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. | Nov 5, 2017 | SBA, SBA Loan Default, Treasury Debt Defense
Owing the federal government a debt can be a frightening experience. Once your defaulted SBA loan makes it was to the Treasury, it is likely that you will soon be contacted by one of the collection agencies that handles the collection of government debts. The calls and the letters can be intimidating, but more dangerous can be the entreaty to simply setup a payment plan to pay an amount you can afford. While this is not always a bad idea, it is important to understand the risks. A collection agency may threaten wage garnishment, a remedy that is allowed under federal law, even if your state’s law would ordinarily bar it. However, if you simply make voluntary payments you need not worry about the trauma and embarrassment of administrative wage garnishment. This sounds appealing and perhaps even a reasonable bargain, but is it?
If your SBA debt is very old, it may be that the SBA and Treasury no longer have the right to file a lawsuit against you. This concept is called a limitations period or statute of limitations and this limits the time a creditor has to file a lawsuit against you. However, if you are in a state where your homestead equity is not completely protected, a lawsuit might result in a judgment against you. With a judgment in hand, the government could, in fact, quite possibly force the liquidation your home. Even though you did not pledge your home as collateral for the SBA loan, the judgment may give them the power to take what they otherwise could not reach. Fortunately, the SBA has only 6 years to file suit (how to measure this is something to discuss with your attorney). But, if you make a voluntary payment to the government, even if this period has expired, it is possible that you will revive the statute of limitations. If you do so, you may open yourself up to a lawsuit where previously none was possible.
When the government’s collection agency says only pay what you can afford, the price for peace of mind may end up costing you far more than you can afford. If you receive a notice or collection letter purporting to be collecting on a defaulted SBA loan, contact your attorney before making any admissions or payments to the collection agency. Have your attorney explain the ramifications of entering into the payment plan and be sure it is in your best interests to do so. Payment plans are not always a bad idea, but forewarned is forearmed.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Oct 10, 2014 | Foreclosure, SBA
The answer to this question depends on a variety of factors. In Texas, a borrower’s homestead may not be pledged as collateral for an SBA business loan and the lender will not seek to do so. However, in many other states this can and does occur. But, generally speaking, while there is no statute of limitations applicable to a foreclosure action by the government, the SBA cannot obtain a judgment to collect any deficiency remaining on the delinquent loan, post-foreclosure, if the six-year statute of limitations for suit on the loan has passed.
by Benjamin Stolz, Esq. | Aug 23, 2014 | SBA, SBA Lawsuit
It is settled law that state limitations statutes are relevant in determining a claim’s viability at the time the federal agency acquires the claim. If the state statute of limitations has expired before the government acquires a claim, that claim is not revived by transfer to a federal agency. FDIC v. Former Officers & Directors of Metro. Bank, 884 F.2d 1304, 1309 n. 4 (9th Cir.1989), cert. denied, 496 U.S. 936, 110 S.Ct. 3215, 110 L.Ed.2d 662 (1990). However, if it has not expired before the government acquires the claim, then the government will enjoy the full length of the federal statue of limitations.
In United States v. Summerlin, 310 U.S. 414, 60 S.Ct. 1019, 84 L.Ed. 1283 (1940), the Court held “that the United States is not bound by state statutes of limitations in enforcing its rights.” Therefore, the relevant federal statue of limitations for contract actions is contained in 28 U.S.C. § 2415(a) and is six (6) years. Therefore, the SBA, as a federal agency has six (6) years to file a lawsuit to collect, but is not barred by any limitations period in an action to foreclose on real property. In this case, 28 U.S.C. § 2415(a) is silent on foreclosure actions. The Supreme Court has instructed that, as a sovereign, the United States is subject to a limitations period only when Congress has expressly created one. Guaranty Trust Co. v. United States, 304 U.S. 126, 133, 58 S.Ct. 785, 789, 82 L.Ed. 1224 (1938) (citing United States v. Thompson, 98 U.S. 486, 488-89, 25 L.Ed. 194 (1878)). In the absence of such a limitation none exists. In Farmers Home Administration v. Mudhead, 42 F.3d 964 (5th Cir. 1995), the court also noted that there is “absent a specific federal limitation” and commented that “28 U.S.C. § 2415(c) does not apply to actions to foreclose mortgages.” Id. at 966 & n.5.
Therefore, when reviewing a foreclosure action in connection with a defaulted SBA loan, borrowers should not be surprised to find themselves embroiled in a foreclosure action many years into the future and well beyond the state state of limitations for such actions.
