[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 7]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR762.149]

[Page 440-442]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
                            CHAPTER VII--FARM
                SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 762--GUARANTEED FARM LOANS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 762.149  Liquidation.

    (a) Mediation. When it has been determined that default cannot be 
cured through any of the servicing options available, or if the lender 
does not wish to utilize any of the authorities provided in this part, 
the lender must:
    (1) Participate in mediation according to the rules and regulations 
of any State which has a mandatory farmer-creditor mediation program;
    (2) Consider private mediation services in those States which do not 
have a mandatory farmer-creditor mediation program; and
    (3) Not agree to any proposals to rewrite the terms of a guaranteed 
loan which do not comply with this part. Any agreements reached as a 
result of mediation involving defaults and or loan restructuring must 
have written concurrence from the Agency before they are implemented.
    (b) Liquidation plan. If a default cannot be cured after considering 
servicing options and mediation, the lender will proceed with 
liquidation of the collateral in accordance with the following:
    (1) Within 30 days of the decision to liquidate, standard eligible 
and CLP lenders will submit a written liquidation plan to the Agency 
which includes:
    (i) Current balance sheets from all liable parties or, if the 
parties are not cooperative, the best information available, or in 
liquidation bankruptcies, a copy of the bankruptcy schedules or 
discharge notice;
    (ii) A proposed method of maximizing the collection of debt which 
includes specific plans to collect any remaining loan balances on the 
guaranteed loan after loan collateral has been liquidated, including 
possibilities for judgment;
    (A) If the borrower has converted loan security, the lender will 
determine whether litigation is cost effective. The lender must address, 
in the liquidation plan, whether civil or criminal action will be 
pursued. If the lender does not pursue the recovery, the reason must be 
documented when an estimated loss claim is submitted.
    (B) Any proposal to release the borrower from liability will be 
addressed in the liquidation plan in accordance with Sec. 762.146(c)(2);
    (iii) An independent appraisal report on all collateral securing the 
loan that meets the requirements of Sec. 762.127 and a calculation of 
the net recovery value of the security as defined in Sec. 762.102. The 
appraisal requirement may be waived by the Agency in the following 
cases:
    (A) The bankruptcy trustee is handling the liquidation and the 
lender has submitted the trustee's determination of value;
    (B) The lender's proposed method of liquidation rarely results in 
receipt of less than market value for livestock and used equipment; or
    (C) A purchase offer has already been received for more than the 
debt;
    (iv) An estimate of time necessary to complete the liquidation;
    (v) An estimated loss claim if the liquidation period is expected to 
exceed 90 days.
    (vi) An estimate of reasonable liquidation expenses; and
    (vii) An estimate of any protective advances.
    (2) PLP lenders will submit a liquidation plan as required by their 
lender's agreement.
    (c) Agency approval of the liquidation plan. (1) CLP lender's or 
standard eligible lender's liquidation plan, and any revisions of the 
plan, must be approved by the Agency.
    (2) If, within 20 calendar days of the Agency's receipt of the 
liquidation plan, the Agency fails to approve it or fails to request 
that the lender make

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revisions, the lender may assume the plan is approved. The lender may 
then proceed to begin liquidation actions at its discretion as long as 
it has been at least 60 days since the borrower's eligibility for 
interest assistance was considered.
    (3) At its option, the Agency may liquidate the guaranteed loan as 
follows:
    (i) Upon Agency request, the lender will transfer to the Agency all 
rights and interests necessary to allow the Agency to liquidate the 
loan. The Agency will not pay the lender for any loss until after the 
collateral is liquidated and the final loss is determined; and
    (ii) If the Agency conducts the liquidation, interest accrual will 
cease on the date the Agency notifies the lender in writing that it 
assumes responsibility for the liquidation.
    (d) Estimated loss claims. An estimated loss claim will be submitted 
by the lender with the liquidation plan if the liquidation is expected 
to exceed 90 days. The estimated loss will be based on the following:
    (1) The Agency will pay the lender the guaranteed percentage of the 
total outstanding debt, less the net recovery value of the remaining 
security, less any unaccounted for security; and
    (2) The lender will discontinue interest accrual on the defaulted 
loan at the time the estimated loss claim is paid by the Agency. If the 
lender estimates that there will be no loss after considering the costs 
of liquidation, interest accrual will cease 90 days after the decision 
to liquidate or an estimated loss of zero will be submitted.
    (e) Protective advances. (1) Prior written authorization from the 
Agency is required for all protective advances in excess of $5,000 for 
CLP lenders and $3,000 for standard eligible lenders. The dollar amount 
of protective advances allowed for PLP lenders will be specified when 
PLP status is awarded by the Agency or as contained in the lender's 
agreement.
    (2) The lender may claim recovery for the guaranteed portion of any 
loss of monies advanced as protective advances as allowed in this part, 
plus interest that accrues on the protective advances.
    (3) Payment for protective advances is made by the Agency when the 
final loss claim is approved, except in bankruptcy actions.
    (4) Protective advances are used only when the borrower is in 
liquidation, liquidation is imminent, or when the lender has taken title 
to real property in a liquidation action.
    (5) Legal fees are not a protective advance.
    (6) Protective advances may only be made when the lender can 
demonstrate the advance is in the best interest of the lender and the 
Agency.
    (7) Protective advances must constitute a debt of the borrower to 
the lender and be secured by the security instrument.
    (8) Protective advances must not be made in lieu of additional 
loans.
    (f) Unapproved loans or advances. The amount of any payments made by 
the borrower on unapproved loans or advances outside of the guarantee 
will be deducted from any loss claim submitted by the lender on the 
guaranteed loan, if that loan or advance was paid prior to, and to the 
detriment of, the guaranteed loan.
    (g) Acceleration. (1) If the borrower is not in bankruptcy, the 
lender shall send the borrower notice that the loan is in default and 
the entire debt has been determined due and payable immediately after 
other servicing options have been exhausted.
    (2) The loan cannot be accelerated until after the borrower has been 
considered for interest assistance and the conclusion of mandatory 
mediation in accordance with Sec. 762.149.
    (3) The lender will submit a copy of the acceleration notice or 
other document to the Agency.
    (h) Foreclosure. (1) The lender is responsible for determining the 
necessary parties to any foreclosure action, or who should be named on a 
deed of conveyance taken in lieu of foreclosure.
    (2) When the property is liquidated, the lender will apply the net 
proceeds to the guaranteed loan debt.
    (3) When it is necessary to enter a bid at a foreclosure sale, the 
lender may bid the amount that it determines is

