program Support
Provider or otherwise), Market Street or any of their Affiliates)
that makes a claim under this Section 1.7 to be
transferred to a party that is not subject to increased costs under
this Section 1.7 ; provided that neither PNC nor any of
its Affiliates shall be required hereunder to itself accept such
transferred interest.
(f) Notwithstanding any
language in this Section 1.7 to the contrary, nothing
in this Section 1.7 shall be construed as requiring the
Seller to make any payments attributable to or in respect of any
net income, gross receipts, franchise or similar taxes imposed upon
any Affected Person or taxes required to be withheld or deducted
from any payments to any Affected Person; provided, however, that
the Seller shall be obligated to compensate an Affected Person for
any additional taxes attributable directly to any increase in
capital required or expected to be maintained as a result of an
event described in any of clauses (i) through (iii) in
subsection (a), and provided further that any increase in payments
pursuant to this Section 1.7 shall be taken into account in
determining any obligation of the Seller under Sections 1.8
and 3.1 .
Section 1.8 Requirements
of Law; Funding Losses .
(a) If any Affected Person
reasonably determines that the existence of or compliance with:
(i) any law or regulation or any change therein or in the
interpretation or application thereof, in each case adopted, issued
or occurring after the date hereof, or (ii) any request,
guideline or directive from any central bank or other Governmental
Authority (whether or not having the force of law) issued or
occurring after the date of this Agreement:
(A) does or shall subject
such Affected Person to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect
to this Agreement, any increase in the Purchased Interest or in the
amount of Capital relating thereto, or does or shall change the
basis of taxation of payments to such Affected Person on account of
Collections, Discount or any other amounts payable hereunder
(excluding (1) taxes imposed on the overall or branch pre-tax
net income or gross receipts of such Affected Person,
(2) backup withholding or other advance payments of the taxes
described in (1), and (3) franchise taxes imposed on such
Affected Person),
10
(B) does or shall impose,
modify or hold applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory
loan or similar requirement against assets held by, or deposits or
other liabilities in or for the account of, purchases, advances or
loans by, or other credit extended by, or any other acquisition of
funds by, any office of such Affected Person that are not otherwise
included in the determination of the Euro-Rate or the Base Rate
hereunder, or
(C) does or shall impose on
such Affected Person any other material condition, and the result
of any of the foregoing is: (1) to increase the cost to such
Affected Person of acting as Administrator, or of agreeing to
purchase or purchasing or maintaining the ownership of undivided
percentage ownership interests with regard to, or issuing any
Letter of Credit in respect of, the Purchased Interest (or
interests therein) or any Portion of Capital, or (2) to reduce
any amount receivable hereunder (whether directly or indirectly),
then, in any such case, upon demand by such Affected Person (with a
copy to the Administrator and the Purchaser Agents), and subject to
Section 5.3(f) hereof, the Seller shall promptly pay to
such Affected Person additional amounts necessary to compensate
such Affected Person for such additional cost or reduced amount
receivable. All such amounts shall be payable as incurred. A
certificate from such Affected Person to the Seller, the
Administrator and the Purchaser Agents certifying, in reasonably
specific detail, the basis for, calculation of, and amount of such
additional costs or reduced amount receivable shall be conclusive
and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.
(b) The Seller shall
compensate each Affected Person, upon written request by such
Person for all losses, expenses and liabilities (including any
interest paid by such Affected Person to lenders of funds borrowed
by it to fund or maintain any Portion of Capital hereunder at an
interest rate determined by reference to the Euro-Rate and any loss
sustained by such Person in connection with the re-employment of
such funds), which such Affected Person may sustain with respect to
funding or maintaining such Portion of Capital at the Euro-Rate if,
for any reason, funding or maintaining such Portion of Capital at
an interest rate determined by reference to the Euro-Rate does not
occur on a date specified therefor; provided, however, that no
Affected Person shall be required to disclose any confidential or
tax planning information in any such certificate.
11
Section 1.9 Inability to
Determine Euro-Rate .
(a) If the Administrator
determines before the first day of any Settlement Period (which
determination shall be final and conclusive) that, by reason of
circumstances affecting the interbank eurodollar market generally,
(i) deposits in dollars (in the relevant amounts for such
Settlement Period) are not being offered to banks in the interbank
eurodollar market for such Settlement Period, (ii) adequate
means do not exist for ascertaining the Euro-Rate for such
Settlement Period or (iii) the Euro Rate does not accurately
reflect the cost to any Purchaser (as determined by such Purchaser)
of maintaining any Portion of Capital during such Settlement
Period, then the Administrator shall give notice thereof to the
Seller. Thereafter, until the Administrator notifies the Seller
that the circumstances giving rise to such suspension no longer
exist, (i) no Portion of Capital shall be funded at the
Alternate Rate determined by reference to the Euro-Rate and
(ii) the Discount for any outstanding Portions of Capital then
funded at the Alternate Rate determined by reference to the
Euro-Rate shall, on the last day of the then current Settlement
Period, be converted to the Alternate Rate determined by reference
to the Base Rate.
(b) If, on or before the
first day of any Settlement Period, the Administrator shall have
been notified by any Affected Person that such Affected Person has
determined (which determination shall be final and conclusive) that
any enactment, promulgation or adoption of or any change in any
applicable law, rule or regulation, or any change in the
interpretation or administration thereof by a governmental
authority, central bank or comparable agency charged with the
interpretation or administration thereof, or compliance by such
Affected Person with any guideline, request or directive (whether
or not having the force of law) of any such authority, central bank
or comparable agency shall make it unlawful or impossible for such
Affected Person to fund or maintain any Portion of Capital at the
Alternate Rate and based upon the Euro-Rate, the Administrator
shall notify the Seller thereof. Upon receipt of such notice, until
the Administrator notifies the Seller that the circumstances giving
rise to such determination no longer apply, (i) no Portion of
Capital shall be funded at the Alternate Rate determined by
reference to the Euro-Rate and (ii) the Discount for any
outstanding Portions of Capital then funded at the Alternate Rate
determined by reference to the Euro-Rate shall be converted to the
Alternate Rate determined by reference to the Base Rate either
(A) on the last day of the then current Settlement Period if
such Affected Person may lawfully continue to maintain such Portion
of Capital at the Alternate Rate determined by reference to the
Euro-Rate to such day, or (B) immediately, if such Affected
Person may not lawfully continue to maintain such Portion of
Capital at the Alternate Rate determined by reference to the
Euro-Rate to such day.
Section 1.10
[Reserved].
Section 1.11 Letters of
Credit .
Subject to the terms and
conditions hereof, the LC Bank shall issue or cause the issuance of
Letters of Credit (“Letters of Credit”) on behalf of
Seller (and, if applicable, on behalf of, or for the account of,
any Originator in favor of such beneficiaries as such Originator
may elect); provided, however, that the LC Bank will not be
required to issue or cause to be issued any Letters of Credit to
the extent that the issuance of such Letters of Credit would then
cause either (a) the sum of (i) the aggregate Capital
plus (ii) the LC Participation Amount to exceed the Purchase
Limit or (b) the Capital for Purchasers in the LC Bank’s
Purchaser Group to exceed the
12
Group Commitment for such Purchaser
Group. The LC Participation Amount shall not exceed in the
aggregate, at any time, the aggregate of the Commitments of the LC
Bank and the LC Participants. All amounts drawn upon Letters of
Credit shall accrue Discount. Letters of Credit that have not been
drawn upon shall not accrue Discount.
Section 1.12 Issuance of
Letters of Credit .
