FIRST AMENDMENT TO LIMITED RECOURSE GUARANTY

EX-10.3 4 c06214exv10w3.htm EXHIBIT 10.3 Exhibit 10.3
Exhibit 10.3
FIRST AMENDMENT TO
LIMITED RECOURSE GUARANTY
THIS FIRST AMENDMENT TO LIMITED RECOURSE GUARANTY (this “Amendment”), dated as of September 22, 2010, is entered into by and between FRANKLIN CREDIT HOLDING CORPORATION, a Delaware corporation (the “Guarantor”), and The Huntington National Bank, a national banking association, acting hereunder as contractual representative pursuant to the Credit Agreement for Lenders (“Huntington,” acting as such contractual representative and any successor or successors to Huntington acting in such capacity, being referred to as the “Administrative Agent”). All capitalized terms in this Amendment that are not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings ascribed to such terms in the Guaranty (as defined below).
RECITALS:
A. On or about March 31, 2009, the Guarantor entered into a certain Limited Recourse Guaranty (the “Guaranty”) in favor of Administrative Agent, which was accepted and agreed to by Administrative Agent on that same date; and
B. Pursuant to the terms and subject to the conditions of the Guaranty, the Guarantor unconditionally and irrevocably guaranteed to the Administrative Agent, and its successors, endorsees, transferees and assigns, the prompt and complete payment and performance by the Borrowers of all Obligations when and as the same shall become due (whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise); and
C. The Guarantor and the Administrative Agent have agreed that the Guaranty should be amended and modified upon the terms and subject to the conditions contained herein.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants, agreements, and promises contained herein, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, and intending to be legally bound, the parties hereto for themselves and their successors and assigns do hereby agree, represent and warrant as follows:
1. Section 2, “Pledge Agreement,” of the Guaranty is hereby amended to recite in its entirety as follows:
2. Pledge Agreement. As security for the performance of the obligations of the Guarantor hereunder, the Guarantor has granted to the Administrative Agent a security interest in specified equity interests in 100% of its equity interests in all direct and indirect subsidiaries (other than Franklin Credit Management Corporation) of the Guarantor and all dividends, distributions and other payments in respect of such equity interests, (the “Pledged Collateral”), all as described in a certain Pledge Agreement dated of even date herewith (as amended, modified, or restated from time to time, the “Pledge Agreement”).

 

 


 

2. Conditions of Effectiveness. This Amendment shall become effective as of September 22, 2010, upon satisfaction of all of the following conditions precedent:
(a) Administrative Agent shall have received execution and delivery of, by all parties signatory thereto, originals, or completion as the case may be, to the satisfaction of Administrative Agent and its counsel, containing such information requested by Administrative Agent and its counsel and reflecting the absence of any material fact or issues and in all respect satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, each of the following document:
(i) Two duly executed originals of this Amendment;
(b) The representations contained in the immediately following paragraph shall be true and accurate in all material respects.
3. Representations and Warranties. The Guarantor represents and warrants to Administrative Agent as follows: (a) after giving effect to this Amendment, each representation and warranty made by or on behalf of the Guarantor in the Guaranty and in any other document executed in connection therewith is true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date hereof as though made on and as of such date, except to the extent that any such representation or warranty expressly relates solely to a date prior hereto; (b) the execution, delivery, and performance by the Guarantor of this Amendment and any other related document have been duly authorized by all requisite corporate or organizational action on the part of the Guarantor and will not violate any laws applicable to the Guarantor; (c) this Amendment has been duly executed and delivered by the Guarantor, and each of this Amendment, the Guaranty, and any other related document as amended hereby constitutes the legal, valid, and binding obligation of the Guarantor, enforceable against the Guarantor in accordance with the terms thereof; and (d) no event has occurred and is continuing, and no condition exists, which would constitute an Event of Default.
4. Ratification and Reaffirmation. The Guarantor agrees (i) that all the obligations, indebtedness, and liabilities of the Guarantor to the Administrative Agent under the Guaranty are the valid and binding obligations of the Guarantor; (ii) that the Obligations of the Guarantor are valid and binding without any present right of offset, claim, defense, or recoupment of any kind and are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects; and (iii) that the Liens (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and security interests granted to the Administrative Agent are valid and binding and are hereby ratified and confirmed in all respects.
5. Reference to and Effect on the Loan Documents. (a) Upon the effectiveness of this Amendment, each reference in the Guaranty to “Limited Recourse Guaranty,” “Guaranty,” “Agreement,” the prefix “herein,” “hereof,” or words of similar import, and each reference in any related documents to the Guaranty, shall mean and be a reference to the Guaranty as amended hereby. (b) Except to the extent amended or modified hereby, all of the representations, warranties, terms, covenants, and conditions of the Guaranty and any related documents shall remain as written originally and in full force and effect in accordance with their respective terms and are hereby ratified and confirmed, and nothing herein shall affect, modify, limit, or impair any of the rights and powers which the Administrative Agent may have hereunder or thereunder. Nothing in this Amendment shall constitute a novation. The amendments set forth herein shall be limited precisely as provided for herein, and shall not be deemed to be a waiver of, amendment of, consent to, or modification of any of the Administrative Agent’s rights under, or of any other term or provisions of, the Guaranty or any other related document, or of any term or provision of any other document referred to therein or herein or of any transaction or future action on the part of the Guarantor that would require the consent of the Administrative Agent.

