SBA Loan Default: Frequently Asked Questions About Administrative Wage Garnishment
Find answers to questions about administrative wage garnishment following SBA loan default and review the collection process discussed.
Received an SBA 60-day referral letter? Review what the notice means, Treasury referral concerns, and why a timely response matters.
Book a Consultation CallIf you have a SBA loan default problem and you're working with your lender to wind down the business and settle the deficiency with an SBA Offer In Compromise (SBA OIC), time is of the essence. Lenders, banks, the CDC and the SBA generally do not wait much longer than 60-90 days after the defaulted borrower has been liquidated or shut down to tender an SBA OIC for consideration which, if accepted, could potentially release the guarantors from the deficiency for a lesser amount.
As part of the process, the bank, the lender, CDC or SBA should send you what is called the “60-day letter - click here to view: Sample 60 Day Referral Letter" where you'll be given only 60 days from the date of the letter to file an SBA OIC Package for SBA consideration. If you fail to timely submit an SBA OIC Package within the administrative time frame as noted in the letter you received, the bank or SBA will probably submit the file to the United States Department of Treasury for enforced collection, and thus, you will probably lose your one (1) time opportunity to settle for less than what is purportedly owed on the SBA loan debt through this special administrative process.
The United States Treasury Department rarely collects on these bad loans directly – rather they hire third-party collection agencies to handle them. These collection agencies don’t know anything about the history behind the loans – their job is to be ruthless in their collection efforts as they generally receive a generous percent of the collected amount or actually bought the so-called junk federal debt for pennies on the dollar.
Several of these federally approved third-party collection agencies or junk debt buyers are particularly nasty and rarely settle for less than 50% of the outstanding amount as the incentives for collection, litigation, and judgment pursuit are very high. Contrast that with the results that we have reviewed and settled and it’s easy to see the importance of addressing your outstanding SBA loan debt sooner rather than later, whether you’re working with a non-attorney consultant, an SBA Workout Attorney or the United States Treasury Department Circular 230 Practitioner, or attempting to do it yourself. If you think your banker is nasty or difficult to work with, you don’t want to experience the tactics of these collection agencies or junk debt buyers.
If you have an SBA loan default problem and received the 60-day referral letter to the Treasury Department, call us at 888-756-9969 to speak to one of our SBA Workout Attorneys and figure out your options. It's a complimentary Case Evaluation, or, simply a complete form to see if you pre-qualify for an SBA OIC.
Millions of Dollars in SBA Debts Resolved via Offer in Compromise and Negotiated Repayment Agreements without our Clients filing for Bankruptcy or Facing Home Foreclosure
Millions of Dollars in Treasury Debts Defended Against via AWG Hearings, Treasury Offset Program Resolution, Cross-servicing Disputes, Private Collection Agency Representation, Compromise Offers and Negotiated Repayment Agreements
Our Attorneys are Authorized by the Agency Practice Act to Represent Federal Debtors Nationwide before the SBA, The SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals, the Treasury Department, and the Bureau of Fiscal Service.
The client personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan for $150,000. His business revenue decreased significantly causing default and an accelerated balance of $143,000. The client received the SBA's Official 60-day notice with the debt scheduled for referral to the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service for aggressive collection in less than 26 days. We were hired to represent him, respond to the SBA's Official 60-day notice, and prevent enforced collection by the Treasury and the Department of Justice. We successfully negotiated a structured workout with an extended maturity date that included a reduction of the 14% interest rate and removal of substantial collection fees (30% of the loan balance), effectively saving the client over $242,000.
Client's small business obtained an SBA COVID EIDL for $301,000 pledging collateral by executing the Note, Unconditional Guarantee and Security Agreement. The business defaulted on the loan and the SBA CESC called the Note and Guarantee, accelerated the principal balance due, accrued interest and retracted the 30-year term schedule.
The loan was transferred to the Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service which resulted in the statutory addition of $90,000+ in administrative fees, costs, penalties and interest with the total debt now at $391.000+. Treasury also initiated a Treasury Offset Program (TOP) levy against the client's federal contractor payments for the full amount each month - intercepting all of its revenue and pushing the business to the brink of bankruptcy.
The Firm was hired to investigate and find an alternate solution to the bankruptcy option. After submitting formal production requests for all government records, it was discovered that the SBA failed to send the required Official 60-Day Pre-Referral Notice to the borrower and guarantor prior to referring the debt to Treasury. This procedural due process violation served as the basis to submit a Cross-Servicing Dispute to recall the debt from Treasury back to the SBA and to negotiate a reinstatement of the original 30-year maturity date, a modified workout, cessation of the TOP levy against the federal contractor payments and removal of the $90,000+ Treasury-based collection fees, interest and penalties.
Our firm successfully resolved an SBA 7(a) loan default in the amount of $140,000 on behalf of a husband-and-wife guarantor pair. The business had closed following a prolonged decline in revenue, leaving the borrowers personally liable for the remaining balance.
After conducting a comprehensive financial analysis and preparing a detailed SBA Offer in Compromise (SBA OIC) package, we negotiated directly with the SBA and the lender to achieve a settlement for $70,000 — just 50% of the outstanding balance. This settlement released the borrowers from further personal liability and allowed them to move forward without the threat of enforced collection.
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