What Is The SBA Office Of Hearings And Appeals (OHA) And What Is Their Jurisdictional Power? CollapseThe Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) established in 1983 to provide an independent, quasi-judicial appeal of certain SBA program decisions. The SBA OHA has authority to conduct proceedings in the following cases: Collection of debts owed to SBA and the United States under the Debt Collection Act of 1982, the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, and part 140 of the aforesaid chapter; (t) Any other hearing, determination, or appeal proceeding referred to OHA by the Administrator of SBA, either through an SOP, Directive, Procedural Notice, or individual request by the Administrator to the SBA/OHA. The SBA OHA’s office is on the eighth floor of SBA headquarters above the Federal Center SW metro stop. Their office address is: 409 Third Street, SW, Eighth FloorWashington, DC 20416
Most SBA loans fall under two categories: 7(a) and 504.In an SBA 7(a) transaction, a loan is secured from a private sector lender and, provided that the lender and borrower have satisfied the requirements of the SBA, if the borrower defaults on the loan, the SBA will reimburse the lender for a percentage on the loan loss (usually 75% or 85%, depending on various factors).In an SBA 504 transaction, typically, a loan is secured from a private sector lender with a first position lien covering up to 50% of the project cost, and a second loan is secured from a private sector lender with a junior lien position covering up to 40% of the project cost, and the borrower makes a contribution of equity equal to at least 10% of the project cost. After the closing of the first and second loans, and provided that the lender and borrower have complied with the requirements of the SBA, a debenture is sold to investors, the proceeds of which pays off the second loan, whereupon the second loan is assigned to a Certified Development Company (“CDC”) and then to the SBA, which provides a 100% guarantee of the debenture.The existence of the SBA’s guarantee in each of these transactions is an inducement for the lender to make a loan on terms it would otherwise not make. However, the SBA guarantee does not allow the lender to disregard standard commercial underwriting principles such as collateral and personal guarantees. The SBA guarantee does allow the lender to loan more money, extend longer terms, and approve loans to less mature businesses than it otherwise would.The SBA’s purpose under these financing programs is to help businesses gain more access to capital, thereby creating jobs and expanding the tax base. Pursuant to the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (“2010 Act”), the maximum SBA guarantee to the lender on a 7(a) loan was increased to $5,000,000; and on a 504 Loan, the maximum debenture amount was increased to $5,000,000.
A compromise with one or more Obligors does not release the continuing liability of any remaining Obligors. Each entity or individual responsible for the debt must develop its/his/her own SBA OIC.
Filing fees with the court may vary but as of the time of this writing the filing fees are $1,738.
Attorneys' fees will vary on the complexity of your case but will be in the $15,000 to $25,000 range in most cases.
Under a regular Chapter 11, attorneys' fees were usually a minimum of $50,000.
The SBA can compromise a debt (that is, it can accept less than the full amount owed on a debt) based on the authority contained in the following statutes and regulatory sources:a. Section 5(b) of the Small Business Act which gives the Administrator authority to effect compromise settlements.b. The Federal Claims Collection Act (31 U.S.C. 3701 and following) which provides a means for the settlement, adjustment, and compromise of claims by Federal agencies.c. 4 CFR § 183, which prescribes standards for the compromise of claims under the Federal Claims Collection Act.




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