SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Agency decision
Ask Donna
What actually matters in this document.
Text
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20549
,IVISION OF
INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT
July 14, 1995
ACT X(!it- l(J
SEON I 7 (tL T
RULE
PULIC /
Mr. Bruce Senzel
Seward & Kissel
One Battery Park Plaza
:
A V AILABILITY '7 (Vi Cf S
New York, NY 10004
Re: ACM Institutional Reserves. Inc. - Tax
Free Portfolio .
Dear Mr. Senzel:
Your letter of July 13, 1995 requests our assurace that we would not recommend
that the Commission tae any enforcement action under sections 17(a) and 17(d) of the
Investment Company Act of 1940 ("1940 Act") and the rules thereunder if ACM
Institutional Reserves, Inc. - Tax Free Portfolio ("Fund") and Alance Capital Management,
L.P., the investment adviser to the Fund ("Alance") effect the transaction summared
below and more fully described in the letter.
The Fund is a money market fund that seeks to maintain a stable net asset value per
share of $1.00 and uses the amortized cost method of valuation as permitted by rule 2a-7
under the 1940 Act. The Fund holds ta and revenue anticipation notes issued by Orage
County, California that mature on July 19, 1995 ("Securities")! in the pricipal amount of
$500,000 (approximately 1.11 % of the Fund's net assets). The Securities pay interest at a
rate of 4.5 % per year, and all interest due on the Securities is payable on July 19, 1995.
As a result of the Orange County bankptcy filg on December 6, 1994, the Fund was
unable to obtain reliable market quotes for the Securities then held, and it determined the
fair values of those Securities to be less than their amortized cost values.
In December 1994, The Chase Manhatt Ban, N.A. ("Chase"), upon the
application of Alance, issued a letter of credit on behal of the Fund ("LOC") in order to
losses to shareholders of the Fund. on the Securities then held by reason
of the nonpayment by Orange County of pricipal and interest thereon at maturity ("LOC
avoid any potential
2 The LOC Arngement provided for the full payment of pricipal and
interest when due on the Securities then held by the Fund if Orage County faied to make
Arngement").
In your letter of July 13, 1995, you represented that the principal amount of the Securities
held by the Fund in December 1994 was $1,000,000. Since that time, you state that the
Fund has sold Securities having a principal amount of $500,000.
In Allance's letter of December 8, 1994, it represented that Chase had the highest ratings on
its short-term debt obligations from the "Requisite NRSROs" (as this term is defined in
paragraph (a)(13) of rule 2a-7 under the 1940 Act).
Mr. Bruce Senzel
Page 2
these payments on July 19, 1995 (the final maturity date of the Securities). Under the LOC
Arngement, Alance agree to reimburse Chase for any amounts drawn by the Fund
pursuant to the LOC. The LOC Argement was entered into after the staf of the
Division of Investment Management inormed the Fund and Alance that it would not
recommend enforcement action to the Commission if the LOC Argement was effected.
The Fund continues to hold Securities as indicated above and values them based on the LOC
Argement.
Orage County, in al
lieliood, wil not make the scheduled pricipal payment due
on the Securities on July 19, 1995. Rather, Orage County has proposed, the Banptcy
Court has approved, and holders of certin short-term notes issued by Orage County have
agreed to, a mandatory amendment of the Securities ("Amendment") that wil, among other
thigs, extend the maturity date of the Securities to June 30, 1996 ("Amended Securities").
The Amendment provides that al interest accrued and payable on the Securities wil be paid
on July 19, 1995 (the maturity date of the Securities).
Alliance has offered to purchase the Securities now held by the Fund from the Fund
on July 19, 1995 at an amount equal to their pricipal values ($500,000). If Orage County
fails to make interest payments on the Securities pursuant to the Amendment, Alance has
offered to purchase the Securities from the Fund at their amortized cost values (the pricipal
values of the Securities plus al accrued but unpaid interest) ("Purchase Offer").
On the basis of the facts and representations in your letter, and a telephone
conference on July 14, 1995 with Maiorie Riegel of the staf, we wil not recommend
and the rules thereunder
if the Purchase Offer is effected. You should note that any different facts or representations
might require a different conclusion. Moreover, this response expresses the Division's
position on enforcement action only and does not express any legal conclusions on the issues
the 1940 Act
enforcement action under sections 17(a) and 17(d) of
presented.
¡;'2~
Sincerely,
Robert E. Plaze
Assistat Director
.
t.UC:i:N~ IÎ. SOuTr1El:
"LAI,"E 6. A. PASZTORY
ALa£~T A. WAL. 11
AARIAL !S.. COGA
a.uc:t: C. S£NZEL
SEWARD & KISSEL
'HCS J1. rlNCOC-.
