by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Oct 2, 2018 | Foreclosure, Real Property Liens, SBA, SBA lien home, SBA Loan Default, SBA Offer in Compromise
In many states, it is standard practice for an SBA lender to ask a loan guarantor to pledge their home as collateral in connection with their unconditional guaranty. If the business loan you guarantee goes into default, your homestead could be at risk of foreclosure. However, the SBA may not always urge a lender to foreclosure on your home, even if the SBA and the SBA Lender have a legal right to do so. Here are a few factors that may impact this decision:
Do you have a first mortgage on your home ahead of the SBA loan? This may help you.
The general rule in property law is that liens have priority in the order that they are filed in the county records office. This is known as the first in time, first in right rule. Based on this principle, a recorded interest has priority over later recorded interests. If your first mortgage is ahead of the SBA loan, it will make foreclosure less attractive to the SBA Lender since foreclosure proceeds must first be applied to payoff the first mortgage entirely, plus the costs of foreclosure before the second mortgage holder receives anything.
If your home equity is zero or very low, it may be that the SBA lender will choose to do nothing for now and wait hoping the home will increase in value over time. In many cases, if this occurs, a foreclosure may not be initiated for years and then only if the value of your home has substantially increased and some factor has brought this to the attention of your SBA Lender or the SBA.
What is Home Equity?
Home equity is the market value of a homeowner’s unencumbered interest in their real property, that is, the difference between the home’s fair market value and the outstanding balance of all liens on the property. For example, if your home is worth $225,000 and you have a first mortgage to Bank X for $100,000, then you have $125,000 of “Equity” in your property and, in an SBA default situation, that might tempt the SBA Lender or the SBA to foreclose. However, if you add a second mortgage of $75,000, then you only have $50,000 of equity in your property and, in a foreclosure setting, this may not be enough for the SBA Lender (in a third position behind your second mortgage) to foreclose. Be sure to review all your mortgage debt with your attorney if you are discussing the consequences of an SBA loan default.
Can I make the SBA or the SBA Lender an Offer to Release My Home as Collateral?
Yes, you can make the SBA Lender an Offer in Compromise to settle your total liability associated with your personal guaranty or you can just make an offer for the release of the lien on your home. But, use caution. If you obtain a release of SBA Lender’s lien on your home without also completely settling your liability under your personal guaranty, you might later be sued by the SBA Lender. If the SBA Lender obtains a judgment, and then places a judgment lien on you real property, your home may be at risk all over again.
Handling the release of an SBA lien on your home correctly may require professional assistance. It is important to consider this action as a part of your overall strategy. In many cases, it may be possible to combine the release of the lien on your home as part of your complete offer in compromise settlement package. But, many variables can affect the outcome, so be sure to discuss your goals completely with your attorney and/or CPA.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Sep 30, 2018 | Foreclosure, Personal Residence, Real Property Liens, SBA, SBA lien home
In general, you will need permission to sell your home if the SBA lender placed a lien when you took out your SBA loan. There are many circumstances under which you may need to sell a home with an SBA lien on it. Here are a few:
I am changing jobs and must move out of state and buy another home.
If you are not in default of your SBA loan, then you should talk to your SBA Lender about “Substitution of Collateral” and “Replacement Liens”. In certain circumstances, the SBA Lender may be willing to allow you to essentially swap collateral if, in doing so, its rights are not adversely affected. In some cases, the replacement property may, in fact, have more equity making the arrangement even more attractive to the SBA Lender.
Another common scenario is the need to sell a rental property which is simply not making money and provide the SBA Lender with a lien on another property you own that was not previously pledged as collateral. Again, if this arrangement will not adversely affect the SBA Lender, they may allow you to do so and thereby permit you to liquidate non-performing investment property in order to use the capital more effectively elsewhere.
I will lose my house to foreclosure if I don’t sell it, but there is not enough money to pay off my mortgage and the SBA.
Under certain circumstances, the SBA Lender may be willing to accept a short sale if not doing so would likely result in a worse recovery or perhaps no recovery at all. If you are in this position, be sure you determine what it will take to payoff all tax liens and prior mortgages on your home, then approach the SBA Lender with the best offer you can obtain for the property and an appraisal of the property. In many cases, if the deal makes economic sense, the SBA and the SBA Lender will agree to it.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Feb 27, 2016 | Real Property Liens, SBA
We frequently talk to people who have filed bankruptcy in an effort to discharge the remaining balance due under the SBA Note. While the debt to the SBA may be dischargeable under the bankruptcy code, in most cases, the lien is not (lien stripping in a Chapter 13 with the lender/SBA in a junior lien position where said lien has a zero value being a possible exception).
