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(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)
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Greenville, Delaware (Address of Principal Executive Offices) |
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Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code: (302) 434-3112 |
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Item 5. Other Events.
In connection with the issuance of the Notes: (i) Anastasia D. Kelly, Executive Vice President, General Counsel of Sears, Roebuck and Co. has delivered an opinion to Registrant, dated September 10, 2001, regarding the validity of the Notes, upon issuance and sale thereof on September 10, 2001; and (ii) Mayer, Brown & Platt, special counsel to Registrant and Sears, has delivered an opinion to Registrant and Sears, dated September 10, 2001, as to certain federal tax matters concerning the Notes. A copy of the opinion as to legality is attached as Exhibit 5, and a copy of the opinion as to certain tax matters is attached as Exhibit 8.
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
By: /s/ Keith E. Trost
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Exhibit No. | Description |
1(a) | Underwriting Agreement, dated September 5, 2001, among Registrant, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated as Representative of the several Underwriters. |
1(b) | Pricing Agreement, dated September 5, 2001, among Registrant, Sears, Roebuck and Co. and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated as Representative of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I thereto. |
4 | Form of 7% Note. |
5 | Opinion of Anastasia D. Kelly dated September 10, 2001, relating to the validity of $200,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 7% Notes due February 1, 2011. |
8 | Opinion of Mayer, Brown & Platt as to certain federal tax matters concerning the Registrants 7% Notes due February 1, 2011. |
UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT
Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
1585 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10036
As Representative of and
on behalf of
the several Underwriters
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes to issue and sell from time to time certain of its debt securities registered under the registration statement referred to in Section 2(a) (the "Securities"). The Company intends to enter into one or more Pricing Agreements (each a "Pricing Agreement") in the form of Annex I hereto, with such additions and deletions as the parties thereto may determine, and, subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and therein, to issue and sell to the firms named in Schedule I to the applicable Pricing Agreement (such firms constituting the "Underwriters" with respect to such Pricing Agreement and the securities specified therein) certain of the Securities specified in Schedule II to such Pricing Agreement (with respect to such Pricing Agreement, the "Designated Securities"). The Designated Securities with respect to each Pricing Agreement shall be issued under an indenture (the "Indenture") identified in such Pricing Agreement.
1. Particular sales of Designated Securities may be made from time to time to the Underwriters of such Securities, for whom you will act as representatives. This Underwriting Agreement shall not be construed as an obligation of the Company to sell any of the Securities or as an obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase the Securities. The obligation of the Company to issue and sell any of the Securities and the obligation of any of the Underwriters to purchase any of the Securities shall be evidenced by the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities specified therein. Each Pricing Agreement shall specify the aggregate principal amount of such Designated Securities, the public offering price of such Designated Securities, the purchase price to the Underwriters of such Designated Securities, the names of the Underwriters of such Designated Securities, the principal amount of such Designated Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter and the commission payable to the Underwriters with respect thereto and shall set forth the date, time and manner of delivery of such Designated Securities and payment therefor. The Pricing Agreement shall also describe, in a manner consistent with the Indenture and the registration statement and prospectus with respect thereto, the principal terms of such Designated Securities. A Pricing Agreement shall be in the form of an executed writing (which may be in counterparts), and may be evidenced by an exchange of telegraphic communications or any other rapid transmission device designed to produce a written record of communications transmitted. The obligations of the Underwriters under this Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be several and not joint.
2. Each of the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears") represents and warrants to, and agrees with, each of the Underwriters that:
(b) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements (i) the documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus, when they became effective or were filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conformed in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder, and none of such documents, when they became effective or were so filed, as the case may be, contained, in the case of documents which became effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and, in the case of documents which were filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (ii) any further documents so filed and incorporated by reference when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, will conform in all material respects to the requirements of the Act or the Exchange Act, as applicable, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and will not contain, in the case of documents which become effective under the Act, an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, and, in the case of documents which are filed under the Exchange Act with the Commission, an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they are made, not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter of Designated Securities through you expressly for use therein; at the Time of Delivery (as defined in Section 5 hereof), the Indenture will be duly qualified under, and will conform in all material respects to the requirements of, the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended (the "Trust Indenture Act"); and
(c) Except for statements in documents incorporated therein by reference which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus conformed, and any amendments or supplements thereto will, when they become effective or are filed with the Commission, as the case may be, conform, in all material respects to the requirements of the Act and the Trust Indenture Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder and do not and will not, as of the applicable effective date as to the Registration Statement and as of the applicable filing date as to the Prospectus, contain an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading; provided, however, that this representation and warranty shall not apply to any statements or omissions made in reliance upon and in conformity with information furnished in writing to the Company by an Underwriter of Designated Securities through you expressly for use in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented relating to such Securities.
(b) The issue and sale of the Securities pursuant to any Pricing Agreement and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Securities, the Indenture and this Agreement will not conflict with or result in any breach which would constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company material to the Company pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company, material to the Company, is subject, nor will such action result in any material violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended or the By-Laws of the Company or, to the best of its knowledge, any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any court or any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, and no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or filing with, any court or any such regulatory authority or other governmental body is required for the issue and sale of the Designated Securities except as may be required under the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act and securities laws of the various states and other jurisdictions in which the Underwriters will offer and sell the Designated Securities.
The Pricing Agreement applicable to any Designated Securities may provide that the Company and any entity acting as an underwriter with respect to such Designated Securities may enter into a deferred pricing agreement in the form set forth in a schedule attached to such Pricing Agreement.
Each Underwriter represents and agrees that it will not, at any time that such Underwriter is acting as an "underwriter" (as defined in Section 2(11) of the Act) with respect to any Designated Securities, transfer, deposit or otherwise convey any such Designated Securities, into a trust or other type of special purpose vehicle that issues securities or other instruments backed in whole or in part by, or that represents interests in, such Designated Securities without the prior written consent of the Company.
5. Designated Securities to be purchased by each Underwriter pursuant to the Pricing Agreement relating thereto, in definitive certificates registered in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee for the Depository Trust Company, New York, New York ("DTC") (unless otherwise specified in the Pricing Agreement) shall be delivered by or on behalf of the Company to you for the account of such Underwriter, against payment by such Underwriter or on its behalf of the purchase price therefor, by certified or official bank check or checks or wire transfer, as specified in such Pricing Agreement, payable to the order of the Company in the funds specified in such Pricing Agreement, all at the place and time and date specified in such Pricing Agreement or at such other place and time and date as you and the Company may agree upon in writing, such time and date being herein called the "Time of Delivery" for such Securities.
6. Each of the Company and Sears agrees with each of the Underwriters of Designated Securities:
(b) Promptly from time to time to take such action as you may reasonably request to qualify such Securities for offering and sale under the securities laws of such jurisdictions as you may request and to comply with such laws so as to permit the continuance of sales and dealings therein in such jurisdictions for as long as may be necessary to complete the distribution of such Securities, provided that in connection therewith neither the Company nor Sears shall be required to qualify as a foreign corporation or to file a general consent to service of process in any jurisdiction;
(c) To furnish the Underwriters with copies of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented in such quantities as you may from time to time reasonably request, and, if the delivery of a prospectus is required at any time in connection with the offering or sale of such Securities and if at such time any event shall have occurred as a result of which the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made when such Prospectus is delivered, not misleading, or, if for any other reason it shall be necessary during such same period to amend or supplement the Prospectus or to file under the Exchange Act any document incorporated by reference in the Prospectus in order to comply with the Act, the Exchange Act or the Trust Indenture Act, to notify you and to prepare and furnish without charge to each Underwriter and to any dealer in securities as many copies as you may from time to time reasonably request of an amended Prospectus or a supplement to the Prospectus which will correct such statement or omission or effect such compliance; and
(d) To make generally available to its security holders, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 158 under the Act or otherwise, as soon as practicable, but in any event not later than forty-five days after the end of the fourth full fiscal quarter (ninety days in the case of the last fiscal quarter in any fiscal year) following the fiscal quarter ending after the latest of (x) the effective date of the Registration Statement, (y) the effective date of the post-effective amendment thereto hereinafter referred to, and (z) the date of the filing of the report hereinafter referred to, earning statements of the Company and Sears and its consolidated subsidiaries (which need not be audited) complying with Section 11(a) of the Act and covering a period of at least twelve consecutive months beginning after the latest of (i) the effective date of such Registration Statement, (ii) the effective date of the post-effective amendment, if any, to such Registration Statement (within the meaning of Rule 158) next preceding the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Securities and (iii) the date of filing of the last report of the Company or Sears incorporated by reference into the Prospectus (within the meaning of Rule 158) next preceding the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Securities.
