The lender's primary responsibilities in default are to act prudently and expeditiously, to work with the borrower to bring the account current or cure the default through restructuring if a realistic plan can be developed, or to accelerate the account and conduct a liquidation in a manner that will minimize any potential loss. The lender may initiate liquidation subject to submission and approval of a complete liquidation plan.

(a) The lender must notify the Agency when a borrower is more than 30 days past due on a payment and the delinquency cannot be cured within 30 days or when a borrower is otherwise in default of covenants in the loan agreement by promptly submitting Form RD 1980-44, “Guaranteed Loan Borrower Default Status,” or processing the Default Status report in LINC. The lender must update the loan's status each month using either Form RD 1980-44 or the LINC Default Status report until such time as the loan is no longer in default. If a monetary default exceeds 60 days, the lender must meet with the Agency and, if practical, the borrower to discuss the situation.

(b) In considering options, the prospects for providing a permanent cure without adversely affecting the risk to the Agency and the lender is the paramount objective.

(1) Curative actions (subject to the rights of any holder and Agency concurrence) include, but are not limited to:

(i) Deferment of principal and/or interest payments;

(ii) An additional unguaranteed temporary loan by the lender to bring the account current;

(iii) Reamortization of or rescheduling the payments on the loan;

(iv) Transfer and assumption of the loan in accordance with §4287.134;

(v) Reorganization;

(vi) Liquidation; and

(vii) Changes in interest rates with the Agency's, the lender's, and any holder's approval. Any interest payments must be adjusted proportionately between the guaranteed and unguaranteed portion of the loan.

(2) The term of any deferment, rescheduling, reamortization, or moratorium will be limited to the lesser of the remaining useful life of the collateral or remaining limits as set forth in §4279.126 of this chapter (excluding paragraph (c)). During a period of deferment or moratorium on the guaranteed loan, the lender's unguaranteed loan(s) and any stockholder loans must also be under deferment or moratorium. Balloon payments are permitted as a loan servicing option as long as there is a reasonable prospect for success and the remaining life of the collateral supports the action.

(3) In the event of a loss or a repurchase, the lender cannot claim default or penalty interest, late payment fees, or interest on interest. If the restructuring includes the capitalization of interest, interest accrued on the capitalized interest will not be covered by the guarantee. Consequently, it is not eligible for repurchase from the holder and cannot be included in the loss claim.

(c) Debt write-downs for an existing borrower, where the same principals retain control of and decisionmaking authority for the business, are prohibited, except as directed or ordered under the Bankruptcy Code.

(d) For loans closed on or after August 2, 2016, in the event of a loss, the guarantee will not cover note interest to the lender accruing after 90 days from the most recent delinquency effective date.

(e) For loans closed on or after August 2, 2016, the lender or the Agency will issue an interest termination letter to the holder(s) establishing the termination date for interest accrual. The guarantee will not cover interest to any holder accruing after the greater of: 90 days from the date of the most recent delinquency effective date as reported by the lender or 30 days from the date of the interest termination letter.

(f) For repurchases of guaranteed loans, refer to §4279.78 of this chapter.