UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark one)

[X] ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2018

[ ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

California Republic Auto Receivables Trust 2015-1

(Exact name of Issuing Entity as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of Issuing Entity: 0001633933

Commission File Number of Issuing Entity: 333-199204-02

California Republic Funding, LLC

(Exact name of Depositor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of Depositor: 0001561326

Commission File Number of Depositor: 333-199204

Mechanics Bank

(Exact name of Sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of Sponsor: 0001603949


Delaware		38-7133760
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization of Issuing Entity)		(I.R.S Employer Identification No.)

1111 Civic Dr., Ste. 390, Walnut Creek CA		94596
(Address of principal executive offices of Issuing Entity)		(Zip Code)

Telephone number, including area code of Issuing Entity: (925) 482-8000

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: None

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes [ ] No [X]

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes [ ] No [X]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes [X] No [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes [X] No [ ]

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§232.405) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.

Not applicable.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:


Large Accelerated Filer [ ]		Accelerated Filer [ ]

Non-Accelerated Filer [X]		Smaller reporting company [ ]

Emerging growth company [ ]

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [ ]

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Yes [ ] No [X]

State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter.

Not applicable.

Documents Incorporated By Reference

List hereunder the following documents if incorporated by reference and the part of the Form 10-K (e.g., Part I, Part II, etc.) into which the document is incorporated: (1) Any annual report to security holders; (2) Any proxy information statement; and, (3) Any prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (c) under the Securities Act of 1933.

None.

PART I

The following items have been omitted from Part I in accordance with General Instruction J(1) to Form 10-K:

Item 1. Business.

Item 1A. Risk Factors.

Item 2. Properties.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

PART II

The following items have been omitted from Part II in accordance with General Instruction J(1) to Form 10-K:

Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.

Item 6. Selected Financial Data.

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation.

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.

Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.

Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.

Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Item 9B. Other Information.

None.

PART III

The following items have been omitted from Part III in accordance with General Instruction J(1) to Form 10-K:

Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.

Item 11. Executive Compensation.

Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters.

Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.

Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services.

The following substitute information is provided in accordance with General Instruction J(2) to Form 10-K:

Item 1112(b) of Regulation AB. Significant Obligors of Pool Assets (Financial Information)

No single obligor represents more than 10% of the pool assets held by California Republic Auto Receivables Trust 2015-1 (the “Trust”).

Item 1114(b)(2) of Regulation AB. Credit Enhancement and Other Support (Financial Information) Except for Certain Derivatives Instruments

None.

Item 1115(b) of Regulation AB. Certain Derivative Instruments (Financial Information)

No entity or group of affiliated entities provides any derivative instruments that are used to alter payments characteristics of the cash flows from the Trust.

Item 1117 of Regulation AB. Legal Proceedings

No legal proceedings are pending against any of Mechanics Bank (the “Sponsor”), California Republic Funding, LLC (the “Depositor”), or the Trust, or against any property of any such entities that are or would be material to holders of the Notes or certificates (the “Certificates”) issued by the Trust.

The Indenture Trustee has provided the information contained in the following [7] paragraphs for purposes of compliance with Regulation AB.

Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA”) and Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“DBNTC”) have been sued by investors in civil litigation concerning their role as trustees of certain RMBS trusts.

On June 18, 2014, a group of investors, including funds managed by Blackrock Advisors, LLC, PIMCO-Advisors, L.P., and others, filed a derivative action against DBNTC and DBTCA in New York State Supreme Court purportedly on behalf of and for the benefit of 544 private-label RMBS trusts asserting claims for alleged violations of the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (“TIA”), breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and negligence based on DBNTC and DBTCA’s alleged failure to perform their duties as trustees for the trusts. Plaintiffs subsequently dismissed their state court complaint and filed a derivative and class action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of and for the benefit of 564 private-label RMBS trusts, which substantially overlapped with the trusts at issue in the state court action. The complaint alleged that the trusts at issue had suffered total realized collateral losses of U.S. $89.4 billion, but the complaint did not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On March 22, 2016, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint in federal court. In the amended complaint, in connection with 62 trusts governed by indenture agreements, plaintiffs asserted claims for breach of contract, violation of the TIA, breach of fiduciary duty, and breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest. The amended complaint alleged that the trusts at issue had suffered total realized collateral losses of U.S. $9.8 billion, but the complaint did not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On December 6, 2018, the court entered the parties’ stipulation voluntarily dismissing the action with prejudice.

