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Exhibit 10.1.1.
EXECUTION COPY
TRANSITION PROPERTY PURCHASE
AND SALE AGREEMENT
between
BEC FUNDING II,
LLC
Note Issuer
and
BOSTON EDISON
COMPANY
Seller
Dated as of March 1,
2005
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
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2 |
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Section 1.01.
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Definitions
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2 |
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Section 1.02.
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Other Definitional Provisions
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6 |
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ARTICLE II. CONVEYANCE OF
TRANSITION PROPERTY
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6 |
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Section 2.01.
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Conveyance of Transition
Property
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6 |
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ARTICLE III. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER
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7 |
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Section 3.01.
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Organization and Good
Standing
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7 |
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Section 3.02.
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Due Qualification
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Section 3.03.
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Power and Authority
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Section 3.04.
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Binding Obligation
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Section 3.05.
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No Violation
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8 |
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Section 3.06.
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No Proceedings
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8 |
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Section 3.07.
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Approvals
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8 |
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Section 3.08.
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The Transition Property
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Section 3.09.
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Limitations on Representations and
Warranties
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10 |
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ARTICLE IV. COVENANTS OF THE
SELLER
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Section 4.01.
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Corporate Existence
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Section 4.02.
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No Liens
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Section 4.03.
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Delivery of Collections
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Section 4.04.
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Notice of Liens
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Section 4.05.
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Compliance with Law
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Section 4.06.
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Covenants Related to Notes and
Transition Property
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Section 4.07.
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Protection of Title
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12 |
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Section 4.08.
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Nonpetition Covenants
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13 |
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Section 4.09.
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Taxes
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13 |
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Section 4.10.
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Additional Sales of Transition
Property
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Section 4.11.
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Issuance Advice Letter
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13 |
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ARTICLE V. THE
SELLER
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Section 5.01.
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Liability of Seller;
Indemnities
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Section 5.02.
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Merger or Consolidation of, or
Assumption of the Obligations of, Seller
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Section 5.03.
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Limitation on Liability of Seller and
Others
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ARTICLE VI. MISCELLANEOUS
PROVISIONS
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Section 6.01.
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Amendment
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17 |
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Section 6.02.
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Notices
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Section 6.03.
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Assignment
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20 |
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Section 6.04.
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Limitations on Rights of Third
Parties
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20 |
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Section 6.05.
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Severability
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Section 6.06.
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Separate Counterparts
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Section 6.07.
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Headings
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Section 6.08.
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Governing Law
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Section 6.09.
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Assignment to Note Trustee
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This TRANSITION PROPERTY
PURCHASE AND SALE AGREEMENT, dated as of March 1, 2005 is between
BEC Funding II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (the
“ Note Issuer ”), and Boston Edison Company, a
Massachusetts corporation (together with its successors in interest
to the extent permitted hereunder, the “ Seller
”).
RECITALS
WHEREAS, the Note Issuer
desires to purchase the Transition Property (as defined herein)
created pursuant to the Statute and the Financing Order (each as
defined herein); and
WHEREAS, the Seller is
willing to sell the Transition Property to the Note
Issuer.
NOW, THEREFORE, in
consideration of the premises and the mutual covenants herein
contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:
ARTICLE I.
DEFINITIONS
Section 1.01.
Definitions . Whenever used in this Agreement, the following
words and phrases shall have the following meanings:
“ Administration
Agreement ” means the Administration Agreement dated as
of March 1, 2005 between Boston Edison Company, as Administrator,
and the Note Issuer, as amended and supplemented from time to
time.
“ Agencies
” means, collectively, the Massachusetts Health and
Educational Facilities Authority and the Massachusetts Development
Finance Agency.
“ Agreement
” means this Transition Property Purchase and Sale Agreement,
as amended and supplemented from time to time.
“ Back-Up Security
Interest ” has the meaning specified in Section
2.01.
“ Basic
Documents ” means, collectively, this Agreement, the Note
Indenture, the Declaration of Trust, the Certificate Indenture, the
Servicing Agreement, the Administration Agreement, the Note
Purchase Agreement, the Underwriting Agreement, the Fee and
Indemnity Agreement and the Cross Indemnity Agreement.
“ Business Day
” means any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on
which banking institutions or trust companies in New York, New
York, Boston, Massachusetts or Wilmington, Delaware are authorized
or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to remain
closed.
“ Certificate
Indenture ” means the Certificate Indenture dated as of
March 1, 2005, between the Certificate Issuer and the Certificate
Trustee, as amended and supplemented from time to time.