(a) The Seller may request
that the LC Bank, upon two (2) Business Days’ prior
written notice submitted on or before 11:00 a.m., New York time,
issue a Letter of Credit by delivering to the Administrator, the LC
Bank’s form of Letter of Credit Application (the
“Letter of Credit Application”), substantially in the
form of Annex E attached hereto completed to the reasonable
satisfaction of the Administrator and the LC Bank; and, such other
certificates, documents and other papers and information as the
Administrator may reasonably request. The Seller also has the right
to give instructions and make agreements with respect to any Letter
of Credit Application and the disposition of documents, and to
agree with the Administrator upon any amendment, extension or
renewal of any Letter of Credit.
(b) Each Letter of Credit
shall, among other things, (i) provide for the payment of
sight drafts or other written demands for payment when presented
for honor thereunder in accordance with the terms thereof and when
accompanied by the documents described therein and (ii) have
an expiry date not later than twelve (12) months after such
Letter of Credit’s date of issuance provided that any such
Letter of Credit may automatically renew if such Letter of Credit
has an automatic renewal feature set forth in the terms thereof,
unless the LC Bank or such LC Bank’s Affiliates give notice
of termination of such Letter of Credit. Each Letter of Credit
shall be subject either to the Uniform Customs and Practice for
Documentary Credits (1993 Revision), International Chamber of
Commerce Publication No. 500, and any amendments or revisions
thereof adhered to by the LC Bank (“UCP 500”) or the
International Standby Practices (ISP98-International Chamber of
Commerce Publication Number 590), and any amendments or revisions
thereof adhered to by the LC Bank (the “ISP98 Rules”),
as determined by the LC Bank.
(c) The Administrator shall
promptly notify the LC Bank, at its address for notices hereunder,
and each LC Participant of the request by the Seller for a Letter
of Credit hereunder, and shall provide the LC Bank with the Letter
of Credit Application delivered to the Administrator by the Seller
pursuant to paragraph (a), above, by the close of business on the
day received or if received on a day that is not a Business Day or
on any Business Day after 11:00 a.m., New York time, on such day,
on the next Business Day.
Section 1.13 Requirements
For Issuance of Letters of Credit .
The Seller shall authorize
and direct the LC Bank to name the Seller or any Originator as the
“Applicant” or “Account Party” of each
Letter of Credit.
Section 1.14
Disbursements, Reimbursement .
(a) Immediately upon the
issuance of each Letter of Credit, each LC Participant shall be
deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to,
purchase from the LC Bank a participation in such Letter of Credit
and each drawing thereunder in an amount equal to such LC
Participant’s Pro Rata Share of the face amount of such
Letter of Credit and the amount of such drawing,
respectively.
13
(b) In the event of any
request for a drawing under a Letter of Credit by the beneficiary
or transferee thereof, the LC Bank will promptly notify the
Administrator and the Seller of such request. Provided that it
shall have received such notice, the Seller shall reimburse (such
obligation to reimburse the LC Bank shall sometimes be referred to
as a “Reimbursement Obligation”) the LC Bank prior to
12:00 p.m., New York time, on each date that an amount is paid by
the LC Bank under any Letter of Credit (each such date, a
“Drawing Date”) in an amount equal to the amount so
paid by the LC Bank. In the event the Seller fails to reimburse the
LC Bank for the full amount of any drawing under any Letter of
Credit by 12:00 p.m., New York time, on the Drawing Date, the LC
Bank will promptly notify each LC Participant thereof, and the
Seller shall be deemed to have requested that a Funded Purchase be
made by Purchasers in the Purchaser Group for the LC Bank and the
LC Participants to be disbursed on the Drawing Date under such
Letter of Credit, subject to the amount of the unutilized portion
of Group Commitment for such Purchaser Group.
(c) Each LC Participant
shall, upon any notice pursuant to subclause (b) above, make
available to the LC Bank an amount in immediately available funds
equal to its Pro Rata Share of the amount of the drawing, whereupon
the LC Participants shall each be deemed to have made a Funded
Purchase in that amount. If any LC Participant so notified fails to
make available to the LC Bank the amount of such LC
Participant’s Pro Rata Share of such amount by no later than
2:00 p.m., New York time on the Drawing Date, then interest shall
accrue on such LC Participant’s obligation to make such
payment, from the Drawing Date to the date on which such LC
Participant makes such payment (i) at a rate per annum equal
to the Federal Funds Rate during the first three days following the
Drawing Date and (ii) at a rate per annum equal to the
Discount rate applicable to Capital on and after the fourth day
following the Drawing Date. The LC Bank will promptly give notice
of the occurrence of the Drawing Date, but failure of the LC Bank
to give any such notice on the Drawing Date or in sufficient time
to enable any LC Participant to effect such payment on such date
shall not relieve such LC Participant from its obligation under
this subclause (c), provided that such LC Participant shall not be
obligated to pay interest as provided in subclauses (i) and
(ii) above until and commencing from the date of receipt of
notice from the LC Bank or the Administrator of a drawing. Each LC
Participant’s Commitment shall continue until the last to
occur of any of the following events: (A) the LC Bank ceases
to be obligated to issue or cause to be issued Letters of Credit
hereunder; (B) no Letter of Credit issued hereunder remains
outstanding and uncancelled or (C) all Persons (other than the
Seller) have been fully reimbursed for all payments made under or
relating to Letters of Credit.
Section 1.15 Repayment of
Participation Advances .
(a) Upon (and only upon)
receipt by the LC Bank for its account of immediately available
funds from or for the account of the Seller (i) in
reimbursement of any payment made by the LC Bank under a Letter of
Credit with respect to which any LC Participant has made a
participation advance to the LC Bank, or (ii) in payment of
Discount on the Funded Purchases made or deemed to have been made
in connection with any such draw, the LC Bank will pay to each LC
Participant, ratably (based on the outstanding drawn amounts funded
by each such LC
14
Participant in respect of such Letter of
Credit), in the same funds as those received by the LC Bank; it
being understood, that the LC Bank shall retain a ratable amount of
such funds that were not the subject of any payment in respect of
such Letter of Credit by any LC Participant.
(b) If the LC Bank is
required at any time to return to the Seller, or to a trustee,
receiver, liquidator, custodian, or any official in any insolvency
proceeding, any portion of the payments made by the Seller to the
LC Bank pursuant to this Agreement in reimbursement of a payment
made under the Letter of Credit or interest or fee thereon, each LC
Participant shall, on demand of the LC Bank, forthwith return to
the LC Bank the amount of its Pro Rata Share of any amounts so
returned by the LC Bank plus interest at the Federal Funds
Rate.
Section 1.16
Documentation .
The Seller agrees to be bound
by the terms of the Letter of Credit Application and by the LC
Bank’s written regulations and customary practices relating
to letters of credit, though the LC Bank’s interpretation of
such regulations and practices may be different from the
Seller’s own. In the event of a conflict between the Letter
of Credit Application and this Agreement, this Agreement shall
govern. It is understood and agreed that, except in the case of
gross negligence or willful misconduct by the LC Bank, the LC Bank
shall not be liable for any error, negligence and/or mistakes,
whether of omission or commission, in following the Seller’s
instructions or those contained in the Letters of Credit or any
modifications, amendments or supplements thereto.
Section 1.17 Determination
to Honor Drawing Request .
In determining whether to
honor any request for drawing under any Letter of Credit by the
beneficiary thereof, the LC Bank shall be responsible only to
determine that the documents and certificates required to be
delivered under such Letter of Credit have been delivered and that
they comply on their face with the requirements of such Letter of
Credit and that any other drawing condition appearing on the face
of such Letter of Credit has been satisfied in the manner so set
forth.
Section 1.18 Nature of
Participation and Reimbursement Obligations .
