Section 818 Of Chapter 10. Legal Investments For Nonbank Licensees From California Financial Code >> Division 1. >> Chapter 10.
818
. Fixed interest railroad bonds meeting the requirements of
subdivisions (a) and (b); bonds secured by a mortgage on jointly
operated railroad facilities meeting the requirements of subdivision
(c); and railroad equipment trust certificates meeting the
requirements of subdivision (d).
(a) The railroad bonds are issued by or are assumed, guaranteed,
or provision made unconditionally for the payment of principal and
interest on specified dates, by a solvent railroad company that meets
all of the following conditions:
(1) Operates at least 500 miles of standard gauge road within the
continental United States and which has had average annual operating
revenues of at least ten million dollars ($10,000,000) during the
five years next preceding the investment.
(2) Has an average annual balance of income available for fixed
charges for the last 15 years for which the necessary statistical
data are available, when divided by an amount equal to its fixed
charges for the last fiscal year, shall produce a quotient which is
at least 15 percent higher than the quotient obtained by dividing the
average annual balance of income available for fixed charges of all
class 1 railroads for the same one 5-year period by an amount equal
to the fixed charges of all class 1 railroads for the last year in
the period.
(3) Has an average "balance of net income" (computed by deducting
the sum of its fixed charges and contingent interest charges for the
latest fiscal year from the average annual balance available for
fixed charges for the latest 15 years for which the necessary
statistical data are available) when divided by its average annual
railroad operating income for the same 15-year period, shall produce
a quotient at least 15 percent greater than the quotient obtained by
dividing the average balance of income of all class 1 railroads,
computed in the same manner, by the average annual railway operating
income of all class 1 railroads for the same 15-year period.
(4) Has an average balance of income available for fixed charges
for the last three fiscal years preceding the investment that has not
been less than one and one-half times its fixed charges for the last
fiscal year.
(b) The railroad bonds are secured by any of the following:
(1) A mortgage, either direct or collateral, which shall be a
first mortgage on not less than 75 percent of the mileage subject to
the mortgage.
(2) A first mortgage on terminal properties comprising the company'
s principal freight or passenger terminal in a city of not less than
250,000 population according to the latest federal or state census.
(3) A refunding mortgage on not less than 75 percent of the
railroad mileage owned or operated by the issuing company under which
bonds may be issued for retirement or refunding of all debts secured
by prior liens on all or any part of the property (other than liens
on equipment) subject to the mortgage; provided, that the amount of
debt senior to the refunding mortgage is not more than 50 percent of
the sum of all senior debt and the refunding mortgage, or that
underlying mortgage bonds in an amount equal to at least 50 percent
of the debt outstanding under the refunding mortgage are pledged as
security under the refunding mortgage.
(4) A first mortgage on railroad property leased to and operated
by the company where the lease extends beyond the maturity date of
the bonds and the company has guaranteed, assumed, or committed
itself under the terms of the lease to pay principal and interest on
the bonds.
(c) Bonds secured by a mortgage on jointly operated railroad
facilities must be secured by a first mortgage on a terminal, depot,
tunnel, or bridge used by or leased to two or more railroads which
have jointly and severally agreed unconditionally to pay the interest
and principal of the bonds or have unconditionally guaranteed or
assumed such payment, one of which railroads must meet the
requirements set forth in subdivision (a).
(d) Railroad equipment trust certificates must be issued by a
solvent class 1 railroad whose average balance of income available
for fixed charges for the last three fiscal years preceding the
investment shall be not less than one and one-half times its fixed
charges for the last fiscal year. The certificates must be issued to
provide funds for the construction or acquisition of new standard
gauge railroad equipment made with the approval of the Interstate
Commerce Commission and be secured by equipment trust, lease,
conditional sales contract, or first lien on such equipment. The
aggregate principal amount of such obligations shall not exceed 80
percent of the purchase price of the equipment and the certificates
shall mature within 15 years from date of issuance in equal annual,
semiannual, or monthly installments, beginning not later than one
year after the date of issuance.
(e) As used in this section, the terms "balance of income
available for fixed charges," "fixed charges," "contingent interest,"
and "railway operating income" shall have the same meaning as in the
accounting reports filed by common carriers by rail pursuant to
regulations of the Interstate Commerce Commission except that
"balance of income available for payment of fixed charges" shall be
computed before deduction of federal income or excess profits taxes,
and "fixed charges" and "contingent interest" of the railroad shall
be such charges existing as of the time the computation is made
excluding charges with respect to debt which has been retired or will
be retired within six months and for the payment of which funds have
been or are contemporaneously being set aside in trust but including
charges with respect to new debt issued or in the process of being
issued.