“ Certificate
Trustee ” means the Person acting as trustee under the
Certificate Indenture.
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“
Certificateholders ” has the meaning specified in
Section 1.01(a) of the Certificate Indenture.
“ Certificates
” means the Massachusetts RRB Special Purpose Trust 2005-1
Rate Reduction Certificates issued under the Certificate
Indenture.
“ Closing Date
” means March 1, 2005.
“ Collection
Account ” has the meaning specified in Section 8.02(a) of
the Note Indenture.
“ Corporate Trust
Office ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.01(a) of
the Note Indenture.
“ Cross Indemnity
Agreement ” means the Cross Indemnity Agreement dated as
of March 1, 2005 between the Note Issuer and CEC Funding, LLC, as
amended and supplemented from time to time.
“ Customers
” means all classes of retail users of the Seller’s
distribution system within its geographic service territory as in
effect on July 1, 1997.
“ Date of Breach
” means, with respect to the repurchase obligation specified
in Section 5.01(b), the date of breach of a representation or
warranty that triggers such repurchase obligation.
“ Declaration of
Trust ” means the Declaration of Trust dated as of
January 26, 2005, among the Agencies and the Delaware Trustee, as
amended and supplemented from time to time.
“ Delaware
Trustee ” means the Person acting as trustee under the
Declaration of Trust.
“ DTE ”
means the Massachusetts Department of Telecommunications and Energy
and any successor thereto.
“ DTE
Regulations ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.01
of the Servicing Agreement.
“ Fee and Indemnity
Agreement ” means the fee and indemnity agreement dated
as of March 1, 2005 among the Note Issuer, the Delaware Trustee,
the Certificate Trustee, the Trust and the Agencies.
“ Financing
Order ” means the order of the DTE in Docket No. D.T.E.
04-70, issued on January 21, 2005.
“ Grant ”
means mortgage, pledge, collaterally assign and grant a lien upon
and a security interest in. A Grant of any agreement or instrument
shall include all rights, powers and options (but none of the
obligations) of the Granting Person thereunder, the immediate and
continuing
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right to claim for, collect, receive and
give receipts for payments in respect of and all other monies
payable thereunder, to give and receive notices and other
communications, to make waivers or other agreements, to exercise
all rights and options, to bring proceedings in the name of the
Granting Person or otherwise, and generally to do and receive
anything that the Granting Person is or may be entitled to do or
receive thereunder with respect thereto.
“ Indemnified
Person ” has the meaning specified in Section
5.01(h).
“ Issuance Advice
Letter ” means the initial Issuance Advice Letter, dated
February 18, 2005, filed with the DTE by the Seller pursuant to the
Financing Order.
“ Lien ”
means a security interest, lien, charge, pledge or encumbrance of
any kind.
“ Losses ”
has the meaning specified in Section 5.01(e).
“ Moody’s
” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. or its
successor.
“ Note Indenture
” means the Note Indenture dated as of March 1, 2005, between
the Note Issuer and the Note Trustee, as amended and supplemented
from time to time.
“ Note Issuer
” has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this
Agreement.
“ Note Purchase
Agreement ” means the Note Purchase Agreement dated as of
March 1, 2005 between the Note Issuer and the Trust, as amended and
supplemented from time to time.
“ Note Register
” has the meaning specified in Section 2.05 of the Note
Indenture.
“ Note Trustee
” means the Person acting as trustee under the Note
Indenture.
“ Noteholder
” or “ Holder ” means the Person in whose
name a Note is registered on the Note Register.
“ Notes ”
means the BEC Funding II, LLC Notes issued under the Note
Indenture.
“ Officer’s
Certificate ” means a certificate signed by the chairman
of the board, the chief executive officer, the president, the chief
financial officer, any vice president, the treasurer, any assistant
treasurer, the clerk, any assistant clerk, the controller or the
director of corporate finance and cash management of the
Seller.
“ Operating
Expense ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.01(a) of
the Note Indenture.
“ Opinion of
Counsel ” means one or more written opinions of counsel
who may be an employee of or counsel to the party providing such
opinion of counsel, which counsel shall be reasonably acceptable to
the party receiving such opinion of counsel.
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“ Outstanding
Amount ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.01(a) of
the Note Indenture.
“
Overcollateralization Subaccount ” has the meaning
specified in Section 8.02(a) of the Note Indenture.
