Operative Guaranty - ChoicePoint Inc. and SunTrust Banks Inc.
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OPERATIVE GUARANTY
from
CHOICEPOINT INC.
Dated as of July 31, 1997
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
SECTION 1. Operative Guaranty................................................1
SECTION 2. Bankruptcy........................................................2
SECTION 3. Right of Set-Off..................................................3
SECTION 4. Continuing Operative Guaranty.....................................3
SECTION 5. Reinstatement.....................................................3
SECTION 6. Certain Actions...................................................3
SECTION 7. Application.......................................................4
SECTION 8. Waiver............................................................4
SECTION 9. Assignment........................................................4
SECTION 10. Miscellaneous.....................................................4
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OPERATIVE GUARANTY
THIS OPERATIVE GUARANTY, dated as of July 31, 1997, is made by
ChoicePoint Inc., a Georgia corporation (the "Guarantor").
W I T N E S S E T H:
WHEREAS, the Guarantor as Lessee and Guarantor, SunTrust Banks, Inc. as
Lessor, and SunTrust Bank, Atlanta, as Agent, have entered into that certain
Master Agreement, dated as of July 31, 1997 (as it may be modified, amended or
restated from time to time as and to the extent permitted thereby, the "Master
Agreement"; and, unless otherwise defined herein, terms which are defined or
defined by reference in the Master Agreement (including Appendix A thereto)
shall have the same meanings when used herein as such terms have therein); and
WHEREAS, it is a condition precedent to the Funding Parties
consummating the transactions to be consummated on each Closing Date that the
Guarantor execute and deliver this Operative Guaranty; and
WHEREAS, it is in the best interests of the Guarantor that the
transactions contemplated by the Master Agreement be consummated on each Closing
Date; and
WHEREAS, this Operative Guaranty, and the execution, delivery and
performance hereof, have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action
of the Guarantor; and
WHEREAS, this Operative Guaranty is offered by the Guarantor as an
inducement to the Funding Parties to consummate the transactions contemplated in
the Master Agreement, which transactions, if consummated, will be of benefit to
the Guarantor;
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the foregoing and for other good
and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby
acknowledged by the Guarantor, the Guarantor hereby agrees as follows:
SECTION 1. Operative Guaranty. The Guarantor hereby unconditionally
guarantees the full and prompt payment when due, whether by acceleration or
otherwise, and at all times thereafter, and the full and prompt performance, of
all of the Liabilities (as hereinafter defined), including interest and earnings
on any such Liabilities whether accruing before or after any bankruptcy or
insolvency case or proceeding involving the
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Guarantor or any other Person and, if interest or earnings on any portion of
such obligations ceases to accrue by operation of law by reason of the
commencement of such case or proceeding, including such interest and yield as
would have accrued on any such portion of such obligations if such case or
proceeding had not commenced, and further agrees to pay all reasonable expenses
(including reasonable attorneys' fees and legal expenses actually incurred)
actually paid or incurred by each of the Funding Parties in endeavoring to
collect the Liabilities, or any part thereof, and in enforcing this Operative
Guaranty. The term "Liabilities", as used herein, shall mean all of the
following, in each case howsoever created, arising or evidenced, whether direct
or indirect, joint or several, absolute or contingent, or now or hereafter
existing, or due or to become due: (i) all amounts payable by the Lessee under
the Lease (including, without limitation, Basic Rent, Supplemental Rent and
Recourse Deficiency Amounts), the Master Agreement or any other Operative
Document, and (ii) all principal of the Notes and interest accrued thereon,
Lease Participant Amounts, accrued Yield and all additional amounts and other
sums at any time due and owing, and required to be paid, to the Funding Parties
under the terms of the Master Agreement, the Lease Participation Agreement, the
Loan Agreement, the Assignment of Lease and Rent, the Mortgages, the Notes or
any other Operative Document; provided, however, that the Guarantor will not be
obligated to pay under this Operative Guaranty any amounts greater than the
Lessee would have had to pay, under the Lease, the Master Agreement and the
other Operative Documents assuming that such documents were enforced in
accordance with their terms (and without giving effect to any discharge or
limitation thereon resulting or arising by reason of the bankruptcy or
insolvency of the Lessee), plus all actual and reasonable costs of enforcing
this Operative Guaranty.
By way of extension but not in limitation of any of its other
obligations hereunder, the Guarantor stipulates and agrees that in the event any
foreclosure proceedings are commenced and result in the entering of a
foreclosure judgment, any such foreclosure judgment, to the extent related to
the Liabilities, shall be treated as part of the Liabilities, and the Guarantor
unconditionally guarantees the full and prompt payment of such judgment.
