55 Pa. Stat. § 555

Current through Pa Acts 2024-53, 2024-56 through 2024-92
Section 555 - Rights and remedies of bondholders; trustees; receivers

The rights and remedies, hereinafter conferred upon or granted to the bondholders, shall be in addition to, and not in limitation of, any rights and remedies lawfully granted to such bondholders by the resolution or resolutions providing for the issuance of bonds or by any deed of trust indenture or other agreement under which the same may be issued. In the event that the authority shall default in the payment of principal or interest on any of the bonds after such principal or interest shall become due, whether at maturity or upon call for redemption, and such default shall continue for a period of thirty days, or in event the authority shall fail or refuse to comply with the provisions of this act or shall default in any agreement made with the holders of the bonds, the holders of twenty-five percentum in the aggregate of the principal amount of the bonds then outstanding by instrument or instruments filed in the office of the recorder of deeds of the county and proved or acknowledged in the same manner as a deed to be recorded, may (except as such right may be limited under the provisions of any deed of trust indenture or other agreement as aforesaid) appoint a trustee to represent the bondholders for the purposes herein provided.

The trustee and any trustee under any deed of trust indenture or other agreement may and, upon written request of the holders of twenty-five percentum (or such other percentages as may be specified in any deed of trust indenture or other agreement aforesaid) in principal amount of the bonds then outstanding, shall in his or its own name, (1) by mandamus or other suit, action or proceeding, at law or in equity, enforce all rights of the bondholders, including the right to require the authority to collect rates, rentals or other charges, adequate to carry out any agreement as to, or pledge of, the revenues or receipts of the authority, and to require the authority to carry out any other agreements with or for the benefits of the bondholders and to perform its and their duties under this act, (2) bring suit upon the bonds, (3) by action or suit in equity require the authority to account as if it were the trustee of an express trust for the bondholders, (4) by action or suit in equity enjoin any acts or things which may be unlawful or in violation of the rights of the bondholders, and (5) by notice in writing to the authority declare all bonds due and payable and if all defaults shall be made good, then with the consent of the holders of twenty-five percentum (or such other percentage as may be specified in any deed of trust indenture or other agreement aforesaid) of the principal amount of the bonds then outstanding to annul such declaration and its consequences.

The court of common pleas of the county wherein the authority is located shall have jurisdiction of any suit, action or proceedings by the trustees on behalf of the bondholders. Any trustee, when appointed as aforesaid or acting under a deed of trust indenture or other agreement and whether or not all bonds have been declared due and payable, shall be entitled as of right to the appointment of a receiver, who may (to the same extent that the authority itself could so do) enter and take possession of the facilities of the authority or any part or parts thereof, the revenues, rentals or receipts from which are or may be applicable to the payment of the bonds so in default and operate and maintain the same and collect and receive all rentals and other revenues thereafter arising therefrom in the same manner as the authority or board might do, and shall deposit all such moneys in a separate account and apply the same in such manner as the court shall direct. In any suit, action or proceeding by the trustee, the fees, counsel fees and expenses of the trustee and of the receiver, if any, and all costs and disbursements allowed by the court shall be a first charge on any revenues, rentals and receipts derived from the facilities of the authority, the revenues or receipts from which are or may be applicable to the payment of the bonds so in default. Said trustee shall, in addition to the foregoing, have and possess all of the powers necessary or appropriate for the exercise of any functions specifically set forth herein or incident to the general representation of the bondholders in the enforcement and protection of their rights.

Nothing in this act shall authorize any receiver appointed pursuant to this act for the purpose of operating and maintaining any facilities of the authority, to sell, assign, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any of the assets of whatsoever kind and character, belonging to the authority. It is the intention of this act to limit the powers of such receiver to the operation and maintenance of the facilities of the authority, as the court may direct, and no holder of the bonds of the authority nor any trustee shall ever have the right in any suit, action or proceedings, in law or in equity, to compel a receiver, nor shall any receiver ever be authorized or any court be empowered to direct a receiver to sell, assign, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any assets of whatever kind or character belonging to the authority.

55 P.S. § 555

1956, April 6, P.L. (1955) 1414, § 5.