Principal Issues:
The addition of a redesignation feature to the existing units of a group of mutual fund trusts and the amendment of the declaration of trust to allow multiple Classes of Units for different investor segments so that the manager of the Fund has the flexibility to charge differing management fees to the various investors depending on the size of the investment. The issues are whether the proposed transactions can result in investors (unitholders) being considered to have disposed of their units or being considered to have a greater percentage interest in the income of the Fund than such investor's percentage interest in the capital of the Fund.
Rulings requested are: 1) whether the proposed transactions result in a resettlement of the trust or a disposition of units; 2) whether subsections 104(7.1) and 245(2) apply to the proposed transactions.
Position:
1) Unitholders are not considered to have disposed of their units as a result of the redesignation of the units from one class to another class. Also, the addition of a redesignation feature to the existing units will not result in a disposition of those units; changes to trust indenture are not so significant to precipitate a resettlement. Given that there are no redemption fees on Class Y Units, the fact that on a redesignation of Class X Units to Class Y units, a unitholder will be required to pay an amount equal to any redemption fees that would otherwise have been payable if there had been a redemption merely recognizes that those Class X unitholders who purchased their units on a sales charge basis paid up-front fees, while those who purchased their units on a deferred sales charge basis paid no up-front fees. It thus equalizes the position of all Class X unitholders.
2) Subsections 104(7.1) and 245(2) will not apply to the proposed transactions.
Reasons:
1) Similar positions taken in 990500, 9820753, 9726113 and 9525413.
2) Similar positions taken in 9820753 and 9603753.