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EXHIBIT 10.43  

  
 

    LEASE TERMINATION AGREEMENT AND
  NINTH AMENDMENT TO OFFICE LEASE    
  

    THIS LEASE TERMINATION AGREEMENT AND NINTH AMENDMENT TO OFFICE LEASE dated as of October  ,
2000 (this "Agreement"), is entered into by and between LACERA GATEWAY PROPERTY, INC., a California corporation ("Landlord"), and  PAULA INSURANCE COMPANY, a California corporation ("Tenant"), with reference to the following facts and understandings: 

 
 

RECITALS    
  

    WHEREAS, Pasadena Gateway Plaza, a California limited partnership ("Original Landlord"), Landlord's predecessor
in interest, and Pan American Underwriters, Inc., a Nevada corporation ("Original Tenant"), Tenant's predecessor in interest, entered into that certain Office Lease dated January 1, 1989
(the "Original Lease"), as amended by (i) that certain Lease Amendment dated as of September 28, 1989, by and between Original Landlord and Original Tenant (the "First Amendment"),
(ii) that certain Second Amendment to Office Building Lease dated as of April 27, 1993, by and between Landlord and Tenant (the "Second Amendment"), (iii) that certain Third
Amendment to Office Building Lease dated as of September 16, 1994, by and between Landlord and Tenant (the "Third Amendment"), (iv) that certain Fourth Amendment to Office Building Lease
dated as of May 12, 1995, by and between Landlord and Tenant (the "Fourth Amendment"), (v) that certain Fifth Amendment to Gateway Plaza Office Building Lease dated as of July 24,
1997, by and between Landlord and Tenant (the "Fifth Amendment"), (vi) that certain Sixth Amendment to Gateway Plaza Office Building Lease dated as of May 11, 1998, by and between
Landlord and Tenant (the "Sixth Amendment"), (vii) that certain Seventh Amendment to Gateway Plaza Office Building Lease dated as of September 17, 1998, by and between Landlord and
Tenant (the "Seventh Amendment"), and (viii) that certain Eighth Amendment to Office Lease dated as of October 29, 1999 (the "Eighth Amendment"; the Original Lease, as amended by the
First Amendment, the Second Amendment, the Third Amendment, the Fourth Amendment, the Fifth Amendment, the Sixth Amendment, the Seventh Amendment and the Eighth Amendment, is hereinafter referred to
as the "Lease"), for the lease of certain premises (the "Premises"), consisting of approximately 36,700 square feet of space comprised of a portion of the second (2nd) floor and the
entirety of the third (3rd) floor of that certain office building (the "Building") located at 300 North Lake Avenue in Pasadena, California, commonly known as Gateway Plaza; and 

    WHEREAS, Tenant has requested and Landlord is willing to terminate the Lease with respect to Suite 204, consisting of approximately
1,080 square feet of space, and Suite 206, consisting of approximately 1,643 square feet of space (collectively, "Suites 204 & 206"), all upon and subject to the terms and conditions
hereinafter provided. 

 
 

AGREEMENT    
  

    NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises set forth herein and other good and valuable
consideration, the receipt and adequacy of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows: 

    1.  Recitals. The Recitals set forth above are incorporated herein as though set forth in full hereat. 

    2.  Definitions. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, all initially capitalized terms not otherwise defined
herein shall have the meaning given such terms in the Lease. 

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    3.  Condition Precedent. The effectiveness of this Agreement is expressly subject to Landlord entering into a lease
amendment with tenant PIC Newco, Inc. to lease Suites 204 & 206 (the "Provident Amendment"); provided, that Tenant acknowledges and agrees that Landlord shall have no obligation to enter
into the Provident Amendment unless Landlord agrees upon terms and provisions for the Provident Amendment in Landlord's sole and absolute discretion. 