Each LC Participant’s
obligation in accordance with this Agreement to make participation
advances as a result of a drawing under a Letter of Credit, and the
obligations of the Seller to reimburse the LC Bank upon a draw
under a Letter of Credit, shall be absolute, unconditional and
irrevocable, and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the
terms of this Article I under all circumstances, including the
following circumstances:
(i) any set-off,
counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such LC
Participant may have against the LC Bank, the Administrator, any
Purchaser, the Seller or any other Person for any reason
whatsoever;
(ii) the failure of the
Seller or any other Person to comply with the conditions set forth
in this Agreement for the making of a purchase, reinvestments,
requests for Letters of Credit or otherwise, it being acknowledged
that such conditions are not required for the making of
participation advances hereunder;
15
(iii) any lack of validity or
enforceability of any Letter of Credit;
(iv) any claim of breach of
warranty that might be made by the Seller, the LC Bank or any LC
Participant against the beneficiary of a Letter of Credit, or the
existence of any claim, set-off, defense or other right which the
Seller, the LC Bank or any LC Participant may have at any time
against a beneficiary, any successor beneficiary or any transferee
of any Letter of Credit or the proceeds thereof (or any Persons for
whom any such transferee may be acting), the LC Bank, any LC
Participant, any Purchaser or any other Person, whether in
connection with this Agreement, the transactions contemplated
herein or any unrelated transaction (including any underlying
transaction between the Seller or any Subsidiaries of the Seller or
any Affiliates of the Seller and the beneficiary for which any
Letter of Credit was procured);
(v) the lack of power or
authority of any signer of, or lack of validity, sufficiency,
accuracy, enforceability or genuineness of, any draft, demand,
instrument, certificate or other document presented under any
Letter of Credit, or any such draft, demand, instrument,
certificate or other document proving to be forged, fraudulent,
invalid, defective or insufficient in any respect or any statement
therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, even if the
Administrator or the LC Bank has been notified thereof;
(vi) payment by the LC Bank
under any Letter of Credit against presentation of a demand, draft
or certificate or other document which does not comply with the
terms of such Letter of Credit other than as a result of the gross
negligence or willful misconduct of the LC Bank;
(vii) the solvency of, or any
acts or omissions by, any beneficiary of any Letter of Credit, or
any other Person having a role in any transaction or obligation
relating to a Letter of Credit, or the existence, nature, quality,
quantity, condition, value or other characteristic of any property
or services relating to a Letter of Credit;
(viii) any failure by the LC
Bank or any of the LC Bank’s Affiliates to issue any Letter
of Credit in the form requested by the Seller, unless the LC Bank
has received written notice from the Seller of such failure within
three Business Days after the LC Bank shall have furnished the
Seller a copy of such Letter of Credit and such error is material
and no drawing has been made thereon prior to receipt of such
notice;
(ix) any Material Adverse
Effect on the Seller, any Originator or any Affiliates
thereof;
(x) any breach of this
Agreement or any Transaction Document by any party
thereto;
(xi) the occurrence or
continuance of an Insolvency Proceeding with respect to the Seller,
any Originator or any Affiliate thereof;
(xii) the fact that a
Termination Event or an Unmatured Termination Event shall have
occurred and be continuing;
16
(xiii) the fact that this
Agreement or the obligations of Seller or Servicer hereunder shall
have been terminated; and
(xiv) any other circumstance
or happening whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the
foregoing.
Section 1.19 Indemnity
.
In addition to other amounts
payable hereunder, the Seller hereby agrees to protect, indemnify,
pay and save harmless the Administrator, the LC Bank, each LC
Participant and any of the LC Bank’s Affiliates that have
issued a Letter of Credit from and against any and all claims,
demands, liabilities, damages, taxes, penalties, interest,
judgments, losses, costs, charges and expenses (including Attorney
Costs) which the Administrator, the LC Bank, any LC Participant or
any of their respective Affiliates may incur or be subject to as a
consequence, direct or indirect, of the issuance of any Letter of
Credit, except to the extent resulting from (a) the gross
negligence or willful misconduct of the party to be indemnified as
determined by a final judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction
or (b) the wrongful dishonor by the LC Bank of a proper demand
for payment made under any Letter of Credit, except if such
dishonor resulted from any act or omission, whether rightful or
wrongful, of any present or future de jure or de facto Governmental
Authority (all such acts or omissions herein called
“Governmental Acts”).
Section 1.20 Liability for
Acts and Omissions .
As between the Seller, on the
one hand, and the Administrator, the LC Bank, the LC Participants
and the other Purchasers, on the other, the Seller assumes all
risks of the acts and omissions of, or misuse of the Letters of
Credit by, the respective beneficiaries of such Letters of Credit.
In furtherance and not in limitation of the respective foregoing,
none of the Administrator, the LC Bank or any other Purchaser shall
be responsible for: (i) the form, validity, sufficiency,
accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any document submitted by
any party in connection with the application for an issuance of any
such Letter of Credit, even if it should in fact prove to be in any
or all respects invalid, insufficient, inaccurate, fraudulent or
forged (even if the LC Bank shall have been notified thereof);
(ii) the validity or sufficiency of any instrument
transferring or assigning or purporting to transfer or assign any
such Letter of Credit or the rights or benefits thereunder or
proceeds thereof, in whole or in part, which may prove to be
invalid or ineffective for any reason; (iii) the failure of
the beneficiary of any such Letter of Credit, or any other party to
which such Letter of Credit may be transferred, to comply fully
with any conditions required in order to draw upon such Letter of
Credit or any other claim of the Seller against any beneficiary of
such Letter of Credit, or any such transferee, or any dispute
between or among the Seller and any beneficiary of any Letter of
Credit or any such transferee; (iv) errors, omissions,
interruptions or delays in transmission or delivery of any
messages, by mail, cable, telegraph, telex or otherwise, whether or
not they be in cipher; (v) errors in interpretation of
technical terms; (vi) any loss or delay in the transmission or
otherwise of any document required in order to make a drawing under
any such Letter of Credit or of the proceeds thereof;
(vii) the misapplication by the beneficiary of any such Letter
of Credit of the proceeds of any drawing under such Letter of
Credit; or (viii) any consequences arising from causes beyond
the control of the Administrator, the LC Bank, any LC Participant
and any Conduit Purchaser,
17
including any Governmental Acts, and
none of the above shall affect or impair, or prevent the vesting
of, any of the LC Bank’s rights or powers hereunder. Nothing
in the preceding sentence shall relieve the LC Bank from liability
for its gross negligence or willful misconduct, as determined by a
final non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction,
in connection with actions or omissions described in such clauses
(i) through (viii) of such sentence. In no event shall
the Administrator, the LC Bank, any LC Participant, any Conduit
Purchaser or their respective Affiliates, be liable to the Seller
or any other Person for any indirect, consequential, incidental,
punitive, exemplary or special damages or expenses (including
without limitation attorneys’ fees), or for any damages
resulting from any change in the value of any property relating to
a Letter of Credit.
