by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Dec 1, 2019 | SBA, SBA Loan Default, SBA Offer in Compromise, SBA Personal Guaranty, SBA Unconditional Guarantee, SBA Unconditonal Limited Guarantee
If you are an investor in a company funded by a Small Business Administration (“SBA”) loan, then you may wondering whether you are liable for the company debt should the business fail. The Borrower is principally responsible for repayment of the underlying promissory note associated with the SBA loan, but what about shareholders and members (in the case of a limited liability company) — are they liable too? It depends.
Am I automatically responsible for the business debt if I am a shareholder?
No, shareholders who simply invested in the company are not automatically liable for the business debt of the company. This is true whether your business entity is a corporation or a limited liability company (“LLC”). A shareholder or member will not be liable, unless they sign an Unconditional Guarantee agreement for the SBA loan (SBA Form 148 in most cases). It is the guarantee agreement itself and not the fact they are a shareholder or member of the Borrower that creates the personal liability for the repayment of the SBA loan in the event of a default.
What is the magic percentage that triggers the SBA’s requirement for a personal guarantee on an SBA loan?
The SBA requires a personal guarantee from all owners with at least 20% ownership in the Borrower. This means of you are a stockholder or member in an LLC and own 20% or more of the company you will be asked to sign a personal guarantee.
What If my spouse owns 5% and I own less than 20%, will either of us still have to sign a guaranty agreement?
If a shareholder or member’s spouse owns 5% or more of the Borrower and the combined ownership interest of both spouses is 20% or more, then the spouse must also provide a full personal guarantee. This is set forth in SBA’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOP 50 10 5(J)).
What if I am a shareholder and I own 5% or less of the Borrower?
SBA Lenders may still require a guarantee from a shareholder or member’s spouse if they think it is necessary to perfect their lien on collateral pledged by a shareholder or member. In such cases, it may be that the lender will ask the spouse to sign SBA Form 148L which limits the spouses liability to their interest in specific collateral pledged by their husband or wife; this is called an Unconditional Limited Guarantee.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Nov 22, 2019 | SBA, SBA Loan Default
Yes, its is very likely, but not certain. If this is a concern, you should discuss with your attorney. Under the current law, an agency must deny credit to a delinquent, debtor unless this requirement is waived by the head of the agency or the Chief Financial Officer. The delinquency can be resolved or fixed by the debtor entering into a repayment plan for collection of the amount of the delinquency or by paying the amount of the delinquency in full.
Are there standards for determining if I will get a waiver?
Yes and No. This is a developing area and Treasury is working on guidelines for the agencies to use in setting their own standards for waivers. These guidelines will include the expectation that an agency will balance whether the denial of credit would be contrary to the purpose of the program under which the credit is being made against the intent of the law to ensure that the federal government does not continue to provide funds to known or repeat delinquent debtors.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Jan 14, 2019 | SBA, SBA Lawsuit, SBA Loan Default, SBA Loan Modification, SBA Offer in Compromise, SBA Personal Guaranty
Owners with at least least a 20% stake in an SBA loan financed business will be required to execute a personal guarantee. This means that, as an owner, you are promising to pay the SBA lender and/or the government in the event the Borrower (your business) defaults and can no longer make the loan payments. If you believe your business is in trouble, SBA debt relief options may be available that could release you from your personal guarantee, including:
(i) a loan assumption under which a third-party takes over your business and your SBA loan (in such instances you may be able to negotiate a release of your personal guarantee, but this is not automatic);
(ii) a sale of your business assets to a bona fide third-party for value followed by an offer to settle the remaining balance due – known as an SBA Offer in Compromise; and
(iii) a SBA loan modification, if your business can be saved by change in your loan terms. The SBA lender may agree to an SBA loan modification adjusting the balance, loan payment, term or the interest rate of your loan.
If you fail to honor your personal guarantee, the SBA lender can file suit against you in a court of law to collect the debt. Even if the SBA lender chooses not to do so, the SBA can also choose to do so, or the SBA may simply refer your SBA debt to the U.S. Treasury for collection through the administrative offset process. Once in Treasury, you may be subject wage garnishment as well. Therefore, if your business is failing, it essential that you understand your SBA debt relief options.
Get ahead of the problem before your SBA lender begins the SBA loan default and SBA collections process without hearing from you.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Jan 6, 2019 | SBA, SBA Disaster Loan Forgiveness, SBA Loan Default
If you currently have an SBA Loan and you live in an area affected by a natural disaster, you may be entitled to relief. Hurricane, flood, wildfires, droughts, avalanches, landslides and earthquakes are just a few examples of the natural disasters that can cause the government to classify an area a natural disaster zone
The SBA disaster loan forgiveness program provides for loan forgiveness on a case-by-case basis. If you have a small business, you may qualify if your business was located in a declared natural disaster zone. If the SBA approves loan forgiveness, then you will not be legally obligated to repay the portion of your loan that was forgiven.
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 9, 2018 | SBA, SBA Loan Default, SBA Loan Default Asset Sale
In most cases people have invested a good portion of their life savings into the business now going under. Losing your business is a terrible thing. And, being faced with the prospect of repaying your SBA Business Loan with little or no savings and the loss of your business is daunting.
In a majority of cases, business owners opt to work with their Lender to put the business on the market and sell it to a third-party or simply liquidate the assets piecemeal. Here are a couple of common questions and the answers will probably surprise you.
Can I really do a better job than the bank in selling my business?
In almost all cases you can. Lenders are not in business of selling businesses, they make loans. They can repossess the collateral and, in rare cases, they could appoint a receiver to operate a business and then sell it, but in our experience, the business owner is in the best position to maximize recovery here.
If you can arrange for the sale of your business, you are likely going to avoid a brokerage fee of between 6-12% (or more). Or, if the bank repossesses the assets and auctions them the cost of doing so will get charged to the loan (increasing your balance). In many cases, auctioneers charge between 25% – 35% to auction off miscellaneous assets; those buying them are looking for bargains. If your business is a franchise, then the franchisor may want to place someone else in your location and this may also result in that party assuming (taking over) the ground lease as well.
If you are thinking about selling your business assets, talk to your Lender and your attorney and determine the best course of action.
Will the proceeds from the sale count against what I owe the Lender?
Yes. The purchase price will be applied to what the Borrower owes the Lender on the loan. But, be careful here. The assets belong to Borrower and the Borrower’s legal liability has been reduced, but if the proceeds from the loan don’t fully payoff the loan then a deficiency will result. In other words, the remaining balance must be paid — by the guarantors!
Won’t the proceeds from the sale of the Borrower’s assets count against my Offer in Compromise?
No, the balance you are compromising has now been reduced from X to Y because of the sale. As a guarantor you must now settle that liability yourself. For example:
1. The original loan balance is $100,000
2. The sales proceeds are $30,000
3. The Deficiency balance (whats left) is now $70,000
4. The credit you receive as a guarantor against your offer is $0; that’s right – zero.
As a guarantor, you must now make an offer to compromise your individual liability to the Lender under your guaranty agreement. This means that you, as a guarantor, must offer something more to settle the $70,000; this money must come out of your own pocket or be borrowed. It cannot come from any remaining cash in the business bank account or from the sales proceeds.
Before your discuss your offer in compromise with the Lender, talk to your attorney first. Ask how the proceeds from an asset purchase will be applied. This answer can come as a shock to a business owner who is losing their business and must now settle the remaining loan balance. Therefore, be sure you have a plan to fund your offer in compromise because selling the business only solves part of the problem, but will still leave you on the hook in almost all cases.