“ Person ”
means any individual, corporation, limited liability company,
estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock
company, trust (including any beneficiary thereof), unincorporated
organization or government or any agency or political subdivision
thereof.
“ Rating
Agencies ” means, collectively, S&P and
Moody’s.
“ Repurchase
Date ” means the date that is five Business Days after
the date that is (i) if the terms of Section 5.01(b)(i)(A) and
Section 5.01(b)(i)(B)(2) are applicable, two Business Days after
the Date of Breach if the Seller fails to make the deposit required
by Section 5.01(b)(i)(B)(2) or 90 days after the Date of Breach if
the Seller makes the deposit required by Section 5.01(b)(i)(B)(2);
(ii) if the terms of Section 5.01(b)(ii) are applicable, 90 days
after the Date of Breach; and (iii) if the terms of Section
5.01(b)(i)(A) and Section 5.01(b)(i)(B)(1) are applicable, 90 days
after the Date of Breach.
“ Required
Overcollateralization Level ” has the meaning specified
in Section 1.01(a) of the Note Indenture.
“ Repurchase
Price ” has the meaning specified in Section
5.01(b)(i).
“ RTC Charge
” means the portion (which may become all) of the
Seller’s Transition Charge designated pursuant to the
Financing Order as the RTC Charge, as the same may be adjusted from
time to time as provided in the Financing Order, and may in the
future include a pro rata component of any exit charge collected
pursuant to Section 1G(g) of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts
General Laws.
“ RTC Charge
Collections ” has the meaning specified in Section 1.01
of the Servicing Agreement.
“ Seller ”
has the meaning set forth in the preamble of this
Agreement.
“ Servicer
Default ” means an event specified in Section 7.01 of the
Servicing Agreement.
“ Servicing
Agreement ” means the Transition Property Servicing
Agreement dated as of March 1, 2005 between Boston Edison Company,
as Servicer, and the Note Issuer, as amended and supplemented from
time to time.
“ S&P
” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a
division of The McGraw Hill Companies, Inc. or its
successor.
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“ Statute
” means Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts Acts of 1997,
entitled An Act Relative to Restructuring the Electric Utility
Industry in the Commonwealth, Regulating the Provision of
Electricity and Other Services, and Promoting Enhanced Consumer
Protections Therein.
“ Transition
Charge ” means the “access charge” as defined
in Boston Edison Company’s Restructuring Settlement
Agreement, D.P.U. Docket Nos. 96-100 and 96-23 and subsequent
filings with the DTE pursuant thereto.
“ Transition
Property ” means the transition property that exists
under paragraph 6 of the Financing Order.
“ Trust ”
or “ Certificate Issuer ” means Massachusetts
RRB Special Purpose Trust 2005-1, a Delaware statutory
trust.
“ UCC ”
means, unless the context otherwise requires, the Uniform
Commercial Code, as in effect in the relevant jurisdiction, as
amended from time to time.
“ Underwriting
Agreement ” means the Underwriting Agreement dated as of
February 15, 2005 among Boston Edison Company, the Note Issuer,
Commonwealth Electric Company, CEC Funding, LLC, and the
underwriters named therein.
Section 1.02. Other
Definitional Provisions .
(a) All terms defined in this
Agreement shall have the defined meanings when used in any
certificate or other document made or delivered pursuant hereto
unless otherwise defined therein.
(b) The words
“hereof,” “herein,” “hereunder”
and words of similar import, when used in this Agreement, shall
refer to this Agreement as a whole and not to any particular
provision of this Agreement; Section, Schedule and Exhibit
references contained in this Agreement are references to Sections,
Schedules and Exhibits in or to this Agreement unless otherwise
specified; and the term “including” shall mean
“including without limitation”.
(c) The definitions contained
in this Agreement are applicable to the singular as well as the
plural forms of such terms.