Without limiting the
generality of the foregoing, the Administrator, the LC Bank, any LC
Participant and any Conduit Purchaser and each of its Affiliates
(i) may rely on any written communication believed in good
faith by such Person to have been authorized or given by or on
behalf of the applicant for a Letter of Credit; (ii) may honor
any presentation if the documents presented appear on their face to
comply with the terms and conditions of the relevant Letter of
Credit; (iii) may honor a previously dishonored presentation
under a Letter of Credit, whether such dishonor was pursuant to a
court order, to settle or compromise any claim of wrongful
dishonor, or otherwise, and shall be entitled to reimbursement to
the same extent as if such presentation had initially been honored,
together with any interest paid by the LC Bank or its Affiliates;
(iv) may honor any drawing that is payable upon presentation
of a statement advising negotiation or payment, upon receipt of
such statement (even if such statement indicates that a draft or
other document is being delivered separately), and shall not be
liable for any failure of any such draft or other document to
arrive, or to conform in any way with the relevant Letter of
Credit; (v) may pay any paying or negotiating bank claiming
that it rightfully honored under the laws or practices of the place
where such bank is located; and (vi) may settle or adjust any
claim or demand made on the Administrator, the LC Bank, any LC
Participant, any Conduit Purchaser or their respective Affiliates,
in any way related to any order issued at the applicant’s
request to an air carrier, a letter of guarantee or of indemnity
issued to a carrier or any similar document (each an
“Order”) and may honor any drawing in connection with
any Letter of Credit that is the subject of such Order,
notwithstanding that any drafts or other documents presented in
connection with such Letter of Credit fail to conform in any way
with such Letter of Credit.
In furtherance and extension
and not in limitation of the specific provisions set forth above,
any action taken or omitted by the LC Bank under or in connection
with the Letters of Credit issued by it or any documents and
certificates delivered thereunder, if taken or omitted in good
faith and without gross negligence or willful misconduct, as
determined by a final non-appealable judgment of a court of
competent jurisdiction, shall not put the LC Bank under any
resulting liability to the Seller, any LC Participant or any other
Person.
18
ARTICLE II.
REPRESENTATIONS AND
WARRANTIES; COVENANTS; TERMINATION EVENTS
Section 2.1
Representations and Warranties; Covenants .
Each of the Seller, CONSOL
Energy and the Servicer hereby makes the representations and
warranties, and hereby agrees to perform and observe the covenants,
applicable to it set forth in Exhibits III and IV ,
respectively.
Section 2.2 Termination
Events .
If any of the Termination
Events set forth in Exhibit V shall occur, the Administrator
may, by notice to the Seller, declare the Facility Termination Date
to have occurred (in which case the Facility Termination Date shall
be deemed to have occurred); provided, that automatically upon the
occurrence of any event (without any requirement for the passage of
time or the giving of notice) described in paragraph (f) of
Exhibit V , the Facility Termination Date shall occur. Upon
any such declaration, occurrence or deemed occurrence of the
Facility Termination Date, Purchasers and the Administrator shall
have, in addition to the rights and remedies that they may have
under this Agreement, all other rights and remedies provided after
default under the New York UCC and under other applicable law,
which rights and remedies shall be cumulative.
ARTICLE
III.
INDEMNIFICATION
Section 3.1 Indemnities by
the Seller .
Without limiting any other
rights that the Administrator, the Liquidity Providers, the
Purchasers, any Program Support Provider or any of their respective
Affiliates, employees, officers, directors, agents, counsel,
successors, transferees or assigns (each, an “ Indemnified
Party ”) may have hereunder or under applicable law, the
Seller hereby agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Party from and
against any and all claims, damages, expenses, costs, losses and
liabilities (including Attorney Costs) (all of the foregoing being
collectively referred to as “ Indemnified Amounts
”) arising out of or resulting from this Agreement (whether
directly or indirectly), the use of proceeds of purchases or
reinvestments, the ownership of the Purchased Interest, or any
interest therein, or in respect of any Receivable, Related Security
or Contract, excluding, however: (a) Indemnified Amounts to
the extent resulting from gross negligence or willful misconduct on
the part of such Indemnified Party or its employees, officers,
directors, agents or counsel, (b) any indemnification which
has the effect of recourse for the non-payment of the Receivables
to any indemnitor (except as otherwise specifically provided under
Section 1.4(e) and this Section 3.1 ) for
Receivables, or (c) any net income, gross receipts, franchise
or similar taxes imposed on such Indemnified Party for taxes
required to be withheld or deducted from any payments to an
Indemnified Party or to any Person through which the Indemnified
Party or an affiliate of an Indemnified Party holds a direct or
indirect right to payment. Notwithstanding clause (c) above
and clause (ii) of Section 6.3(h) hereof, payments under
this Section 3.1 shall be reduced by tax benefits to
the Indemnified Party and its affiliates resulting from the
Indemnified Amounts and the indemnity payment to be made pursuant
to this Section 3.1
19
and shall be increased to reflect
increased tax liability arising from the indemnity payment to be
made pursuant to this Section 3.1. Without limiting or being
limited by the foregoing, and subject to the exclusions set forth
in the preceding sentence, the Seller shall pay on demand (which
demand shall be accompanied by documentation of the Indemnified
Amounts, in reasonable detail) to each Indemnified Party any and
all amounts necessary to indemnify such Indemnified Party from and
against any and all Indemnified Amounts relating to or resulting
from any of the following:
(i) the failure of any
Receivable included in the calculation of the Net Receivables Pool
Balance as an Eligible Receivable to be an Eligible Receivable, the
failure of any information contained in an Information Package to
be true and correct, or the failure of any other information
provided to any Purchaser or the Administrator with respect to
Receivables or this Agreement to be true and correct,
(ii) the failure of any
representation or warranty made or deemed made by the Seller (or
any of its officers) under this Agreement or any other Loan
Documents to have been true and correct as of the date made in all
respects when made,
(iii) the failure by the
Seller to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation with
respect to any Pool Receivable or the related Contract, or the
failure of any Pool Receivable or the related Contract to conform
to any such applicable law, rule or regulation,
(iv) the failure to vest in
the Administrator a valid and enforceable: (A) perfected
undivided percentage ownership interest, to the extent of the
Purchased Interest, in the Receivables in, or purporting to be in,
the Receivables Pool and the other Pool Assets, or (B) first
priority perfected security interest in the Pool Assets, in each
case, free and clear of any Adverse Claim,
(v) the failure to have
filed, or any delay in filing, financing statements or other
similar instruments or documents under the UCC of any applicable
jurisdiction or other applicable laws with respect to any
Receivables in, or purporting to be in, the Receivables Pool and
the other Pool Assets, whether at the time of any purchase or
reinvestment or at any subsequent time,
(vi) any dispute, claim,
offset or defense (other than discharge in bankruptcy of the
Obligor) of the Obligor to the payment of any Receivable in, or
purporting to be in, the Receivables Pool (including a defense
based on such Receivable or the related Contract not being a legal,
valid and binding obligation of such Obligor enforceable against it
in accordance with its terms), or any other claim resulting from
the sale of the goods or services related to such Receivable or the
furnishing or failure to furnish such goods or services or relating
to collection activities with respect to such Receivable (if such
collection activities were performed by the Seller or any of its
Affiliates acting as Servicer or by any agent or independent
contractor retained by the Seller or any of its
Affiliates),
(vii) any failure of the
Seller (or any of its Affiliates acting as the Servicer) to perform
its duties or obligations in accordance with the provisions hereof
or under the Contracts,
20
(viii) any products liability
or other claim, investigation, litigation or proceeding arising out
of or in connection with merchandise, insurance or services that
are the subject of any Contract,
(ix) the commingling of
Collections at any time with other funds,
(x) the use of proceeds of
purchases or reinvestments or the issuance of any Letter of Credit
by the Seller or Servicer, or
(xi) any reduction in Capital
as a result of the distribution of Collections pursuant to
Section 1.4(d) , if all or a portion of such
distributions shall thereafter be rescinded or otherwise must be
returned for any reason.
Section 3.2 Indemnities by
the Servicer .
