§ 32:13A-15 — Remedies of bondholders and trustee; receiver

Any holder of any of such bonds, or any of the coupons attached thereto, and the trustee, if any, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by resolution passed before the issuance of the bonds or by the trust indenture, may, by an action, proceeding in lieu of prerogative writ, or other proceeding, protect, and enforce any and all rights granted hereunder or under such resolution or trust indenture, and may enforce and compel performance of all duties required by this chapter, or by such resolution or trust indenture, to be performed by the county or by the commission, or any officer thereof, including the fixing, charging, and collecting of tolls for the use of the tunnel. The rights and remedies herein 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 the bonds, or by any trust indenture securing such bonds. If the bonds shall not be secured by a trust indenture, the holder or holders of twenty-five per centum (25%) or more in principal amount of such bonds at the time outstanding may by instrument or instruments filed in the office of the county clerk of Gloucester county, and proved or acknowledged in the same manner as a deed to be recorded, appoint a trustee to represent the holders of such bonds. If such appointed trustee, if any, or the trustee under any trust indenture securing the bonds or if either such trustee shall fail or refuse to take action to enforce any of the remedies provided for herein or in such resolution or such trust indenture, after written request by the holder or holders of fifteen per centum (15%) or more in the principal amount of such bonds at the time outstanding and after tender of reasonable security or indemnification to such trustee, any holder of any such bonds may, except to the extent the rights herein given may be restricted by resolution passed before the issuance of the bonds or by the trust indenture, as the case may be, by an action, proceeding in lieu of prerogative writ, or other proceeding, protect and enforce any and all rights granted herein or in such resolution or trust indenture, as the case may be, and may enforce and compel performance of all duties required by this act, or by such resolution or trust indenture to be performed by the county or by the commission, or by any officer thereof, including the fixing, charging and collecting of tolls for the use of the tunnel. In the event that the county or the commission shall default in the payment of the principal or the interest on any of the bonds as the same may become due, whether at maturity or upon call for redemption or in the event that the county or the commission or the officers, agents or employees of the county or of the commission shall fail or refuse to comply with the provisions of this act or shall default in the performance of any covenant, condition, agreement or provision contained in the bonds or in the resolution or trust indenture or in the event that the commission shall contract with a public authority in Pennsylvania relating to the construction, operation or maintenance of the tunnel as hereinabove provided and either the commission or such public authority shall default in the performance of any covenant, condition, agreement or provision contained in such contract, the trustee appointed as hereinabove provided for by the holders of the bonds not secured by a trust indenture, or the trustee under the trust indenture, if any, or, if either such trustee shall fail or refuse to take action to enforce any of the remedies provided for herein or in such resolution or such trust indenture after written request by the holder or holders of twenty-five percentum (25%) or more of principal amount of such bonds at the time outstanding and after tender of reasonable security or indemnification to such trustee, any holder of any such bonds shall, subject to the provisions of such resolution or trust indenture, have the right to apply in any appropriate judicial proceedings to any court of competent jurisdiction for an appointment of a receiver of the tunnel, whether or not the bonds of any of them have become or have been declared due and payable and whether or not such holder or trustee is seeking to enforce any other right or to exercise any remedy in connection with such bonds. Upon such application the court may appoint a receiver of the tunnel. The receiver so appointed shall have and be entitled to exercise all the rights and powers of the commission or such public authority with respect to the tunnel and shall have and be entitled to exercise all the appropriate rights and powers of a receiver, including, but without limitation, the right and power forthwith, directly or by its agents and attorneys, to enter into and upon and take possession of the tunnel and its facilities and each and every part thereof and to have, hold, use, operate, manage and control the tunnel and its facilities and each and every part thereof and receive, collect and disburse the revenues thereof in the name of the commission or otherwise as the receiver may deem best. Whenever all defaults shall have been remedied, the court may in its discretion, and after such notice and hearing as it deems reasonable and proper, direct the receiver to surrender possession of the tunnel to the parties entitled thereto. The same rights to secure the appointment of a receiver shall exist upon any subsequent default as hereinabove provided. Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, such receiver shall have no power to sell, assign, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any assets of whatever kind or character constituting the tunnel or any part thereof or necessary for use in connection therewith, but the authority of any such receiver shall be limited to the operation and maintenance of the tunnel and no court shall have jurisdiction to enter any order or judgment requiring or permitting such receiver to sell, mortgage or otherwise dispose of any such assets. L.1939, c. 84, p. 166, s. 2. Amended by L.1939, c. 158, p. 503, s. 2; L.1953, c. 31, p. 565, s. 12.