[[Page 442]]

reasonable to protect its and the Agency's interest. At a minimum, the 
lender will bid the lesser of the net recovery value or the unpaid 
guaranteed loan balance.
    (i) Final loss claims. (1) Lenders may submit a final loss claim 
when the security has been liquidated and all proceeds have been 
received and applied to the account.
    (2) If a lender acquires title to property either through voluntary 
conveyance or foreclosure proceeding, the lender will submit a final 
loss claim after disposing of the property. The lender may pay 
reasonable maintenance expenses to protect the value of the property 
while it is owned by the lender. These may be paid as protective 
advances or deducted as liquidation expenses from the sales proceeds 
when the lender disposes of the property. The lender must obtain Agency 
written concurrence before incurring maintenance expenses which exceed 
the amounts allowed in Sec. 762.149(e)(1).
    (3) The lender will make its records available to the Agency for the 
Agency's audit of the propriety of any loss payment.
    (4) All lenders will submit the following documents with a final 
loss claim:
    (i) An accounting of the use of loan funds;
    (ii) An accounting of the disposition of loan security and its 
proceeds;
    (iii) A copy of the loan ledger indicating loan advances, interest 
rate changes, protective advances, and application of payments, rental 
proceeds, and security proceeds, including a running outstanding balance 
total; and
    (iv) Documentation, as requested by the Agency, concerning the 
lender's compliance with the requirements of this part.
    (5) The Agency will notify the lender of any discrepancies in the 
final loss claim or, approve or reject the claim within 40 days.
    (6) The Agency will reduce a final loss claim based on its 
calculation of the dollar amount of loss caused by the lender's 
negligent servicing of the account. Loss claims may be reduced or 
rejected as a result of the following:
    (i) A loss claim may be reduced by the amount caused by the lender's 
failure to secure property after a default, and will be reduced by the 
amount of interest that accrues when the lender fails to contact the 
borrower or takes no action to cure the default, once it occurs. Losses 
incurred as a result of interest accrual during excessive delays in 
collection, as determined by the Agency, will not be paid.
    (ii) Unauthorized release of security proceeds, failure to verify 
ownership or possession of security to be purchased, or failure to 
inspect collateral as often required so as to ensure its maintenance.
    (7) Losses will not be reduced for the following:
    (i) Servicing deficiencies that did not contribute materially to the 
dollar amount of the loss.
    (ii) Unaccounted security, as long as the lender's efforts to locate 
and recover the missing collateral was equal to that which would have 
been expended in the case of an unguaranteed loan in the lender's 
portfolio.
    (8) Default interest, late charges, and loan servicing fees are not 
payable under the loss claim.
    (9) The final loss will be the remaining outstanding balance after 
application of the estimated loss payment and the application of 
proceeds from the liquidation of the security.
    (10) If the final loss is less than the estimated loss, the lender 
will reimburse the Agency for the overpayment, plus interest at the note 
rate from the date of the estimated loss payment.
    (11) The lender will return the original guarantee marked paid after 
receipt of a final loss claim.
    (j) Future Recovery. The lender will remit any recoveries made on 
the account after the Agency's payment of a final loss claim to the 
Agency in proportion to the percentage of guarantee, in accordance with 
the lender's agreement, until the account is paid in full or otherwise 
satisfied.
    (k) Overpayments. The lender will repay any final loss overpayment 
determined by the Agency upon request.
    (l) Electronic funds transfer. The lender will designate one or more 
financial institutions to which any Agency payments will be made via 
electronic funds transfer.

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