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EXHIBIT 4-12
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CAPITAL SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
MCN Financing IV
Dated as of ________ __, 1997
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Capital Guarantee Trustee . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Capital Guarantee Trustee . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent . . . . 6
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
CAPITAL GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Capital Guarantee Trustee . . . 7
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Capital Guarantee Trustee . . . . . . . 9
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Capital
Securities Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Capital Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility . . . . . . . . . 12
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Capital Guarantee
Trustee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
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ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
SECTION 6.2 Ranking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 9.2 Amendments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
SECTION 9.3 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SECTION 9.4 Benefit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
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CAPITAL SECURITIES GUARANTEE AGREEMENT
This GUARANTEE AGREEMENT (the "Capital Securities Guarantee"),
dated as of ______ __, 1997, is executed and delivered by MCN Energy Group
Inc., a Michigan corporation (the "Guarantor"), and Wilmington Trust Company,
as trustee (the "Capital Guarantee Trustee"), for the benefit of the Holders
(as defined herein) from time to time of the Capital Securities (as defined
herein) of MCN Financing IV, a Delaware statutory business trust (the
"Issuer").
WHEREAS, pursuant to an Amended and Restated Declaration of
Trust (the "Declaration"), dated as of _______ __, 1997, among the trustees of
the Issuer named therein, the Guarantor, as sponsor, and the holders from time
to time of undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer, the
Issuer is issuing on the date hereof ___________ preferred securities,
liquidation amount $1,000 per preferred security having an aggregate
liquidation amount of $__________ designated the ____% Capital Securities (the
"Capital Securities");
WHEREAS, as incentive for the Holders to purchase the Capital
Securities, the Guarantor desires irrevocably and unconditionally to agree,
to the extent set forth in this Capital Securities Guarantee, to pay to the
Holders of the Capital Securities the Guarantee Payments (as defined herein)
and to make certain other payments on the terms and conditions set forth
herein; and
WHEREAS, the Guarantor is also executing and delivering a
guarantee agreement (the "Common Securities Guarantee") in substantially
identical terms to this Capital Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the
holders of the Common Securities (as defined herein), except that if an Event
of Default (as defined in the Indenture), has occurred and is continuing, the
rights of holders of the Common Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under
the Common Securities Guarantee are subordinated to the rights of Holders of
Capital Securities to receive Guarantee Payments under this Capital Securities
Guarantee.
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the purchase by each
Holder of Capital Securities, which purchase the Guarantor hereby agrees shall
benefit the Guarantor, the Guarantor executes and delivers this Capital
Securities Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders.
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ARTICLE I
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1 Definitions and Interpretation
In this Capital Securities Guarantee, unless the context
otherwise requires:
(a) Capitalized terms used in this Capital Securities
Guarantee but not defined in the preamble above have
the respective meanings assigned to them in this
Section 1.1;
(b) a term defined anywhere in this Capital Securities
Guarantee has the same meaning throughout;
(c) all references to "the Capital Securities Guarantee"
or "this Capital Securities Guarantee" are to this
Capital Securities Guarantee as modified,
supplemented or amended from time to time;
(d) all references in this Capital Securities Guarantee
to Articles and Sections are to Articles and Sections
of this Capital Securities Guarantee, unless
otherwise specified;
(e) a term defined in the Trust Indenture Act has the
same meaning when used in this Capital Securities
Guarantee, unless otherwise defined in this Capital
Securities Guarantee or unless the context otherwise
requires; and
(f) a reference to the singular includes the plural and
vice versa.
"Affiliate" has the same meaning as given to that term in Rule
405 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any successor rule
thereunder.
"Authorized Officer" of a Person means any Person that is
authorized to bind such Person.
"Business Day" means any day other than a day on which banking
institutions in the City of New York, New York are authorized or required by
any applicable law to close.
"Capital Guarantee Trustee" means Wilmington Trust Company
until a Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted
such appointment pursuant to the terms of this Capital Securities Guarantee and
thereafter means each such Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee.
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"Common Securities" means the securities representing common
undivided beneficial interests in the assets of the Issuer.
"Corporate Trust Office" means the office of the Capital
Guarantee Trustee at which the corporate trust business of the Capital
Guarantee Trustee shall, at any particular time, be principally administered,
which office at the date of execution of this Agreement is located at
Wilmington Trust Company, Xxxxxx Square North, 0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx,
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000, Attention: Corporate Trust Administration.
"Covered Person" means any Holder or beneficial owner of
Capital Securities.
"Debentures" means the series of junior subordinated debt
securities of the Guarantor designated the ___% Junior Subordinated Debentures
due 20__ held by the Institutional Trustee (as defined in the Declaration) of
the Issuer.
"Event of Default" means a default by the Guarantor on any of
its payment or other obligations under this Capital Securities Guarantee.