Choose your Bankruptcy Attorney Carefully.
If you are contemplating bankruptcy instead of an SBA offer in compromise, our firm encourages you to visit with a seasoned consumer bankruptcy attorney that will take the time to walk you through the facts of your case and address issues related to what debts will and won’t be discharged and how the liens on your property may or may not be affected by your filing. And, these answers should come from your bankruptcy attorney, not his or her paralegal.
I filed bankruptcy. What do I do about the SBA lien on my home?
The SBA may consider a release of liens on real or personal property collateral for consideration. In cases where a bankruptcy has been filed, a formal offer in compromise may not be necessary since the underlying Note has been discharged in the bankruptcy proceeding. In many cases, a Lender with sufficient authority can work with a borrower or guarantor without direct SBA involvement; whether this is the case or not will depend on a number of variables.
When reviewing a case for granting a lien release two factors control:
(i) the amount of consideration (your offer) received must be approximately equal to or greater than the Recoverable Value of the collateral; and
(ii) the release of the lien must not jeopardize the ability to maximize recovery on the loan (in the case of a prior bankruptcy filing, there will be no further recovery).
How do I know what my property is worth?
Generally, an appraisal from a qualified/licensed real estate appraiser will be necessary. When dealing with banks, more often than not, they will employ an appraiser and schedule a visit to your home. However, in many cases dealing directly with the SBA will produce an altogether different result; SBA tends to rely on online services such as Zillow. And, in some cases, borrowers or guarantors may feel that Zillow’s valuation does not reflect the current value of their home. In order to convince the SBA otherwise, you will need a professionally prepared appraisal.
Can I pay over time and have my lien released?
In our experience, lenders and the SBA are interested in lump sum offers. A lender usually reserves almost unfettered discretion in this area under the loan documents, so anything is possible. But, in our view, the cleaner and simpler the deal the better. Under ordinary circumstances, borrower and lender (or SBA) can negotiate the amount of cash consideration to be paid for the lien release and the release will be provided after the payment has been made. This transaction is final.
Are there reasons why the lender or SBA might not agree to a lien release?
Yes, lenders and the SBA may feel your offer is too low or may be aware that the market price for your property is expected to increase in the near future. Remember that in order to sell the property in the future, existing liens must be paid off. So, the sit and wait strategy is sometimes employed. There are also many other factors that lenders and the SBA consider, but in our experience a clear trend in the local real estate market is a major factor. Its worth mentioning that if property values are dropping then a lender or the SBA may be more likely to consider a lien release. Therefore, appraisals also serve to inform and educate lenders and the SBA on current trends that could work in your favor during negotiations.
Can I settled with the SBA instead of filing for Bankruptcy?
The SBA, much like the IRS, has a program called an “Offer in Compromise”. This program may allow for the settlement of the debt, no matter how great, for less than the demand amount in your 60-day letter from the agency. However, in order for this program to be applicable, the SBA must find that payment in full would cause a hardship on your family. But, in our experience, this is often true. Many business owners deplete savings, retirement and almost all available cash in an effort to save their business; this often leaves very little once the doors actually close. If you would like more information about the SBA Offer in Compromise program, please review SBA Offer in Compromise materials on this site.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Aug 16, 2015 | Personal Residence, Real Property Liens, SBA
Yes, it is possible, but the SBA does not have to do so. SBA guidelines do allow a Guarantor to substitute a lien on a new residence in exchange for releasing the lien on the Guarantor’s existing residence. However, at a minimum, the following conditions must be satisfied:
A. All of the proceeds from the sale of the Guarantor’s existing residence, other than the funds needed to pay off senior liens and necessary, reasonable and customary closing costs, must be used to purchase the new residence, placed in an escrow account to facilitate the purchase of a new residence, or used to pay down the SBA Loan;
B. The amount of equity in the new residence available to secure the SBA loan must be the same as or greater than the amount of equity in the existing residence available to secure the SBA loan;
C. The release of the existing lien, or proceeds thereof, must be concurrent with the recording of the new lien in the required position of priority and should be done pursuant to an escrow agreement signed by all of the parties involved in the transaction; and
D. Guarantor must provide the title, hazard and flood insurance.
If you would like more information on this subject, you may contact the Perliski Law Group at (214) 446-3934 for a free initial consultation.