SECTION 2. Bankruptcy. The Guarantor agrees that, in the event of the
dissolution, bankruptcy or insolvency of the Guarantor, or the inability or
failure of the Guarantor generally to pay debts as they become due, or an
assignment by the Guarantor for the benefit of creditors, or the commencement of
any case or proceeding in respect of the Guarantor under any bankruptcy,
insolvency or similar laws, and if such event shall occur at a time when any of
the Liabilities may not then be due and payable, the Guarantor will pay to the
Funding Parties
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forthwith the full amount which would be payable hereunder by the Guarantor if
all Liabilities were then due and payable.
SECTION 3. Right of Set-Off. To secure all obligations of the Guarantor
hereunder, each Funding Party shall have a right to set-off, without demand or
notice of any kind, at any time and from time to time when any amount shall be
due and payable by the Guarantor hereunder against any and all balances,
credits, deposits, accounts or moneys of or in the Guarantor's name now or
hereafter, for any reason or purpose whatsoever, in the possession or control
of, or in transit to, any Funding Party or any agent or bailee for any Funding
Party, and apply any such amounts toward the payment of the Liabilities then due
in such order as the Agent may elect in accordance with the Operative Documents.
SECTION 4. Continuing Operative Guaranty. This Operative Guaranty shall
in all respects be a continuing, absolute and unconditional Operative Guaranty
of prompt and complete payment and performance (and not merely of collection),
and shall remain in full force and effect (notwithstanding, without limitation,
the dissolution of the Guarantor) until the termination of the Commitments and
the full and final payment of all of the Liabilities.
SECTION 5. Reinstatement. The Guarantor further agrees that, if at any
time all or any part of any payment theretofore applied to any of the
Liabilities is or must be rescinded or returned for any reason whatsoever
(including, without limitation, the insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of
the Guarantor), such Liabilities shall, for the purposes of this Operative
Guaranty, to the extent that such payment is or must be rescinded or returned,
be deemed to have continued in existence, notwithstanding such application, and
this Operative Guaranty shall continue to be effective or be reinstated, as the
case may be, as to such Liabilities, all as though such application had not been
made.
SECTION 6. Certain Actions. The Funding Parties may, from time to time
at their discretion and without notice to the Guarantor, take any or all of the
following actions: (a) retain or obtain (i) a security interest in the Lessee's
interests in the Lease and (ii) a lien or a security interest hereafter granted
by any Person upon or in any property, in each case to secure any of the
Liabilities or any obligation hereunder; (b) retain or obtain the primary or
secondary obligation of any obligor or obligors, in addition to the Guarantor,
with respect to any of the Liabilities; (c) extend or renew for one or more
periods (regardless of whether longer than the original period), or release or
compromise any obligation of the Guarantor hereunder or any obligation of any
nature of any other obligor
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(including, without limitation, the Lessor) with respect to any of the
Liabilities; (d) release or fail to perfect its Lien upon or security interest
in, or impair, surrender, release or permit any substitution or exchange for,
all or any part of any property securing any of the Liabilities or any
obligation hereunder, or extend or renew for one or more periods (regardless of
whether longer than the original period) or release or compromise any
obligations of any nature of any obligor with respect to any such property; and
(e) resort to the Guarantor for payment of any of the Liabilities, regardless of
whether the Agent or any other Person shall have resorted to any property
securing any of the Liabilities or any obligation hereunder or shall have
proceeded against any other obligor primarily or secondarily obligated with
respect to any of the Liabilities (all of the actions referred to in this clause
(e) being hereby expressly waived by the Guarantor).
SECTION 7. Application. Any amounts received by any Funding Party from
whatever source on account of the Liabilities shall be applied by it toward the
payment of such of the Liabilities, and in such order of application, as is set
forth in the Operative Documents.
SECTION 8. Waiver. The Guarantor hereby expressly waives: (a) notice
of the acceptance of this Operative Guaranty; (b) notice of the existence or
creation or non-payment of all or any of the Liabilities; (c) presentment,
demand, notice of dishonor, protest, and all other notices whatsoever; and (d)
all diligence in collection or protection of or realization upon the Liabilities
or any thereof, any obligation hereunder, or any security for or Operative
Guaranty of any of the foregoing.