(b) To pay or cause to be paid all expenses, preapproved by the Company, incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder and under any Pricing Agreement, including the cost of all qualifications of the Securities under state securities laws (including reasonable fees of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with such qualifications and in connection with legal investment surveys) and the cost of printing this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement, and any blue sky and legal investment memoranda.
(b) All corporate proceedings and related matters in connection with the organization of the Company, the validity of the Indenture and the registration, authorization, issue, sale and delivery of the Designated Securities shall have been satisfactory to counsel to the Underwriters, and such counsel shall have been furnished with such papers and information as they may reasonably have requested to enable them to pass upon the matters referred to in this subdivision (b).
(c) Counsel to the Company
and Sears shall have furnished to you such counsel's written opinion, dated
the Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities, in form and substance
satisfactory to you in your reasonable judgment, to the effect that:
(ii) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. The authorized capital stock of the Company consists of 500,000 shares of common stock, par value $100.00 per share, all of the issued and outstanding shares of which are owned by Sears, Roebuck and Co. free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances, and the authorized capital stock of Sears is as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;
(iii) The Company is not an "investment company" within the meaning of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended;
(iv) This Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of the Company and Sears;
(v) The issue and sale of the Designated Securities and the compliance by the Company with all of the provisions of the Designated Securities, the Indenture, this Agreement and the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities will not (a) conflict with or result in any breach which would constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of the Company material to the Company, pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money known to such counsel to which the Company is a party or by which the Company may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of the Company material to the Company is subject, (b) result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended or the By-Laws of the Company or (c) to the best of the knowledge of such counsel, result in any material violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to the Company of any court or any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over the Company, other than the securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Designated Securities, as to which such counsel need express no opinion; and, to the best knowledge of such counsel, no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or filing with, any court or any such regulatory authority or other governmental body is required for the issue and sale of the Designated Securities except as has been obtained or effected under the Act, the Exchange Act, the Trust Indenture Act and securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Designated Securities;
(vi) The Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement and the Extension Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and are valid and binding instruments of the parties thereto enforceable in accordance with their terms except as the same may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance and transfer or other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and by general equity principles, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
(vii) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of the Company and, as to the Company, is a valid, binding and enforceable instrument in accordance with its terms except as the foregoing may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance and transfer or other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally or by general equity principles, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law) and has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Designated Securities have been duly authorized and (assuming their due authentication by the Trustee) have been duly executed, issued and delivered on the part of the Company and constitute valid and binding obligations of the Company in accordance with their terms, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture, except as the same may be limited by insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance and transfer or other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally or by general equity principles, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law);
(viii) Such counsel does not know of any pending legal or governmental proceedings required to be described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including documents incorporated by reference therein) which are not described as required;
(ix) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which such counsel need express no opinion), when they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act, and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(x) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein) (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein as to which such counsel need express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; the answers in the Registration Statement to Items 9 and 10 (insofar as it relates to such counsel) of Form S-3 are to the best of such counsel's knowledge accurate statements or summaries of the matters therein set forth and fairly present the information called for with respect to those matters by the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and
(xi) Such counsel does not
know of any contract or other document to which the Company or Sears or
any subsidiary thereof is a party required to be filed as an exhibit to
the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference
into the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or required to be described
in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented which has not been so filed,
incorporated by reference or described.
(d) At the Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities, Deloitte & Touche LLP, certified auditors, shall have furnished you a letter or letters, dated the date of delivery thereof in form and substance satisfactory to you as to such matters as you may reasonably request.
(e) (i) The Company shall not have sustained, since the date of the latest audited financial statements included or incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, any material loss or interference with its business from fire, explosion, flood or other calamity, whether or not covered by insurance, or from any labor dispute or court or governmental action, order or decree and (ii) since the respective dates as of which information is given in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented there shall not have been any material change in the capital stock accounts or long-term debt of the Company or any material adverse change in the general affairs, financial position, stockholders' equity or results of operations of the Company, otherwise than as set forth or contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, the effect of which in any such case described in clause (i) or (ii), in your judgment makes it impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Designated Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented.
(f) Subsequent to the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Securities, no downgrading shall have occurred in the rating accorded to the Company's or Sears senior debt securities by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. or Standard & Poor's; provided, however, that this subdivision (f) shall not apply to any such rating agency which shall have notified you of the rating of the Designated Securities prior to the execution of the Pricing Agreement.
(g) Subsequent to the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Securities none of (i) the United States shall have become engaged in the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or there has been a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or a declaration of war, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by either Federal or New York State authorities, or (iii) trading in securities generally on the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended nor limited or minimum prices shall have been established by such Exchange, any of which events, in your judgment, renders it inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Designated Securities.
(h) Each of the Company and Sears shall have furnished or caused to be furnished to you at the Time of Delivery for the Designated Securities certificates satisfactory to you as to the accuracy at and as of such Time of Delivery of the representations, warranties and agreements of the Company and Sears, respectively, herein and as to the performance by each of the Company and Sears of all its obligations hereunder to be performed at or prior to such Time of Delivery and the Company shall have also furnished you similar certificates satisfactory to you as to the matters set forth in subdivision (a) of this Section 8.
(i) Counsel to the Underwriters
shall have furnished you with such counsel's written opinion, dated the
Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities, in form and substance
satisfactory to you in your reasonable judgment, to the effect that:
(ii) Sears is validly existing as a corporation in good standing under the laws of the State of New York.
(iii) The execution and delivery of the Indenture have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Indenture has been duly executed and delivered by the Company, and qualified under the Trust Indenture Act of 1939, as amended, and is a valid, binding and enforceable agreement of the Company.
(iv) The execution and delivery of the Designated Securities have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company, and the Designated Securities have been duly executed and delivered by the Company and are the valid, binding and enforceable obligations of the Company, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture.
(v) The execution and delivery of this Underwriting Agreement have been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and Sears, and this Underwriting Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by the Company and Sears.
(vi) The execution and delivery
of the Pricing Agreement with respect to the Designated Securities have
been duly authorized by all necessary corporate action of the Company and
Sears, and the Pricing Agreement has been duly executed and delivered by
the Company and Sears.
(b) Each Underwriter will indemnify and hold harmless the Company against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which the Company may become subject, under the Act or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or any amendment or supplement thereto, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission to state therein a material fact required to be stated therein or (in the case of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or any amendment or supplement thereto) necessary to make the statements therein not misleading or (in the case of any Preliminary Prospectus) necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in any Preliminary Prospectus, the Registration Statement, the Prospectus or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or any such amendment or supplement in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through you expressly for use therein; and will reimburse the Company for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the Company in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim.
(c) Within a reasonable period after receipt by an indemnified party under subdivision (a) or (b) above of notice of the commencement of any action with respect to which indemnification is sought under such subdivision or contribution may be sought under subdivision (d) below, such indemnified party shall notify the indemnifying party in writing of the commencement thereof. In case any such action shall be brought against any indemnified party, the indemnifying party shall be entitled to participate in, and, to the extent that it shall wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party, and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party shall not be liable to such indemnified party for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation.