ARTICLE II. CONVEYANCE OF
TRANSITION PROPERTY
Section 2.01. Conveyance
of Transition Property . In consideration of the Note
Issuer’s delivery to or upon the order of the Seller of
$265,467,619, the Seller does hereby irrevocably sell, transfer,
assign, set over and otherwise convey to the Note Issuer, WITHOUT
RECOURSE OR WARRANTY, except as specifically set forth herein, all
right, title and interest of the Seller in and to the Transition
Property (such sale, transfer, assignment, setting over and
conveyance of the Transition Property includes, to the fullest
extent permitted by the Statute, the assignment of all revenues,
collections, claims, payments, money or proceeds of or arising from
the RTC Charge pursuant to the Financing Order) and copies of all
books and records related thereto. Such sale, transfer, assignment,
setting over and conveyance is hereby expressly stated to be
a
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sale and, pursuant to Section 1H(f)(1)
of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws, shall be treated
as an absolute transfer of all of the Seller’s right, title
and interest in (as in a true sale), and not as a pledge or other
financing of, the Transition Property. If such sale, transfer,
assignment, setting over and conveyance is held by any court of
competent jurisdiction not to be a true sale as provided in Section
1H(f)(1) of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws, then
such sale, transfer, assignment, setting over and conveyance shall
be treated as the creation of a security interest in the Transition
Property and, without prejudice to its position that it has
absolutely transferred all of its rights in the Transition Property
to the Note Issuer, the Seller hereby Grants to the Note Issuer a
security interest in the Transition Property (including, to the
fullest extent permitted by the Statute, the assignment of all
revenues, collections, claims, payments, money or proceeds of or
arising from the RTC Charge pursuant to the Financing Order) to
secure a payment obligation incurred by the Seller in respect of
the amount paid by the Note Issuer to the Seller pursuant to this
Agreement (the “Back-Up Security Interest”). Such sale,
transfer, assignment, setting over and conveyance of the Transition
Property includes the right to use the Seller’s computer
software system to access and create copies of all books and
records related to the Transition Property.
ARTICLE III. REPRESENTATIONS
AND WARRANTIES OF SELLER
Subject to Section 3.09
hereof, the Seller makes the following representations and
warranties, as of the Closing Date, on which the Note Issuer has
relied in acquiring the Transition Property.
Section 3.01. Organization
and Good Standing . The Seller is duly organized and validly
existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with the requisite corporate power
and authority to own its properties as such properties are
currently owned and to conduct its business as such business is now
conducted by it, and has the requisite corporate power and
authority to own the Transition Property.
Section 3.02. Due
Qualification . The Seller is duly qualified to do business as
a foreign corporation in good standing, and has obtained all
necessary licenses and approvals, in all jurisdictions in which the
ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business shall
require such qualifications, licenses or approvals (except where
the failure to so qualify or obtain such licenses and approvals
would not be reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect on
the Seller’s business, operations, assets, revenues or
properties).
Section 3.03. Power and
Authority . The Seller has the requisite corporate power and
authority to execute and deliver this Agreement and to carry out
its terms; and the execution, delivery and performance of this
Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate
action on the part of the Seller.
Section 3.04. Binding
Obligation . This Agreement constitutes a legal, valid and
binding obligation of the Seller enforceable against it in
accordance with its terms, subject to applicable insolvency,
reorganization, moratorium, fraudulent transfer and other laws
relating to or affecting creditors’ or secured parties’
rights generally from time to time in effect and to
general
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principles of equity (including concepts
of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing),
regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at
law.
Section 3.05. No
Violation . The consummation of the transactions contemplated
by this Agreement and the fulfillment of the terms hereof do not:
(i) conflict with or result in any breach of any of the terms and
provisions of, nor constitute (with or without notice or lapse of
time) a default under, the articles of organization or by-laws of
the Seller, or any material indenture, agreement or other
instrument to which the Seller is a party or by which it is bound;
(ii) result in the creation or imposition of any Lien upon any of
the Seller’s properties pursuant to the terms of any such
indenture, agreement or other instrument (other than any Lien that
may be Granted under the Basic Documents or any Lien created
pursuant to Section 1H(e) of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts
General Laws); or (iii) violate any existing law or any existing
order, rule or regulation applicable to the Seller of any court or
of any federal or state regulatory body, administrative agency or
other governmental instrumentality having jurisdiction over the
Seller or its properties.
Section 3.06. No
Proceedings . There are no proceedings pending and, to the
Seller’s knowledge, there are no proceedings threatened and
no investigations pending or threatened, before any court, federal
or state regulatory body, administrative agency or other
governmental instrumentality having jurisdiction over the Seller or
its properties involving or relating to the Seller or the Note
Issuer or, to the Seller’s knowledge, any other Person: (i)
asserting the invalidity of this Agreement, any of the other Basic
Documents, the Notes, the Certificates, the Statute or the
Financing Order, (ii) seeking to prevent the issuance of the Notes
or the Certificates or the consummation of any of the transactions
contemplated by this Agreement or any of the other Basic Documents,
(iii) seeking any determination or ruling that might materially and
adversely affect the performance by the Seller of its obligations
under, or the validity or enforceability of, this Agreement, any of
the other Basic Documents, the Notes or the Certificates, or the
validity of the Statute or the Financing Order or (iv) seeking to
adversely affect the federal or state income tax classification of
the Notes or the Certificates as debt.
