64-1-704 - Bonds. - Tennessee Statutes

64-1-704. Bonds.

(a)  (1)  Except as otherwise expressly provided in this section, all bonds issued by the agency are payable solely out of the revenues and receipts derived from the agency's projects or of any thereof as may be designated in the proceedings of the board of directors under which the bonds are authorized to be issued, including debt obligations of the lessee or contracting party obtained from or in connection with the financing of a project; provided, that notes issued in anticipation of the issuance of bonds may be retired out of the proceeds of such bonds.

     (2)  Such bonds may be executed and delivered by the agency at any time and from time to time, may be in such form and denominations and of such terms and maturities, may be in registered or bearer form either as to principal or interest or both, may be payable in such installments and at such time or times not exceeding forty (40) years from the date thereof, may be payable at such place or places whether within or without this state, may bear interest at such rate or rates payable at such time or times and at such place or places and evidenced in such manner, may be executed by such officers of the agency and may contain such provisions not inconsistent herewith, all as are provided in the proceedings of the board of directors whereunder the bonds are authorized to be issued.

     (3)  If deemed advisable by the board of directors, there may be retained in the proceedings under which any bonds of the agency are authorized to be issued an option to redeem all or any part thereof as may be specified in such proceedings, at such price or prices and after such notice or notices and on such terms and conditions as may be set forth in such proceedings and as may be briefly recited in the face of the bonds, but nothing contained in this subdivision (a)(3) shall be construed to confer on the agency any right or option to redeem any bonds except as may be provided in the proceedings under which they shall be issued.

     (4)  Any bonds of the agency may be sold at public or private sale in such manner, at such price and from time to time as may be determined by the board of directors of the agency to be most advantageous, and the agency may pay all expenses, premiums and commissions that its board of directors may deem necessary or advantageous in connection with the issuance thereof.

     (5)  Issuance by the agency of one (1) or more series of bonds for one (1) or more purposes does not preclude it from issuing other bonds in connection with the same project or any other project, but the proceedings whereunder any subsequent bonds may be issued shall recognize and protect any prior pledge or mortgage made for any prior issue of bonds.

     (6)  Proceeds of bonds issued by the agency may be used for the purpose of constructing, acquiring, reconstructing, improving, equipping, furnishing, bettering or extending any project or projects, including the payment of interest on the bonds during construction of any such project and for two (2) years after the estimated date of completion, and payment of engineering, fiscal, architectural and legal expenses incurred in connection with such project and the issuance of the bonds, and the establishment of a reasonable reserve fund for the payment of principal of and interest on such bonds in the event of a deficiency in the revenues and receipts available for such payment.

(b)  Any bonds or notes of the agency at any time outstanding may at any time and from time to time be refunded by the agency by the issuance of its refunding bonds in such amount as the board of directors may deem necessary, but not exceeding the sum of the following:

     (1)  The principal amount of the obligations being refinanced;

     (2)  Applicable redemption premiums thereon;

     (3)  Unpaid interest on such obligations to the date of delivery or exchange of the refunding bonds;

     (4)  In the event the proceeds from the sale of the refunding bonds are to be deposited in trust as provided in this section, interest to accrue on such obligations from the date of delivery to the first or any subsequent available redemption date or dates selected, in its discretion, by the board of directors, or to the date or dates of maturity, whichever shall be determined by the board of directors to be most advantageous or necessary to the agency;

     (5)  A reasonable reserve for the payment of principal of and interest on such bonds and/or a renewal and replacement reserve;

     (6)  If the project to be constructed from the proceeds of the obligations being refinanced has not been completed, an amount sufficient to meet the interest charges on the refunding bonds during the construction of such project and for two (2) years after the estimated date of completion (but only to the extent that interest charges have not been capitalized from the proceeds of the obligations being refinanced); and

     (7)  Expenses, premiums and commissions of the agency, including bond discounts, deemed by the board of directors to be necessary for the issuance of the refunding bonds. A determination by the board of directors that any refinancing is advantageous or necessary to the agency, or that any of the amounts provided in this subdivision (b)(7) should be included in such refinancing, or that any of the obligations to be refinanced should be called for redemption on the first or any subsequent available redemption date permitted to remain outstanding until their respective dates of maturity, shall be conclusive.

(c)  Any such refunding may be effected whether the obligations to be refunded have then matured or thereafter mature, either by the exchange of the refunding bonds for the obligations to be refunded thereby with the consent of the holders of the obligations so to be refunded, or by sale of the refunding bonds and the application of the proceeds thereof to the payment of the obligations to be refunded thereby, and regardless of whether or not the obligations proposed to be refunded are payable on the same date or different dates or are due serially or otherwise.

(d)  Prior to the issuance of the refunding bonds, the board of directors shall cause notice of its intention to issue the refunding bonds, identifying the obligations proposed to be refunded and setting forth the estimated date of delivery of the refunding bonds, to be given to the holders of the outstanding obligations by publication of an appropriate notice one (1) time each in a newspaper having general circulation in the area and in a financial newspaper published in New York, New York, and having national circulation. As soon as practicable after the delivery of the refunding bonds, and whether or not any of the obligations to be refunded are to be called for redemption, the board of directors shall cause notice of the issuance of the refunding bonds to be given in the manner provided in this subsection (d).

(e)  If any of the obligations to be refunded are to be called for redemption, the board of directors shall cause notice of redemption to be given in the manner required by the proceedings authorizing such outstanding obligations.

(f)  The principal proceeds from the sale of any refunding bonds shall be applied only to:

     (1)  The immediate payment and retirement of the obligations being refunded; or

     (2)  The extent not required for the immediate payment of the obligations being refunded, then such proceeds shall be deposited in trust to provide for the payment and retirement of the obligations being refunded, and to pay any expenses incurred in connection with such refunding, but provision may be made for the pledging and disposition of any surplus, including, without limitation, provision for the pledging of any such surplus to the payment of the principal of and interest on any issue or series of refunding bonds. Money in any such trust fund may be invested in direct obligations of the United States government, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are guaranteed by the United States government, or obligations of any agency or instrumentality of the United States government, or in certificates of deposit issued by a bank or trust company located in this state, if such certificates are secured by a pledge of any of such obligations having an aggregate market value, exclusive of accrued interest, equal at least to the principal amount of the certificates so secured. Nothing in this subdivision (f)(2) shall be construed as a limitation on the duration of any deposit in trust for the retirement of obligations being refunded but that have not matured and that are not presently redeemable or, if presently redeemable, have not been called for redemption.

(g)  All such bonds, refunding bonds and the interest coupons applicable thereto are hereby made and shall be construed to be negotiable instruments.

(h)  (1)  The principal of and interest on any bonds issued by the agency shall be secured by a pledge of the revenues and receipts out of which the same shall be made payable, and may be secured by a mortgage or deed of trust covering all or any part of the projects from which the revenues or receipts so pledged may be derived, including any enlargements of and additions to any such projects thereafter made, and/or by an assignment and pledge of all or any part of the agency's interest in and rights under the leases, sales contracts or loan agreements relating to such projects, or any thereof. The resolution under which the bonds are authorized to be issued and any such mortgage or deed of trust may contain any agreements and provisions respecting the maintenance of the projects covered thereby, the fixing and collection of rents or payments with respect to any projects or portions thereof covered by such resolution, mortgage or deed of trust, the creation and maintenance of special funds from such revenues and from the proceeds of such bonds, and the rights and remedies available in the event of default, all as the board of directors deems advisable and not in conflict with the provisions of this subdivision (h)(1).

     (2)  Each pledge, agreement, mortgage and deed of trust made for the benefit or security of any of the bonds of the agency shall continue effective until the principal of and interest on the bonds for the benefit of which the same were made have been fully paid.

     (3)  In the event of default in such payment or in any agreements of the agency made as a part of the contract under which the bonds were issued, whether contained in the proceedings authorizing the bonds or in any mortgage and deed of trust executed as security for the bonds, such payment or agreement may be enforced by suit, mandamus, the appointment of a receiver in equity, or by foreclosure of any such mortgage and deed of trust, or any one (1) or more of the remedies.

[Acts 1982, ch. 679, § 5.]