SBA Ability-to-Pay Analysis: Proving Your Financial Hardship for Settlement
Understand SBA ability-to-pay analysis for debt settlement. Learn to document financial hardship and craft a compelling SBA hardship letter.

Facing a business failure is most definitely not a fun experience. However, the sooner you act and get your affairs and accounts settled, the sooner you'll be able to move on with your life. Protect Law Group is a California-based SBA attorney who helps business owners whose SBA loans are in default. Below, learn what not to do if you are facing an SBA loan default. Call for a free consultation today!

Avoiding your lender sends the signal that you have no intention of paying one single dime. This will either result in you being sued by your lender or having the SBA come after you, which could result in severe consequences for the rest of your life, including having your wages garnished, as well as your federal tax refund taken.

If your business is losing money every month and you are beginning to use credit cards to pay the bills and you are looking into taking out a home equity loan, then it's time to call it quits. Taking on more debt will only put you further into a hole.

If your SBA loan and other business loans are in default, do not sell your business assets. If you hope to settle with the SBA and your other lenders, you have to have something to offer, and if you sell your business assets to pay the bills, you have nothing at the end of the day.

Trying to get around the federal government is just not a good idea. They have seen every trick in the book, and, odds are, you will get caught. When that happens, you can expect the book to be thrown at you with a closed door to negotiations. Don't try to sell your business or otherwise mislead your lender in any way.
Protect Law Group is a group of SBA lawyers who help you when your business is in default on an SBA loan. It's always best to follow the laws, and with the help of a top-rated SBA debt resolution attorney, you can settle your loan and not walk away broke. Call for a free consultation today!
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.

Our firm successfully resolved an SBA COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) default in the amount of $150,000 on behalf of Illinois-based client. After the business permanently closed due to the economic impacts of the pandemic, the owners faced potential personal liability if the business collateral was not liquidated properly under the SBA Security Agreement.
We guided the client through the SBA’s Business Closure Review process, prepared a comprehensive financial submission, and negotiated directly with the SBA to release the collateral securing the loan. The borrower satisfied their collateral obligations with a payment of $2,075, resolving the SBA’s security interest.

Client personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan for $100,000 from the lender. The SBA loan went into early default in 2006 less than 12 months from disbursement. The SBA paid the 7(a) guaranty monies to the lender and subsequently acquired the deficiency balance of about $96,000, including the right to collect against the guarantor. However, the SBA sent the Official 60-Day Due Process Notice to the Client's defunct business address instead of his personal residence, which he never received. As a result, the debt was transferred to Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service where substantial collection fees were assessed, including accrued interest per the promissory note. Treasury eventually referred the debt to a Private Collection Agency (PCA) - Pioneer Credit Recovery, Inc. Pioneer sent a demand letter claiming a debt balance of almost $310,000 - a shocking 223% increase from the original loan amount assigned to the SBA. Client's social security disability benefits were seized through the Treasury Offset Program (TOP). Client hired the Firm to represent him as the debt continued to snowball despite seizure of his social security benefits and federal tax refunds as the involuntary payments were first applied to Treasury's collection fees, then to accrued interest with minimal allocation to the SBA principal balance.
We initially submitted a Cross-Servicing Dispute (CSD) challenging the referral of the debt to Treasury based on the defective notice sent to the defunct business address. Despite overwhelming evidence proving a violation of the Client's Due Process rights, the SBA still rejected the CSD. As a result, an Appeals Petition was filed with the SBA Office of Hearings & Appeals (OHA) Court challenging the SBA decision and its certification the debt was legally enforceable in the amount claimed. After several months of litigation before the SBA OHA Court, our Firm Attorney successfully negotiated an Offer in Compromise (OIC) Term Workout with the SBA Supervising Trial Attorney for $82,000 spread over a term of 74 months at a significantly reduced interest rate saving the Client an estimated $241,000 in Treasury collection fees, accrued interest (contract interest rate and Current Value of Funds Rate (CVFR)), and the PCA contingency fee.

Clients executed several trust deeds pledging seven (7) real estate properties and unconditional personal guarantees for an SBA 7(a) loan from the participating lender. The clients' small business failed and eventually defaulted on repayment of the loan exposing all collateral pledged by the clients. The SBA subsequently acquired the loan balance from the lender, including the right to liquidate and collect all pledged collateral pursuant to the trust deed instruments.
The Firm was hired to negotiate separate release of lien proposals for all 7 real estate properties. In preparation for the work assignment, the Firm Attorneys initiated discovery to secure records from the SBA and Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service. After reviewing the records and understanding the interplay between the lender and the SBA, the attorneys then prepared, submitted and negotiated the release of lien (ROL) for each of the 7 real estate properties for consideration.
After submitting the proposals, the assigned SBA Loan Specialists approved each ROL package - significantly reducing the total SBA debt claimed.