SBA Loan Guarantee: How Guarantors Can Protect Themselves from Personal Liability
Explore how SBA loan guarantees affect guarantors and protect personal assets. Learn strategies for navigating liability risks as a guarantor.
We will analyze your SBA loan problems and advise you on potential solutions such as an SBA offer in compromise for your SBA loan default.
Book a Consultation CallDealing with the idea that you might be facing an SBA loan default can be terrifying. The SBA attorneys in our office are skilled at helping clients understand all the facets of their situation. We will advise you as to the potential for an SBA offer in compromise. You should never face your SBA loan problems alone. It is important to retain the services of an attorney who can help you through this difficult time in your life. Please contact us for a free initial consultation.
Chris Hurn has written an interesting piece on huffingtonpost.com predicting bad times ahead for the SBA 7(a) loan program. Read the full article here
Hurn notes "You don't have to be a banking-school trained lender to understand the common sense rule of 'having skin in the game.' Get a real equity contribution from a small businessperson on their loan, and you can sleep better at night knowing your default risk has been mitigated some. Give them a pass because they spent more time in some ivory tower than you did, and don't be surprised if they walk away from your loan when the going gets tough."
Based on our firm's experience, Hurn's observations are not quite accurate. First and foremost, the reason this law firm exists is to primarily help people who signed a personal guarantee in support of their SBA backed loan. This means that as a personal guarantor, your wages, your Social Security, your tax returns and possibly your real estate is at risk if your small business defaults on its SBA loan. So in just about every case there is some "skin in the game". Secondly, most if not all small business owners go over and above to try to keep their businesses going including investing life savings and borrowing from family. Most borrowers aren't quick to give up the ship considering what they have invested and that the small business is their livelihood.
If you are facing an SBA loan default, contact us today for a FREE initial consultation with an experienced SBA workout attorney at 888-756-9969.
We will analyze your SBA loan problems and advise you on potential solutions such as an SBA offer in compromise for your SBA loan default.
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.
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.
Clients personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan that was referred to the Department of Treasury for collection. Treasury claimed our clients owed over $220,000 once it added its statutory collection fees and interest. We were able to negotiate a significant reduction of the total claimed amount from $220,000 to $119,000, saving the clients over $100,000 by arguing for a waiver of the statutory 28%-30% administrative fees and costs.
Our firm successfully negotiated an SBA offer in compromise (SBA OIC), settling a $974,535.93 SBA loan balance for just $18,000. The offerors, personal guarantors on an SBA 7(a) loan, originally obtained financing to purchase a commercial building in Lancaster, California.
The borrower filed for bankruptcy, and the third-party lender (TPL) foreclosed on the property. Despite the loan default, the SBA pursued the offerors for repayment. Given their limited income, lack of significant assets, and approaching retirement, we presented a strong case demonstrating their financial hardship.
Through strategic negotiations, we secured a favorable SBA settlement, reducing the nearly $1 million debt to a fraction of the amount owed. This outcome allowed the offerors to resolve their liability without prolonged financial strain.
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