NT"ONf lI. MANSFIELO
ANT..ONT C.... NULANO
u. W1LLI.... HUNNO
:;CNIOR CQUN::I:L
ONE BATERY PAR PLAZA
NRW YORK, N.Y. 10004
'U1lLt:'N~ O..OANIELS
Cr:ORc;C c:. =-~ARC
Lç:TiiA Ki:;~i:L
CUC;i.I.ARD ... VA.LrNTI N C
CI)AClg 'Wi cn;uC"'C;RT
ROOERT D. SIMON
KelT.. '". &'1.I.IS-
T£LEI"¡'ONE: (212) 574.1200
PETER E. PRONT
OALE C. CWRIST~N:;t:N. .JR.
F"ACSIMIi.E: (ZI2) 4$0-e421
,.&O",'T 6. ROC.
WRITER'S DIRECT DIAL NUMBER
ALe¡;RTO L. CALA"&"~~
IOI'"''ARD H. I-ETSCI'
COl.NSliL
DAvie L. "OI5~
RlJ5St:I.L C. PRIN4;E:
CRAIG T. "IC~ER"~"
I ZOO G :;~C;r;T. N.W.
WASHINGTON. O.C. ZOQS
TELEPHONE: 12021 ~S~'8e33
"AC:!;IMILi.¡ ,i2O~. '3,.,-5184
.lANET R. ZI""'ER
RO..ERT A. WALD ER
..OP'N E. rAVSS
WILLAM i. "'UN1" II
WAJ:...WOLJ~
~.PRIiSENTATIVS¡ O~FIC;S;
NÄPOR UTCA II
LAWAENC£ RUT1(()WS~1
RON.il.i: I.. Çl;.~N
Ig61 8UPAP;;ST.. HUNC¡A~Y
July 13, 1995
liARlC.J. WTLANC
~AU LT. CL.R1(.
"e..£P.,ON£= c~81. 1:32-,"1115
rAl=SIHIU:'; t3$1. 13:!-70_Q
JO""TI'AN BEIOGliR
THOMAS G. ....eDONALIl
HARK A. BRODY
PAUL H. GOTTLIEB
JOHN". CLEA'l
Mle,t.,AE.L.J. ticNAMAII
investment Company Act
of 1940 /17 (a) and 17 (d)
KAL.TAN O~
JO"N r. lllC:NeY
PATRICIA A. POc:~l.ieo
-AO"iTTl:1) I~ D.C. ONLY
Mr. Robert E. P laze
Assistant Director
Office of Disclosure and Investment
Adviser Regulation
U. S. Securities and Exchange Commission
450 5th Street, N.W.
Mail Stop 10-6
washington, D.C. 20549
ACM Institutional Reserves. Inc. - Tax Free Portfolio
Dear Mr. Plaze:
This letter is submitted on behalf of ACM Institutional
Reserves, Inc. - Tax Free Portfolio (the IIFund") and Alliance
Capital Management L.P., the investment adviser of the Fund
("Aiiiance"), to seek assurance from the staff of the Division of
Investment Management (the "Division") of the U. S. Securities and
Exchange Commission (the "Commission") that the Division would not
recommend any enforcement action to the Commission with reference
to Section 17 (a) or Section i 7 (d) of the Investment Company Act of
1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"), or the rules thereunder, if the
Fund and Alliance enter into the transaction described below.
The Fund is a "money market fund" registered with the
Commission under the 1940 Act as an open-end management investment
company which seeks to maintain a stable net asset value per share
of $1.00 and uses the amortized cost method of valuation in valuing
its portfolio securities. On the date hereof, the Fund owns the
following securities (the IISecurities") having a maturity date of
July 19, 1995:
..." ~
"'0 in'" ii n
Mr. Robert E. P laze
2
July 13, 1995
County of Orange, California, 1994-95 Tax and
Revenue Anticipation Notes, Series A, having
a principal amount of $500,000.
The Securities, including interest accrued thereon, represented
approximately 1.11% of the net assets of the Fund based on asset
valuations as of the close of business on July 12, 1995.
By letter dated December 8, 1994 to you, relief was
requested from the Division regarding the proposed issuance to the
Fund by The Chase Manhattan Bank, N .A. ("Chase") of an irrevocable
standby letter of credit for the benefit of the Fund providing for
the payment in full to the Fund of principal and interest at
maturity of the Securities. T£e relief requested was granted by
telephone on December 8, 1994. By letter to you dated
December 12, 1994, Alliance confirmed that the letter of credit was
issued. Alliance paid for the letter of credit and is obligated to
pay to Chase any amounts paid by Chase thereunder. A copy of each
of the December 8 and 12 letters accompanies this letter.
