What Can I Do If I Receive a Denial of a PPP Loan Application?

If the Small Business Administration (SBA) denied your Payment Protection Program (PPP) loan application, you have the right to file an appeal with the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA).  Read on to learn more about your appeal rights upon the denial of a PPP loan application.

The SBA Denied Your PPP Loan  Application

You will have filed your application for your PPP loan.  Unfortunately, the lender denied your application. Importantly, the denial may mean the end of your business. It may result in the termination of employees.  As such, the denial of your PPP loan application can have devastating consequences.  Nevertheless, you can appeal the decision.  However, you must jump through some hoops in order to successfully appeal and denied PPP loan application.

The SBA Review

You can only have a decision by the SBA appealed to an administrative law judge.  Unfortunately, you cannot appeal the decision of the lender to an administrative law judge first.  Therefore, you will have to request a review of the decision first by the SBA.  If the SBA, after its review, also denies your application, you can then appeal that decision to the SBA Office of Hearings and Appeals.   You must request a review within 30 days.

Who Reviews the Denial of a PPP Loan Decision?

If your review is unsuccessful, you file your appeal with the SBA's Office of Hearings and Appeals or OHA.  Thereafter, the administrative law judge (ALJ) receives the case.  In short, an ALJ presides over administrative hearings with the government.  Keep in mind, the SBA will appoint an attorney to represent its interests in the appeal as well.  As such, you should also have an experienced attorney representing your interests.

What is the Timeline to File Your Appeal?

Once the SBA issues its review decision, you have limited time to file your appeal.  To that end, you must file your appeal within 30 calendar days after your receipt of the final SBA loan review decision.  Alternatively, you only have 30 days from your notification by the lender of the final SBA loan review decision.  However, the deadline starts running from whichever notification you receive first.

What Is Your Burden of Proof?

In order to successfully appeal, you must prove that the SBA based its loan review decision on clear error of fact or law.  Furthermore, the burden of proof rests with you.  Thus, you must show the SBA's decision was in error by a preponderance of the evidence.

How Do You Prove Error of Fact or Law?

To meet your burden of proof, you will need to submit various documents described by SBA rules.  Moreover, you will have to include a legal brief showing how the facts and law prove the SBA made an error.

Contact Protect Law Group Today For a Free Case Evaluation About Denial of PPP Loan Application

Our attorneys have the experience to aggressively represent you in front of the SBA and the OHA.    Contact our offices today to set up your free initial evaluation with one of our attorneys.