"Guarantee Payments" means the following payments or
distributions, without duplication, with respect to the Capital Securities, to
the extent not paid or made by the Issuer: (i) any accrued and unpaid
Distributions (as defined in the Declaration) that are required to be paid on
such Capital Securities to the extent the Issuer shall have funds available
therefor, (ii) the redemption price, including all accrued and unpaid
Distributions to the date of redemption (the "Redemption Price") to the extent
the Issuer has funds available therefor, with respect to any Capital Securities
called for redemption by the Issuer, and (iii) upon a voluntary or involuntary
dissolution, winding-up or termination of the Issuer (other than in connection
with the distribution of Debentures to the Holders in exchange for Capital
Securities as provided in the Declaration), the lesser of (a) the aggregate of
the liquidation amount and all accrued and unpaid Distributions on the Capital
Securities to the date of payment, to the extent the Issuer shall have funds
available therefor, and (b) the amount of assets of the Issuer remaining
available for distribution to Holders in liquidation of the Issuer (in either
case, the "Liquidation Distribution"). If an event of default under the
Indenture has occurred and is continuing, the rights of holders of the Common
Securities to receive payments under the Common Securities Guarantee Agreement
are subordinated to the rights of Holders of Capital Securities to receive
Guarantee Payments.
"Holder" shall mean any holder, as registered on the books and
records of the Issuer of any Capital Securities;
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provided, however, that, in determining whether the holders of the requisite
percentage of Capital Securities have given any request, notice, consent or
waiver hereunder, "Holder" shall not include the Guarantor or any Affiliate of
the Guarantor.
"Indemnified Person" means the Capital Guarantee Trustee, any
Affiliate of the Capital Guarantee Trustee, or any officers, directors,
shareholders, members, partners, employees, representatives, nominees,
custodians or agents of the Capital Guarantee Trustee.
"Indenture" means the Indenture dated as of September 1, 1994,
among the Guarantor (the "Debenture Issuer") and NBD Bank, N.A., as trustee,
and any indenture supplemental thereto pursuant to which certain subordinated
debt securities of the Debenture Issuer are to be issued to the Institutional
Trustee of the Issuer.
"Majority in liquidation amount of the Securities" means,
except as provided by the Trust Indenture Act, a vote by Holder(s) of Capital
Securities, voting separately as a class, of more than 50% of the liquidation
amount (including the stated amount that would be paid on redemption,
liquidation or otherwise, plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date
upon which the voting percentages are determined) of all Capital Securities.
"Officers' Certificate" means, with respect to any Person, a
certificate signed by two Authorized Officers of such Person. Any Officers'
Certificate delivered with respect to compliance with a condition or covenant
provided for in this Capital Securities Guarantee shall include:
(a) a statement that each officer signing the Officers'
Certificate has read the covenant or condition and the definition
relating thereto;
(b) a brief statement of the nature and scope of the
examination or investigation undertaken by each officer in rendering
the Officers' Certificate;
(c) a statement that each such officer has made such
examination or investigation as, in such officer's opinion, is
necessary to enable such officer to express an informed opinion as to
whether or not such covenant or condition has been complied with; and
(d) a statement as to whether, in the opinion of each
such officer, such condition or covenant has been complied with.
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"Person" means a legal person, including any individual,
corporation, estate, partnership, joint venture, association, joint stock
company, limited liability company, trust, unincorporated association, or
government or any agency or political subdivision thereof, or any other entity
of whatever nature.
"Responsible Officer" means, with respect to the Capital
Guarantee Trustee, any officer within the Corporate Trust Office of the Capital
Guarantee Trustee, including any vice-president, any assistant vice-president,
any assistant secretary, the treasurer, any assistant treasurer or other
officer of the Corporate Trust Office of the Capital Guarantee Trustee
customarily performing functions similar to those performed by any of the above
designated officers and also means, with respect to a particular corporate
trust matter, any other officer to whom such matter is referred because of that
officer's knowledge of and familiarity with the particular subject.
"Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee" means a successor
Capital Guarantee Trustee possessing the qualifications to act as Capital
Guarantee Trustee under Section 4.1.
"Trust Indenture Act" means the Trust Indenture Act of 1939,
as amended.
"Trust Securities" means the Capital Securities and the Common
Securities.
ARTICLE II
TRUST INDENTURE ACT
SECTION 2.1 Trust Indenture Act; Application
(a) This Capital Securities Guarantee is subject to the
provisions of the Trust Indenture Act that are required to be part of this
Capital Securities Guarantee and shall, to the extent applicable, be governed
by such provisions; and
(b) if and to the extent that any provision of this
Capital Securities Guarantee limits, qualifies or conflicts with the duties
imposed by Section 310 to 317, inclusive, of the Trust Indenture Act, such
imposed duties shall control.