Alliance has offered to purchase the Securities on
July 19, 1995 directly from the Fund for cash at the then value of
the Securities reflected on the books of the Fund as determined
using the amortized cost method of valuation, i. e., at the
principal amount of the Securities plus accrued intere~t not paid
by the County of Orange when due on that date, if any. Same-day
1. When the letter of credit was issued, the principal amount of
the Securities held by the Fund was $1,000,000. Since that
time, the Fund has sold Securities having a principal amount of
$500,000.
2. As we understand the staff is aware, the principal of the
Securities is not to be repaid at maturity on July 19, 1995 and
the County of Orange, issuer of the Securities, presented a
Modification and Extension Agreement (the "Agreement") to
owners of certain County obligations, including the Securities,
pursuant to which such owners could irrevocably elect by
July 7, 1995 to an extension of the original maturity date of
the Securities upon the effectiveness of which (which is
subject to certain conditions) the Securities would become
Extension Obligations (as defined in the Agreement). We
understand that the staff is familiar with this Agreement. At
a special .meeting of the Trustees of the Fund held on July 5,
1995, Alliance informed the Trustees that Alliance had
determined that it would be advisable for the Fund to make the
election with respect to all of the Securities. The Trustees
concurred in Alliance's conclusion, which was implemented
promptly thereafter. We understand that timely elections were
(Footnote continued)
Mr. Robert E. P laze
3
July 13, 1995
funds in the principal amount will be deposited in the Fund's
account on July 19. If the County does not pay the full amount of
accrued interest on July 19, Alliance will pay the amount of unpaid
accrued interest to the Fund's account in same-day funds on
July 20, the day on which the Fund would have received same-day
funds from the County's disbursing agent if the County had timely
paid such interest or if the Fund had drawn on the Chase letter of
credit. Thus, the purchase price to be paid by Alliance will be
the same amount the Fund would otherwise have received under the
letter of credit or from the County had there been no default in
the payment of principal or interest, and the timing of the Fund's
receipt of the amount involved in same-day funds will be the same.
As the Fund's investment adviser, Alliance is an
"affiliated person" of the Fund under Section 2 (a) (3) of the 1940
Act . Given that status and the nature and background of the
proposed purchase, the purchase of the Securities by Alliance would
fall within Section 17 (a) of the 1940 Act, which makes it unlawful
for any affiliated person of a registered investment company to
knowingly purchase any security from the investment company, and
might be considered as falling within Section 17 (d) of the 1940
Act, which makes it unlawful for an affiliated person of a
registered investment company to effect any transaction in which
such registered investment company is a joint and several
participant with such person.
The purchase of the Securities by Alliance at their
current amortized cost value (the principal amount of the
Securities plus accrued but unpaid interest) would avoid portfolio
shareholder loss on the Securities. To attain a corresponding
objective, the Fund and Alliance understand that no action relief
covering corresponding purchases shortly after the County's
bankruptcy filing last December was in fact granted to a number of
other money market funds and their advisers soon after the County
filed for bankruptcy last year. The Fund and Alliance do not
believe the relief now requested with respect to Alliance's
acquiring the Securities to be substantively distinguishable from
the corresponding situation of those other funds and advisers. The
Fund and Alliance do not believe there is any meaningful difference
to the Fund between a purchase occurring as proposed as contrasted
wi th a purchase which might have been made last December.
(Footnote continued)
made with respect to a sufficient percentage of the obligations
covered by the Agreement for the Agreement to become effective
and binding on all holders of such obligations.
Mr. Robert E. P laze
4
July 13, 1995
I f the staff is unable to agree with this request for
relief, an opportunity is requested to discuss the subject with the
staff prior to the issuance of the staff's written response.
In accordance with Release No. 33-6269 (December 5,
1980), seven additional copies of this letter are enclosed. Please
direct any questions or requests for further information concerning
the foregoing to the undersigned ((212) 574-1267) or Edmund P.
Bergan, Jr. of the Fund ((212) 969-2108).
Very truly yours,
BDS : bac
Enclosures
00250215.AB6
~~).l~
Allian Fl.nd
Disibutors. Inc.
1345 Avnue Of the Amrica
NewYOfk, NY 10105
(212) 969-2156
Gerg O. Marinez
1I~Capita. . ..
