Local attorneys help business owners when they are facing a possible default on their loans. When defaulting, this indicates that the lender has the legal right to start the foreclosure process. This process allows them to take possession of the property used as collateral and sell it at auction. A SBA Offer in Compromise is an opportunity to prevent the lender from taking these steps.
The small business owner receives a SBA demand letter once they have defaulted on their loan. The default indicates that the loan is at least ninety-days delinquent. It also allows the lender to acquire full payment of the loan. Once the borrower has acquired a SBA loan default, they should approach an attorney. The attorney could help them find a more reasonable solution instead of foreclosure.
The attorney discusses the possibilities with the lender. Together they determine the most fair and reasonable percentage to settle the loan default. This percentage could be as much as fifty percent of the total value required. By submitting this offer to the lender, the borrower could keep their business operating and reduce the financial impact of settling the debt.
The attorney prepares the documentation for the offer. They submit the documents to the lender. Upon acceptance, the lender provides the borrower with the correct documents for finalizing this process. Once the offer is accepted the SBA loan foreclosure stops.
However, if the property was used as collateral to secure the loan the lender may collect it as well. The attorney should review the terms of the settlement with the borrower to identify any clauses that affect ownership of the property. If possible, the attorney may negotiate a settlement that allows the business owner to keep the property based on how much equity they have accumulated.
Local attorneys could help small business owners avoid foreclosure through a settlement offer. This offer helps them to prevent major damage to the business owner's credit. It could also help the business owner avoid the requirement of paying the full outstanding balance of the loan. Business owners who need to acquire help with a default or need a Tax Offset Program should contact an attorney now.
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 $750,000. She and her husband signed personal guarantees exposing all of their non-exempt income and assets. With just 18 months left on the maturity date and payment on the remaining balance, the Great Recession of 2008 hit, which ultimately caused the business to fail and default on the loan terms. The 7(a) lender accelerated and sent a demand for full payment of the remaining loan balance. The SBA lender’s note allowed for a default interest rate of about 7% per year. In response to the lender's aggressive collection action, Client's husband filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in an attempt to protect against their personal assets. However, his bankruptcy discharge did not relieve the Client's personal guarantee liability for the SBA debt. The SBA lender opted to pursue the SBA 7(a) Guaranty and subsequently assigned the loan and the right to enforce collection against the Client to the SBA. The Client then received the SBA Official 60-Day Notice. After conducting a Case Evaluation with her, she then hired the Firm to respond and negotiate on her behalf with just 34 days left before the impending referral to Treasury. The Client wanted to dispute the SBA’s alleged debt balance as stated in the 60-Day Notice by claiming the 7(a) lender failed to liquidate business collateral in a commercially reasonable manner - which if done properly - proceeds would have paid back the entire debt balance. However, due to time constraints, waivers contained in the SBA loan instruments, including the fact the Client was not able to inspect the SBA's records for investigation purposes before the remaining deadline, Client agreed to submit a Structured Workout for the alleged balance in response to the Official 60-Day Notice as she was not eligible for an Offer in Compromise (OIC) because of equity in non-exempt income and assets. After back and forth negotiations, the SBA Loan Specialist approved the Workout proposal, reducing the Client's purported liability by nearly $142,142.27 in accrued interest, and statutory collection fees. Without the Firm's intervention and subsequent approval of the Workout proposal, the Client's debt amount (with accrued interest, Treasury's statutory collection fee and Treasury's interest based on the Current Value of Funds Rate (CVFR) would have been nearly $291,030.
Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of $58,000. The client received a notice of Intent to initiate Administrative Wage Garnishment (AWG) Proceedings. We represented the client at the hearing and successfully defeated the AWG Order based on several legal and equitable grounds.
Small business sole proprietor obtained an SBA COVID-EIDL loan for $500,000. Client defaulted causing SBA to charge-off the loan, accelerate the balance and refer the debt to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service for aggressive collection. Treasury added $180,000 in collection fees totaling $680,000+. Client tried to negotiate with Treasury but was only offered a 3-year or 10-year repayment plan. Client hired the Firm to represent before the SBA, Treasury and a Private Collection Agency. After securing government records through discovery and reviewing them, we filed an Appeals Petition with the SBA Office of Hearings & Appeals (OHA) court challenging the SBA's referral of the debt to Treasury citing a host of purported violations. The Firm was able to negotiate a reinstatement and recall of the loan back to the SBA, participation in the Hardship Accommodation Plan, termination of Treasury's enforced collection and removal of the statutory collection fees.
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