Without limiting any other
rights that the Administrator, any Purchasers, any Liquidity
Provider, any Program Support Provider or any other Indemnified
Party may have hereunder or under applicable law, the Servicer
hereby agrees to indemnify each Indemnified Party from and against
any and all Indemnified Amounts arising out of or resulting from
(whether directly or indirectly): (a) the failure of any
information contained in an Information Package to be true and
correct, or the failure of any other information provided to any
such Indemnified Party by, or on behalf of, the Servicer to be true
and correct, (b) the failure of any representation, warranty
or statement made by the Servicer (or any of its officers) under or
in connection with this Agreement to have been true and correct as
of the date made in all respects when made, (c) the failure by
the Servicer to comply with any applicable law, rule or regulation
with respect to any Pool Receivable or the related Contract,
(d) any dispute, claim, offset or defense (other than as a
result of discharge in bankruptcy with respect to the Obligor) of
the Obligor to the payment of any Receivable in, or purporting to
be in, the Receivables Pool resulting from or related to the
collection activities with respect to such Receivable, or
(e) any failure of the Servicer to perform its duties or
obligations in accordance with the provisions hereof.
Section 3.3 Notice of
Claims .
Promptly after the receipt by
an Indemnified Party of a notice of the commencement of any action,
suit, proceeding, investigation or claim against such Indemnified
Party as to which it proposes to demand indemnification from the
Seller or Servicer (each, as applicable, an “ Indemnifying
Party ”) pursuant to Section 3.1 or 3.2, as
applicable, such Indemnified Party shall notify the applicable
Indemnifying Party in writing of the commencement thereof;
provided that the failure so to notify such
Indemnifying Party shall not relieve such Indemnifying Party from
any liability which such Indemnifying Party may have to such
Indemnified Party pursuant to Section 3.1 or 3.2
.
21
ARTICLE IV.
ADMINISTRATION AND
COLLECTIONS
Section 4.1 Appointment of
the Servicer .
(a) The servicing,
administering and collection of the Pool Receivables shall be
conducted by the Person so designated from time to time as the
Servicer in accordance with this Section. Until and unless the
Administrator gives notice to CONSOL Energy upon the occurrence of
a Termination Event (in accordance with this Section) of the
designation of a new Servicer, CONSOL Energy is hereby designated
as, and hereby agrees to perform the duties and obligations of, the
Servicer pursuant to the terms hereof. Upon the occurrence of a
Termination Event, the Administrator may designate as Servicer any
Person (including itself) to succeed CONSOL Energy or any successor
Servicer, on the condition in each case that any such Person so
designated shall agree to perform the duties and obligations of the
Servicer pursuant to the terms hereof and shall (i) covenant,
for the benefit of the Seller and its affiliates, that it (and any
Person other than the Seller or any of its affiliates) with whom it
contracts for the performance of all or a portion of its duties as
Servicer hereunder) shall comply with all tax withholding and
information reporting obligations imposed in connection with any
payments that it (or such Person) makes or controls the making of
in connection with its activities as the Servicer and
(ii) agree to indemnify Seller and its affiliates for any and
all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties,
judgments, settlements, costs, expenses and disbursements of any
kind whatsoever arising as a result of a breach of such covenant;
provided, however, that no obligation to indemnify shall arise
hereunder for any failure to comply that is directly or indirectly
attributable to any act or omission by the Seller or any affiliate
thereof.
(b) Upon the designation of a
successor Servicer as set forth in clause (a) , CONSOL
Energy agrees that it will terminate its activities as Servicer
hereunder in a manner that the Administrator determines will
facilitate the transition of the performance of such activities to
the new Servicer, and CONSOL Energy shall cooperate with and assist
such new Servicer. Such cooperation shall include reasonable access
to and transfer of related records and use by the new Servicer of
all licenses or the obtaining of new licenses, hardware or software
necessary or desirable to collect the Pool Receivables and the
Related Security.
(c) CONSOL Energy
acknowledges that, in making their decision to execute and deliver
this Agreement, the Administrator and the Conduit Purchasers have
relied on CONSOL Energy’s agreement to act as Servicer
hereunder. Accordingly, CONSOL Energy agrees that it will not
voluntarily resign as Servicer.
(d) The Servicer may and
hereby does delegate its duties and obligations hereunder to each
of the Originators (each a “Sub-Servicer ” and
collectively, the “ Sub-Servicers ”);
provided , that, in such delegation: (i) each such
Sub-Servicer hereby agrees in writing to perform the duties and
obligations of the Servicer pursuant to the terms hereof,
(ii) the Servicer shall remain primarily liable for the
performance of the duties and obligations so delegated,
(iii) the Seller, the Administrator and the Conduit Purchasers
shall have the right to look solely to the Servicer for
performance, and (iv) the terms of any agreement with any
Sub-Servicer shall provide that the Administrator may terminate
such agreement upon the termination of the Servicer hereunder by
giving notice of its desire to terminate such agreement to the
Servicer (and the Servicer shall
22
provide appropriate notice to each such
Sub-Servicer); provided , however , that if any such
delegation is to any Person other than any Originator, the
Administrator shall have consented in writing in advance to such
delegation.
Section 4.2 Duties of the
Servicer .
(a) The Servicer shall take
or cause to be taken all such action as may be reasonably necessary
or advisable to administer and collect each Pool Receivable from
time to time, all in accordance with this Agreement and all
applicable laws, rules and regulations, with reasonable care and
diligence, and in accordance with the Credit and Collection Policy.
The Servicer shall set aside, for the accounts of the Seller and
each Purchaser, the amount of the Collections to which each is
entitled in accordance with Article I . The Servicer may, in
accordance with the applicable Credit and Collection Policy, extend
the maturity of any Pool Receivable and extend the maturity or
adjust the Outstanding Balance of any Defaulted Receivable as the
Servicer may determine to be appropriate to maximize Collections or
reflect adjustments required under applicable laws, rules or
regulations or the applicable contract thereof; provided ,
however , that: for the purposes of this Agreement,
(i) such extension shall not change the number of days such
Pool Receivable has remained unpaid from the date of the invoice
date related to such Pool Receivable, (ii) such extension or
adjustment shall not alter the status of such Pool Receivable as a
Delinquent Receivable or a Defaulted Receivable or limit the rights
of any Purchaser or the Administrator under this Agreement and
(iii) if a Termination Event has occurred and is continuing
and CONSOL Energy or an Affiliate thereof is serving as the
Servicer, CONSOL Energy or such Affiliate may make such extension
or adjustment only upon the prior approval of the Administrator.
The Seller shall deliver to the Servicer and the Servicer shall
hold for the benefit of the Seller and the Administrator
(individually and for the benefit of Purchasers), in accordance
with their respective interests, all records and documents
(including computer tapes or disks) with respect to each Pool
Receivable. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained
herein, following the occurrence and continuation of a Termination
Event or an Unmatured Termination Event under Exhibit V ,
clause (j) hereof, the Administrator may direct the
Servicer (whether the Servicer is CONSOL Energy or any other
Person) to commence or settle any legal action to enforce
collection of any Pool Receivable or to foreclose upon or repossess
any Related Security.
(b) The Servicer shall, as
soon as practicable following actual receipt of collected funds,
turn over to the Seller or other applicable person, the collections
of any indebtedness that is not a Pool Receivable, less, if CONSOL
Energy or an Affiliate thereof is not the Servicer, all reasonable
and appropriate out-of-pocket costs and expenses of such Servicer
of servicing, collecting and administering such collections. The
Servicer, if other than CONSOL Energy or an Affiliate thereof,
shall, as soon as practicable upon demand, deliver to the Seller
all records in its possession that evidence or relate to any
indebtedness that is not a Pool Receivable, and copies of records
in its possession that evidence or relate to any indebtedness that
is a Pool Receivable.
