(a) Authority—(1) County Supervisor. The County Supervisor, with the assistance of the District Director and State Office program staff as necessary, will select the management method(s) used for property which secures (or secured) loans to individuals as defined in this subpart.

(2) State Director. The State Director will select the management method to be used for property which secures (or secured) loans to organizations as defined in this subpart. The State Director shall also provide guidance and assistance to County Supervisors and District Directors as necessary to insure that property under their jurisdiction is effectively managed.

(b) Management methods. Management methods and requirements will vary depending on such things as the number of properties involved, their density of location, and market conditions. Management tools which may be used effectively range from contracts to secure individual property, have the grass cut, or winterize a dwelling; a simple management contract to provide maintenance and other services on a group of properties (including but not limited to specification writing, inspection of repairs, and yard and directional signs and their installation), or manage an MFH project; blanket-purchase arrangement contracts to obtain services for more than one property; to a broad-scope management contract with a real estate broker or management agent which may include inspection and specification-writing services, making simple repairs, obtaining lessees, collecting rents, coordination with listing brokers in marketing the properties and effecting eviction of tenants when necessary. A contractor may handle evictions only where State laws permit the contractor to do so in his/her own name; a contractor may not pursue eviction in the name of the Government. Custodial property may be managed in the same manner as inventory property except that it may be leased only if it is habitable without repairs in excess of those authorized in §1955.55(c) of this subpart. Farm or organization property, such as rental housing and community facilities, may be operated under a management contract if the State Director has determined it is approporiate to have the property in operation. In any case, the primary consideration in selecting the method of management to be used is to protect the Government's interest. If property to be operated or leased under a management contract is located in an area identified by the Federal Insurance Administration as a special flood or mudslide hazard area, lessees or tenants must be notified to that effect in accordance with §1955.66(e) of this subpart. A management contract which covers property in such a hazard area may provide for the contractor to issue the required notices.

(c) Obtaining services for management and/or operation of properties. Services for management, repair, and/or operation of properties will be obtained by contract in accordance with RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development office).

(1) Management contracts. Management contracts are flexible instruments which may be tailored to meet the specific needs of almost any situation involving custodial or inventory property. This type of contract may be used to manage and maintain SFH properties, farms, and any other type of facility for which Rural Development is responsible. Organization-type properties will be secured, maintained, repaired, and operated if authorized, in accordance with a management plan prepared by the District Director and approved by the State Director if the amount of total debt does not exceed the State Director's loan approval authority, or by the Administrator. For MFH projects, tenant occupancy and selection will be in accordance with the occupancy standards set forth in 7 CFR part 3560, subpart D. Tenants will be required to sign a written lease if one does not exist when the property is acquired or taken into custody. If a contract involves management of an MFH project with 5 or more units, or 5 or more single-family dwellings located in the same subdivision, the contractor must furnish Form HUD 935.2, “Affirmative Fair Housing Marketing Plan,” subject to Rural Development's approval. Contracts for management of farm inventory property will be offered on a competitive bid basis, giving preference to persons who live in, and own and operate qualified small businesses in the area where the property is located in accordance with the provisions in RD Instruction 2024-Q (available in any Rural Development office).

(2) Authority to enter into management contracts.

(i) The County Supervisor may enter into a management contract for basic services involving farms or not more than 25 single-family dwellings; however, the aggregate amount paid under a contract may not exceed the contracting authority limitation for County Supervisors outlined in RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development office).

(ii) A District Director may enter into a management contract for basic maintenance and management services for an MFH project within the contracting authority outlined in RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development office). The aggregate amount of any contract may not exceed that contracting authority.

(iii) A CO in the State Office may enter into a management contract for basic services involving more than 25 single-family dwellings, a more complex management contract for SFH property, or an appropriate contract for management or operation of farm or organization-type property. The aggregate amount paid under a contract may not exceed the contracting authority limitation for State Office staff outlined in RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development office).

(iv) If a proposed management contract will exceed the contracting authority for State Office staff within a short time, a request for contract action will be forwarded to the Administrator, to the attention of the appropriate program division.

(3) Specification of services. All management contracts will provide for termination by either the contractor or the Government upon 30 days written notice. Contracts providing for management of multiple properties will also provide for properties to be added or removed from the contractor's assignment whenever necessary, such as when a property is acquired or taken into custody during the period of a contract or when a property is sold from inventory. If a contractor prepares repair specifications, that contractor will be excluded from the solicitation for making the repairs to avoid a conflict of interest.

If a management contract calls for specification writing services, a clause must be inserted in the contract prohibiting the preparer or his/her associates from doing the repair work.

(4) Costs. Costs incurred with the management of property will be paid according to RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development office). For management of custodial property, costs will be charged to the borrower's account as recoverable; and for management of inventory property as nonrecoverable. Except for management fees, costs of managing MFH inventory property when tenants are still in residence will be paid to the extent possible with rental income. Management fees will be paid to the manager in accordance with RD Instruction 2024-A (available in any Rural Development Office).

(d) Additional management services. Additional types of management services and supplies for which the State Director may authorize acquisition include: Appraisal services (except for MFH), security services, newspaper copy preparation services, market data and comparable list acquisition, and tax data acquisition. If the State Director believes there is a need to acquire other services not listed in this paragraph or authorized elsewhere in this subpart, the State Director should make a written request to the Assistant Administrator (appropriate program) for consideration and/or authorization.

[53 FR 35765, Sept. 14, 1988, as amended at 57 FR 36591, Aug. 14, 1992; 69 FR 69106, Nov. 26, 2004; 70 FR 20704, Apr. 21, 2005]