(d) If the indemnification provided for in this Section 9 is unavailable to an indemnified party under subdivision (a) or (b) above in respect of any losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to therein, then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Designated Securities on the other from the offering of the Designated Securities to which such loss, claim, damage or liability (or action in respect thereof) relates and also the relative fault of the Company and Sears on the one hand and the Underwriters of the Designated Securities on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof), as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and such Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from such offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by such Underwriters, in each case as set forth on the cover page of the Prospectus as amended or supplemented. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or Sears on the one hand or the Underwriters on the other and the parties' relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such statement or omission of the Company or Sears on the one hand and the Underwriters, directly or through you, on the other hand. With respect to any Underwriter, such relative fault shall also be determined by reference to the extent (if any) to which such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) with respect to any Preliminary Prospectus result from the fact that such Underwriter sold Designated Securities to a person to whom there was not sent or given, at or prior to the written confirmation of such sale, a copy of the Prospectus (excluding documents incorporated by reference) or of the Prospectus as then amended or supplemented (excluding documents incorporated by reference) if the Company has previously furnished copies thereof to such Underwriter. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this subdivision (d) were determined by per capita allocation among the indemnifying parties (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to above in this subdivision (d). The amount paid or payable by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) referred to above in this subdivision (d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any such action or claim. Notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision (d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the applicable Designated Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The obligations of the Underwriters of Designated Securities in this subdivision (d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations with respect to such securities and not joint.
(e) The obligations of the Company under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the Company may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each person, if any, who controls any Underwriter within the meaning of the Act; and the obligations of the Underwriters under this Section 9 shall be in addition to any liability which the respective Underwriters may otherwise have and shall extend, upon the same terms and conditions, to each officer and director of the Company or Sears and to each person, if any, who controls the Company within the meaning of the Act.
10. (a) If any Underwriter
shall default in its obligation to purchase the Designated Securities which
it has agreed to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such
Securities, you may in your discretion arrange for yourselves or another
party or other parties to purchase such Designated Securities on the terms
contained herein. If within thirty-six hours after such default by any
Underwriter you do not arrange for the purchase of such Designated Securities,
then the Company shall be entitled to a further period of thirty-six hours
within which to procure another party or other parties to purchase such
Designated Securities on such terms. In the event that, within the respective
prescribed periods, you notify the Company that you have so arranged for
the purchase of such Designated Securities, or the Company notifies you
that it has so arranged for the purchase of such Designated Securities,
you or the Company shall have the right to postpone the Time of Delivery
for such Designated Securities for a period of not more than seven days,
in order to effect whatever changes may thereby be made necessary in the
Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented, or
in any other documents or arrangements, and the Company agrees to file
promptly any amendments or supplements to the Registration Statement or
the Prospectus which may thereby be made necessary. The term "Underwriter"
as used in this Agreement shall include any person substituted under this
Section with like effect as if such person had originally been a party
to the Pricing Agreement with respect to such Designated Securities.
(b) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Designated Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subdivision (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of such Designated Securities which remains unpurchased does not exceed one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of the Designated Securities, then the Company shall have the right to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase the principal amount of Designated Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Securities and, in addition, to require each non-defaulting Underwriter to purchase its pro rata share (based on the principal amount of Designated Securities which such Underwriter agreed to purchase under such Pricing Agreement) of the Designated Securities of such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters for which such arrangements have not been made; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.
(c) If, after giving effect to any arrangements for the purchase of the Designated Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters by you and the Company as provided in subdivision (a) above, the aggregate principal amount of Designated Securities which remains unpurchased exceeds one-eleventh of the aggregate principal amount of the Designated Securities, as referred to in subdivision (b) above, or if the Company shall not exercise the right described in subdivision (b) above to require non-defaulting Underwriters to purchase Designated Securities of a defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters, then the Pricing Agreement relating to such Designated Securities shall thereupon terminate, without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except for the expenses to be borne by the Company and the Underwriters as provided in Section 7(b) hereof and the indemnity and contribution agreements in Section 9 hereof; but nothing herein shall relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.11. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company, Sears and the several Underwriters, as set forth in this Agreement or made by or on behalf of them, respectively, pursuant to this Agreement, shall remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation (or any statement as to the results thereof) made by or on behalf of any Underwriter or any controlling person of any Underwriter, the Company, Sears or any officer or director or controlling person of the Company or Sears, and shall survive delivery of and payment for the Securities.
Anything herein to the contrary notwithstanding, the indemnity agreement of the Company in subdivisions (a) and (e) of Section 9 hereof, the representations and warranties in subdivisions (b) and (c) of Section 2 hereof and any representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus as amended or supplemented contained in any certificate furnished by the Company or Sears pursuant to subdivision (h) of Section 8 hereof, insofar as they may constitute a basis for indemnification for liabilities (other than payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) arising under the Act, shall not extend to the extent of any interest therein of an Underwriter or a controlling person of an Underwriter if a director, officer or controlling person of the Company or Sears when the Registration Statement becomes effective or a person who, with his consent, is named in the Registration Statement as being about to become a director of the Company or Sears, is a controlling person of such Underwriter, except in each case to the extent that an interest of such character shall have been determined by a court of appropriate jurisdiction as not against public policy as expressed in the Act. Unless in the opinion of counsel for the Company or Sears the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, the Company or Sears will, if a claim for such indemnification is asserted, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such interest is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
12. If any Pricing Agreement shall be terminated pursuant to Section 10 hereof, the Company shall not then be under any liability to any Underwriter with respect to the Designated Securities covered by such Pricing Agreement except as provided in Section 7(b) and Section 9 hereof; but, if for any other reason Designated Securities are not delivered by or on behalf of the Company as provided herein, the Company will reimburse the Underwriters through you for all out-of-pocket expenses approved in writing by you, including fees and disbursements of counsel, reasonably incurred by the Underwriters in making preparations for the purchase, sale and delivery of such Designated Securities, but the Company shall then be under no further liability to any Underwriter with respect to such Designated Securities except as provided in Section 7(b) and Section 9 hereof.
13. In all dealings hereunder, you shall act on behalf of each of the Underwriters of Designated Securities, and the parties hereto shall be entitled to act and rely upon any statement, request, notice or agreement on behalf of any Underwriter made or given by you.
All statements, requests, notices and agreements hereunder shall be in writing or by telegram if promptly confirmed in writing and if to the Underwriters shall be sufficient in all respects, if delivered or sent by registered mail to you as the Representative at Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, 1585 Broadway, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10036, Attention: Financing Services Group; and if to the Company shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent by registered mail to the Company at 3711 Kennett Pike, Greenville, Delaware 19807, Attention: David P. Scharf, Assistant Secretary; and if to Sears shall be sufficient in all respects if delivered or sent by registered mail to Sears at 3333 Beverly Road, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60179, Attention: Anastasia D. Kelly, Executive Vice President, General Counsel.
14. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be binding upon, and inure solely to the benefit of, the Underwriters, the Company, Sears and, to the extent provided in Section 9 and Section 11 hereof, the officers and directors of the Company and Sears and each person who controls the Company or any Underwriter, and their respective heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns, and no other person shall acquire or have any right under or by virtue of this Agreement or any such Pricing Agreement. No purchaser of any of the Securities from any Underwriter shall be deemed a successor or assign by reason merely of such purchase.
15. Time shall be of the essence of each Pricing Agreement.
16. This Agreement and each Pricing Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
17. This Agreement and each
Pricing Agreement may be executed by any one or more of the parties hereto
and thereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed
to be an original, but all such respective counterparts shall together
constitute one and the same instrument.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return two counterparts hereof.
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp.
By: /s/ Keith E. Trost
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
By: /s/ Larry R. Raymond
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
By: /s/ Harold J. Hendershot
III
Name: Harold J. Hendershot
III
Title: Executive Director
[Underwriters]
As Representatives of and
on behalf of
the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 5, 2001 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), executed between the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears"), on the one hand, and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated as representative of and on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto, on the other hand, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") the Securities specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated Securities"). Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein; and each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and, except where otherwise specified, as of the date of this Pricing Agreement, except that each representation and warranty with respect to the Prospectus in Sections 2 and 3 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement in relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined) and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Pricing Agreement in relation to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined.
An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Securities, in the form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the time and place and at a purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto, the principal amount of Designated Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto, less the principal amount of Designated Securities covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts, if any, as may be specified in such Schedule II.
