Legal Considerations for Small Business Owners
Empower your small business with expert legal guidance from the SBA attorneys at Protect Law Group. Learn more about legal considerations today!
Struggling small business or personal guarantors of an SBA loan can take advantage of the new Chapter 11 Subchapter V bankruptcy procedures.
Book a Consultation CallThe new option for troubled SBA loans
The new Chapter 11 Subchapter V bankruptcy has many differences from a regular Chapter 11. For instance, some of the changes are as follows:
These changes will result in faster and thus less expensive reorganizations for small business.
As such, your small business may use the new Chapter 11 Subchapter V to reorganize in this current economic climate. The use of Subchapter V may be one route to keeping your business going.
Traditionally, regular Chapter 11 bankruptcies have been expensive and the success rate of a company or individual making it through the life of the bankruptcy plan was much less than 50%.
Therefore, struggling businesses whose main debt consists of an SBA loan may find the new Chapter 11 Subchapter V bankruptcy a potential option to rescue the business.
Individuals may avail themselves of new bankruptcy procedures as well as small businesses. Most importantly, it may provide you with the opportunity to modify your SBA related loan.
If as part of your SBA loan, you pledged your primary residence as collateral, neither Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy will likely help in the event of default. However, Chapter 11 Subchapter V may help.
For instance, a small business debtor's plan may modify the rights of a holder of a claim secured by the principal residence of the debtor if the new value received in connection with the granting of the security interest was:
Therefore, you could possibly use the Chapter 11 Subchapter V to save your house and modify the terms of repaying the loan if you pledged your house as collateral as part of your personal guarantee. You will, more than likely, not rid yourself of the lien. Preserving your home constitutes your goal with the new bankruptcy code. If you have no other options, you should explore the new bankruptcy option.
San Diego County residents and small business that may benefit from a bankruptcy should contact us for a consultation. Our attorneys can help you and your business.
Protect Law Group has proven, nationwide experience resolving SBA loan or Treasury collection cases for individual debtors. Our Firm Attorneys can resolve SBA loans in default through out-of-court negotiations, offers in compromise and structured workouts.
We also have extensive experience in the court room as well. If you have been sued by your SBA lender in state or federal court in San Diego, Orange and/or Los Angeles County and need litigation or bankruptcy assistance, call us now to discuss the specifcs of your case.
Owe more than $30,000? Contact Protect Law Group for a Case Evaluation or call us toll-free at 1-888-756-9969.
We can analyze your SBA debt or Treasury debt collection problems and advise you on potential solutions.
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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 borrowed and personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan. Clients defaulted on the SBA loan and were sued in federal district court for breach of contract. The SBA lender demanded the Client pledge several personal real estate properties as collateral to reinstate and secure the defaulted SBA loan. We were subsequently hired to intervene and aggressively defend the lawsuit. After several months of litigation, our attorneys negotiated a reinstatement of the SBA loan and a structured workout that did not involve any liens against the Client's personal real estate holdings.
Clients obtained an SBA 7(a) loan for $324,000 to buy a small business and its facility. The business and real estate had an appraisal value of $318,000 at the time of purchase. The business ultimately failed but the participating lender abandoned the business equipment and real estate collateral even though it had valid security liens. As a result, the lender recouped nearly nothing from the pledged collateral, leaving the business owners liable for the deficiency balance. The SBA paid the lender the 7(a) guaranty money and was assigned ownership of the debt, including the right to collect. However, the clients never received the SBA Official 60-Day Notice and were denied the opportunity to negotiate an Offer in Compromise (OIC) or a Workout directly with the SBA before being transferred to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service, which added an additional $80,000 in collection fees. Treasury garnished and offset the clients' wages, federal salary and social security benefits. When the clients tried to negotiate with Treasury by themselves, they were offered an unaffordable repayment plan which would have caused severe financial hardship. Clients subsequently hired the Firm to litigate an Appeals Petition before the SBA Office & Hearings Appeals (OHA) challenging the legal enforceability and amount of the debt. The Firm successfully negotiated a term OIC that was approved by the SBA Office of General Counsel, saving the clients approximately $205,000.
Clients personally guaranteed an SBA 504 loan balance of $337,000. The Third Party Lender had obtained a Judgment against the clients. We represented clients before the SBA and negotiated an SBA OIC that was accepted for $30,000.
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