    4.  Consideration; Termination. As consideration for Landlord's agreement to terminate the Lease as hereinafter
provided, Tenant hereby agrees to reimburse Landlord for the following costs: (a) Landlord's unamortized tenant improvement costs applicable to Suites 204 & 206 which the parties
stipulate and agree amounts to $26,322.30, (b) Landlord's unamortized leasing commissions applicable to Suites 204 & 206 which the parties stipulate and agree amounts to $10,423.64, and
(c) Landlord's documentation and attorneys' fees incurred in connection with this Agreement. Additionally, Tenant agrees to pay Basic Rent and Tenant's Share of Taxes and Costs of Operations
through November 30, 2000, notwithstanding the occurrence of the Termination Date (as hereinafter defined) prior to November 30, 2000. The foregoing costs shall be deducted from the
$440,400.00 Tenant Improvement Allowance Tenant is entitled to under Section 7 of the Eighth Amendment. Subject to deduction of the foregoing amounts from the Tenant Improvement Allowance and
satisfaction of the condition precedent set forth in Section 3 above, the Lease, and all subleases or other tenancies thereunder, shall terminate, effective
October 15, 2000 (the "Termination Date"). Tenant hereby agrees to vacate and surrender Suites 204 & 206 to Landlord, "broom clean" and in good order, condition and repair, ordinary wear
and tear excepted, in accordance with Section 15.1 of the Lease, on or before the Termination Date. 

    5.  Tenant's Share. Landlord and Tenant agree that upon the termination of Tenant's lease of Suites 204 & 206,
the total square footage of the remainder of the Premises shall be approximately 33,977 square feet and Section 1.7 of the Original Lease shall be amended such that the phrase "Tenant's Share"
shall mean 11.48%. 

    6.  Estoppel. Tenant hereby certifies and acknowledges that as of the date hereof (a) the Lease and this
Agreement represent the entire agreement between Landlord and Tenant (b) Tenant has not assigned or transferred the Lease or any interest of Tenant therein, (c) Tenant has received all
free rent or other rent credits, if any, to which Tenant is entitled under the Lease, (d) Landlord is not in default in any respect under the Lease, (e) Tenant does not have any defenses
to its obligations under the Lease, (f) there are no offsets or credits against rent payable under the Lease, (g) Landlord is holding no security deposit from Tenant under the Lease, and
(h) Tenant acknowledges and agrees that: (i) the representations herein set forth constitute material consideration to Landlord in entering into this Agreement; (ii) such
representations are being made by Tenant for purposes of inducing Landlord to enter into this Agreement; and (iii) Landlord is relying on such representations in entering into this Agreement. 

    7.  Indemnification. Tenant shall indemnify, defend and hold Landlord, and each of Landlord's partners, shareholders,
officers, directors, managers, employees, agents, attorneys, investment advisors, portfolio managers, trustees, ancillary trustees, beneficiaries and their affiliates, successors and assigns and their
respective partners, shareholders, officers, directors, managers and employees (collectively, "Indemnitees") harmless from and against any and all claims, demands, liability, loss, damage or expenses
(including, without limitation, attorneys' fees and costs) and all damages, caused by, arising out of or related to (a) Tenant's breach of the terms of this Agreement or the representations and
warranties contained herein, (b) the presence of any Hazardous Materials on, under or about Suites 204 & 206 as a result of the acts or omissions of the Tenant or its agents,
employees, contractors, licensees, sublessees, assignees, concessionaires or invitees, (c) any injury to or death of persons or damage to the property of Tenant, Landlord or any other person or
entity which occurred during the Lease Term prior to the Termination Date from any cause whatsoever, by reason of the use, occupancy or enjoyment of Suites 204 & 206 by Tenant, except to
the extent such injury, death or damage was caused by the willful misconduct of Landlord or (d) the failure of Tenant or any sublessee 

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or assignee to vacate and surrender Suites 204 & 206 in accordance with Section 4 above. Tenant further agrees to indemnify, defend and hold Landlord harmless from all liability
whatsoever on account of any mechanics' or materialmens' liens, claims or demands arising out of any labor performed or material supplied in connection with or benefiting Suites 204 & 206 prior
to the Termination Date. For purposes
of the indemnity provisions hereof, any acts or omission of Tenant, or by employees, agents, assignees, sublessees, contractors or subcontractors of Tenant or others acting for or on behalf of Tenant
(whether or not they are negligent, intentional, willful or unlawful) shall be strictly attributable to Tenant. Tenant's obligation to defend, indemnify and hold the Indemnitees harmless under this
Section 7 shall survive the termination of the Lease and this Agreement. 

