Contact Our SBA Attorneys for Nationwide Representation of SBA and Treasury Debt Problems
Book a Consultation CallIf you have received the 60-Day Official Notice from the SBA offering you the opportunity to petition for an administrative review of the debt, make an SBA Offer in Compromise or enter into a Repayment agreement for an SBA loan default, you may not know which way to turn. Not only has your SBA debt come back to haunt you but if you fail to respond to the 60-Day Official Notice within the stated time frame, your case will be cross-referred to the Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service, where the Government will add an amount up to 32% of the original SBA debt balance as “administrative fees and costs.”
Sometimes, based on your financial status, an SBA Offer in Compromise won’t be an option. Some SBA debtors have too much in liquid assets and/or their monthly income is too high such that the SBA will not be amenable to an SBA Offer in Compromise.
If your financial profile and net worth disqualifies you for an SBA Offer in Compromise, one of your options is to negotiate a Repayment agreement with the SBA. After carefully reviewing your financial profile, an SBA Attorney can negotiate a reasonable Repayment agreement with the SBA prior to the cross-referral of your case to Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service.
A Repayment agreement with the SBA is used to pay the claimed debt over a reasonable period of time. However, the SBA unilaterally defines a “reasonable period of time” as no more than 3 years. It, however, will not take into consideration certain factors as noted in the SBA Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) or the Federal Claims Collection Standards (FCCS) to derive the monthly amount unless you assert your rights. Instead, the SBA will just calculate the monthly amount by dividing the unverified amount of the SBA debt by 36 months.
It is a one-sided negotiation that favors that SBA. Don’t fall into the trap by trying to negotiate the Repayment agreement terms by yourself. Instead, let an SBA Attorney 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 SBA to arrive at a “win-win” negotiation that works for both parties.
Contact us today for a Case Evaluation.
Sometimes, based on your financial status, an SBA Offer in Compromise won’t be an option. Some SBA debtors have too much in liquid assets and/or their monthly income is too high such that the SBA will not be amenable to an SBA Offer in Compromise.
If your financial profile and net worth disqualifies you for an SBA Offer in Compromise, one of your options is to negotiate a Repayment agreement with the SBA. After carefully reviewing your financial profile, an SBA Attorney can negotiate a reasonable Repayment agreement with the SBA prior to the cross-referral of your case to Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service.
A Repayment agreement with the SBA is used to pay the claimed debt over a reasonable period of time. However, the SBA unilaterally defines a “reasonable period of time” as no more than 3 years. It, however, will not take into consideration certain factors as noted in the SBA Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) or the Federal Claims Collection Standards (FCCS) to derive the monthly amount unless you assert your rights. Instead, the SBA will just calculate the monthly amount by dividing the unverified amount of the SBA debt by 36 months.
It is a one-sided negotiation that favors that SBA. Don’t fall into the trap by trying to negotiate the Repayment agreement terms by yourself. Instead, let an SBA Attorney 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 SBA to arrive at a “win-win” negotiation that works for both parties.
Contact us today for a Case Evaluation.
Our firm successfully assisted a client in closing an SBA Disaster Loan tied to a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL). The borrower obtained an EIDL loan of $153,800, but due to the prolonged economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the business was unable to recover and ultimately closed.
As part of the business closure review and audit, we worked closely with the SBA to negotiate a resolution. The borrower was required to pay only $1,625 to release the remaining collateral, effectively closing the matter without further financial liability for the owner/officer.
This case highlights the importance of strategic negotiations when dealing with SBA settlements, particularly for businesses that have shut down due to unforeseen economic challenges. If you or your business are struggling with SBA loan debt, we focus on SBA Offer in Compromise (SBA OIC) solutions to help settle outstanding obligations efficiently.
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.
Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of over $150,000. Business failed and eventually shut down. SBA then pursued client for the balance. We intervened and was able to present an SBA OIC that was accepted for $30,000.
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