(c) The Servicer’s
obligations hereunder shall terminate on the later of: (i) the
Facility Termination Date, (ii) the date on which no Capital,
or Discount in respect of the Purchased Interest shall be
outstanding, (iii) the date on which an amount equal to 100%
of the LC Participation Amount has been deposited in the LC
Collateral Account or the Letters of Credit have expired and
(iv) the date on which all amounts required to be paid to the
Purchasers,
23
the Administrator and any other
Indemnified Party or Affected Person hereunder shall have been paid
in full. After such termination, if CONSOL Energy or an Affiliate
thereof was not the Servicer on the date of such termination, the
Servicer shall promptly deliver to the Seller all books, records
and related materials that the Seller previously provided to the
Servicer, or that have been obtained by the Servicer, in connection
with this Agreement.
Section 4.3 Lock-Box
Arrangements .
Prior to the initial purchase
hereunder, the Seller shall enter into Lock-Box Agreements with all
of the Lock-Box Banks and deliver original counterparts thereof to
the Administrator. Upon the occurrence of and continuance of a
Termination Event, the Administrator may at any time thereafter
give notice to each Lock-Box Bank that the Administrator is
exercising its rights under the Lock-Box Agreements to do any or
all of the following: (a) to have the exclusive ownership and
control of the Lock-Box Accounts transferred to the Administrator
and to exercise exclusive dominion and control over the funds
deposited therein, (b) to have the proceeds that are sent to
the respective Lock-Box Accounts redirected pursuant to the
Administrator’s instructions rather than deposited in the
applicable Lock-Box Account, and (c) to take any or all other
actions permitted under the applicable Lock-Box Agreement. The
Seller hereby agrees that if the Administrator at any time takes
any action set forth in the preceding sentence, the Administrator
shall have exclusive control of the proceeds (including
Collections) of all Pool Receivables and the Seller hereby further
agrees to take any other action that the Administrator may
reasonably request to transfer such control. Any proceeds of Pool
Receivables received by the Seller or the Servicer thereafter shall
be sent immediately to the Administrator. The parties hereto hereby
acknowledge that if at any time the Administrator takes control of
any Lock-Box Account, the Administrator shall not have any rights
to the funds therein in excess of the unpaid amounts due to the
Administrator, the Purchasers or any other Person hereunder, and
the Administrator shall distribute or cause to be distributed such
funds in accordance with Section 4.2(b) and Article
I (in each case as if such funds were held by the Servicer
thereunder).
Section 4.4 Enforcement
Rights .
(a) At any time following the
occurrence of and continuance of a Termination Event:
(i) the Administrator may
direct the Obligors that payment of all amounts payable under any
Pool Receivable is to be made directly to the Administrator or its
designee,
(ii) the Administrator may
instruct the Seller or the Servicer to give notice of the
Purchasers’ interest in Pool Receivables to each Obligor,
which notice shall direct that payments be made directly to the
Administrator or its designee, and the Seller or the Servicer, as
the case may be, shall give such notice at the expense of the
Seller or the Servicer, as the case may be; provided , that
if the Seller or the Servicer, as the case may be, fails to so
notify each Obligor, the Administrator (at the Seller’s or
the Servicer’s, as the case may be, expense) may so notify
the Obligors,
(iii) the Administrator may
request the Servicer to, and upon such request the Servicer shall:
(A) assemble all of the records necessary or desirable to
collect the Pool
24
Receivables and the Related Security,
and transfer or license to the extent permissible under applicable
agreements to a successor Servicer the use of all software
necessary or desirable to collect the Pool Receivables and the
Related Security, and make the same available to the Administrator
or its designee at a place selected by the Administrator, and
(B) segregate all cash, checks and other instruments received
by it from time to time constituting Collections in a manner
reasonably acceptable to the Administrator and, promptly upon
receipt, remit all such cash, checks and instruments, duly endorsed
or with duly executed instruments of transfer, to the Administrator
or its designee, and
(iv) the Administrator may
collect any amounts due from any Originator under the Sale
Agreement and/or CONSOL Energy under the CONSOL
Guaranty.
(b) The Seller hereby
authorizes the Administrator, and irrevocably appoints the
Administrator as its attorney-in-fact with full power of
substitution and with full authority in the place and stead of the
Seller, which appointment is coupled with an interest, to take any
and all steps in the name of the Seller and on behalf of the Seller
necessary or desirable, in the determination of the Administrator,
to collect any and all amounts or portions thereof due under any
and all Pool Assets, including endorsing the name of the Seller on
checks and other instruments representing Collections and enforcing
such Pool Assets. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained in this subsection, none of the powers conferred upon
such attorney-in-fact pursuant to the preceding sentence
(i) shall be exercised by attorney-in-fact prior to the
occurrence of a Termination Event, or (ii) shall subject such
attorney-in-fact to any liability provided such action is not
grossly negligent or willful misconduct if any action taken by it
shall prove to be inadequate or invalid, nor shall they confer any
obligations upon such attorney-in-fact in any manner whatsoever
(except for liability arising from the Administrator’s gross
negligence and or willful misconduct).
Section 4.5
Responsibilities of the Seller .
(a) Anything herein to the
contrary notwithstanding, the Seller shall: (i) perform all of
its obligations, if any, under the Contracts related to the Pool
Receivables to the same extent as if interests in such Pool
Receivables had not been transferred hereunder, and the exercise by
the Administrator or any Purchaser of their respective rights
hereunder shall not relieve the Seller from such obligations, and
(ii) pay when due any taxes, including any sales taxes payable
in connection with the Pool Receivables and their creation and
satisfaction. Neither the Administrator nor any Purchaser shall
have any obligation or liability with respect to any Pool Asset,
nor shall either of them be obligated to perform any of the
obligations of the Seller, CONSOL Energy or any Originator
thereunder.
(b) CONSOL Energy hereby
irrevocably agrees that if at any time it shall cease to be the
Servicer hereunder, it shall act (if the then-current Servicer so
requests) as the data-processing agent of the Servicer and, in such
capacity, CONSOL Energy shall conduct the data-processing functions
of the administration of the Receivables and the Collections
thereon in substantially the same way that CONSOL Energy conducted
such data-processing functions while it acted as the
Servicer.
25
Section 4.6 Servicing
Fee .
(a) Subject to clause
(b) , the Servicer shall be paid a fee equal to .50%
per annum (the “ Servicing Fee Rate ”) of
the average aggregate Outstanding Balance of the Pool Receivables
(computed as the average of the Outstanding Balance of the Pool
Receivables at the beginning and the ending of each Settlement
Period (or the beginning and ending of the other applicable period
of measurement if the Servicing Fee is payable within a Settlement
Period). The Purchasers’ Share of such fee shall be paid
through the distributions contemplated by
Section 1.4(d) , and the Seller’s Share of such
fee shall be paid by the Seller on each Monthly Settlement
Date.
(b) If the Servicer ceases to
be CONSOL Energy or an Affiliate thereof, the servicing fee shall
be the greater of: (i) the amount calculated pursuant to
clause (a) , and (ii) an alternative amount specified
by the successor Servicer not to exceed 110% of the aggregate
reasonable costs and expenses incurred by such successor Servicer
in connection with the performance of its obligations as
Servicer.
ARTICLE V.
ADMINISTRATOR
Section 5.1 Appointment
and Authorization .