If the foregoing is in accordance with your understanding, please sign and return to us two counterparts hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you on behalf of each of the
Underwriters, this letter and such acceptance hereof, including the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute a binding agreement between the Company, Sears and each of the Underwriters. It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be supplied to the Company upon request. You represent that you are authorized on behalf of yourselves and on behalf of each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto to enter into this Agreement.
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp.
By: ________________________________
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
By: ________________________________
________________________________
[underwriter]
_________________________________
[underwriter]
As Representatives of and
on behalf of
the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
|
|
Underwriter |
Securities to be purchased |
$ | |
________________________ | |
TOTAL |
$ ________________________ |
SCHEDULE II
Title of Designated Securities:
_________ and __________Redemption Provisions:
To the Company and Sears:
DELAYED DELIVERY CONTRACT
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.,
c/o
Attention:
Dear Sirs:
The undersigned hereby agrees to purchase from Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. (hereinafter called the "Company"), and the Company agrees to sell to the undersigned,
$
principal amount of the Company's [Title of Designated Securities] (hereinafter called the "Designated Securities"), offered by the Company's Prospectus dated _______, ____ as amended or supplemented, receipt of a copy of which is hereby acknowledged, at a purchase price of % of the principal amount thereof, plus accrued interest from the date from which interest accrues as set forth below, and on the further terms and conditions set forth in this contract.
[The undersigned will purchase the Designated Securities from the Company on _______, ____ (the "Delivery Date") and interest on the Designated Securities so purchased will accrue from __________, ____.]
[The undersigned will purchase the Designated Securities from the Company on the delivery date or dates and in the principal amount or amounts set forth below:
Each such date on which Designated Securities are to be purchased hereunder is hereinafter referred to as a "Delivery Date".]
Payment for the Designated Securities which the undersigned has agreed to purchase on [the] [each] Delivery Date shall be made to the Company or its order by [certified or official bank check] [in New York Clearing House funds at the office of Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., Greenville, Delaware] [or] [by wire transfer, in immediately available funds, to a bank account specified by the Company], on [the] [such] Delivery Date upon delivery to the undersigned of the Designated Securities then to be purchased by the undersigned in definitive fully registered form and in such denominations and registered in such names as the undersigned may designate by written or telegraphic communication addressed to the Company not less than five full business days prior to [the] [such] Delivery Date.
The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment for Designated Securities on [the] [each] Delivery Date shall be subject to the conditions that (a) the purchase of Designated Securities to be made by the undersigned shall not on [the] [such] Delivery Date be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the undersigned is subject and (b) the Company, on or before __________, ____, shall have sold to the several Underwriters, pursuant to the Pricing Agreement dated ___________, ____ with the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears"), an aggregate principal amount of Designated Securities equal to $ , minus the aggregate principal amount of Designated Securities covered by this contract and other contracts similar to this contract. The obligation of the undersigned to take delivery of and make payment for Designated Securities shall not be affected by the failure of any purchaser to take delivery of and make payment for Designated Securities pursuant to other contracts similar to this contract.
Promptly after completion of the sale to the Underwriters the Company will mail or deliver to the undersigned at its address set forth below notice to such effect, accompanied by a copy of the Opinion of Counsel for the Company and Sears delivered to the Underwriters in connection therewith.
The undersigned represents and warrants that, as of the date of this contract, the undersigned is not prohibited from purchasing the Designated Securities hereby agreed to be purchased by it under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the undersigned is subject.
This contract will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors, but will not be assignable by either party hereto without written consent of the other.
This contract may be executed by either of the parties hereto in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same instrument.
This contract shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the internal laws of the State of New York.
It is understood that the acceptance by the Company of any Delayed Delivery Contract (including this contract) is in the Company's sole discretion and that, without limiting the foregoing, acceptances of such contracts need not be on a first-come, first-served basis. If this contract is acceptable to the Company, it is requested that the Company sign the form of acceptance below and mail or deliver one of the counterparts hereof to the undersigned at its address set forth below. This will become a binding contract between the Company and the undersigned when such counterpart is so mailed or delivered by the Company.
By
(Signature)
(Name and Title)
(Address)
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
By
(Title)
PRICING AGREEMENT
Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
1585 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10036
As Representative of and
on behalf of
the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a Delaware corporation (the "Company"), proposes subject to the terms and conditions stated herein and in the Underwriting Agreement, dated September 5, 2001 (the "Underwriting Agreement"), executed between the Company and Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears"), on the one hand, and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, as representative of and on behalf of the several Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto, on the other hand, to issue and sell to the Underwriters named in Schedule I hereto (the "Underwriters") the Securities specified in Schedule II hereto (the "Designated Securities"). Each of the provisions of the Underwriting Agreement is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, and shall be deemed to be a part of this Agreement to the same extent as if such provisions had been set forth in full herein; and each of the representations and warranties set forth therein shall be deemed to have been made at and, except where otherwise specified, as of the date of this Pricing Agreement, except that each representation and warranty with respect to the Prospectus in Sections 2 and 3 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty as of the date of the Underwriting Agreement in relation to the Prospectus (as therein defined) and also a representation and warranty as of the date of this Pricing Agreement in relation to the Prospectus as amended or supplemented. Unless otherwise defined herein, terms defined in the Underwriting Agreement are used herein as therein defined.
An amendment to the Registration Statement, or a supplement to the Prospectus, as the case may be, relating to the Designated Securities, in the form heretofore delivered to you is now proposed to be filed with the Commission.
Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, the Company agrees to issue and sell to each of the Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company, at the time and place and at a purchase price to the Underwriters set forth in Schedule II hereto, the principal amount of Designated Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule I hereto, less the principal amount of Designated Securities covered by Delayed Delivery Contracts, if any, as may be specified in such Schedule II.
If the foregoing is in accordance
with your understanding, please sign and return to us two counterparts
hereof, and upon acceptance hereof by you on behalf of each of the Underwriters,
this letter and such acceptance hereof, including the provisions of the
Underwriting Agreement incorporated herein by reference, shall constitute
a binding agreement between the Company, Sears and each of the Underwriters.
It is understood that your acceptance of this letter on behalf of each
of the Underwriters is pursuant to the authority set forth in a form of
Agreement among Underwriters, the form of which shall be supplied to the
Company upon request. You represent that you are authorized on behalf of
yourselves and on behalf of each of the other Underwriters named in Schedule
I hereto to enter into this Agreement.
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp.
By: /s/ Keith E. Trost
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
By: /s/Larry R. Raymond
/s/Harold J. Hendershot III
Morgan Stanley & Co.
Incorporated
As Representative of and
on behalf of
the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I hereto
SCHEDULE I
|
Securities to be purchased |
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated ............... |
|
Banc of America Securities LLC .................... |
|
Banc One Capital Markets, Inc. ..................... |
|
|
|
SCHEDULE II
Title of Designated Securities:
(a) For purposes of this Pricing Agreement only, Section 7 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be amended in the following manner. The existing Section 7(b) shall be amended and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
"(b) To pay or cause to be paid all expenses, preapproved by the Company, incident to the performance of its obligations hereunder and under any Pricing Agreement, including the cost of all qualifications of the Securities under state securities laws (including reasonable fees of counsel to the Underwriters in connection with such qualifications and in connection with legal investment surveys) and the cost of printing this Agreement, any Pricing Agreement, and any blue sky and legal investment memoranda, and to indemnify and hold harmless the Underwriters from any documentary stamp or similar issue tax and any related interest or penalties (except to the extent that any such interest or penalties result from the failure of the Underwriters to timely pay any such tax of which they had knowledge) on the issue, sale or delivery of the Designated Securities to the Underwriters (it being understood that except as provided in this subsection (b) and in Section 10 hereof, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the cost of printing any Agreement among Underwriters, the fees of their counsel, transfer taxes on resale of any of such Designated Securities by them and any advertising expenses connected with any offers that they may make); and"The following Section 7(c) shall be added:
"(c) To use its best efforts to have the Designated Securities approved for listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange or such other exchange as shall be agreed upon by you and the Company, upon the determination by you and the Company that the Company will apply for listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange."
