[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 14]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR1951.25]

[Page 25-26]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
   CHAPTER XVIII--RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS--COOPERATIVE 
SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF 
                         AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED)
 
PART 1951--SERVICING AND COLLECTIONS--Table of Contents
 
                  Subpart A--Account Servicing Policies
 
Sec. 1951.25  Review of limited resource FO, OL, and SW loans.

    (a) Frequency of reviews. OL, FO, and SW loans will be reviewed each 
year at the time the analysis is conducted in accordance with subpart B 
of part 1924 of this chapter and any time a servicing action such as 
consolidation, rescheduling, reamortization or deferral is taken. The 
interest rate may not be changed more often than quarterly.
    (b) Method of review. (1) Each loan will be considered on its own 
merit.
    (2) The County Supervisor should consider:
    (i) The borrower's income and repayment record during the preceding 
years;
    (ii) The projections shown on the most recent Farm and Home Plan or 
other similar plan or operation acceptable to FmHA or its successor 
agency under Public Law 103-354, in light of the previous year's 
projected figures and actual figures; (See subpart B of part 1924 of 
this chapter)
    (iii) Whether improved production practices have been or need to be 
implemented;
    (iv) The borrower's progress as a farmer; and
    (v) All other factors which the County Supervisor believes should be 
considered.
    (3) The Farm and Home Plan projections for the coming year must show 
that the ``balance available to pay debts'' exceeds the amount needed to 
pay debts by at least 10 percent before an increase in interest rate is 
put into effect. Borrowers that continually purchase unplanned items 
without the County Supervisor's approval will have the interest rate on 
their loans increased to the current rate for that loan type. Borrowers 
that fail to provide the County Supervisor with the information needed 
to conduct the analysis required in subpart B of part 1924 of this 
chapter will have their interest rate on their loan increased to the 
current rate for the OL, FO, or SW loan as applicable. The rate may 
increase in increments of whole numbers to the current regular interest 
rate for borrowers. In the borrower's case file, the County Supervisor 
must document the unplanned purchases and the failure to provide 
information in a timely manner. The County Supervisor must write the 
borrower a letter which sets out the facts documented in the case file 
and advises the borrower that the interest rate will be increased unless 
the unplanned purchases cease or unless the borrower provides 
information in a timely manner. Whenever it appears that the borrower 
has a substantial increase in income and repayment ability or ceases 
farming, either the interest rate may be increased to the current rate 
for FO, OL or SW loans, as applicable, or the borrower will be graduated 
from the program as provided in subpart F of this part.
    (4) The County Office will be responsible for scheduling and 
completing the reviews.
    (5) Borrowers who have received a deferral under Subpart S of this 
part will not have the interest rate increased on their limited resource 
loans during the deferral period.

[[Page 26]]

    (c) Processing. (1) If, after the review, the interest rate is to 
remain the same, no further action needs to be taken.
    (2) When the interest rate is increased to the current rate, the 
loan will be recorded as a regular loan and will no longer be considered 
a limited resource loan. The borrower must be notified in writing at 
least 30 days prior to the date of the change. Exhibit B of this subpart 
may be used as a guide. The effective date of the change in interest 
rate will be the effective date on Exhibit B. The borrower must be 
informed of the following for each loan:
    (i) The authorization for the change,
    (ii) Reason for change (repayment ability, etc.),
    (iii) The effective date and rate of the increase in interest,
    (iv) Amount of the new installments and dates due,
    (v) Right to appeal.
    (3) It is not necessary to obtain a new promissory note for this 
change in interest rate.

[50 FR 45764, Nov. 1, 1985, as amended at 53 FR 35717, Sept. 14, 1988; 
56 FR 3395, Jan. 30, 1991; 58 FR 15074, Mar. 19, 1993]