EXHIBIT 4.1
STANDARD & POOR'S
A DIVISION OF THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES
J. J. KENNY
55 WATER STREET, 45th FLOOR
NEW YORK, N.Y. 10041
TELEPHONE (212) 438-4417
FAX 212/438-7747
January 17, 2001
Frank A. Ciccotto, Jr.
Vice President
Tax-Exempt Evaluations
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Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith
Incorporated
Defined Asset Funds
P.O. Box 9051
Princeton, New Jersey 08543-9051
The Chase Manhattan Bank
4 New York Plaza, 6th Floor
New York, New York 10004
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RE: MUNICIPAL INVESTMENT TRUST FUND,
MULTISTATE SERIES--51, DEFINED ASSET FUNDS
Gentlemen:
We have examined the post-effective Amendment to the Registration Statement
File No. 33-50569 for the above-captioned trust. We hereby acknowledge that
Kenny S&P Evaluation Services, a division of J. J. Kenny Co., Inc. is currently
acting as the evaluator for the trust. We hereby consent to the use in the
Amendment of the reference to Kenny S&P Evaluation Services, a division of J. J.
Kenny Co., Inc. as evaluator.
In addition, we hereby confirm that the ratings indicated in the
above-referenced Amendment to the Registration Statement for the respective
bonds comprising the trust portfolio are the ratings currently indicated in our
KENNYBASE database.
You are hereby authorized to file copies of this letter with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.
Sincerely,
FRANK A. CICCOTTO
Vice President