SECTION 2.2 Lists of Holders of Securities
(a) The Guarantor shall provide the Capital Guarantee
Trustee with a list, in such form as the Capital Guarantee Trustee may
reasonably require, of the names and addresses of the Holders of the Capital
Securities ("List of Holders") as of such date, (i) within 1 Business Day after
January 1 and July 1 of each year, and (ii) at any other time within 30 days of
receipt
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by the Guarantor of a written request for a List of Holders as of a date no
more than 14 days before such List of Holders is given to the Capital Guarantee
Trustee provided, that the Guarantor shall not be obligated to provide such
List of Holders at any time the List of Holders does not differ from the most
recent List of Holders given to the Capital Guarantee Trustee by the Guarantor.
The Capital Guarantee Trustee may destroy any List of Holders previously given
to it on receipt of a new List of Holders.
(b) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall comply with its
obligations under Section 311(a), 311(b) and Section 312(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.3 Reports by the Capital Guarantee Trustee
Within 60 days after May 15 of each year, the Capital
Guarantee Trustee shall provide to the Holders of the Capital Securities such
reports as are required by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act, if any, in
the form and in the manner provided by Section 313 of the Trust Indenture Act.
The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall also comply with the requirements of
Section 313(d) of the Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.4 Periodic Reports to Capital Guarantee Trustee
The Guarantor shall provide to the Capital Guarantee Trustee
such documents, reports and information as required by Section 314 (if any) and
the compliance certificate required by Section 314 of the Trust Indenture Act
in the form, in the manner and at the times required by Section 314 of the
Trust Indenture Act.
SECTION 2.5 Evidence of Compliance with Conditions Precedent
The Guarantor shall provide to the Capital Guarantee Trustee
such evidence of compliance with any conditions precedent, if any, provided for
in this Capital Securities Guarantee that relate to any of the matters set
forth in Section 314(c) of the Trust Indenture Act. Any certificate or opinion
required to be given by an officer pursuant to Section 314(c)(1) may be given
in the form of an Officers' Certificate.
SECTION 2.6 Events of Default; Waiver
The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of Capital
Securities may, by vote, on behalf of the Holders of all of the Capital
Securities, waive any past Event of Default and its consequences. Upon such
waiver, any such Event of Default shall cease to exist, and any Event of
Default arising therefrom shall be deemed to have been cured, for every purpose
of this Capital Securities Guarantee, but no such waiver shall extend to any
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subsequent or other default or Event of Default or impair any right consequent
thereon.
SECTION 2.7 Event of Default; Notice
(a) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall, within 90 days
after the occurrence of an Event of Default, transmit by mail, first class
postage prepaid, to the Holders of the Capital Securities, notices of all
Events of Default actually known to a Responsible Officer of the Capital
Guarantee Trustee, unless such defaults have been cured before the giving of
such notice, provided, that, the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be protected
in withholding such notice if and so long as a Responsible Officer of the
Capital Guarantee Trustee in good faith determines that the withholding of such
notice is in the interests of the Holders of the Capital Securities.
(b) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be deemed to
have knowledge of any Event of Default unless the Capital Guarantee Trustee
shall have received written notice, or of which a Responsible Officer of the
Capital Guarantee Trustee charged with the administration of the Declaration
shall have obtained actual knowledge.
SECTION 2.8 Conflicting Interests
The Declaration shall be deemed to be specifically described
in this Capital Securities Guarantee for the purposes of clause (i) of the
first proviso contained in Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture Act.
ARTICLE III
POWERS, DUTIES AND RIGHTS OF
CAPITAL GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 3.1 Powers and Duties of the Capital Guarantee Trustee
(a) This Capital Securities Guarantee shall be held by
the Capital Guarantee Trustee for the benefit of the Holders of the Capital
Securities, and the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not transfer this Capital
Securities Guarantee to any Person except a Holder of Capital Securities
exercising his or her rights pursuant to Section 5.4(b) or to a Successor
Capital Guarantee Trustee on acceptance by such Successor Capital Guarantee
Trustee of its appointment to act as Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee. The
right, title and interest of the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall automatically
vest in any Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee, and such vesting and cessation
of title shall be effective whether or not conveyancing documents have been
executed and delivered pursuant to the appointment of such Successor Capital
Guarantee Trustee.
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(b) If an Event of Default actually known to a
Responsible Officer of the Capital Guarantee Trustee has occurred and is
continuing, the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall enforce this Capital Securities
Guarantee for the benefit of the Holders of the Capital Securities.