Vic Ptent and
Aste General Counl
December 8, .:1994
VIA FACS'IMI~E
Robert E. Plaze
Assistant Director
Office of Disclosure and Znvestment
. Adviser Regulation
Division of 'Investment Management
u.s. Securities and Exchange Commission
450 Fifth street, N.W.
Mail stop J.0-6
Washington, D.C. 20549
Re: Alliance Municipal Trust - General Portfolio
ACM '~nsti tutional Reserves, 'Inc. - Tax Free
portfolio
Dear r-i. Plaza:
We are writing on behalf of Alliance capital Management L.P.
("Affiliate"), an affiliated per$on Of. Allianoe Municipal TrustGeneral Portfolio ("AM-General") ana ACM 'Institutional Reserves,
Inc.-Tax Free Portfolio ("A1:R-Tax FreeU) (jointly, "Funds"). We
seek assurance from the staff of ebe Division of Investment
Management (liD! vision") that it will. not recommend enforcement
action to the Commission under Section 17 (d) of the 'Investment
Company Act of 1940 (111940 Act"), or the rules thereunder if the
Funds and the Affiliate enter into the arrangement described
below.
Each Fund is reqistered with the commission under the 1940
Act as an open-end management investment company. The Funds,
each a money market fund, seek to maintain a stable net asset
value per share of $1.00, and use the amortized cost method of
valuation in valuing portfolio securities. As of December. 7,
1994, -AMT-General had approximately 2.27% of its net assets and
AIR-Tax Free had approximately 2.6% of its net assets in the
below-referenced securities ("securities"). The Securities are:
1. County of orange, California; 1994-95 Tax and Revenue
AntiCipation Notes, Series A (COSIP No. 684201EK8);
2. Based on Decemer 7, 1994 market values, the Funds held tha
following amounts of the saeurities:
AM-General - $27,550,000
AIR-Tax Free - 6950,000; and
3. Final Maturity - July 19, 1995.
As a result of orange. County filing for bauptcy, the
Funds may not ~e ablê to obtain reliaÐle mark~t quot~s for the
securities~ On Decemr 8, 1994, the Affiliate applied for two
irrevocable standby letters of credit to be issued DY Chase
Manhattan Bank ("Chase") t a. national bank with a short-term
rating of A-i/p-1, for the benefit of each Fund providing for the
full payment of principal and interest at maturity of the
securities to each FUd to avoid any potential portfolio
shareholder loss on the Securities. The Affiliate will pay to
Chase any amounts paid by Chase under the letters of oradi t.
Each Fud i S Board has been advised of this proposed arrangement.
. .-"
The Affiliate is an "affiliated person" under Section
2 (a) (3) of the 1940 Act because it is the investment adviser of
each Fund. ~he proposed arrangement may fall within Seotion
17 Cd) of the 1940 Act, which makes it unlawful for any affiliated
person of a registered investment company or an affiliated person
of such person to effect any transaction in which such registered
company is a joint or a joint and several participant with such
person.
The Funds and the Affiliate believe that it would be in the
best interests of each Fund's shareholders if the irrevocable
standby letters of credit are issued and the Affiliate is
Obligated to pay to Chase ~ny amounts paid by' it to the Funds.
On behalf of the Funds and the Affiiiate, we hereby request that
the Division staff give its assurance that it wiii not recommend
that the commission take enforcement action against ~he Funds or
the Affiliate under Section i 7 (d) if the Affiliate acts in such
capacity.
If you have any questions or other communications concerning
this matter, please call the undersigned at (2i2) 969-2156" or Ms.
Emilie Wrapp at (212) 969-2154 (facsimile (212) 969-2290).
~o~~
Allice Fud
Diiburs. Inc.
1345 ..ue of th America
Ne YOl NY 10105
(2121969-2156
A-..4ceCapita
..
Gøo O. Marnez
VI Prnt and
Asia~ General Counl
Decemer 12, 1994
VIA 'FAOSnaLE
Robert E. Plaze
Assistant Director
Office of Disclosure and Investment
Adviser Regulation
u.s. securities and Exchange Commission
450 Firth street, N.W.
Washington, CC 20549
Re: Alliance Muicipal Trust-General Portfolio
ACM Institutional Reserves, Inc. -Tax Free
port-folio
Dear Hr. Plaze:
This letter will eonf 1rm to the staff that Alliance Capital
Management L.P., an affiliated person. of tha above-referenced
money market funds, received on oeoémer 9, 1994 two letters of
credit for the benefit of each of the above-referenced funds as
described in our le~~er to the staff dated Deoember 8, 1994
requesting no-aotion assuranoes. Each .
Fud 's board was advised
of this transaction.
If you have any further questions or comments regarding
this matter, please feel free to contact me at the telephone
number set forth above or Ms. Emi11e wrapp at (202) 969-2154.
Sincereiy,
t~l)
GOM/ j nd
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.