Section 3.07.
Approvals . No approval, authorization, consent, order or
other action of, or filing with, any court, federal or state
regulatory body, administrative agency or other governmental
instrumentality is required in connection with the execution and
delivery by the Seller of this Agreement, the performance by the
Seller of the transactions contemplated hereby or the fulfillment
by the Seller of the terms hereof, except those that have been
obtained or made and those that the Seller, in its capacity as
Servicer under the Servicing Agreement, is required to make in the
future pursuant to the Servicing Agreement.
Section 3.08. The
Transition Property .
(a) Title . It is the
intention of the parties hereto that the transfer and assignment
herein contemplated constitute a sale of the Transition Property
from the Seller to the Note Issuer and that no interest in, or
title to, the Transition Property shall be part of the
Seller’s estate in the event of the filing of a bankruptcy
petition by or against the Seller under any bankruptcy law. No
portion of the Transition Property has been sold, transferred,
assigned or pledged by the Seller to any Person other than the Note
Issuer. On the Closing Date, immediately upon the sale hereunder,
the Seller has transferred, sold and conveyed the Transition
Property to the Note
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Issuer, free and clear of all Liens,
except for any Lien created pursuant to Section 1H(e) of Chapter
164 of the Massachusetts General Laws and any Lien that may be
Granted under the Basic Documents, and pursuant to Section 1H(f)(1)
of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws such transfer
shall be treated as an absolute transfer of all of the
Seller’s right, title and interest (as in a true sale), and
not as a pledge or other financing of, the Transition
Property.
(b) Transfer Filings .
On the Closing Date, immediately upon the sale hereunder, the
Transition Property has been validly transferred and sold to the
Note Issuer, the Note Issuer shall own all such Transition Property
free and clear of all Liens (except for any Lien created pursuant
to Section 1H(e) of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws
and any Lien that may be Granted under the Basic Documents) and all
filings to be made by the Seller (including filings with the DTE
under the Statute) necessary in any jurisdiction to give the Note
Issuer a valid, perfected ownership interest (subject to any Lien
created pursuant to Section 1H(e) of Chapter 164 of the
Massachusetts General Laws and any Lien that may be Granted under
the Basic Documents) in, and for the Grant by the Note Issuer to
the Note Trustee of a valid, first priority perfected security
interest (except for any Lien created pursuant to Section 1H(e) of
Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws and any Lien that may
be Granted under the Basic Documents) in, the Transition Property
have been made. No further action is required to maintain such
ownership interest or the Note Trustee’s perfected security
interest (in each case, subject to any Lien created pursuant to
Section 1H(e) of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws and
any Lien that may be Granted under the Basic Documents). Filings
have also been made to the extent required in any jurisdiction to
perfect the Back-Up Security Interest Granted by the Seller to the
Note Issuer (subject to any Lien created pursuant to Section 1H(e)
of Chapter 164 of the Massachusetts General Laws and any Lien that
may be Granted under the Basic Documents).
(c) Financing Order and
Issuance Advice Letter; Other Approvals . On the Closing Date,
under the laws of The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the United
States in effect on the Closing Date, (i) the Financing Order
pursuant to which the Transition Property has been created is in
full force and effect; (ii) the Certificateholders are entitled to
the protections of the Statute and, accordingly, the Financing
Order is not revocable by the DTE; (iii) The Commonwealth of
Massachusetts may not alter the provisions of the Statute that make
the RTC Charge irrevocable and binding, limit or alter the
Transition Property, the reimbursable transition costs amounts (as
defined in Section 1H(a) of Chapter 164) or the Financing Order,
and all rights thereunder, in a manner that would substantially
impair the rights of the Certificateholders, absent a demonstration
by The Commonwealth of Massachusetts that an impairment is
narrowly-tailored and is necessary to advance an important public
interest, such as a “great public calamity” until the
Notes, together with interest thereon, are fully met and
discharged; (iv) the DTE may not, either by rescinding, altering or
amending the Financing Order, in any way reduce or impair the value
of the Transition Property either directly or indirectly by taking
reimbursable transition costs amounts into account when setting
other rates for the Seller, in a manner that would substantially
impair the rights of Certificateholders, absent a demonstration by
The Commonwealth of Mass
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