SECTION 9. Assignment. Subject to Section 6 of the Master Agreement,
each Funding Party may, from time to time, whether before or after any
discontinuance of this Operative Guaranty, at its sole discretion and without
notice to the Guarantor, assign or transfer any or all of its portion of the
Liabilities or any interest therein; and, notwithstanding any such assignment or
transfer or any subsequent assignment or transfer thereof, such Liabilities
shall be and remain Liabilities for the purposes of this Operative Guaranty, and
each and every such immediate and successive assignee or transferee of any of
the Liabilities or of any interest therein shall, to the extent of such
assignee's or transferee's interest in the Liabilities, be entitled to the
benefits of this Operative Guaranty to the same extent as if such assignee or
transferee were such Funding Party.
SECTION 10. Miscellaneous. No delay in the exercise of any right or
remedy shall operate as a waiver thereof, and no single or partial exercise of
any right or remedy shall preclude other or further exercise thereof or the
exercise of any other right or
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remedy; nor shall any modification or waiver of any of the provisions of this
Operative Guaranty be binding upon any Funding Party except as expressly set
forth in a writing duly signed and delivered on its behalf. No action permitted
hereunder shall in any way affect or impair any Funding Party's rights or the
Guarantor's obligations under this Operative Guaranty. For the purposes of this
Operative Guaranty, Liabilities shall include all of the obligations described
in the definition thereof, notwithstanding any right or power of the Lessee or
the Lessor or anyone else to assert any claim or defense (other than final
payment) as to the invalidity or unenforceability of any such obligation, and no
such claim or defense shall affect or impair the obligations of the Guarantor
hereunder. The Guarantor's obligations under this Operative Guaranty shall be
absolute and unconditional irrespective of any circumstance whatsoever which
might constitute a legal or equitable discharge or defense of the Guarantor. The
Guarantor hereby acknowledges that there are no conditions to the effectiveness
of this Operative Guaranty.
This Operative Guaranty shall be binding upon the Guarantor and upon
the Guarantor's successors and permitted assigns; and all references herein to
the Guarantor shall be deemed to include any successor or successors, whether
immediate or remote, to such Person; provided that the Guarantor shall not
assign its obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the
Funding Parties.
Wherever possible each provision of this Operative Guaranty shall be
interpreted in such manner as to be effective and valid under Applicable Law,
but if any provision of this Operative Guaranty shall be prohibited by or
invalid thereunder, such provision shall be ineffective only to the extent of
such prohibition or invalidity, without invalidating the remainder of such
provision or the remaining provisions of this Operative Guaranty.
THE GUARANTOR: (A) SUBMITS FOR ITSELF AND ITS PROPERTY IN ANY LEGAL
ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS OPERATIVE GUARANTY, OR FOR RECOGNITION AND
ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT IN RESPECT THEREOF, TO THE NON-EXCLUSIVE GENERAL
JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA SITTING IN FULTON COUNTY,
GEORGIA, THE COURTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF
GEORGIA, AND APPELLATE COURTS FROM ANY THEREOF; (B) CONSENTS THAT ANY SUCH
ACTION OR PROCEEDINGS MAY BE BROUGHT TO SUCH COURTS, AND WAIVES ANY OBJECTION
THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE VENUE OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING
IN ANY SUCH COURT OR THAT SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING WAS BROUGHT IN AN
INCONVENIENT COURT AND AGREES NOT TO PLEAD OR CLAIM THE SAME; (C) AGREES THAT
SERVICE OF PROCESS IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE EFFECTED BY
DELIVERING A COPY THEREOF TO IT AT ITS ADDRESS SET FORTH BELOW OR AT SUCH OTHER
ADDRESS OF WHICH THE
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OTHER PARTIES TO THE MASTER AGREEMENT SHALL HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 8.2 OF THE MASTER AGREEMENT; AND (D) AGREES THAT NOTHING HEREIN SHALL
AFFECT THE RIGHT TO EFFECT SERVICE OF PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY
LAW OR SHALL LIMIT THE RIGHT OF THE FUNDING PARTIES TO SUE IN ANY OTHER
JURISDICTION.
All notices, demands, declarations, consents, directions, approvals,
instructions, requests and other communications required or permitted by this
Operative Guaranty shall be in writing and shall be deemed to have been duly
given when addressed to the appropriate Person and delivered in the manner
specified in Section 8.2 of the Master Agreement. The initial address for
notices to each Guarantor is set forth below.
THIS OPERATIVE GUARANTY SHALL BE CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE
WITH AND GOVERNED BY THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF GEORGIA, WITHOUT REGARD TO
CONFLICT OF LAW PRINCIPLES.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Guarantor has caused this Operative Guaranty to
be executed and delivered as of the date first above written.
CHOICEPOINT INC.
By: Doug C. Curling
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Name Printed:Doug C. Curling
Title:Executive Vice President-CFO
Address: 1000 Alderman Drive
Alpharetta, Georgia 30202
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