(c) The Capital Guarantee Trustee, before the occurrence
of any Event of Default and after the curing of all Events of Default that may
have occurred, shall undertake to perform only such duties as are specifically
set forth in this Capital Securities Guarantee, and no implied covenants shall
be read into this Capital Securities Guarantee against the Capital Guarantee
Trustee. In case an Event of Default has occurred (that has not been cured or
waived pursuant to Section 2.6) and is actually known to a Responsible Officer
of the Capital Guarantee Trustee, the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall exercise
such of the rights and powers vested in it by this Capital Securities
Guarantee, and use the same degree of care and skill in its exercise thereof,
as a prudent person would exercise or use under the circumstances in the
conduct of his or her own affairs.
(d) No provision of this Capital Securities Guarantee
shall be construed to relieve the Capital Guarantee Trustee from liability for
its own negligent action, its own negligent failure to act, or its own willful
misconduct, except that:
(i) prior to the occurrence of any Event of Default and
after the curing or waiving of all such Events of Default that may
have occurred:
(A) the duties and obligations of the Capital
Guarantee Trustee shall be determined solely by the express
provisions of this Capital Securities Guarantee, and the
Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable except for the
performance of such duties and obligations as are specifically
set forth in this Capital Securities Guarantee, and no implied
covenants or obligations shall be read into this Capital
Securities Guarantee against the Capital Guarantee Trustee;
and
(B) in the absence of bad faith on the part of
the Capital Guarantee Trustee, the Capital Guarantee Trustee
may conclusively rely, as to the truth of the statements and
the correctness of the opinions expressed therein, upon any
certificates or opinions furnished to the Capital Guarantee
Trustee and conforming to the requirements of this Capital
Securities Guarantee; but in the case of any such certificates
or opinions that by any provision hereof are specifically
required to be furnished to the Capital Guarantee Trustee, the
Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be under a
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duty to examine the same to determine whether or not they
conform to the requirements of this Capital Securities
Guarantee;
(ii) the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable for
any error of judgment made in good faith by a Responsible Officer of
the Capital Guarantee Trustee, unless it shall be proved that the
Capital Guarantee Trustee was negligent in ascertaining the pertinent
facts upon which such judgment was made;
(iii) the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be liable with
respect to any action taken or omitted to be taken by it in good faith
in accordance with the direction of the Holders of not less than a
Majority in liquidation amount of the Capital Securities relating to
the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy
available to the Capital Guarantee Trustee, or exercising any trust or
power conferred upon the Capital Guarantee Trustee under this Capital
Securities Guarantee; and
(iv) no provision of this Capital Securities Guarantee
shall require the Capital Guarantee Trustee to expend or risk its own
funds or otherwise incur personal financial liability in the
performance of any of its duties or in the exercise of any of its
rights or powers, if the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall have
reasonable grounds for believing that the repayment of such funds or
liability is not reasonably assured to it under the terms of this
Capital Securities Guarantee or indemnity, reasonably satisfactory to
the Capital Guarantee Trustee, against such risk or liability is not
reasonably assured to it.
SECTION 3.2 Certain Rights of Capital Guarantee Trustee
(a) Subject to the provisions of Section 3.1:
(i) The Capital Guarantee Trustee may conclusively rely,
and shall be fully protected in acting or refraining from acting upon,
any resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note,
other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document believed by
it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or presented by the
proper party or parties.
(ii) Any direction or act of the Guarantor contemplated by
this Capital Securities Guarantee shall be sufficiently evidenced by a
Direction or an Officers' Certificate.
(iii) Whenever, in the administration of this Capital
Securities Guarantee, the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall
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deem it desirable that a matter be proved or established before
taking, suffering or omitting any action hereunder, the Capital
Guarantee Trustee (unless other evidence is herein specifically
prescribed) may, in the absence of bad faith on its part, request and
conclusively rely upon an Officers' Certificate which, upon receipt of
such request, shall be promptly delivered by the Guarantor.
(iv) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall have no duty to
see to any recording, filing or registration of any instrument (or any
rerecording, refiling or registration thereof).
(v) The Capital Guarantee Trustee may consult with
counsel, and the written advice or opinion of such counsel with
respect to legal matters shall be full and complete authorization and
protection in respect of any action taken, suffered or omitted by it
hereunder in good faith and in accordance with such advice or opinion.
Such counsel may be counsel to the Guarantor or any of its Affiliates
and may include any of its employees. The Capital Guarantee Trustee
shall have the right at any time to seek instructions concerning the
administration of this Capital Securities Guarantee from any court of
competent jurisdiction.
(vi) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be under no
obligation to exercise any of the rights or powers vested in it by
this Capital Securities Guarantee at the request or direction of any
Holder, unless such Holder shall have provided to the Capital
Guarantee Trustee such security and indemnity, reasonably satisfactory
to the Capital Guarantee Trustee, against the costs, expenses
(including attorneys' fees and expenses and the expenses of the
Capital Guarantee Trustee's agents, nominees or custodians) and
liabilities that might be incurred by it in complying with such
request or direction, including such reasonable advances as may be
requested by the Capital Guarantee Trustee; provided that, nothing
contained in this Section 3.2(a)(vi) shall be taken to relieve the
Capital Guarantee Trustee, upon the occurrence of an Event of Default,
of its obligation to exercise the rights and powers vested in it by
this Capital Securities Guarantee.