(b) For purposes of this
Pricing Agreement only, Section 8 of the Underwriting Agreement shall be
amended in the following manner. The existing Section 8(g) shall be amended
and restated in its entirety to read as follows:
"(g) Subsequent to the date of the Pricing Agreement relating to the Designated Securities, none of (i) the United States shall have become engaged in the outbreak or escalation of hostilities involving the United States or there has been a declaration by the United States of a national emergency or a declaration of war, (ii) a banking moratorium shall have been declared by Luxembourg (if the Designated Securities have been approved for listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange) or United States Federal or New York State authorities, (iii) trading in securities generally on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (if the Designated Securities have been approved for listing on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange) or the New York Stock Exchange shall have been suspended or limited or minimum prices shall have been established by such Exchange, any of which events, in your judgment, renders it impractical or inadvisable to proceed with the public offering or the delivery of the Designated Securities, or (iv) there shall have been any change in national or international political, legal, tax or regulatory conditions, any of which events, in your judgment, causes a substantial deterioration in the price and/or value of the Notes;"The following Section 8(j) shall be added:
"(j) Mayer, Brown & Platt, special tax counsel for the Company, shall have furnished to you their written opinion, dated the Time of Delivery for such Designated Securities, in form satisfactory to you in your reasonable judgment, as to matters set forth under 'Description of Notes - Redemption for Tax Reasons,' 'Description of Notes - Tax Gross Up' and 'United States Tax Considerations' in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented."
FORM OF NOTE
[FORM OF FACE OF NOTE]
UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY TO THE
ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT,
AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH
OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER
ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE
BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF,
CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
Number_____ |
$___________
|
CUSIP NO.___________
|
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
7% Note due February 1, 2011
7% |
7%
|
Due 2011 |
Due 2011
|
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the "Company"), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of ____________________ Dollars ($__________) upon presentation and surrender of this Note, on the first day of February, 2011 at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located or the City of Luxembourg, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts, and to pay interest on said principal sum at the rate of 7.00% per annum, either, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the Security Register or at either of such offices or agencies, in like coin or currency, from February 1 or August 1, as the case may be, next preceding the date hereof to which interest has been paid on the Notes referred to on the reverse hereof (unless the date hereof is the date to which interest has been paid on such Notes, in which case from the date hereof, or unless the date hereof is prior to August 1, 2001, in which case from January 26, 2001), semi-annually, commencing on August 1, 2001, on February 1 and August 1, until payment of said principal sum has been made or duly provided for. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Note is dated after any January 15 and before the following February 1, or after any July 15 and before the following August 1, then this Note shall bear interest from such following February 1 or August 1, as applicable, provided, however, that if the Company shall default in the payment of interest due on such following February 1 or August 1, this Note shall bear interest from the next preceding February 1 or August 1 to which interest has been paid on such Note, or if no interest has been paid on such Note, then from January 26, 2001. The interest so payable on any February 1 or August 1, will, subject to certain exceptions provided in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, be paid to the person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on the January 15 prior to such February 1 or the July 15 prior to such August 1. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on such Interest Payment Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice of which shall be given to Noteholders not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid, at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in such Indenture.
If any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the interest or principal payment shall be made on the next day that is a Business Day, and no interest on such payments shall accrue for the period from and after the Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date. Interest on the Note will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof or any indenture supplemental thereto, or become valid or obligatory for any purpose, until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed by or on behalf of the Trustee under such Indenture.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company
has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated: September 10, 2001
By _____________________________
President
By _____________________________
Vice President
[FORM OF TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]
This is one of the Securities
of the series designated and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
The Chase Manhattan Bank
as Trustee
By:___________________________________
Authorized Officer
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
7% Note due February 1, 2011
1. This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the Company (hereinafter called the "Securities") of the series hereinafter specified, unlimited in aggregate principal amount, all issued or to be issued under or pursuant to an indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, executed between the Company and THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee; to which indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto (herein collectively called the "Indenture") reference is hereby made for a specification of the rights and limitation of rights thereunder of the Holders of the Securities, the rights and obligations thereunder of the Company and the rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee. The Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest (if any) at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions (if any), may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds (if any), may be subject to different covenants and Events of Default and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided. This Note is one of a series designated as the "7% Notes due February 1, 2011" of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the "Notes"). All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
2. In case a default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing with respect to the Notes, the principal amount of all Notes then outstanding under the Indenture may be declared or may become due and payable upon the conditions and in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. The Indenture provides that such declaration may in certain events be annulled by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes outstanding.
3. To the extent permitted by, and as provided in, the Indenture, indentures supplemental thereto may be entered into with the consent of the Company and with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities (as defined in the Indenture) of each series to be affected; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall (i) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of (and premium, if any, on), or the interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount of (and premium, if any, on), or the rate of interest on any Security, or change the Currency in which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Indenture without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security so affected, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities of any series the Holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture, without the consent of the Holders of each outstanding Security affected thereby.
4. The Indenture also provides that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series then outstanding may waive any past default under the Indenture and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of or interest or premium, if any, on any of the Securities.
5. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate, and in the Currency, herein prescribed.
6. This Note is transferable by the registered Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, but only in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture and upon surrender of this Note. Upon any such transfer a Note or Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding will be issued in exchange herefor.
7. The Notes are issuable only as registered Notes without coupons, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000. In the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, Notes are exchangeable, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, for other Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount, at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located or in the City of Luxembourg.
8. The Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent and any Security registrar may deem and treat the registered Holder hereof as the absolute owner hereof (whether or not this Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon by anyone other than the Company or any Security registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal hereof and interest hereon and for all other purposes, and neither the Company, the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent, a paying agent nor a Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments shall be valid and effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability upon this Note to the extent of the sum or sums so paid.
9. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or the interest on this Note or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in any manner in respect hereof, or in respect of the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision or statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or in any other manner, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof. In the event of any sale or transfer of its assets and liabilities substantially as an entirety to a successor corporation, the predecessor corporation may be dissolved and liquidated as more fully set forth in the Indenture.
10. The Company will, subject to the exceptions and limitations set forth below, pay such additional amounts (the "Additional Amounts") to any holder of a Note who is a United States Alien (as defined below) as may be necessary in order that every net payment of the principal of or interest on such Note after deduction or withholding for or on account of any present or future tax, assessment or governmental charge imposed by the United State (or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein) upon, or as a result of, such payment, will not be less than the amount provided for in such Note to be then due and payable. However, the Company will not be required to make any payment of Additional Amounts to any such holder for or on account of:
(b) any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, transfer or personal property tax or similar tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(c) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by reason of such holder's past or present status as a personal holding company, foreign personal holding company, controlled foreign corporation, passive foreign investment company; private foundation or other tax exempt organization, in each case with respect to the United States, or as a corporation which accumulates earnings to avoid United States federal income tax;
(d) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge which is payable otherwise than by withholding from payments on or in respect of any Note;
(e) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that a paying agent must withhold from any payment of principal of or interest on any Note, if another paying agent can make such payment without withholding;
(f) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed because of the failure to comply with certification, identification, documentation, information or other reporting requirement concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the United State of the holder or beneficial owner of such Note, if such compliance is required by statute or by regulation of the United States or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein as a precondition to relief or exemption from such tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(g) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed because such holder (or a partnership of which such holder is a member) is or was the actual or constructive owner of 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company entitled to vote;
(h) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed on any holder who is a fiduciary or partnership or other than the sole beneficial owner of the Note, but only to the extent that a beneficiary or settlor with respect to such fiduciary or a member of such partnership or a beneficial owner of the Note would not have been entitled to the payment of an Additional Amount had such beneficiary, settlor, member or beneficial owner been the holder of such Note; or
(i) any combination of items (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h).
The term "United States" means the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and each territory and possession of the United States of America and the area subject to its jurisdiction. The term "United States Alien" means any person who, for United States federal income tax purposes, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual, a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust, or a foreign partnership one or more of the members of which, as to the United States, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual or a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust.
