Navigating SBA Offer in Compromise: A Step-by-Step Guide
Dealing with SBA Bankruptcy? A SBA offer in compromise may help get you out of this difficult situation. Protect Law Group is here to help. Find out more today!
Contact Our SBA Attorneys for Nationwide Representation of SBA and Treasury Debt Problems
Book a Consultation CallAs a leading law firm in the field of SBA and Treasury debt collection cases, Protect Law Group offers top-notch litigation and negotiation services before the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA). Our SBA OHA attorneys are well-versed in the complex federal laws and regulations surrounding these matters and have extensive experience representing clients throughout the United States. Whether you are located on the West Coast, Southwest, Mountain West, Midwest, Great Plains, East Coast, Northeast, Appalachia, the South, Alaska or Hawaii, our SBA OHA attorneys, who are authorized by the Agency Practice Act (5 U.S.C. § 500), can represent your interests against the U.S. Small Business Administration and their team of Trial Attorneys from the Office of General Counsel. Contact us today if you need assistance challenging an SBA Program Decision before the SBA OHA.
We prosecute SBA Debt Collection cases involving SBA 7(a), 504, COVID (PPP, EIDL), and 7(b) Disaster loans. Our SBA OHA Attorneys can appeal certain SBA debt collection cases and property deprivation issues through litigation. Our SBA OHA Attorneys can evaluate the facts of your case, research legal issues, assess the prospects of resolution and, if applicable, prepare an Appeals Petition in response to proposed administrative offsets against federal benefits (such as Social Security Income or Disability), federal salary offsets, federal contractor pay, military salary, pension and annuity pay offsets. Be advised that an Appeals Petition is accepted at the sole discretion of the SBA OHA and the presiding United States Administrative Law Judge (ALJ).
The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) established in 1983 to provide a quasi-judicial appeal of eligible SBA Program Decisions. The SBA OHA has jurisdiction to conduct proceedings in the collection of debts owed to the SBA and the United States under the Debt Collection Act of 1982, the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, and 13 C.F.R. Part 140. The SBA OHA is on the Eighth Floor of SBA headquarters above the Federal Center SW Metro Stop. Their address is 409 Third Street, SW, Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20416.
Aggressive collection of SBA debts has increased considerably in recent years. Understanding the SBA OHA appeals process requires experienced SBA OHA Appeal Attorneys who know and understand government contracts, federal regulations, including the nuances that may arise if the SBA tries to deprive your property without due process of law. You have the right to challenge administrative offset, federal salary offset, military pay offset, military pension, or annuity offset due to an SBA loan default. If you receive the SBA's Notice where federal salary offset, federal contractor offset or administrative offset is proposed, you have the opportunity to present evidence to OHA (13 C.F.R. §140.3(e)(1)). To have a hearing before OHA, you must request a hearing by filing an Appeals Petition within fifteen (15) days of receiving the Notice of Intent to Offset (13 C.F.R. §140.3(e)(1)). Therefore, time is of the essence and you will need to contact experienced legal counsel for assistance.
Understand that time deadlines must be met to pursue your right to file an Appeals Petition in response to an eligible Notice of Offset. If you fail to act within the regulatory time frame from receipt of the Notice, you can damage your opportunity of having your Appeals Petition accepted and heard by the SBA OHA on jurisdictional grounds. With several years of experience focusing on SBA debt collection cases, our SBA OHA Appeal Attorneys can help SBA debtors navigate the maze of complex issues governing SBA rules, regulations and appeals.
Our SBA attorneys can help with the following:
The Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) is an independent office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) established in 1983 to provide a quasi-judicial appeal of eligible SBA Program Decisions. The SBA OHA has jurisdiction to conduct proceedings in the collection of debts owed to the SBA and the United States under the Debt Collection Act of 1982, the Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996, and 13 C.F.R. Part 140. The SBA OHA is on the Eighth Floor of SBA headquarters above the Federal Center SW Metro Stop. Their address is 409 Third Street, SW, Eighth Floor, Washington, DC 20416.