(a) Each Purchaser and
Purchaser Agent hereby irrevocably designates and appoints PNC as
the “Administrator” hereunder and authorizes the
Administrator to take such actions and to exercise such powers as
are delegated to the Administrator hereby and to exercise such
other powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The
Administrator shall hold, in its name, for the benefit of each
Purchaser, ratably, the Purchased Interest. The Administrator shall
not have any duties other than those expressly set forth herein or
any fiduciary relationship with any Purchaser or Purchaser Agent,
and no implied obligations or liabilities shall be read into this
Agreement, or otherwise exist, against the Administrator. The
Administrator does not assume, nor shall it be deemed to have
assumed, any obligation to, or relationship of trust or agency
with, the Seller or Servicer. Except to the extent provided in
Section 5.10 hereof, notwithstanding any provision of this
Agreement or any other Transaction Document to the contrary, in no
event shall the Administrator ever be required to take any action
which exposes the Administrator to personal liability or which is
contrary to the provision of any Transaction Document or applicable
law.
(b) Each Purchaser hereby
irrevocably designates and appoints the respective institution
identified as the Purchaser Agent for such Purchaser’s
Purchaser Group on the signature pages hereto or in the Assumption
Agreement pursuant to which such Purchaser becomes a party hereto.
Each Purchaser hereby authorizes its Purchaser Agent to take such
action on its behalf under the provisions of this Agreement and to
exercise such powers and perform such duties as are expressly
delegated to such Purchaser Agent by the terms of this Agreement,
if any, together with such other powers as are reasonably
incidental thereto. Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary
elsewhere in this Agreement, no Purchaser Agent shall have any
duties or responsibilities, except those expressly set forth
herein, or any fiduciary relationship with any Purchaser or other
Purchaser Agent or the Administrator, and no implied covenants,
functions, responsibilities, duties, obligations or liabilities on
the part of such Purchaser Agent shall be read into this Agreement
or otherwise exist against such Purchaser Agent.
26
(c) Except as otherwise
specifically provided in this Agreement, the provisions of this
Article V are solely for the benefit of the Purchaser Agents, the
Administrator and the Purchasers, and none of the Seller or
Servicer shall have any rights or obligations as a third-party
beneficiary or otherwise under any of the provisions of this
Article V , except that this Article V shall not
affect any obligations which any Purchaser Agent, the Administrator
or any Purchaser may have to the Seller or the Servicer under the
other provisions of this Agreement. Furthermore, no Purchaser shall
have any rights as a third party beneficiary or otherwise under any
of the provisions hereof in respect of a Purchaser Agent which is
not the Purchaser Agent for such Purchaser.
(d) In performing its
functions and duties hereunder, the Administrator shall act solely
as the agent of the Purchasers and the Purchaser Agents and does
not assume nor shall be deemed to have assumed any obligation or
relationship of trust or agency with or for the Seller or Servicer
or any of their successors and assigns. In performing its functions
and duties hereunder, each Purchaser Agent shall act solely as the
agent of its respective Purchaser and does not assume nor shall be
deemed to have assumed any obligation or relationship of trust or
agency with or for the Seller, the Servicer, any other Purchaser,
any other Purchaser Agent or the Administrator, or any of their
respective successors and assigns.
Section 5.2 Delegation of
Duties .
The Administrator may execute
any of its duties through agents or attorneys-in-fact and shall be
entitled to advice of counsel concerning all matters pertaining to
such duties. The Administrator shall not be responsible for the
negligence or misconduct of any agents or attorneys-in-fact
selected by it with reasonable care.
Section 5.3 Exculpatory
Provisions .
None of the Purchaser Agents,
the Administrator or any of their directors, officers, agents or
employees shall be liable for any action taken or omitted
(i) with the consent or at the direction of the Majority
Purchaser Agents (or in the case of any Purchaser Agent, the
Purchasers within its Purchaser Group that have a majority of the
Group Commitment of such Purchaser Group) or (ii) in the
absence of such Person’s gross negligence or willful
misconduct. The Administrator shall not be responsible to any
Purchaser, Purchaser Agent or other Person for (i) any
recitals, representations, warranties or other statements made by
the Seller, Servicer, or any of their Affiliates, (ii) the
value, validity, effectiveness, genuineness, enforceability or
sufficiency of any Transaction Document, (iii) any failure of
the Seller, any Originator or any of their Affiliates to perform
any obligation or (iv) the satisfaction of any condition
specified in Exhibit II . The Administrator shall not have
any obligation to any Purchaser or Purchaser Agent to ascertain or
inquire about the observance or performance of any agreement
contained in any Transaction Document or to inspect the properties,
books or records of the Seller, Servicer, Originator or any of
their Affiliates.
27
Section 5.4 Reliance by
Administrator .
(a) Each Purchaser Agent and
the Administrator shall in all cases be entitled to rely, and shall
be fully protected in relying, upon any document or other writing
or conversation believed by it to be genuine and correct and to
have been signed, sent or made by the proper Person and upon advice
and statements of legal counsel (including counsel to the Seller),
independent accountants and other experts selected by the
Administrator. Each Purchaser Agent and the Administrator shall in
all cases be fully justified in failing or refusing to take any
action under any Transaction Document unless it shall first receive
such advice or concurrence of the Majority Purchaser Agents (or in
the case of any Purchaser Agent, the Purchasers within its
Purchaser Group that have a majority of the Group Commitment of
such Purchaser Group), and assurance of its indemnification, as it
deems appropriate.
(b) The Administrator shall
in all cases be fully protected in acting, or in refraining from
acting, under this Agreement in accordance with a request of the
Majority Purchaser Agents (or in the case of any Purchaser Agent,
the Purchasers within its Purchaser Group that have a majority of
the Group Commitment of such Purchaser Group) and such request and
any action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be
binding upon all Purchasers, Purchaser Agents and the
Administrator.
(c) The Purchasers within
each Purchaser Group with a majority of the Group Commitment of
such Purchaser Group shall be entitled to request or direct the
related Purchaser Agent to take action, or refrain from taking
action, under this Agreement on behalf of such Purchasers. Such
Purchaser Agent shall in all cases be fully protected in acting, or
in refraining from acting, under this Agreement in accordance with
a request of such majority Purchasers, and such request and any
action taken or failure to act pursuant thereto shall be binding
upon all of such Purchaser Agent’s Purchasers.
(d) Unless otherwise advised
in writing by a Purchaser Agent or by any Purchaser on whose behalf
such Purchaser Agent is purportedly acting, each party to this
Agreement may assume that (i) such Purchaser Agent is acting
for the benefit of each of the Purchasers in respect of which such
Purchaser Agent is identified as being the “Purchaser
Agent” in the definition of “Purchaser Agent”
hereto, as well as for the benefit of each assignee or other
transferee from any such Person, and (ii) each action taken by
such Purchaser Agent has been duly authorized and approved by all
necessary action on the part of the Purchasers on whose behalf it
is purportedly acting. Each Purchaser Agent and its Purchaser(s)
shall agree amongst themselves as to the circumstances and
procedures for removal, resignation and replacement of such
Purchaser Agent.
Section 5.5 Notice of
Termination Events .
Neither any Purchaser Agent
nor the Administrator shall be deemed to have knowledge or notice
of the occurrence of any Termination Event or Unmatured Termination
Event unless the Administrator and the Purchaser Agents have
received notice from any Purchaser, the Servicer or the Seller
stating that a Termination Event or Unmatured Termination Event has
occurred hereunder and describing such Termination Event or
Unmatured Termination Event. In the event that the Administrator
receives such a notice, it shall promptly give notice thereof
to
28
each Purchaser Agent and Seller,
whereupon each such Purchaser Agent shall promptly give notice
thereof to its Purchasers. In the event that a Purchaser or
Purchaser Agent receives such a notice (other than from the
Administrator), it shall promptly give notice thereof to the
Administrator and Seller. The Administrator shall take such action
concerning a Termination Event or Unmatured Termination Event as
may be directed by the Majority Purchaser Agents (unless such
action otherwise requires the consent of all Purchasers, the LC
Bank and/or the Required LC Participants), but until the
Administrator receives such directions, the Administrator may (but
shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking
such action, as the Administrator deems advisable and in the best
interests of the Purchasers and Purchaser Agents.
