Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for an SBA Offer in Compromise
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for an SBA Offer in Compromise
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.
In the event that a borrower defaults, the lender has the option to receive from SBA the face value of the outstanding guaranteed balance.9 Proceeds from the liquidation
of a firm’s assets and any subsequent recoveries are then split in proportion to the guarantee percentage. (For example, if the SBA guarantees 70 percent of the loan, it
has claim to 70 percent of recoveries.)
In the Express program, unlike regular 7(a) loans, a borrower’s assets are generally liquidated upon default and before lenders submit the loan to SBA. The lender receives all proceeds from liquidation of the borrower’s assets, and any subsequent recoveries after the lender submits the loan to SBA are split between SBA and the lender according to the guarantee percentage.
For example, assume that a borrower who has a loan with a $100,000 balance and a 50 percent guarantee defaults and that the borrower’s assets are worth $60,000. In the regular 7(a) program, the lender submits the defaulted loan to SBA and receives $50,000 (the guaranteed portion of the loan balance). When the borrower’s assets are later liquidated, the lender and SBA each receive 50 percent of the assets, or $30,000. The net loss to SBA is $20,000 (the $50,000 payment to the lender minus the $30,000 recovered from the borrower’s assets), and the net loss to the lender is also $20,000 (the $100,000 loan balance minus the $50,000 received from SBA and the $30,000 recovered from the borrower’s assets).
If the loan was made through the Express program, the lender liquidates the borrower’s assets (worth $60,000) and then submits the remaining loan balance of $40,000 to SBA. The lender then receives $20,000 (the guaranteed portion of the loan balance) from SBA. The net loss to SBA is $20,000, and the net loss to the lender is also $20,000. If an additional $1,000 is later recovered, the lender and SBA would each receive $500.
If you are facing an SBA loan default, contact us today for a FREE initial consultation at 1-888-756-9969 or contact us below:
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.
Client’s small business obtained an SBA 7(a) loan for $150,000. He and his wife signed personal guarantees and pledged their home as collateral. The SBA loan went into default, the term or maturity date was accelerated and demand for payment of the entire amount claimed was made. The SBA lender’s note gave it the right to adjust the default interest rate from 7.25% to 18% per annum. The business filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy but was dismissed after 3 years due to its inability to continue with payments under the plan. Clients wanted to file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which would have been a mistake as their home had significant equity to repay the SBA loan balance in full as the Trustee would likely seize and sell the home to repay the secured and unsecured creditors. However, the SBA lender opted to pursue the SBA 7(a) Guaranty and subsequently assigned the loan and the right to enforce collection to the SBA. Clients then received the SBA Official 60-Day Notice and hired the Firm to respond to it and negotiate on their behalf. Clients disputed the SBA’s alleged balance of $148,000, as several payments made to the SBA lender during the Chapter 11 reorganization were not accounted for. To challenge the SBA’s claimed debt balance, the Firm Attorneys initiated expedited discovery to obtain government records. SBA records disclosed the true amount owed was about $97,000. Moreover, because the Clients’ home had significant equity, they were not eligible for an Offer in Compromise or an immediate Release of Lien for Consideration, despite being incorrectly advised by non-attorney consulting companies that they were. Instead, our Firm Attorneys recommended a Workout of $97,000 spread over a lengthy term and a waiver of the applicable interest rate making the monthly payment affordable. After back and forth negotiations, SBA approved the Workout proposal, thereby saving the home from imminent foreclosure and reducing the Clients' liability by nearly $81,000 in incorrect principal balance, accrued interest, and statutory collection fees.
Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan for $350,000. The small business failed but because of the personal guarantee liability, the client continued to pay the monthly principal & interest out-of-pocket draining his savings. The client hired a local attorney but quickly realized that he was not familiar with SBA-backed loans or their standard operating procedures. Our firm was subsequently hired after the client received the SBA's official 60-day notice. After back-and-forth negotiations, we were able to convince the SBA to reinstate the loan, retract the acceleration of the outstanding balance, modify the original terms, and approve a structured workout reducing the interest rate from 7.75% to 0% and extending the maturity date for a longer period to make the monthly payments affordable. In conclusion, not only we were able to help the client avoid litigation and bankruptcy, but our SBA lawyers also saved him approximately $227,945 over the term of the workout.
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.