Aggressive collection of SBA debts has increased considerably in recent years. Understanding the SBA OHA appeals process requires experienced SBA OHA Appeal Attorneys who know and understand government contracts, federal regulations, including the nuances that may arise if the SBA tries to deprive your property without due process of law. You have the right to challenge administrative offset, federal salary offset, military pay offset, military pension, or annuity offset due to an SBA loan default. If you receive the SBA's Notice where federal salary offset, federal contractor offset or administrative offset is proposed, you have the opportunity to present evidence to OHA (13 C.F.R. §140.3(e)(1)). To have a hearing before OHA, you must request a hearing by filing an Appeals Petition within fifteen (15) days of receiving the Notice of Intent to Offset (13 C.F.R. §140.3(e)(1)). Therefore, time is of the essence and you will need to contact experienced legal counsel for assistance.
Understand that time deadlines must be met to pursue your right to file an Appeals Petition in response to an eligible Notice of Offset. If you fail to act within the regulatory time frame from receipt of the Notice, you can damage your opportunity of having your Appeals Petition accepted and heard by the SBA OHA on jurisdictional grounds. With several years of experience focusing on SBA debt collection cases, our SBA OHA Appeal Attorneys can help SBA debtors navigate the maze of complex issues governing SBA rules, regulations and appeals.
Our SBA attorneys can help with the following:
Clients borrowed and personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan. Clients defaulted on the SBA loan and were sued in federal district court for breach of contract. The SBA lender demanded the Client pledge several personal real estate properties as collateral to reinstate and secure the defaulted SBA loan. We were subsequently hired to intervene and aggressively defend the lawsuit. After several months of litigation, our attorneys negotiated a reinstatement of the SBA loan and a structured workout that did not involve any liens against the Client's personal real estate holdings.
Clients personally guaranteed an SBA 504 loan balance of $337,000. The Third Party Lender had obtained a Judgment against the clients. We represented clients before the SBA and negotiated an SBA OIC that was accepted for $30,000.
Client personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan for $100,000 from the lender. The SBA loan went into early default in 2006 less than 12 months from disbursement. The SBA paid the 7(a) guaranty monies to the lender and subsequently acquired the deficiency balance of about $96,000, including the right to collect against the guarantor. However, the SBA sent the Official 60-Day Due Process Notice to the Client's defunct business address instead of his personal residence, which he never received. As a result, the debt was transferred to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service where substantial collection fees were assessed, including accrued interest per the promissory note. Treasury eventually referred the debt to a Private Collection Agency (PCA) - Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. Pioneer sent a demand letter claiming a debt balance of almost $310,000 - a shocking 223% increase from the original loan amount assigned to the SBA. Client's social security disability benefits were seized through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). Client hired the Firm to represent him as the debt continued to snowball despite seizure of his social security benefits and federal tax refunds as the involuntary payments were first applied to Treasury's collection fees, then to accrued interest with minimal allocation to the SBA principal balance.
We initially submitted a Cross-Servicing Dispute (CSD) challenging the referral of the debt to Treasury based on the defective notice sent to the defunct business address. Despite overwhelming evidence proving a violation of the Client's Due Process rights, the SBA still rejected the CSD. As a result, an Appeals Petition was filed with the SBA Office of Hearings & Appeals (OHA) Court challenging the SBA decision and its certification the debt was legally enforceable in the amount claimed. After several months of litigation before the SBA OHA Court, our Firm Attorney successfully negotiated an Offer in Compromise (OIC) Term Workout with the SBA Supervising Trial Attorney for $82,000 spread over a term of 74 months at a significantly reduced interest rate saving the Client an estimated $241,000 in Treasury collection fees, accrued interest (contract interest rate and Current Value of Funds Rate (CVFR)), and the PCA contingency fee.
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