Any additional amounts payable under this Paragraph and Paragraph 11(a) are herein referred to as "Additional Amounts," and all references herein to principal of and interest on the Notes shall include such Additional Amounts.
Notice of redemption will be given by the Company not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption, which date and the redemption price will be specified in the notice. Each notice shall be given in the manner described in Paragraph 11(b).
(b) (i) Any redemption notice given under Paragraph 11(a) above shall state the date fixed for redemption and the
(ii) If and so long as the Notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and such Exchange shall so require, notices to holders of the Notes will be given in a daily newspaper of general circulation in Luxembourg. If publication in Luxembourg is not practical, such publication shall be made elsewhere in Europe. The term "daily newspaper" shall mean a newspaper customarily published on each Business Day in morning editions, whether or not it shall be published in Saturday, Sunday or holiday editions. Such publication is expected to be made in the Luxembourg Wort. Such notices will be deemed to have been given on the date of such publication. If by reason of the temporary or permanent suspension of publication of any newspaper or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to make publication of such notice in a daily newspaper as herein provided, then such publication or other notice in lieu thereof, as shall be made by the Trustee, shall constitute sufficient publication of such notice, if such publication or other notice shall, so far as may be possible, approximate the terms and conditions of the publication in lieu of which it is given. The Trustee shall promptly furnish to the Company and each other paying agency a copy of each such notice so published.
UNLESS THIS NOTE IS PRESENTED
BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY TRUST COMPANY TO THE
ISSUER OR ITS AGENT FOR REGISTRATION OF TRANSFER, EXCHANGE OR PAYMENT,
AND ANY NOTE ISSUED IS REGISTERED IN THE NAME OF CEDE & CO. OR IN SUCH
OTHER NAME AS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY (AND ANY PAYMENT IS MADE TO CEDE & CO., OR TO SUCH OTHER
ENTITY AS IS REQUESTED BY AN AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DEPOSITORY
TRUST COMPANY), ANY TRANSFER, PLEDGE OR OTHER USE HEREOF FOR VALUE OR OTHERWISE
BY OR TO ANY PERSON IS WRONGFUL INASMUCH AS THE REGISTERED OWNER HEREOF,
CEDE & CO., HAS AN INTEREST HEREIN.
Number 3 |
$200,000,000
|
CUSIP NO. 812404BG5
|
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
7% Note due February 1, 2011
7% |
7%
|
Due 2011 |
Due 2011
|
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a corporation organized and existing under the laws of the State of Delaware (hereinafter called the "Company"), for value received, hereby promises to pay to CEDE & Co., or registered assigns, the principal sum of Two Hundred Million Dollars ($200,000,000) upon presentation and surrender of this Note, on the first day of February, 2011 at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located or the City of Luxembourg, in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for public and private debts, and to pay interest on said principal sum at the rate of 7% per annum, either, at the option of the Company, by check mailed to the address of the person entitled thereto as such address shall appear on the Security Register or at either of such offices or agencies, in like coin or currency, from February 1 or August 1, as the case may be, next preceding the date hereof to which interest has been paid on the Notes referred to on the reverse hereof (unless the date hereof is the date to which interest has been paid on such Notes, in which case from the date hereof, or unless the date hereof is prior to August 1, 2001, in which case from January 26, 2001), semi-annually, commencing on August 1, 2001, on February 1 and August 1, until payment of said principal sum has been made or duly provided for. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Note is dated after any January 17 and before the following February 1, or after any July 17 and before the following August 1, then this Note shall bear interest from such following February 1 or August 1, as applicable, provided, however, that if the Company shall default in the payment of interest due on such following February 1 or August 1, this Note shall bear interest from the next preceding February 1 or August 1 to which interest has been paid on such Note, or if no interest has been paid on such Note, then from January 26, 2001. The interest so payable on any February 1 or August 1, will, subject to certain exceptions provided in the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof, be paid to the person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on the January 17 prior to such February 1 or the July 17 prior to such August 1. Any such interest not so punctually paid or duly provided for shall forthwith cease to be payable to the registered holder on such Interest Payment Date, and may be paid to the Person in whose name this Note is registered at the close of business on a Special Record Date for the payment of such Defaulted Interest to be fixed by the Trustee, notice of which shall be given to Noteholders not less than 10 days prior to such Special Record Date, or may be paid, at any time in any other lawful manner, all as more fully provided in such Indenture.
If any Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date falls on a day that is not a Business Day, the interest or principal payment shall be made on the next day that is a Business Day, and no interest on such payments shall accrue for the period from and after the Interest Payment Date or the Maturity Date. Interest on the Note will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months.
Reference is hereby made to the further provisions of this Note set forth on the reverse hereof, and such further provisions shall for all purposes have the same effect as though fully set forth at this place.
This Note shall not be entitled to any benefit under the Indenture referred to on the reverse hereof or any indenture supplemental thereto, or become valid or obligatory for any purpose, until the certificate of authentication hereon shall have been signed by or on behalf of the Trustee under such Indenture.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Company
has caused this instrument to be duly executed under its corporate seal.
Dated: September 10, 2001
By _____________________________
By _____________________________
[FORM OF TRUSTEE'S CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICATION]
This is one of the Securities
of the series designated and referred to in the within-mentioned Indenture.
The Chase Manhattan Bank
as Trustee
By:___________________________________
Authorized Officer
[FORM OF REVERSE SIDE OF NOTE]
SEARS ROEBUCK ACCEPTANCE CORP.
7% Note due February 1, 2011
1. This Note is one of a duly authorized issue of debentures, notes, bonds or other evidences of indebtedness of the Company (hereinafter called the "Securities") of the series hereinafter specified, unlimited in aggregate principal amount, all issued or to be issued under or pursuant to an indenture dated as of May 15, 1995, executed between the Company and THE CHASE MANHATTAN BANK, as Trustee; to which indenture and all indentures supplemental thereto (herein collectively called the "Indenture") reference is hereby made for a specification of the rights and limitation of rights thereunder of the Holders of the Securities, the rights and obligations thereunder of the Company and the rights, duties and immunities thereunder of the Trustee. The Securities may be issued in one or more series, which different series may be issued in various aggregate principal amounts, may mature at different times, may bear interest (if any) at different rates, may be subject to different redemption provisions (if any), may be subject to different sinking, purchase or analogous funds (if any), may be subject to different covenants and Events of Default and may otherwise vary as in the Indenture provided. This Note is one of a series designated as the "7% Notes due February 1, 2011" of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the "Notes"). All terms used in this Note which are defined in the Indenture shall have the meanings assigned to them in the Indenture.
2. In case a default, as defined in the Indenture, shall occur and be continuing with respect to the Notes, the principal amount of all Notes then outstanding under the Indenture may be declared or may become due and payable upon the conditions and in the manner and with the effect provided in the Indenture. The Indenture provides that such declaration may in certain events be annulled by the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Notes outstanding.
3. To the extent permitted by, and as provided in, the Indenture, indentures supplemental thereto may be entered into with the consent of the Company and with the consent of the Holders of not less than a majority in principal amount of the outstanding Securities (as defined in the Indenture) of each series to be affected; provided, however, that no such supplemental indenture shall (i) change the Stated Maturity of the principal of (and premium, if any, on), or the interest on, any Security, or reduce the principal amount of (and premium, if any, on), or the rate of interest on any Security, or change the Currency in which the principal of (and premium, if any) or interest on such Securities is denominated or payable, or reduce the amount of the principal of an Original Issue Discount Security that would be payable upon a declaration of acceleration of the Maturity thereof pursuant to Section 6.1 of the Indenture without the consent of the Holder of each outstanding Security so affected, or (ii) reduce the aforesaid percentage of Securities of any series the Holders of which are required to consent to any such supplemental indenture, without the consent of the Holders of each outstanding Security affected thereby.
4. The Indenture also provides that the Holders of a majority in principal amount of the Securities of any series then outstanding may waive any past default under the Indenture and its consequences, except a default in the payment of the principal of or interest or premium, if any, on any of the Securities.
5. No reference herein to the Indenture and no provision of this Note or of the Indenture shall alter or impair the obligation of the Company, which is absolute and unconditional, to pay the principal of and interest on this Note at the place, at the respective times, at the rate, and in the Currency, herein prescribed.