 

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6. Waiver and Release of All Claims and Defenses. The Guarantor hereby forever waives, relinquishes, discharges, and releases all defenses and claims of every kind or nature, whether existing by virtue of state, federal, or local law, by agreement or otherwise, against the Administrative Agent, its successors, assigns, directors, officers, shareholders, agents, employees, and attorneys (collectively, the “Released Parties”), the Obligations, or the Pledged Collateral, whether previously or now existing or arising out of or related to any transaction or dealings between the Administrative Agent and the Guarantor, which the Guarantor may have or may have made at any time up through and including the date of this Amendment, including without limitation, any affirmative defenses, counterclaims, setoffs, deductions, or recoupments, by the Guarantor and all of its representatives, successors, assigns, agents, employees, officers, directors, and heirs. “Claims” includes all debts, demands, actions, causes of action, suits, dues, sums of money, accounts, bonds, warranties, covenants, contracts, controversies, promises, agreements, or obligations of any kind, type, or description, and any other claim or demand of any nature whatsoever, whether known or unknown, accrued or unaccrued, disputed or undisputed, liquidated or contingent, in contract, tort, at law, or in equity, any of them ever had, claimed to have, now has, or shall or may have. Nothing contained in this Amendment prevents enforcement of this release.
7. No Waiver. Nothing in this Amendment shall be construed to waive, modify, or cure any default or Event of Default that exists or may exist under the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document.
8. Waiver of Right to Trial by Jury. EACH PARTY TO THIS AMENDMENT HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVES ANY RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY OF ANY CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION, OR CAUSE OF ACTION (1) ARISING UNDER THIS AMENDMENT OR ANY LOAN DOCUMENT, OR (2) IN ANY WAY CONNECTED WITH OR RELATED OR INCIDENTAL TO THE DEALINGS OF THE PARTIES HERETO OR ANY OF THEM WITH RESPECT TO THIS AMENDMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, OR THE TRANSACTIONS RELATED HERETO OR THERETO, IN EACH CASE WHETHER NOW EXISTING OR HEREAFTER ARISING, AND WHETHER SOUNDING IN CONTRACT OR TORT OR OTHERWISE, AND EACH PARTY HEREBY AGREES AND CONSENTS THAT ANY SUCH CLAIM, DEMAND, ACTION, OR CAUSE OF ACTION SHALL BE DECIDED BY COURT TRIAL WITHOUT A JURY, AND THAT ANY PARTY TO THIS AMENDMENT MAY FILE AN ORIGINAL COUNTERPART OR A COPY OF THIS SECTION WITH ANY COURT AS WRITTEN EVIDENCE OF THE CONSENT OF THE PARTIES HERETO TO THE WAIVER OF THEIR RIGHT TO TRIAL BY JURY.
9. Counterparts. This Amendment may be executed in any number of counterparts and by different parties hereto in separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original, and all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument. Receipt by the Administrative Agent of a facsimile copy of an executed signature page hereof will constitute receipt by the Administrative Agent of an executed counterpart of this Amendment.
10. Costs and Expenses. The Guarantor agrees to pay on demand in accordance with the terms of the Credit Agreement all costs and expenses of the Administrative Agent in connection with the preparation, reproduction, execution, and delivery of this Amendment and all other Loan Documents entered into in connection herewith, including the reasonable fees and out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent’s counsel with respect thereto.
11. Further Assurances. The Guarantor hereby agrees to execute and deliver such additional documents, instruments, and agreements reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent as may be reasonably necessary or appropriate to effectuate the purposes of this Amendment.
12. Governing Law. This Amendment and the rights and obligations of the parties hereto shall be governed by, and construed and interpreted in accordance with, the laws of the State of Ohio.

 

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13. Headings. Section headings in this Amendment are included herein for convenience of reference only and will not constitute a part of this Amendment for any other purpose.
[Signature Page Follows.]

 

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Guarantor and the Administrative Agent have hereunto set their hands as of the date first set forth above.
         
  GUARANTOR:

FRANKLIN CREDIT HOLDING CORPORATION
 
 
  By:   /s/ Thomas J. Axon   
  Name: Thomas J. Axon   
  Title: President   
 
         
  ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT:

THE HUNTINGTON NATIONAL BANK, as Administrative Agent
 
 
  By:   /s/ David L. Abshier   
  Name:  David L. Abshier    
  Title:  Authorized Signer