In the event of one or more incidents of Default or third party actions that the Borrower cannot or will not cure or eliminate within a reasonable period of time, the Lender, with Agency consent, must provide for liquidation.

(a) Decision to liquidate. A decision to liquidate or proceed otherwise must be made when the Lender determines that the Default cannot be cured through actions such as those contained in §4287.345, or it has been determined that it is in the best interest of the Agency and the Lender to liquidate. The decision to liquidate or proceed otherwise with the Borrower must be made as soon as possible when one or more of the following exist:

(1) A loan is 90 days behind on any scheduled payment and the Lender and the Borrower have not been able to cure the Delinquency through actions such as those contained in §4287.345.

(2) It is determined that delaying liquidation will jeopardize full recovery on the loan.

(3) The Borrower or Lender is uncooperative in resolving the problem or the Agency or Lender has reason to believe the Borrower is not acting in good faith, and immediate liquidation would minimize loss to the Agency.

(b) Repurchase of loan. When the decision to liquidate is made, if any portion of the loan has been sold or assigned under §4279.223 of this chapter and not already repurchased, provisions will be made for repurchase in accordance with §4279.225 of this chapter.

(c) Lender's liquidation plan. The Lender is responsible for initiating actions immediately and as necessary to ensure a prompt, orderly liquidation that will provide maximum recovery. Within 30 days after a decision to liquidate, the Lender must submit a written, proposed plan of liquidation to the Agency for approval. The liquidation plan must be detailed and include at least the following:

(1) Such proof as the Agency requires to establish the Lender's ownership of the guaranteed loan Promissory Note and related security instruments and a copy of the payment ledger, if available, that reflects the current loan balance, accrued Interest to date, and the method of computing the Interest;

(2) A full and complete list of all Collateral, including any personal and corporate guarantees;

(3) The recommended liquidation methods for making the maximum collection possible on the indebtedness and the justification for such methods, including recommended action for acquiring and disposing of all Collateral and collecting from guarantors;

(4) Necessary steps for preservation of the Collateral;

(5) Copies of the Borrower's most recently available financial statements;

(6) Copies of each guarantor's most recently available financial statements;

(7) An itemized list of estimated Liquidation Expenses expected to be incurred along with justification for each expense;

(8) A schedule to periodically report to the Agency on the progress of liquidation;

(9) Estimated Protective Advance amounts with justification;

(10) Proposed protective bid amounts on Collateral to be sold at auction and a breakdown to show how the amounts were determined. A protective bid may be made by the Lender, with prior Agency written approval, at a foreclosure sale to protect the Lender's and the Agency's interest. The protective bid will be based on the liquidation value and estimated net recovery considering prior liens and outstanding taxes, expenses of foreclosure, and estimated expenses for holding and reselling the property. These expenses include, but are not limited to, expenses for resale, Interest accrual, length of time necessary for resale, maintenance, guard service, weatherization, and prior liens;

(11) If a voluntary conveyance is considered, the proposed amount to be credited to the guaranteed debt;

(12) Legal opinions, if needed by the Lender's legal counsel; and

(13) An estimate of Fair Market Value and potential liquidation value of the Collateral. If the value of the Collateral is $250,000 or more, the Lender must obtain an independent appraisal report meeting the requirements of §4279.244 of this chapter on the Collateral securing the loan, which reflects the Fair Market Value and potential liquidation value. The liquidation appraisal must evaluate the impact on Market Value of any release of hazardous substances, petroleum products, or other environmental hazards. The independent appraiser's fee, including the cost of the environmental site assessment, will be shared equally by the Agency and the Lender. In order to ensure prompt action, the liquidation plan can be submitted with an estimate of Collateral value, and the liquidation plan may be approved by the Agency subject to the results of the final liquidation appraisal.

(d) Approval of liquidation plan. The Lender cannot implement its liquidation plan before obtaining written approval from the Agency. The Lender and Agency must attempt to resolve any Agency concerns.