On March 25, 2016, the BlackRock plaintiffs filed a state court action against DBTCA in the Superior Court of California, Orange County with respect to 513 trusts. On May 18, 2016, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint with respect to 465 trusts, and included DBNTC as an additional defendant. The amended complaint asserts three causes of action: breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; and breach of the duty to avoid conflicts of interest. Plaintiffs purport to bring the action on behalf of themselves and all other current owners of certificates in the 465 trusts. The amended complaint alleges that the trusts at issue have suffered total realized collateral losses of U.S. $75.7 billion, but does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On January 17, 2018, Plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification. On May 30, 2018, the court denied that motion. On June 8, 2018, Plaintiffs filed a notice of appeal from the denial of that motion. On December 6, 2018, the court entered the parties’ stipulation voluntarily dismissing Plaintiffs’ appeal. On December 13, 2018, Plaintiffs submitted a notice of settlement and a request for dismissal. On January 11, 2019, the court dismissed the action with prejudice.

On September 27, 2017, DBTCA was added as a defendant to a case brought by certain special purpose entities including Phoenix Light SF Limited in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in which the plaintiffs previously alleged incorrectly that DBNTC served as trustee for all 43 of the trusts at issue. On September 27, 2017, plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for one of the 43 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 42 trusts at issue. Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint brings claims for violation of the TIA; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence and gross negligence; violation of the Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the third amended complaint, plaintiffs acknowledge that, before DBTCA was added to the case, the court dismissed plaintiffs’ TIA Act claims, negligence and gross negligence claims, Streit Act claims, claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and certain theories of plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims, and plaintiffs only include these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. Plaintiffs allege damages of “hundreds of millions of dollars.” On November 13, 2017, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the third amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, plaintiffs, jointly with Commerzbank AG (see description of Commerzbank case below), filed a motion for partial summary judgment. Both motions are being briefed by the parties. Discovery is ongoing.

On November 30, 2017, DBTCA was added as a defendant to a case brought by Commerzbank AG (“Commerzbank”) in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in which Commerzbank previously alleged incorrectly that DBNTC served as trustee for all 50 of the trusts at issue. On November 30, 2017, Commerzbank filed a second amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for 1 of the 50 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 49 trusts at issue. Commerzbank’s second amended complaint brings claims for violation of the TIA; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence; violation of the Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the second amended complaint, Commerzbank acknowledges that, before DBTCA was added to the case, the court dismissed Commerzbank’s TIA claims for the trusts governed by pooling and servicing agreements, as well as its Streit Act claims and claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and Commerzbank only includes these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. The second amended complaint alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA caused Commerzbank to suffer “hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On January 29, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the second amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, Commerzbank, jointly with the Phoenix Light plaintiffs, filed a motion for partial summary judgment. Both motions are being briefed by the parties. Discovery is ongoing.

On December 30, 2015, IKB International, S.A. in Liquidation and IKB Deutsche Industriebank A.G. (collectively, “IKB”), as an investor in 37 RMBS trusts, filed a summons with notice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, against DBNTC and DBTCA as trustees of the trusts. On May 27, 2016, IKB served its complaint asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest, violation of New York’s Streit Act, violation of the Trust Indenture Act, violation of Regulation AB, and violation of Section 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. IKB alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA are liable for over U.S. $268 million in damages. On October 5, 2016, DBNTC and DBTCA, together with several other trustees defending lawsuits by IKB, filed a joint motion to dismiss. On January 6, 2017, IKB filed a notice of discontinuance, voluntarily dismissing with prejudice all claims as to three trusts. As of January 17, 2017, DBNTC and DBTCA’s motion to dismiss has been briefed and is awaiting decision by the court. On June 20, 2017, the parties filed a stipulation, voluntarily dismissing with prejudice all claims as to four additional trusts. Certain limited discovery is permitted to go forward while the motion to dismiss is pending.

It is DBTCA’s belief that it has no pending legal proceedings (including, based on DBTCA’s present evaluation, the litigation disclosed in the foregoing paragraphs) that would materially affect its ability to perform its duties as Trustee under the Pooling and Servicing Agreement for this transaction.

