(a) Hardship loans and guaranteed loans may include funds to refinance outstanding indebtedness of corporations furnishing telephone service when such refinancing is necessary and incidental to furnishing or improving telephone service in rural areas. Refinancing may not constitute more than 40 percent of the loan.

(b) Loans for refinancing are not made solely to enable borrowers to obtain a lower interest rate or a longer amortization period. RUS requires borrowers, to the greatest extent possible, to liquidate outstanding indebtedness through the use of nonloan funds.

(c) If deemed necessary by RUS to provide itself with adequate security, RUS will consider loans for refinancing outstanding indebtedness secured by a lien on property offered as security for the loan, if the property covered by the lien is integral to the operation of the system.

(d) RUS will consider loans for refinancing when the borrower would otherwise be unable to meet payments on both the outstanding indebtedness and the loan as they become due.

(e) RUS may consider loans for refinancing in other situations.

[54 FR 13351, Apr. 3, 1989. Redesignated at 55 FR 39395, Sept. 27, 1990, as amended at 58 FR 66254, Dec. 20, 1993]