(1) If the liquidation plan is approved by the Agency, the Lender must proceed expeditiously with liquidation and must take all legal action necessary to liquidate the loan in accordance with the approved liquidation plan. The Lender must update or modify the liquidation plan when conditions warrant, including a change in value based on a liquidation appraisal.

(2) Should the Agency and the Lender not agree on the liquidation plan, negotiations will take place between the Agency and the Lender to resolve the disagreement. The Lender must take such actions that a reasonable Lender would take without a guarantee and keep the Agency informed in writing. When the liquidation plan is approved by the Agency, the Lender will proceed expeditiously with liquidation.

(e) Acceleration. The Lender will proceed to accelerate the indebtedness as expeditiously as possible when acceleration is necessary, including giving any notices and taking any other legal actions required. The guaranteed loan will be considered in liquidation once the loan has been accelerated and a demand for payment has been made upon the Borrower. The Lender must obtain from the Agency concurrence prior to the acceleration of the loan if the sole basis for acceleration is a nonmonetary Default. In the case of monetary Default, prior approval by the Agency of the Lender's acceleration is not required, although Agency concurrence must still be given not later than at the time the liquidation plan is approved. The Lender will provide a copy of the acceleration notice or other acceleration document to the Agency.

(f) Filing an estimated loss claim. When the Lender owns any of the guaranteed portion of the loan, the Lender must file an estimated loss claim once a decision has been made to liquidate if the liquidation is expected to exceed 90 days. When calculating the estimated loss payment, the value of the Collateral must be based on its estimated net liquidation value. For the purpose of reporting and loss claim computation, the guarantee will not cover Interest to the Lender accruing after the Interest Termination Date. The Agency will promptly process the loss claim in accordance with applicable Agency regulations as set forth in §4287.358.

(g) Accounting and reports. The Lender must account for funds during the period of liquidation and must, in accordance with the Agency-approved liquidation plan, provide the Agency with reports on the progress of liquidation including disposition of Collateral, resulting costs, and additional procedures necessary for successful completion of the liquidation.

(h) Transmitting payments and proceeds to the Agency. When the Agency is the Holder of a portion of the guaranteed loan, the Lender must transmit to the Agency within 14 calendar days its Pro Rata share of any payments received from the Borrower, liquidation, or other proceeds using Form RD 1980-43, “Lender's Guaranteed Loan Payment to Rural Development.”

(i) Abandonment of collateral. When the Lender adequately documents that the cost of liquidation would exceed the potential recovery value of certain Collateral and receives Agency concurrence, the Lender may abandon that Collateral. When the Lender makes a recommendation for abandonment of Collateral, it will be considered a servicing action under 7 CFR 1970.8(e), and will not require separate NEPA review.

(j) Disposition of personal or corporate guarantees. The Lender must take action to maximize recovery from all personal and corporate guarantees, including seeking Deficiency Judgments when there is a reasonable chance of future collection.

(k) Compromise settlement. Compromise settlements must be approved by the Lender and the Agency. Complete current financial information on all parties obligated for the loan must be provided. At a minimum, the compromise settlement must be equivalent to the value and timeliness of that which would be received from attempting to collect on the guarantee. The guarantor cannot be released from liability until the full amount of the compromise settlement has been received. In weighing whether the compromise settlement should be accepted, among other things, the Agency will weigh whether the compromise is more financially advantageous than collecting on the guarantee.

(l) Litigation. In all litigation proceedings involving the Borrower, the Lender is responsible for protecting the rights of the Lender with respect to the loan and keeping the Agency adequately and regularly informed, in writing, of all aspects of the proceedings. If the Agency determines that the Lender is not adequately protecting the rights of the Lender or the Agency with respect to the loan, the Agency reserves the right to take any legal action the Agency determines necessary to protect the rights of the Lender, on behalf of the Lender, or the Agency with respect to the loan. If the Agency exercises this right, the Lender must cooperate with the Agency. Any cost to the Agency associated with such action will be assessed against the Lender.

[80 FR 36447, June 24, 2015, as amended at 81 FR 11053, Mar. 2, 2016]