(vii) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be bound to
make any investigation into the facts or matters stated in any
resolution, certificate, statement, instrument, opinion, report,
notice, request, direction, consent, order, bond, debenture, note,
other evidence of indebtedness or other paper or document, but the
Capital Guarantee Trustee, in its discretion, may make such further
inquiry or investigation into such facts or matters as it may see fit.
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(viii) The Capital Guarantee Trustee may execute any of the
trusts or powers hereunder or perform any duties hereunder either
directly or by or through agents, nominees, custodians or attorneys,
and the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be responsible for any
misconduct or negligence on the part of any agent or attorney
appointed with due care by it hereunder.
(ix) Any action taken by the Capital Guarantee Trustee or
its agents hereunder shall bind the Holders of the Capital Securities,
and the signature of the Capital Guarantee Trustee or its agents alone
shall be sufficient and effective to perform any such action. No
third party shall be required to inquire as to the authority of the
Capital Guarantee Trustee to so act or as to its compliance with any
of the terms and provisions of this Capital Securities Guarantee, both
of which shall be conclusively evidenced by the Capital Guarantee
Trustee's or its agent's taking such action.
(x) Whenever in the administration of this Capital
Securities Guarantee the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall deem it
desirable to receive instructions with respect to enforcing any remedy
or right or taking any other action hereunder, the Capital Guarantee
Trustee (i) may request instructions from the Holders of a Majority in
liquidation amount of the Capital Securities, (ii) may refrain from
enforcing such remedy or right or taking such other action until such
instructions are received, and (iii) shall be protected in
conclusively relying on or acting in accordance with such
instructions.
(b) No provision of this Capital Securities Guarantee
shall be deemed to impose any duty or obligation on the Capital Guarantee
Trustee to perform any act or acts or exercise any right, power, duty or
obligation conferred or imposed on it in any jurisdiction in which it shall be
illegal, or in which the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be unqualified or
incompetent in accordance with applicable law, to perform any such act or acts
or to exercise any such right, power, duty or obligation. No permissive power
or authority available to the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be construed to
be a duty.
SECTION 3.3. Not Responsible for Recitals or Issuance of Capital
Securities Guarantee
The recitals contained in this Guarantee shall be taken as the
statements of the Guarantor, and the Capital Guarantee Trustee does not assume
any responsibility for their correctness. The Capital Guarantee Trustee makes
no representation as to the validity or sufficiency of this Capital Securities
Guarantee.
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ARTICLE IV
CAPITAL GUARANTEE TRUSTEE
SECTION 4.1 Capital Guarantee Trustee; Eligibility
(a) There shall at all times be a Capital Guarantee
Trustee which shall:
(i) not be an Affiliate of the Guarantor; and
(ii) be a corporation organized and doing business under
the laws of the United States of America or any State or Territory
thereof or of the District of Columbia, or a corporation or Person
permitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission to act as an
institutional trustee under the Trust Indenture Act, authorized under
such laws to exercise corporate trust powers, having a combined
capital and surplus of at least 50 million U.S. dollars ($50,000,000),
and subject to supervision or examination by Federal, State,
Territorial or District of Columbia authority. If such corporation
publishes reports of condition at least annually, pursuant to law or
to the requirements of the supervising or examining authority referred
to above, then, for the purposes of this Section 4.1(a)(ii), the
combined capital and surplus of such corporation shall be deemed to be
its combined capital and surplus as set forth in its most recent
report of condition so published.
(b) If at any time the Capital Guarantee Trustee shall
cease to be eligible to so act under Section 4.1(a), the Capital Guarantee
Trustee shall immediately resign in the manner and with the effect set out in
Section 4.2(c).
(c) If the Capital Guarantee Trustee has or shall acquire
any "conflicting interest" within the meaning of Section 310(b) of the Trust
Indenture Act, the Capital Guarantee Trustee and Guarantor shall in all
respects comply with the provisions of Section 310(b) of the Trust Indenture
Act.
SECTION 4.2 Appointment, Removal and Resignation of Capital Guarantee
Trustee
(a) Subject to Section 4.2(b), the Capital Guarantee
Trustee may be appointed or removed without cause at any time by the Guarantor.
(b) The Capital Guarantee Trustee shall not be removed in
accordance with Section 4.2(a) until a Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee has
been appointed and has accepted such appointment by written instrument executed
by such Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee and delivered to the Guarantor.