    8.  Release.

    (a) For
valuable consideration, and the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and except as to the rights, liabilities, and obligations arising out of this
Agreement, effective as of the Termination Date, with respect to Suites 204 & 206 and Tenant's lease, use and occupancy thereof, Tenant fully and forever releases Landlord and each of its
partners, shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, investment advisors, portfolio managers, trustees, ancillary trustees, beneficiaries and their affiliates, successors and
assigns and their respective partners, shareholders, officers, directors, managers and employees, and all persons acting by, through, under or in concert with them, or any of them, of and from any and
all manner of action or actions, cause or cause of action, in law or in equity, suits, debts, liens, contracts, agreements, promises, liability, claims, demands, damages, losses, costs or expenses of
any nature whatsoever, known or unknown, fixed or contingent, which Tenant now has or may hereafter have against Landlord, or any of them, by reason of, arising out of, based upon or relating to any
matter, cause or thing whatsoever occurring prior to the Termination Date. 

    (b) For
valuable consideration, and the mutual covenants and agreements contained herein, and except as to the rights, liabilities, and obligations arising out of this
Agreement, effective as of the Termination Date, with respect to Suites 204 & 206 and Tenant's lease, use and occupancy thereof, Landlord fully and forever releases Tenant and each of its
partners, shareholders, officers, directors, employees, agents, attorneys, investment advisors, portfolio managers, trustees, ancillary trustees, beneficiaries and their affiliates, successors and
assigns and their respective partners, shareholders, officers, directors, managers and employees, and all persons acting by, through, under or in concert with them, or any of them, of and from any and
all manner of action or actions, cause or causes of action, in law or in equity, suits, debts, liens, contracts, agreements, promises, liability, claims, demands, losses, costs or expenses of any
nature whatsoever, known or unknown, fixed or contingent, which Landlord now has or may hereafter have against Tenant, or any of them, by reason of, arising out of, based upon or relating to any
matter, cause or thing whatsoever occurring prior to the Termination Date. 

    (c) Landlord
and Tenant each hereby certifies that it has read and understood the provisions of California Civil Code,
Section 1542 and has had the opportunity to consult with its own counsel regarding same. Landlord and Tenant each hereby waives any and all rights under California Civil
Code, Section 1542, which provides as follows: 

"A general release does not extend to claims which 

the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his 

favor at the time of executing the release, which if 

known by him must have materially affected his 

settlement with the debtor."

    9.  Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but
all of which together shall constitute one and the same agreement. 

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    10. Authorization. Tenant represents and warrants that all consents, approvals and authorizations necessary or required
in connection with the transaction contemplated by this Agreement have been obtained. 

    11. Attorneys' Fees. If either party commences an action against the other party arising out of or in connection with
this Agreement, the prevailing party shall be entitled to recover from the losing party reasonable attorneys' fees and costs of suit. 

    12. Governing Law. This Agreement is made under and shall be construed pursuant to the laws of the State of California. 

    13. Entire Agreement. This Agreement and the Lease constitutes and is intended to constitute the entire agreement of the
parties hereto concerning the subject matter hereof. No covenants, agreements, representations or warranties of any kind whatsoever have been made by any party hereto except as specifically set forth
herein. All prior discussions and negotiations with respect to the subject matter hereof are superseded by this Agreement. 

[SIGNATURES TO FOLLOW ON NEXT PAGE]

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    IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written. 

	"Tenant"	 	PAULA INSURANCE COMPANY,

a California corporation
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/ JAMES A. NICHOLSON   
 Name: James A. Nicholson

Title: Sr. V.P./C.F.O.
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/    
 Name:

Title:

	"Landlord"	 	LACERA GATEWAY PROPERTY, INC.,

a California corporation
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/ MARSHA D. RICHTER   
 Name: Marsha D. Richter

Title: President
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/ EARL W. BUEHNER   
 Name: Earl W. Buehner

Title: Vice President, Asst. Secretary

      & Asst. Treasurer

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GUARANTOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENT    
  

    The undersigned guarantor of the obligations of Tenant under the Lease (as defined in the Lease Termination Agreement and Ninth Amendment to Office Lease (the
"Termination Agreement and Amendment") to which this Guarantor's Acknowledgment is attached), hereby acknowledges familiarity with and consents to the Termination Agreement and Amendment and ratifies
and affirms its continuing obligations under that certain Guarantee of Lease dated February 9, 1989, notwithstanding the execution of the Termination Agreement and Amendment. 

	 	 	PAULA FINANCIAL,

a California corporation
	

 	
 	

By:	

/s/ JAMES A. NICHOLSON   
 Name: James A. Nicholson

Title: Sr. V.P./C.F.O.
	

