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What To Do If The SBA Lender Or SBA Denies Your Request For Loan Mitigation Help Or Financial Hardship Accommodation

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What To Do If The SBA Lender Or SBA Denies Your Request For Loan Mitigation Help Or Financial Hardship Accommodation

When an SBA Lender or the SBA denies loss mitigation options (like forbearance, loan modification, hardship accommodation or deferral) to a small business experiencing temporary cash flow issues, potential actions and affirmative defenses can depend on the signed loan agreement, applicable law, and whether the lender is a private or government-backed institution.

Below are some potential causes of action, affirmative defenses or legal theories that might apply to your case:

1. Breach of Contract

  • Applicable  if: The SBA loan agreement or ancillary documents include provisions requiring the SBA lender to consider or offer loss mitigation, or if the SBA lender fails to honor agreed-upon terms.
  • Key Argument: SBA Lender and/or SBA failed to perform obligations, such as reviewing the small business in good faith for forbearance or restructuring.

2. Breach of the Implied Covenant of Good Faith and Fair Dealing

  • Applicable if: The SBA Lender and/or SBA acted arbitrarily or capriciously in denying mitigation without reasonable cause, especially if mitigation is customary under industry standards or course of dealing.
  • Key Argument: The SBA Lender and/or SBA unfairly deprived the borrower and/or guarantors of the benefits of the contract.

3. Promissory Estoppel

  • Applicable if: The SBA Lender and/or SBA made a promise (oral or written) to provide or consider mitigation, the small business relied on it to its detriment.
  • Key Argument: The small business took action or refrained from alternatives (e.g., seeking other financing) in reliance on the SBA lender’s and/or SBA's promise.

4. Negligent Misrepresentation

  • Applicable if: The SBA Lender and/or SBA made false representations about the availability of relief, modification criteria, or eligibility process.
  • Key Argument: Misstatements caused the small business to forego other viable solutions.

5. Fraud

  • Applicable  if: There was intentional deception by the SBA Lender and/or SBA regarding the availability of loss mitigation or inducement into further payments under false pretenses.

6. Unfair Business Practices / Violation of State UDAP Laws

  • Applicable if: The SBA Lender's and/or SBA's conduct is deceptive, oppressive, or unfair under federal or state law.
  • Example:In California, a claim under the Unfair Competition Law (UCL) (Bus. & Prof. Code § 17200).

7. Tortious Interference with Prospective Economic Advantage

  • Applicable if: The SBA Lender's and/or SBA's denial disrupts the small business's ability to secure contracts, investors, or other financing that were reasonably certain to occur.

Federal Causes of Action (in some contexts)

  • Administrative  Procedure Act (APA) – If the lender is a government agency or acting on behalf of one (e.g., SBA).
  • Violation  of CARES Act or PPP/EIDL rules – If the loan is federally backed  and subject to statutory mitigation or deferment guidelines.

Strategic Considerations

  • Review all correspondenceloan documentsprior forbearance or workout agreements, and any internal policies or governmental  guidelines the SBA Lender and/or SBA are subject to.
  • Assess whether the SBA Lender and/or SBA acted inconsistently with similar borrowers, obligors and/or guarantors (discriminatory or disparate treatment).
  • If applicable, check if the small business is a minority- or woman-owned  and whether disparate impact claims are viable under possible civil rights laws (if federally involved).

Why Hire Us to Help You with Your Treasury or SBA Debt Problems?

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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

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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.

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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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The client personally guaranteed an SBA 7(a) loan for $150,000. His business revenue decreased significantly causing default and an accelerated balance of $143,000. The client received the SBA's Official 60-day notice with the debt scheduled for referral to the Treasury’s Bureau of Fiscal Service for aggressive collection in less than 26 days. We were hired to represent him, respond to the SBA's Official 60-day notice, and prevent enforced collection by the Treasury and the Department of Justice. We successfully negotiated a structured workout with an extended maturity date that included a reduction of the 14% interest rate and removal of substantial collection fees (30% of the loan balance), effectively saving the client over $242,000.

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$975,000 SBA 7A LOAN - SBA OIC CASH SETTLEMENT

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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