Section 5.6 Non-Reliance
on Administrator .
Each Purchaser and Purchaser
Agent expressly acknowledges that none of the Administrator, the
Purchaser Agents nor any of their respective officers, directors,
employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or Affiliates has made any
representations or warranties to it and that no act by the
Administrator, or any Purchaser Agent hereafter taken, including
any review of the affairs of the Seller, Servicer or any
Originator, shall be deemed to constitute any representation or
warranty by the Administrator or such Purchaser Agent, as
applicable. Each Purchaser and Purchaser Agent represents and
warrants to the Administrator, the other Purchasers and Purchaser
Agents that it has, independently and without reliance upon the
Administrator or any other Purchaser or Purchaser Agent and based
on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, it
has made and will continue to make its own appraisal of and
investigation into the business, operations, property, prospects,
financial and other conditions and creditworthiness of the Seller,
Servicer or the Originators, and the Receivables and its own
decision to enter into this Agreement and to take, or omit, action
under any Transaction Document. Except for items specifically
required to be delivered hereunder, the Administrator shall not
have any duty or responsibility to provide any Purchaser or
Purchaser Agent with any information concerning the Seller,
Servicer or the Originators or any of their Affiliates that comes
into the possession of the Administrator or any of its officers,
directors, employees, agents, attorneys-in-fact or
Affiliates.
Section 5.7 Administrator,
Purchasers, Purchaser Agents and Affiliates .
Each of the Purchasers,
Purchaser Agents and the Administrator and their respective
Affiliates may extend credit to, accept deposits from and generally
engage in any kind of banking, trust, debt, equity or other
business with the Seller, Servicer or any Originator or any of
their Affiliates and PNC may exercise or refrain from exercising
its rights and powers as if it were not the Administrator. With
respect to the acquisition of the Pool Assets pursuant to this
Agreement, each of the Purchaser Agents and the Administrator, to
the extent they are also a Purchaser, shall have the same rights
and powers under this Agreement as any Purchaser and may exercise
the same as though it were not the Purchaser Agent or the
Administrator, as applicable, and the terms “Purchaser”
and “Purchasers” shall include the Purchaser Agent and
the Administrator in their individual capacities.
29
Section 5.8
Indemnification .
Each LC Participant agrees to
indemnify and hold harmless the Administrator (but solely in its
capacity as Administrator) and the LC Bank and its officers,
directors, employees, representatives and agents of the
Administrator and the LC Bank (to the extent not reimbursed by the
Seller, or Servicer and without limiting the obligation of the
Seller or Servicer to do so), ratably according to its Pro Rata
Share from and against any and all liabilities, obligations,
losses, damages, penalties, judgments, settlements, costs, expenses
and disbursements of any kind whatsoever (including in connection
with any investigative or threatened proceeding, whether or not the
Administrator, the LC Bank or such Person shall be designated a
party, thereto) that may at any time be imposed on, incurred by or
asserted against the Administrator, the LC Bank or such Person as a
result of, or related to, any of the transactions contemplated by
the Transaction Documents or the execution, delivery or performance
of the Transaction Documents or any other document furnished in
connection therewith (but excluding any such liabilities,
obligations, losses, damages, penalties, judgments, settlements,
costs, expenses or disbursements resulting solely from the
Administrator’s or the LC Bank’s gross negligence or
willful misconduct as finally determined by a final non-appealable
judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. Notwithstanding
anything in this Section 5.8 to the contrary, the
Administrator, each Purchaser and Purchaser Agent hereby covenants
and agrees that it shall not institute against, or join any other
Person in instituting against, any Conduit Purchaser any
bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency or liquidation
proceeding or other proceedings under any federal or state
bankruptcy or similar law, for one year and a day after the latest
maturing Note issued by such Conduit Purchaser is paid in full.
Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, each LC
Participant agrees to reimburse the Administrator and the LC Bank,
ratably according to its Pro Rata Shares, promptly upon demand, for
any out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable counsel fees)
incurred by the Administrator or the LC Bank in connection with the
administration, modification, amendment or enforcement (whether
through negotiations, legal proceedings or otherwise) of, or legal
advice in respect of its rights or responsibilities under, this
Agreement.
Section 5.9 Successor
Administrator .
The Administrator may, upon
at least five (5) Business Days notice to the Seller and each
Purchaser, resign as Administrator. Such resignation shall not
become effective until a successor Administrator is appointed by
the Majority Purchaser Agents and the LC Bank and has accepted such
appointment. Upon such acceptance of its appointment as
Administrator hereunder by a successor Administrator, such
successor Administrator shall succeed to and become vested with all
the rights and duties of the retiring Administrator, and the
retiring Administrator shall be discharged from its duties and
obligations under the Transaction Documents. After any retiring
Administrator’s resignation hereunder, the provisions of
Sections 3.1 and 3.2 and this Article V shall inure
to its benefit as to any actions taken or omitted to be taken by it
while it was the Administrator.
Section 5.10 Certain Tax
Matters .
The Administrator
(i) covenants, for the benefit of Seller and its affiliates,
that it (and any Person other than the Seller or any affiliate
thereof with whom it contracts for the performance of
30
all or a portion of its duties as
Servicer hereunder) shall comply with all tax withholding and
information reporting obligations imposed in connection with any
payments that it (or such Person) makes or controls the making of
in connection with its activities as Administrator and
(ii) agrees to indemnify Seller and its affiliates for any and
all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties,
judgments, settlements, costs, expenses and disbursements of any
kind whatsoever arising as a result of a breach of such covenant;
provided, however, that no obligation to indemnify shall arise
hereunder for any failure that is directly or indirectly
attributable to any act or omission by the Seller or any affiliate
thereof.
ARTICLE VI.
MISCELLANEOUS
Section 6.1 Amendments,
Etc .
No amendment or waiver of any
provision of this Agreement or any other Transaction Document, or
consent to any departure by the Seller or the Servicer therefrom,
shall be effective unless in a writing signed by the Administrator,
the LC Bank and the Majority LC Participants and each Conduit
Purchaser, and, in the case of any amendment, by the other parties
thereto; and then such amendment, waiver or consent shall be
effective only in the specific instance and for the specific
purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such material
amendment shall be effective until both Moody’s and
Standard & Poor’s have notified the respective
Purchaser Agent in writing that such action will not result in a
reduction or withdrawal of the rating of any Notes to the extent
required by each Conduit Purchaser’s commercial paper
program. No failure on the part of any Purchaser or the
Administrator to exercise, and no delay in exercising any right
hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof, nor shall any single
or partial exercise of any right hereunder preclude any other or
further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other
right.
Section 6.2 Notices,
Etc .
All notices and other
communications hereunder shall, unless otherwise stated herein, be
in writing (which shall include facsimile communication) and be
sent or delivered to each party hereto at its address set forth
under its name on the signature pages hereof (or in any Assumption
Agreement pursuant to which it became a party hereto) or at such
other address as shall be designated by such party in a written
notice to the other parties hereto. Notices and communications by
facsimile shall be effective when sent (and shall be followed by
hard copy sent by first class mail), and notices and communications
sent by other means shall be effective when received.
Section 6.3
Assignability .
(a) Successors and
Assigns . Whenever in this Agreement any of the parties hereto
is referred to, such reference shall be deemed to include the
successors and assigns of such party; all covenants, promises and
agreements by or on behalf of any parties hereto that are contained
in this Agreement shall bind and inur
|