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, 2021

[ ] 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 2018-1

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

Central Index Key Number of Issuing Entity: 0001741276

Commission File Number of Issuing Entity: 333-207639-04

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: 333-207639

Mechanics Bank

(Exact name of Sponsor as specified in its charter)

Central Index Key Number of Sponsor: 0001603949


Delaware		38-7183565
(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 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. (Check One):


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 has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.

[ ]

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 or 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 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.

None.

Item 2. Properties.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.

Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.

Not applicable.

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 Operations.

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.

Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections

Not applicable.

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)

None.

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

None.

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

None.

Item 1117 of Regulation AB. Legal Proceedings

No legal proceedings are pending, or are known by registrant to be contemplated by governmental authorities, against any of Mechanics Bank (the “Sponsor”), California Republic Funding, LLC (the “Depositor”), or California Republic Auto Receivables Trust 2018-1 (the “Trust”), or as to which any property of any such entities are subject, that are material to holders of the Notes issued by the Trust.

U.S. Bank National Association, the Indenture Trustee with respect to the Trust, has provided the following disclosure:

U.S. Bank N.A. and other large financial institutions have been sued in their capacity as trustee or successor trustee for certain residential mortgage-backed securities (“RMBS”) trusts. The complaints, primarily filed by investors or investor groups against U.S. Bank N.A. and similar institutions, allege the trustees caused losses to investors as a result of alleged failures by the sponsors, mortgage loan sellers and servicers to comply with the governing agreements for these RMBS trusts. Plaintiffs generally assert causes of action based upon the trustees’ purported failures to enforce repurchase obligations of mortgage loan sellers for alleged breaches of representations and warranties, notify securityholders of purported events of default allegedly caused by breaches of servicing standards by mortgage loan servicers and abide by a heightened standard of care following alleged events of default.

U.S. Bank N.A. denies liability and believes that it has performed its obligations under the RMBS trusts in good faith, that its actions were not the cause of losses to investors, that it has meritorious defenses, and it has contested and intends to continue contesting the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously. However, U.S. Bank N.A. cannot assure you as to the outcome of any of the litigation, or the possible impact of these litigations on the trustee or the RMBS trusts.

On March 9, 2018, a law firm purporting to represent fifteen Delaware statutory trusts (the “DSTs”) that issued securities backed by student loans (the “Student Loans”) filed a lawsuit in the Delaware Court of Chancery against U.S. Bank N.A. in its capacities as indenture trustee and successor special servicer, and three other institutions in their respective transaction capacities, with respect to the DSTs and the Student Loans. This lawsuit is captioned The National Collegiate Student Loan Master Trust I, et al. v. U.S. Bank National Association, et al., C.A. No. 2018-0167-JRS (Del. Ch.) (the “NCMSLT Action”). The complaint, as amended on June 15, 2018, alleged that the DSTs have been harmed as a result of purported misconduct or omissions by the defendants concerning administration of the trusts and special servicing of the Student Loans. Since the filing of the NCMSLT Action, certain Student Loan borrowers

have made assertions against U.S. Bank N.A. concerning special servicing that appear to be based on certain allegations made on behalf of the DSTs in the NCMSLT Action.

U.S. Bank N.A. has filed a motion seeking dismissal of the operative complaint in its entirety with prejudice pursuant to Chancery Court Rules 12(b)(1) and 12(b)(6) or, in the alternative, a stay of the case while other prior filed disputes involving the DSTs and the Student Loans are litigated. On November 7, 2018, the Court ruled that the case should be stayed in its entirety pending resolution of the first-filed cases. On January 21, 2020, the Court entered an order consolidating for pretrial purposes the NCMSLT Action and three other lawsuits pending in the Delaware Court of Chancery concerning the DSTs and the Student Loans, which remains pending.

U.S. Bank N.A. denies liability in the NCMSLT Action and believes it has performed its obligations as indenture trustee and special servicer in good faith and in compliance in all material respects with the terms of the agreements governing the DSTs and that it has meritorious defenses. It has contested and intends to continue contesting the plaintiffs’ claims vigorously.

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

Information required by Item 1119 of Regulation AB has been omitted from this report on Form 10-K in reliance on the Instructions to Item 1119.

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 its obligations under the applicable servicing agreement (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	**

10.4	Asset Representations Review 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 (Ernst & Young 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 Funding LLC’s Registration Statement on Form S-3 filed on August 28, 2013 (File No. 333-190866).

* *	Incorporated herein by reference to the corresponding Exhibit to the Form 8-K filed by the Trust on June 28, 2018 (File No. 333-207639-04).

(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 15, 2022

California Republic Auto Receivables Trust 2018-1 10-K