Small business owners face unprecedented times in this covid-19 economy. Many businesses have 2 major expenses to service every month: (1) SBA loan and (2) Commercial lease.
A material default occurs when the small business is not able to pay the agreed-upon monthly principal and interest payment. After several missed payments (typically 60-90 days), the SBA participating lender (if it is 7(a) loan) or Certified Development Corporation (if it is a 504 loan), will come knocking and contact you asking “where’s the monthly payment?”
Many small business owners will respond to their lender and request some time or try to modify their payment schedules. But some will just bury their head in the sand and avoid responding to their bank. It is better to respond to your bank as opposed to ignoring the problem. What you don’t want is for your SBA loan to be placed in “liquidation” status and transferred to the bank’s Special Assets Department (SAD).
In the covid-19 economy, most SBA 7(a) lenders offer loss mitigation relief measures. Some lenders offer internal deferment. Deferment typically involves deferring or postponing the monthly principal payment due and allowing small businesses to pay interest only. The postponed monthly principal payments are then tacked onto the end of the original amortized payment schedule. Other lenders place the loan in the SBA CARES Act’s Small Business Debt Relief Program. Here, the SBA makes the principal and interest payments to the SBA lender on behalf of the business for six (6) consecutive months.
If you are placed into a Deferment or the Small Business Debt Relief Program, this is your opportunity to pivot your business and come up with creative ideas to generate revenue while your payments on the SBA loan are temporarily postponed. Rest assured, however, that your bank will keep you on a short leash and may require monthly updates.
Some banks may not offer Deferment or placement into the Small Business Debt Relief Program. If your bank is not offering these loss mitigation measures, you need to find out why. It could be because you don’t qualify for these programs or that the bank simply wants to cut its losses and liquidate collateral that has been voluntarily pledged as security for the SBA loan. This collateral could be commercial real estate, residential real estate, bank or investment accounts, certificate of deposits or business, property and equipment.
If confronted with a situation where the bank will not assist you, you should consult with an experienced SBA attorney to discuss your options and come up with a game plan to counter the bank’s actions. Some options may include negotiating with the SBA lender directly, seeking assistance from the SBA and requesting that it mediate the impasse between you and the SBA lender or exploring arbitration or litigation based on lender liability theories and allegations.
Don’t try to resolve SBA loan default issues by yourself. Speak to an SBA Attorney with Protect Law Group.
Protect Law Group has proven, nationwide experience resolving SBA loan problems.
Owe more than $30,000? Contact Protect Law Group for an SBA loan case evaluation or call us toll-free at 1-888-756-9969.
We can analyze your SBA loan 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.
Client received the SBA's Official 60-Day Notice for a loan that was obtained by her small business in 2001. The SBA loan went into default in 2004 but after hearing nothing from the SBA lender or the SBA for 20 years, out of the blue, she received the SBA's collection due process notice which provided her with only one of four options: (1) repay the entire accelerated balance immediately; (2) negotiate a repayment arrangement; (3) challenge the legal enforceability of the debt with evidence; or (4) request an OHA hearing before a U.S. Administrative Law Judge.
Client hired the Firm to represent her with only 13 days left before the expiration deadline to respond to the SBA's Official 60-Day Notice. The Firm attorneys immediately researched the SBA's Official loan database to obtain information regarding the 7(a) loan. Thereafter, the Firm attorneys conducted legal research and asserted certain affirmative defenses challenging the legal enforceability of the debt. A written response was timely filed to the 60-Day Notice with the SBA subsequently agreeing with the client's affirmative defenses and legal arguments. As a result, the SBA rendered a decision immediately terminating collection of the debt against the client's alleged personal guarantee liability saving her $50,000.
Client's small business obtained an SBA COVID EIDL for $301,000 pledging collateral by executing the Note, Unconditional Guarantee and Security Agreement. The business defaulted on the loan and the SBA CESC called the Note and Guarantee, accelerated the principal balance due, accrued interest and retracted the 30-year term schedule.
The loan was transferred to the Treasury's Bureau of Fiscal Service which resulted in the statutory addition of $90,000+ in administrative fees, costs, penalties and interest with the total debt now at $391.000+. Treasury also initiated a Treasury Offset Program (TOP) levy against the client's federal contractor payments for the full amount each month - intercepting all of its revenue and pushing the business to the brink of bankruptcy.
The Firm was hired to investigate and find an alternate solution to the bankruptcy option. After submitting formal production requests for all government records, it was discovered that the SBA failed to send the required Official 60-Day Pre-Referral Notice to the borrower and guarantor prior to referring the debt to Treasury. This procedural due process violation served as the basis to submit a Cross-Servicing Dispute to recall the debt from Treasury back to the SBA and to negotiate a reinstatement of the original 30-year maturity date, a modified workout, cessation of the TOP levy against the federal contractor payments and removal of the $90,000+ Treasury-based collection fees, interest and penalties.
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.
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