6. This Note is transferable by the registered Holder hereof or by his attorney duly authorized in writing at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located or in the City of Luxembourg, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, but only in the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture and upon surrender of this Note. Upon any such transfer a Note or Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount and bearing a number not contemporaneously outstanding will be issued in exchange herefor.
7. The Notes are issuable only as registered Notes without coupons, in denominations of $1,000 and any integral multiple of $1,000. In the manner and subject to the limitations provided in the Indenture, Notes are exchangeable, without charge except for any tax or other governmental charge imposed in relation thereto, for other Notes of authorized denominations for a like aggregate principal amount, at the office or agency of the Company in the Borough of Manhattan of The City of New York or, at the option of the Holder hereof, such office or agency, if any, maintained by the Company in the city in which the principal executive offices of the Company are located or the city in which the principal corporate trust office of the Trustee is located or in the City of Luxembourg.
8. The Company, the Trustee, any Authenticating Agent, any paying agent and any Security registrar may deem and treat the registered Holder hereof as the absolute owner hereof (whether or not this Note shall be overdue and notwithstanding any notation of ownership or other writing hereon by anyone other than the Company or any Security registrar) for the purpose of receiving payment of or on account of the principal hereof and interest hereon and for all other purposes, and neither the Company, the Trustee, an Authenticating Agent, a paying agent nor a Security registrar shall be affected by any notice to the contrary. All such payments shall be valid and effectual to satisfy and discharge the liability upon this Note to the extent of the sum or sums so paid.
9. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or the interest on this Note or for any claim based hereon or otherwise in any manner in respect hereof, or in respect of the Indenture, against any incorporator, shareholder, officer or director, past, present or future, of the Company or of any predecessor or successor corporation, whether by virtue of any constitutional provision or statute or rule of law, or by the enforcement of any assessment or penalty or in any other manner, all such liability being expressly waived and released by the acceptance hereof and as part of the consideration for the issue hereof. In the event of any sale or transfer of its assets and liabilities substantially as an entirety to a successor corporation, the predecessor corporation may be dissolved and liquidated as more fully set forth in the Indenture.
10. The Company will, subject to the exceptions and limitations set forth below, pay such additional amounts (the "Additional Amounts") to any holder of a Note who is a United States Alien (as defined below) as may be necessary in order that every net payment of the principal of or interest on such Note after deduction or withholding for or on account of any present or future tax, assessment or governmental charge imposed by the United State (or any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein) upon, or as a result of, such payment, will not be less than the amount provided for in such Note to be then due and payable. However, the Company will not be required to make any payment of Additional Amounts to any such holder for or on account of:
(b) any estate, inheritance, gift, sales, transfer or personal property tax or similar tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(c) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed by reason of such holder's past or present status as a personal holding company, foreign personal holding company, controlled foreign corporation, passive foreign investment company; private foundation or other tax exempt organization, in each case with respect to the United States, or as a corporation which accumulates earnings to avoid United States federal income tax;
(d) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge which is payable otherwise than by withholding from payments on or in respect of any Note;
(e) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge that a paying agent must withhold from any payment of principal of or interest on any Note, if another paying agent can make such payment without withholding;
(f) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed because of the failure to comply with certification, identification, documentation, information or other reporting requirement concerning the nationality, residence, identity or connection with the United State of the holder or beneficial owner of such Note, if such compliance is required by statute or by regulation of the United States or of any political subdivision or taxing authority thereof or therein as a precondition to relief or exemption from such tax, assessment or other governmental charge;
(g) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed because such holder (or a partnership of which such holder is a member) is or was the actual or constructive owner of 10% or more of the total combined voting power of all classes of stock of the Company entitled to vote;
(h) any tax, assessment or other governmental charge imposed on any holder who is a fiduciary or partnership or other than the sole beneficial owner of the Note, but only to the extent that a beneficiary or settlor with respect to such fiduciary or a member of such partnership or a beneficial owner of the Note would not have been entitled to the payment of an Additional Amount had such beneficiary, settlor, member or beneficial owner been the holder of such Note; or
(i) any combination of items (a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (g) or (h).
The term "United States" means the United States of America, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and each territory and possession of the United States of America and the area subject to its jurisdiction. The term "United States Alien" means any person who, for United States federal income tax purposes, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual, a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust, or a foreign partnership one or more of the members of which, as to the United States, is a foreign corporation, a non-resident alien individual or a non-resident alien fiduciary of a foreign estate or trust.
Any additional amounts payable under this Paragraph and Paragraph 11(a) are herein referred to as "Additional Amounts," and all references herein to principal of and interest on the Notes shall include such Additional Amounts.
Notice of redemption will be given by the Company not less than 30 nor more than 60 days prior to the date fixed for redemption, which date and the redemption price will be specified in the notice. Each notice shall be given in the manner described in Paragraph 11(b).
(b) (i) Any redemption notice given under Paragraph 11(a) above shall state the date fixed for redemption and the
(ii) If and so long as the Notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and such Exchange shall so require, notices to holders of the Notes will be given in a daily newspaper of general circulation in Luxembourg. If publication in Luxembourg is not practical, such publication shall be made elsewhere in Europe. The term "daily newspaper" shall mean a newspaper customarily published on each Business Day in morning editions, whether or not it shall be published in Saturday, Sunday or holiday editions. Such publication is expected to be made in the Luxembourg Wort. Such notices will be deemed to have been given on the date of such publication. If by reason of the temporary or permanent suspension of publication of any newspaper or by reason of any other cause, it shall be impossible to make publication of such notice in a daily newspaper as herein provided, then such publication or other notice in lieu thereof, as shall be made by the Trustee, shall constitute sufficient publication of such notice, if such publication or other notice shall, so far as may be possible, approximate the terms and conditions of the publication in lieu of which it is given. The Trustee shall promptly furnish to the Company and each other paying agency a copy of each such notice so published.
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60179
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
As Representative of the several Underwriters named
in Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement dated
September 5, 2001
1585 Broadway
New York, New York 10036
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am the Executive Vice President, General Counsel of Sears, Roebuck and Co. ("Sears"). The Sears Law Department, under my supervision, has acted as counsel to Sears and Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. ("SRAC") in connection with the registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Act"), and the public offering of $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of SRAC's 7% Notes due February 1, 2011 (the "Notes"). The several Underwriters named in Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement (as defined below) are purchasing the Notes to be sold to the public in accordance with the terms of (i) the Pricing Agreement dated September 5, 2001 among Sears, SRAC and you (the "Pricing Agreement"), and (ii) the Underwriting Agreement dated September 5, 2001 among Sears, SRAC and you (the "Underwriting Agreement"). This opinion is rendered to you pursuant to Section 8(c) of the Underwriting Agreement. All terms not otherwise defined herein have the meanings ascribed to them in the Underwriting Agreement.
I have made such legal and factual examinations and inquiries, including an examination of originals or copies certified or otherwise identified to my satisfaction of such documents, corporate records and other instruments, as I have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion.
I have obtained and relied upon, to the extent I deem appropriate, certificates of officers and other executives of Sears and SRAC and of public officials as to factual matters and opinions of other counsel. I call your attention to the fact that, in rendering my opinion, I am expressing my views only as to the laws of the State of Illinois and the federal statutes of the United States of America (except as to the matters below which are governed in part by the laws of the State of Delaware and State of New York, relating to the due incorporation, valid existence and good standing of SRAC and Sears, respectively, the due authorization, execution and delivery by SRAC and Sears, respectively, of certain documents, the enforceability of the Notes and the Indenture and the absence of any material violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation or By-Laws of SRAC).
