Section 849.5 Of Article 5.7. Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Securitization Act From California Public Utilities Code >> Division 1. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 5.7.
849.5
. (a) A sale, assignment, or transfer of water supply property
by a qualifying water utility to an affiliate or to a financing
entity, or by an affiliate of a qualifying water utility or a
financing entity to another financing entity, which the parties, in
the governing documentation, have expressly stated to be a sale or
other absolute transfer, in a transaction approved in a financing
order, shall be treated as an absolute transfer of all of the
transferor's right, title, and interest, as in a true sale, and not
as a pledge or other financing order of the water supply property,
other than for federal and state income and franchise tax purposes.
(b) The characterization of the sale, assignment, or transfer as
an absolute transfer and true sale and the corresponding
characterization of the property interest of the purchaser shall not
be affected or impaired by, among other things, the occurrence of any
of the following:
(1) Commingling of water supply charge revenues with other
amounts.
(2) The retention by the seller of either of the following:
(A) A partial or residual interest, including an equity interest,
in the water supply property, whether direct or indirect, subordinate
or otherwise.
(B) The right to recover costs associated with taxes, franchise
fees, or license fees imposed on the collection of water supply
charge revenues.
(3) Any recourse that the purchaser may have against the seller.
(4) Any indemnification rights, obligations, or repurchase rights
made or provided by the seller.
(5) The obligation of the seller to collect water supply charge
revenues on behalf of an assignee.
(6) The treatment of the sale, assignment, or transfer for tax,
financial reporting, or other purposes.
(7) Any true-up adjustment of the water supply charges as provided
in the financing order.
(c) A sale, assignment, or transfer of water supply property shall
be deemed perfected against third persons when both of the following
occur:
(1) The commission issues the financing order authorizing the
water supply charges included in the water supply property.
(2) An assignment of the water supply property in writing has been
executed and delivered to the transferee.
(d) As between bona fide assignees of the same right for value
without notice, the assignee first filing a financing statement in
accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 9501) of Division
9 of the Commercial Code naming the assignor of the water supply
property as debtor and identifying the water supply property has
priority. Any description of the water supply property shall be
sufficient if it refers to the financing order creating the water
supply property. A copy of the financing statement shall be filed by
the assignee with the commission, and the commission may require the
assignor or the assignee to make other filings with respect to the
transfer in accordance with procedures it may establish, but these
filings shall not affect the perfection of the transfer.