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(c) The Capital Guarantee Trustee appointed to office
shall hold office until a Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee shall have been
appointed or until its removal or resignation. The Capital Guarantee Trustee
may resign from office (without need for prior or subsequent accounting) by an
instrument in writing executed by the Capital Guarantee Trustee and delivered
to the Guarantor, which resignation shall not take effect until a Successor
Capital Guarantee Trustee has been appointed and has accepted such appointment
by instrument in writing executed by such Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee
and delivered to the Guarantor and the resigning Capital Guarantee Trustee.
(d) If no Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee shall have
been appointed and accepted appointment as provided in this Section 4.2 within
60 days after delivery to the Guarantor of an instrument of resignation, the
resigning Capital Guarantee Trustee may petition any court of competent
jurisdiction for appointment of a Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee. Such
court may thereupon, after prescribing such notice, if any, as it may deem
proper, appoint a Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee.
(e) No Capital Guarantee Trustee shall be liable for the
acts or omissions to act of any Successor Capital Guarantee Trustee.
(f) Upon termination of this Capital Securities Guarantee
or removal or resignation of the Capital Guarantee Trustee pursuant to this
Section 4.2, the Guarantor shall pay to the Capital Guarantee Trustee all
amounts accrued to the date of such termination, removal or resignation.
ARTICLE V
GUARANTEE
SECTION 5.1 Guarantee
The Guarantor irrevocably and unconditionally agrees to pay in
full to the Holders the Guarantee Payments (without duplication of amounts
theretofore paid by the Issuer), as and when due, regardless of any defense,
right of set-off or counterclaim that the Issuer may have or assert. The
Guarantor's obligation to make a Guarantee Payment may be satisfied by direct
payment of the required amounts by the Guarantor to the Holders or by causing
the Issuer to pay such amounts to the Holders.
SECTION 5.2 Waiver of Notice and Demand
The Guarantor hereby waives notice of acceptance of this
Capital Securities Guarantee and of any liability to which it applies or may
apply, presentment, demand for payment, any right to require a proceeding first
against the Issuer or any
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other Person before proceeding against the Guarantor, protest, notice of
nonpayment, notice of dishonor, notice of redemption and all other notices and
demands.
SECTION 5.3 Obligations Not Affected
The obligations, covenants, agreements and duties of the
Guarantor under this Capital Securities Guarantee shall in no way be affected
or impaired by reason of the happening from time to time of any of the
following:
(a) the release or waiver, by operation of law or
otherwise, of the performance or observance by the Issuer of any express or
implied agreement, covenant, term or condition relating to the Capital
Securities to be performed or observed by the Issuer;
(b) the extension of time for the payment by the Issuer
of all or any portion of the Distributions, Redemption Price, Liquidation
Distribution or any other sums payable under the terms of the Capital
Securities or the extension of time for the performance of any other obligation
under, arising out of, or in connection with, the Capital Securities (other
than an extension of time for payment of Distributions, Redemption Price,
Liquidation Distribution or other sum payable that results from the extension
of any interest payment period on the Debentures or any extension of the
maturity date of the Debentures permitted by the Indenture);
(c) any failure, omission, delay or lack of diligence on
the part of the Holders to enforce, assert or exercise any right, privilege,
power or remedy conferred on the Holders pursuant to the terms of the Capital
Securities, or any action on the part of the Issuer granting indulgence or
extension of any kind;
(d) the voluntary or involuntary liquidation,
dissolution, sale of any collateral, receivership, insolvency, bankruptcy,
assignment for the benefit of creditors, reorganization, arrangement,
composition or readjustment of debt of, or other similar proceedings affecting,
the Issuer or any of the assets of the Issuer;
(e) any invalidity of, or defect or deficiency in, the
Capital Securities;
(f) the settlement or compromise of any obligation
guaranteed hereby or hereby incurred; or
(g) any other circumstance whatsoever that might
otherwise constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of a guarantor,
it being the intent of this Section 5.3 that the
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obligations of the Guarantor hereunder shall be absolute and unconditional
under any and all circumstances.
There shall be no obligation of the Holders to give notice to,
or obtain consent of, the Guarantor with respect to the happening of any of the
foregoing.
SECTION 5.4 Rights of Holders
(a) The Holders of a Majority in liquidation amount of
the Capital Securities have the right to direct the time, method and place of
conducting of any proceeding for any remedy available to the Capital Guarantee
Trustee in respect of this Capital Securities Guarantee or exercising any trust
or power conferred upon the Capital Guarantee Trustee under this Capital
Securities Guarantee.
(b) If the Capital Guarantee Trustee fails to enforce
such Capital Securities Guarantee, any Holder of Capital Securities may
institute a legal proceeding directly against the Guarantor to enforce the
Capital Guarantee Trustee's rights under this Capital Securities Guarantee,
without first instituting a legal proceeding against the Issuer, the Capital
Guarantee Trustee or any other person or entity. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, if the Guarantor has failed to make a Guarantee Payment, a holder of
Capital Securities may directly institute a proceeding against the Guarantor
for enforcement of the Preferred Security Guarantee for such payment. The
Guarantor waives any right or remedy to require that any action on this Capital
Securities Guarantee be brought first against the Issuer or any other person or
entity before proceeding directly against the Guarantor.
