SBA Loan Default: How the Guarantee Works with 7a and Express Loans
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.
One of the consequences of a failing small business is SBA loan default. The owner ends up with the debt of the small business association (SBA) loan. There are a few avenues to take, once a SBA demand letter has been received. The first thing a failed business owner needs to do is hire a federally licensed SBA attorney and Treasury debt practitioner. That specialization means the attorney can handle a case once it has been referred to the Treasury. Non-legal entities cannot provide negotiation services from that point forward.
An SBA Offer in Compromise is one way to settle the debt without foreclosure or filing bankruptcy. A case evaluation by the attorney will determine if owners are eligible for this option. The Offer in Compromise (OIC) is available when a business has failed due to mismanagement of finances. The basic requirements are that the business is no longer operational, and assets have already been liquidated. A negotiation can reduce the debt by as much as eighty percent. Lenders prefer to settle for a one lump sum, but payments can be made in installments under certain circumstances.
Another avenue is a Tax Offset Program in which the lender seizes the tax returns of the failed business owner every year, until the balance of the loan is paid off. That seems extreme, but can save the owner from a SBA loan foreclosure. In a foreclosure, the lender seizes any property listed on the loan documentation. If the value of the property does not cover the debt, the borrower's home could be seized, if it was purchased with company funds. That is a substantial risk to to take.
Negotiations cannot begin until a letter is received, which is usually ninety days after the last loan payment was made. From that point, collection efforts will be fast and aggressive. Business assets, including bank accounts and property, can be seized immediately. It is wise not to wait that long to contact an attorney. Getting help as soon as the business fails allows time for the attorney to review the case, explain possible options, answer any questions, and let the owner know what to expect.
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 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.
Client personally guaranteed SBA 7(a) loan balance of over $150,000. Business failed and eventually shut down. SBA then pursued client for the balance. We intervened and was able to present an SBA OIC that was accepted for $30,000.
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.
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