 	
 	

By:	

 Name:

Title:

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LEASE TERMINATION AGREEMENT AND NINTH AMENDMENT TO OFFICE LEASE

RECITALS

AGREEMENT

GUARANTOR'S ACKNOWLEDGMENTPrepared by MERRILL CORPORATION www.edgaradvantage.com

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EXHIBIT 10.44  

  
 

    STORAGE SPACE LEASE
  (With Master Lease)    
  

    This STORAGE SPACE LEASE (the "Lease") is made as of October 1, 2000, by and between  LACERA GATEWAY PROPERTY, INC.,
 a California corporation ("Landlord"), and PAULA INSURANCE COMPANY
("Tenant"), in connection with that certain Office Building Lease dated as of January 1, 1989, as amended (Collectively the Lease), by and between Landlord and Tenant pursuant to which Tenant
leases certain office space (the "Premises") from Landlord in that certain office building (the "Building") known as Gateway Plaza located at 300 North Lake Avenue, Pasadena, California. Tenant
desires to lease storage space (the "Storage Space") in the Building, and Landlord desires to lease same to Tenant, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth herein. 

    In
consideration of the mutual promises and covenants hereinafter contained, Landlord and Tenant agree as follows: 

	1.
	The
term of this Lease shall be month-to-month commencing on October 1, 2000.

	2.
	The
Storage Space is Space LL-12 and contains approximately one hundred twenty-two (122) rentable square feet.

	3.
	Tenant
hereby accepts the Storage Space in "as is" condition, and Landlord makes no representations or warranties whatsoever with respect to the condition or suitability of the
Storage Space for any purpose. Tenant may install such shelving and other improvements as it deems appropriate, at Tenant's sole cost and expense, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Master
Lease with respect to the making of alterations in the Premises.

	4.
	Tenant
shall pay to Landlord the then prevailing rental for use of the Storage Space as established by Landlord from time to time, payable monthly in advance prior to the first day
of each month. The current rental is $152.50 per month ($1.25 per square foot per month) through April 30, 2003.

	5.
	The
Storage Area shall be used exclusively for storage of books, records and similar paper items and furniture. No item that contains hazardous substances of any kind may be stored
in the Storage Area under any circumstances. Landlord shall have the right to inspect the Storage Space at reasonable
times upon prior written notice to Tenant. All Tenants obligations in the Master Lease with respect to the use, storage and/or disposal of Hazardous Materials shall be applicable to this Lease.

	6.
	This
Lease may be assigned by Tenant only upon the prior written consent of Landlord and only in connection with an assignment by Tenant of the Premises under the Master Lease.

	7.
	Tenant,
on behalf of itself and its partners and agents and their respective directors, officers, principals, employees, and other representatives and successors and assigns, hereby
releases Landlord and its partners and agents and their respective directors, officers, principals, employees and other representatives and successors and assigns, from, and waives, all claims for
damage to any property in or about the Storage Space or the Building and for injury to any persons, including death, resulting therefrom, regardless of cause or time of occurrence. All Tenants
indemnification and insurance obligations set forth in the Master Lease, including without limitation Tenants waiver of subrogation, shall deemed incorporated in this Lease.

	8.
	Anything
in this Lease to the contrary notwithstanding, covenants, undertakings and agreements herein made on the part of Landlord are made and intended not for the purpose of
binding Landlord personally or the assets of Landlord but are made and intended to bind only the Landlord's interest in the Storage Space and Building, as the same may, from time to time, be
encumbered, and no personal liability shall at any time be asserted or enforceable against Landlord or its stockholders, officers or partners or their respective heirs, legal 

representatives,
successors, and assigns on account of the Lease or on account of any covenant, undertaking or agreement of Landlord in this Lease. 

	9.
	Except
as otherwise expressly set forth herein, all of the provisions of the Master Lease, including without limitation those concerning the rights and obligations of the parties
and the construction of the Lease, shall be applicable to and incorporated in this Lease.

	10.
	Any
default under this Lease shall constitute a default under the Master Lease. 

    IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Storage Space Lease Agreement in multiple counterparts on the first day above written. 

	TENANT:	 	LANDLORD:
	
PAULA INSURANCE COMPANY,

a California corporation	
 	
LACERA GATEWAY PROPERTY, INC.,

a California corporation
	

By:	
 	

/s/ JAMES A. NICHOLSON   
	
 	

By:	
 	

/s/ EARL W. BUEHNER   
 Earl W. Buehner
	

Its:	
 	

Sr. V.P./C.F.O.	
 	

Its:	
 	

Vice President, Asst. Secretary

& Asst. Treasurer

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STORAGE SPACE LEASE (With Master Lease)

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