SECTION 5.5 Guarantee of Payment
This Capital Securities Guarantee creates a guarantee of
payment and not of collection.
SECTION 5.6 Subrogation
The Guarantor shall be subrogated to all (if any) rights of
the Holders of Capital Securities against the Issuer in respect of any amounts
paid to such Holders by the Guarantor under this Capital Securities Guarantee;
provided, however, that the Guarantor shall not (except to the extent required
by mandatory provisions of law) be entitled to enforce or exercise any right
that it may acquire by way of subrogation or any indemnity, reimbursement or
other agreement, in all cases as a result of payment under this Capital
Securities Guarantee, if, at the time of any such payment, any amounts are due
and unpaid under this Capital Securities Guarantee. If any amount shall be
paid to the Guarantor in violation of the preceding sentence, the Xxxxxxxxx
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00
agrees to hold such amount in trust for the Holders and to pay over such amount
to the Holders.
SECTION 5.7 Independent Obligations
The Guarantor acknowledges that its obligations hereunder are
independent of the obligations of the Issuer with respect to the Capital
Securities, and that the Guarantor shall be liable as principal and as debtor
hereunder to make Guarantee Payments pursuant to the terms of this Capital
Securities Guarantee notwithstanding the occurrence of any event referred to in
subsections (a) through (g), inclusive, of Section 5.3 hereof.
ARTICLE VI
LIMITATION OF TRANSACTIONS; SUBORDINATION
SECTION 6.1 Limitation of Transactions
So long as any Capital Securities remain outstanding, if there
shall have occurred an Event of Default or an event of default under the
Declaration, then (a) the Guarantor shall not declare or pay any dividend on,
make any distributions with respect to, or redeem, purchase, acquire or make a
liquidation payment with respect to, any of its capital stock (other than (i)
purchases or acquisitions of shares of its common stock in connection with the
satisfaction by the Guarantor of its obligations under any employee benefit
plans or the satisfaction by the Guarantor of its obligations pursuant to any
contract or security outstanding on the date of such event requiring the
Guarantor to purchase shares of its common stock, (ii) as a result of a
reclassification of its capital stock or the exchange or conversion of one
class or series of the Guarantor's capital stock for another class or series of
the Guarantor's capital stock or, (iii) the purchase of fractional interests in
shares of its capital stock pursuant to the conversion or exchange provisions
of such capital stock of the Guarantor or the security being converted or
exchanged) or make any guarantee payment with respect thereto or (b) the
Guarantor shall not make any payment of interest, principal or premium, if any,
on or repay, repurchase or redeem any debt securities (including guarantees)
issued by the Guarantor which rank pari passu with or junior to the Debentures
or any other junior subordinated debentures issued by the Guarantor, and (c)
the Guarantor shall not make any Guarantee payments with respect to the
foregoing (other than the Guarantee payments).
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SECTION 6.2 Ranking
This Capital Securities Guarantee will constitute an unsecured
obligation of the Guarantor and will rank (i) subordinate and junior in right
of payment to all other liabilities of the Guarantor (other than the
Guarantor's guarantee of the trust originated preferred securities, if any,
issued by MCN Financing I, MCN Financing II, and MCN Financing III, which
guarantees will rank pari passu with the Capital Securities Guarantee), (ii)
pari passu with the most senior preferred or preference stock now or hereafter
issued by the Guarantor and with any guarantee now or hereafter entered into by
the Guarantor in respect of any preferred or preference stock of any Affiliate
of the Guarantor, and (iii) senior to the Guarantor's common stock.
ARTICLE VII
TERMINATION
SECTION 7.1 Termination
This Capital Securities Guarantee shall terminate upon (i)
full payment of the Redemption Price of all Capital Securities, (ii) upon the
distribution of the Debentures to the Holders of all of the Capital Securities
or (iii) upon full payment of the amounts payable in accordance with the
Declaration upon liquidation of the Issuer. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
this Capital Securities Guarantee will continue to be effective or will be
reinstated, as the case may be, if at any time any Holder of Capital Securities
must restore payment of any sums paid under the Capital Securities or under
this Capital Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE VIII
INDEMNIFICATION
SECTION 8.1 Exculpation
(a) No Indemnified Person shall be liable, responsible or
accountable in damages or otherwise to the Guarantor or any Covered Person for
any loss, damage or claim incurred by reason of any act or omission performed
or omitted by such Indemnified Person in good faith in accordance with this
Capital Securities Guarantee and in a manner that such Indemnified Person
reasonably believed to be within the scope of the authority conferred on such
Indemnified Person by this Capital Securities Guarantee or by law, except that
an Indemnified Person shall be liable for any such loss, damage or claim
incurred by reason of such Indemnified Person's negligence or willful
misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions.