Item 1119 of Regulation AB. Affiliations and Certain Relationships and Related Transactions.

The Sponsor is the originator, as contemplated by Item 1110 of Regulation AB, of all the pool assets owned by the Trust. The Sponsor is also the servicer. The Depositor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sponsor and, therefore, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the originator and the servicer.

The Indenture Trustee is not affiliated with the Sponsor (including in its role as originator and servicer), the Depositor, or the Trust. The Owner Trustee is not affiliated with the Sponsor or the Depositor.

There are no significant obligors or support providers, or other material parties related to the Notes or Certificates.

In addition, there are no business relationships, agreements, arrangements, transactions or understanding outside the ordinary course of business or on terms other than would be obtained in an arm’s length transaction with an unrelated party, apart from the transaction involving the issuance of the Notes and Certificates by the Trust, between the Sponsor, the Depositor or the Trust and any of the parties mentioned in this Item.

Item 1122 of Regulation AB. Compliance with Applicable Servicing Criteria.

The Sponsor (in its role as servicer), and the Indenture Trustee (the Sponsor, as servicer, and the Indenture Trustee collectively as the “Servicing Participants”) have each been identified by the Depositor as participating in the servicing function with respect to the asset pool held by the Trust. The Servicing Participants have each completed a report on an assessment of compliance with its respective servicing functions (each, a “Servicing Report”), which Servicing Reports are attached as exhibits to this Form 10-K. Neither the Servicing Reports prepared by any of the Servicing Participants, nor the Attestation Reports provided by the Servicing Participants’ respective registered public accounting firms have identified any material instance of noncompliance with the servicing criteria applicable to the respective Servicing Participant.

Item 1123 of Regulation AB. Servicer Compliance Statement.

The Sponsor (in its role as servicer) has been identified by the Depositor as a servicer with respect to the asset pool held by the Trust. The Sponsor has completed a statement of compliance with applicable servicing criteria (the “Compliance Statement”), signed by an authorized officer of the Sponsor. The Compliance Statement is attached as an exhibit to this Form 10-K.

PART IV

Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules.

(a) (1) Financial Statements: Not applicable.

(2) Financial Statement Schedules: Not applicable

(3) List of Exhibits

The following exhibits are provided as part of, and incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K:


Exhibit	Description

3.1	Depositor’s Certificate of Formation	*

3.2	Depositor’s Operating Agreement	*

4.1	Amended and Restated Trust Agreement	**

4.2	Indenture	**

10.1	Sale and Servicing Agreement	**

10.2	Administration Agreement	**

10.3	Receivables Purchase Agreement	**

31	Section 302 Certification	Filed herewith

33.1	Management’s Report on assessment of Compliance with SEC Regulation AB Servicing Criteria	Filed herewith

33.2	Indenture Trustee’s Assertion of Compliance	Filed herewith

34.1	Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (Crowe LLP on behalf of Mechanics Bank)	Filed herewith

34.2	Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (KPMG LLP on behalf of Indenture Trustee)	Filed herewith

35	Servicing Compliance Report of Mechanics Bank as Servicer	Filed herewith

*	Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding Exhibit to California Republic LLC’s Registration Statement filed on August 28, 2013 (File No. 333-190866).

**	Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding Exhibit to the Form 8-K filed on March 12, 2015 (File No. 333-199204-02).

(b)

Exhibits.

The Depositor hereby is providing as part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K the exhibits listed in Item 15(a)(3) set forth above.

(c)	Financial Statement Schedule.

Not Applicable.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION TO BE FURNISHED WITH REPORTS FILED PURSUANT TO SECTION 15(d) OF THE ACT BY REGISTRANTS WHICH HAVE NOT REGISTERED SECURITIES PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE ACT.

No annual report to security holders, proxy statement, form of proxy or other proxy soliciting material has been sent to any security holders or is presently anticipated to be furnished to security holders subsequent to the filing of this annual report on Form 10-K.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Depositor has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

California Republic Funding, LLC, as Depositor

By: /s/ John W. DeCero

John W. DeCero, Chief Executive Officer

Dated: March 26, 2019

California Republic Auto Receivables Trust 2015-1 10-K