On the basis of the foregoing and in reliance thereon, I am of the opinion that, as of the date hereof:
(ii) All of the outstanding shares of capital stock of SRAC have been duly and validly authorized and issued and are fully paid and non-assessable. The authorized capital stock of SRAC consists of 500,000 shares of common stock, par value $100 per share, all of the issued and outstanding shares of which are owned by Sears free and clear of any security interests, claims, liens or encumbrances, and the authorized capital stock of Sears is as set forth or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statement;
(iii) The Underwriting Agreement and the Pricing Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of each of Sears and SRAC;
(iv) The issue and sale of the Notes and the compliance by SRAC with all of the provisions of the Notes, the Indenture, the Underwriting Agreement and the Pricing Agreement will not (a) conflict with or result in any breach which would constitute a material default under, or result in the creation or imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any of the property or assets of SRAC, material to SRAC, pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan agreement or other agreement or instrument for borrowed money known to me to which SRAC is a party or by which SRAC may be bound or to which any of the property or assets of SRAC, material to SRAC, is subject, (b) result in any violation of the provisions of the Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, or the By-Laws of SRAC, or (c) to the best of my knowledge, result in any material violation of any statute or any order, rule or regulation applicable to SRAC of any court or any federal, state or other regulatory authority or other governmental body having jurisdiction over SRAC, other than the securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Notes as to which I express no opinion; and, to the best of my knowledge, no consent, approval, authorization or other order of, or filing with, any court or any such regulatory authority or other governmental body is required for the issue and sale of the Notes except as has been obtained or effected under the Act, the Exchange Act and the Trust Indenture Act or as may be required by the securities laws of the various states or other jurisdictions which are applicable to the issue and sale of the Notes;
(v) The Indenture has been duly authorized, executed and delivered on the part of SRAC and, as to SRAC, is a valid, binding and enforceable instrument in accordance with its terms and has been qualified under the Trust Indenture Act; the Notes have been duly authorized by SRAC and (assuming their due authentication by the Trustee) have been duly executed, issued and delivered on the part of SRAC and constitute valid, binding and enforceable obligations of SRAC in accordance with their terms, entitled to the benefits of the Indenture;
(vi) The Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement, dated May 15, 1995, and the Extension Agreement, dated October 23, 1998, each between SRAC and Sears, have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto and are valid and binding instruments of SRAC and Sears, enforceable in accordance with their terms;
(vii) I do not know of any pending legal or governmental proceedings required to be described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (including documents incorporated by reference therein) which are not described as required;
(viii) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the documents incorporated by reference in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which I express no opinion), when they were filed with the Commission, complied as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Exchange Act and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder;
(ix) Except for statements in such documents which do not constitute part of the Registration Statement or the Prospectus pursuant to Rule 412 of Regulation C under the Act and after substituting therefor any statements modifying or superseding such excluded statements, the Registration Statement and the Prospectus as amended or supplemented (excluding the documents incorporated by reference therein) (other than the financial statements and related schedules, the analyses of operations and financial condition and other financial, statistical and accounting data therein, as to which I express no opinion) comply as to form in all material respects with the requirements of the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; the answers in the Registration Statement to Item 9 and Item 10 (insofar as it relates to me) of Form S-3 are to the best of my knowledge accurate statements or summaries of the matters therein set forth and fairly present the information called for with respect to those matters by the Act and the rules and regulations thereunder; and
(x) I do not know of any contract or other document to which SRAC or Sears is a party required to be filed as an exhibit to the Registration Statement or required to be incorporated by reference into the Prospectus as amended or supplemented or required to be described in the Prospectus as amended or supplemented which has not been so filed, incorporated by reference or described.
In rendering my opinion, I have assumed that the Indenture, the Underwriting Agreement and the Pricing Agreement have been duly authorized, executed and delivered by the parties thereto (other than Sears and SRAC) and that the signatures (other than those on behalf of Sears and SRAC) on all documents examined by me are genuine, assumptions which I have not independently verified. For purposes of rendering my opinion in paragraph (v) relating to the enforceability of the Indenture and the Notes, I have relied, with their permission, on an opinion from Morris, Nichols, Arsht & Tunnell addressed to me and dated the date hereof. My opinions in paragraph (v) and paragraph (vi) regarding the validity, enforceability and binding nature of the Indenture, the Notes, the Fixed Charge Coverage and Ownership Agreement and the Extension Agreement are subject to insolvency, bankruptcy, reorganization, moratorium, liquidation, fraudulent conveyance and transfer or other similar laws relating to or affecting the enforcement of creditors' rights generally and by general equity principles, including, without limitation, concepts of materiality, reasonableness, good faith and fair dealing (regardless of whether such enforceability is considered in a proceeding in equity or at law).
This opinion is furnished by me as counsel for Sears and SRAC to you as Representative of the several Underwriters, and is solely for your benefit, and is not to be otherwise used, circulated or relied upon without my express written consent.
/s/ Anastasia D. Kelley
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Chicago, Illinois 60603-3441 |
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(312) 782-0600 Main Fax (312) 701-7711 |
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Morgan Stanley
& Co. Incorporated
As Representative of the several Underwriters
named in Schedule I to the Pricing Agreement
dated September 5, 2001
1585 Broadway, 2nd Floor
New York City, New York 10036
Sears, Roebuck and Co.
3333 Beverly Road
Hoffman Estates, IL 60123
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp
3711 Kennett Pike
Greenville, DE 19806
Re: |
Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp. $200,000,000 of 7% Notes Due February 1, 2011 |
We have acted as special tax counsel to Sears Roebuck Acceptance Corp., a Delaware corporation ("SRAC"), in connection with the issuance by SRAC of $200,000,000 of registered 7% Notes due February 1, 2011 (the "Notes") as described in the Prospectus Supplement dated September 5, 2001 (the "Prospectus Supplement") to the Prospectus dated September 5, 2001 (the "Prospectus"). This opinion is being delivered pursuant to Section 8(j) of the Underwriting Agreement dated September 5, 2001 among SRAC, Sears Roebuck & Co., and Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, as representative for the several Underwriters (the "Underwriting Agreement").
In preparing our opinion we have reviewed the Prospectus, the Prospectus
Supplement, the Underwriting Agreement and such other documents as we believed
necessary for purposes of delivering this opinion. Our opinion is based
on current provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended
(the "Code"), applicable Treasury regulations (the "Regulations"), and
LOS ANGELES - NEW YORK - PALO ALTO - PARIS - WASHINGTON INDEPENDENT MEXICO CITY CORRESPONDENT: JAUREGUI, NAVARRETE, NADER Y ROJAS CHDB02 4922846.1 091001 1658C 020
Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated
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September 7, 2001 |
Page 2 |
public administrative and judicial interpretations of the Code and the Regulations, all of which are subject to change, possibly with retroactive effect.
Subject to the foregoing, it is our opinion that the discussion included in the Prospectus Supplement "United States Tax Considerations" (the "Discussion") is a fair and accurate description of the material United States federal income and estate tax consequences of purchasing, owning and disposing of the Notes, subject to the conditions, limitations and assumptions described therein.
The Discussion does not cover all aspects of United States federal income and estate taxation that may be relevant to, or the actual tax effect that matters described therein will have on, any particular holder, and it does not address foreign, state or local tax consequences. The Discussion does not cover the tax consequences applicable to all categories of investors, some of which (such as dealers in securities, insurance companies, individual retirement and other tax-deferred accounts, and other tax-exempt entities) may be subject to special rules.
Our opinion may change if (i) the applicable law changes, (ii) any of the facts with respect to the Notes as included in the Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or Underwriting Agreement change, or (iii) the conduct of the parties is materially inconsistent with the facts reflected in the Prospectus, Prospectus Supplement or Underwriting Agreement.
Our opinion represents only our legal judgment based on current law and the facts as described above. Our opinion has no binding effect on the Internal Revenue Service or the courts. The Internal Revenue Service may take a position contrary to our opinion, and if the matter is litigated, a court may reach a decision contrary to our opinion.
This opinion is furnished by us as tax counsel to SRAC to you as representatives of the several Underwriters and is solely for the special benefit of the Underwriters. This opinion may not be relied upon by any other person without our prior written consent.
We hereby consent to the use of our opinion as set forth in the Prospectus Supplement and the reference to our firm in the Prospectus Supplement. We also consent to the filing of our opinion as part of SRAC's current report on Form 8-K dated on or about September 5, 2001.
Mayer, Brown & Platt
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