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(b) An Indemnified Person shall be fully protected in relying in
good faith upon the records of the Guarantor and upon such information,
opinions, reports or statements presented to the Guarantor by any Person as to
matters the Indemnified Person reasonably believes are within such other
Person's professional or expert competence and who has been selected with
reasonable care by or on behalf of the Guarantor, including information,
opinions, reports or statements as to the value and amount of the assets,
liabilities, profits, losses, or any other facts pertinent to the existence and
amount of assets from which Distributions to Holders of Capital Securities
might properly be paid.
SECTION 8.2 Indemnification
(a) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
the Guarantor shall indemnify and hold harmless each Indemnified Person from
and against any loss, damage or claim incurred by such Indemnified Person by
reason of any act or omission performed or omitted by such Indemnified Person
in good faith in accordance with this Guarantee Agreement and in a manner such
Indemnified Person reasonably believed to be within the scope of authority
conferred on such Indemnified Person by this Guarantee Agreement, except that
no Indemnified Person shall be entitled to be indemnified in respect of any
loss, damage or claim incurred by such Indemnified Person by reason of
negligence or willful misconduct with respect to such acts or omissions.
(b) To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law,
reasonable expenses (including legal fees) incurred by an Indem- nified person
in defending any claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding shall, from time to
time, be advanced by the Guarantor prior to the final disposition of such
claim, demand, action, suit or proceeding upon receipt by the Guarantor of an
undertaking by or on behalf of the Indemnified Person to repay such amount if
it shall be determined that the Indemnified Person is not entitled to be
indemnified as authorized in Section 8.2(a).
(c) The obligation to indemnify as set forth in this
Section 8.2 shall survive the termination of the Capital Securities Guarantee.
ARTICLE IX
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 9.1 Successors and Assigns
All guarantees and agreements contained in this Capital
Securities Guarantee shall bind the successors, assigns, receivers, trustees
and representatives of the Guarantor and shall inure to the benefit of the
Holders of the Capital Securities then outstanding.
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SECTION 9.2 Amendments
Except with respect to any changes that do not adversely
affect the rights of Holders (in which case no consent of Holders will be
required), this Capital Securities Guarantee may only be amended with the prior
approval of the Holders of at least a Majority in liquidation amount (including
the stated amount that would be paid on redemption, liquidation or otherwise,
plus accrued and unpaid Distributions to the date upon which the voting
percentages are determined) of all the outstanding Capital Securities. The
provisions of Section 12.2 of the Declaration with respect to meetings of
Holders of the Securities apply to the giving of such approval.
SECTION 9.3 Notices
All notices provided for in this Capital Securities Guarantee
shall be in writing, duly signed by the party giving such notice, and shall be
delivered, telecopied or mailed by registered or certified mail, as follows:
(a) If given to the Capital Guarantee Trustee, at the Capital
Guarantee Trustee's mailing address set forth below (or such other address as
the Capital Guarantee Trustee may give notice of to the Holders of the Capital
Securities):
Wilmington Trust Company
Xxxxxx Square North
0000 Xxxxx Xxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxxxxx, Xxxxxxxx 00000
Attention: Corporate Trust Administration
(b) If given to the Guarantor, at the Guarantor's mailing
address set forth below (or such other address as the Guarantor may give notice
of to the Holders of the Capital Securities):
MCN Energy Group Inc.
000 Xxxxxxxx Xxxxxx
Xxxxxxx, XX 00000
Attention: Office of General Counsel
(c) If given to any Holder of Capital Securities, at the
address set forth on the books and records of the Issuer.
All such notices shall be deemed to have been given when
received in person, telecopied with receipt confirmed, or mailed by first class
mail, postage prepaid except that if a notice or other document is refused
delivery or cannot be delivered because of a changed address of which no notice
was given, such notice or other document shall be deemed to have been delivered
on the date of such refusal or inability to deliver.
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SECTION 9.4 Benefit
This Capital Securities Guarantee is solely for the benefit of
the Holders of the Capital Securities and, subject to Section 3.1(a), is not
separately transferable from the Capital Securities.
SECTION 9.5 Governing Law
THIS CAPITAL SECURITIES GUARANTEE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND
CONSTRUED AND INTERPRETED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW
YORK.
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THIS CAPITAL SECURITIES GUARANTEE is executed as of the day and year first
above written.
MCN ENERGY GROUP INC., as Guarantor
By:_________________________________
Name:
Title:
WILMINGTON TRUST COMPANY,
as Capital Guarantee Trustee
By:________________________________
Name:
Title:
