Commercial Mortgage Backed Securitisation

If you thought the wrangling over special servicer replacements was over following Richard Snowden QC’s judgment in US Bank v Titan Europe 2007-1 (NHP) plc in April last year, think again.

Ever since Fitch issued their press release confirming that as a matter of policy it would not provide rating agency confirmations (RACs) in relation

So it’s been just over a year since Fitch issued their press release confirming that as a matter of policy it would not provide rating agency confirmations (RACs) during the replacement of special servicers on EMEA CMBS transactions and indeed, just over a year since our last blog on the matter, entitled “What the Fitch??!”.

At the end of that blog we observed that it was going to be a fun year for CMBS – and wasn’t it just.
Continue Reading Clash of the Titan 2007-1

Another day, another CMBS transaction declares an insolvency related event of default (after the REC6 default), this time based on the ‘balance sheet’ event of default. The notice posted by the issuer clearly states that after the sale of property securing the Brisk loan, the issuer will not have sufficient assets to repay the Class D Notes and the Class E Notes. Its assets are less than its liabilities. Hence, an insolvency event of default must occur. Simple, right? Well, maybe…
Continue Reading Victoria Funding (EMC-III) PLC: (I can’t get no) Satisfaction

As was common at the time of the inception of the transaction, Danske Bank A/S (Danske) had provided a liquidity facility (LF) on a commercial mortgage-backed securitisation issued by the issuer, Gemini (Eclipse 2006-3) plc (Gemini).  Due to the subsequent plethora of downgrades that have followed the financial crisis (from which the liquidity facility provider did not escape), a liquidity stand-by drawing of £64,000,000 was made by Gemini. The liquidity facility provider was entitled under the liquidity facility to recover any increased costs as a result of the application of Basel II (as implemented in Denmark) to the LF.  A subsequent withdrawal by Moody’s of the separate rating obtained in relation to the LF caused a rise in the increased costs due to Danske being required to set aside more capital for regulatory purposes.
Continue Reading The Liquidity Eclipse