Contact Our SBA Attorneys for Nationwide Representation of SBA and Treasury Debt Problems
Book a Consultation CallIf you have recently received a letter from Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service (BFS) demanding that you pay off an SBA debt or other Federal Agency Creditor non-tax debt where the Government has added an amount up to 30% of the original balance as “administrative fees and costs,” you should consider exercising your statutory rights as codified in the Debt Collection Improvement Act (DCIA) of 1996. Do not ignore this important letter. You will need to act quickly before Treasury begins to utilize their administrative collection weapons against you.
Sometimes, based on your financial status, a compromise or settlement with Treasury’s BFS won’t be a viable option. Some federal debtors have too much in liquid assets and/or their monthly income is too high such that the Treasury’s BFS will not be amenable to accepting your compromise or settlement offer.
If your financial profile and net worth disqualifies you for a compromise, one of your options is to negotiate a repayment agreement with the Treasury’s BFS. After carefully reviewing your financial situation, we can negotiate a reasonable repayment agreement with the Treasury’s BFS.
A repayment agreement with the Treasury’s BFS is used to pay the claimed debt over a reasonable period of time. However, the Treasury’s BFS unilaterally defines a “reasonable period of time” as no more than 3 years. It, however, does not take into consideration certain factors as noted in the DCIA of 1996, the supporting Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) or the Federal Claims Collection Standards (FCCS) to derive the monthly amount. Instead, it just calculates the monthly amount by dividing the unverified amount of the alleged federal non-tax debt by 36 months.
It is a one-sided negotiation that favors the Treasury’s BFS. Don’t fall into the trap by trying to negotiate the repayment agreement terms by yourself. Instead, let us analyze your financial profile and compare it against the FCCS to derive a “reasonable” amount that you can afford and present the terms to the Treasury’s BFS to arrive at a “win-win” negotiation that works for both parties.
Contact us today for a Case Evaluation.
Clients' 7(a) loan was referred to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service for enforced collection in 2015. They not only personally guaranteed the loan, but also pledged their primary residence as additional collateral. One of the clients filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy thinking that it would discharge the SBA 7(a) lien encumbering their home. They later discovered that they were mistakenly advised. The Firm was subsequently hired to review their case and defend against a series of collection actions. Eventually, we were able to negotiate a structured workout for $180,000 directly with the SBA, saving them approximately $250,000 (by reducing the default interest rate and removing Treasury's substantial collection fees) and from possible foreclosure.
Our firm successfully resolved an SBA COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) in the original amount of $150,000 for a Florida-based borrower. The loan, issued on June 4, 2020, was secured by business assets and potential personal liability through the SBA's Security Agreement.
Following the permanent closure of the business, we guided the client through the SBA’s Business Closure Review process and prepared a comprehensive collateral analysis. We negotiated directly with the SBA, obtaining a full release of the business collateral for $2,910 — satisfying the borrower’s obligations under the Security Agreement and eliminating any further enforcement risk against the pledged assets.
Our firm successfully resolved an SBA 7(a) loan default in the amount of $212,000 on behalf of an individual guarantor. The borrower’s business experienced a significant downturn in revenue and was unable to sustain operations, ultimately leading to closure and a remaining personal guaranty obligation.
After conducting a thorough financial review and preparing a comprehensive SBA Offer in Compromise (SBA OIC) submission, we negotiated directly with the SBA and lender to achieve a settlement of $50,000—approximately 24% of the outstanding balance. This favorable resolution released the guarantor from further personal liability and provided the opportunity to move forward free from the burden of enforced collection.
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