[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 15]
[Revised as of January 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR4279.2]

[Page 561-562]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
  CHAPTER XLII--RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE AND RURAL UTILITIES 
                   SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 
PART 4279_GUARANTEED LOANMAKING--Table of Contents
 
                            Subpart A_General
 
Sec. 4279.2  Definitions and abbreviations.

    (a) Definitions.
    Agency. The Rural Business-Cooperative Service or successor Agency 
assigned by the Secretary of Agriculture to administer the B&I program. 
References to the National Office, Finance Office, State Office or other 
Agency offices or officials should be read as prefaced by Agency or 
``Rural Development'' as applicable.
    Arm's-length transaction. The sale, release, or disposition of 
assets in which the title to the property passes to a ready, willing, 
and able disinterested third party that is not affiliated with or 
related to and has no security, monetary or stockholder interest in the 
borrower or transferor at the time of the transaction.
    Assignment Guarantee Agreement (Business and Industry). Form 4279-6, 
the signed agreement among the Agency, the lender, and the holder 
containing the terms and conditions of an assignment of a guaranteed 
portion of a loan, using the single note system.
    Borrower. All parties liable for the loan except for guarantors.
    Conditional Commitment (Business and Industry). Form 4279-3, the 
Agency's notice to the lender that the loan guarantee it has requested 
is approved subject to the completion of all conditions and requirements 
set forth by the Agency.
    Deficiency balance. The balance remaining on a loan after all 
collateral has been liquidated.
    Deficiency judgment. A monetary judgment rendered by a court of 
competent jurisdiction after foreclosure and liquidation of all 
collateral securing the loan.
    Existing lender debt. A debt not guaranteed by the Agency, but owed 
by a borrower to the same lender that is applying for or has received 
the Agency guarantee.
    Fair market value. The price that could reasonably be expected for 
an asset in an arm's-length transaction between a willing buyer and a 
willing seller under ordinary economic and business conditions.
    Farmers Home Administration (FmHA). The former agency of USDA that 
previously administered the programs of this Agency. Many Instructions 
and forms of FmHA are still applicable to Agency programs.
    Finance office. The office which maintains the Agency financial 
accounting records located in St. Louis, Missouri.
    High-impact business. A business that offers specialized products 
and services that permit high prices for the products produced, may have 
a strong presence in international market sales, may provide a market 
for existing local business products and services, and which is locally 
owned and managed.
    Holder. A person or entity, other than the lender, who owns all or 
part of the guaranteed portion of the loan with no servicing 
responsibilities. When the single note option is used and the lender 
assigns a part of the guaranteed note to an assignee, the assignee 
becomes a holder only when the Agency receives notice and the 
transaction is completed through use of Form 4279-6 or predecessor form.
    Interim financing. A temporary or short-term loan made with the 
clear intent that it will be repaid through another loan. Interim 
financing is frequently used to pay construction and other costs 
associated with a planned project, with permanent financing to be 
obtained after project completion.

[[Page 562]]

    Lender. The organization making, servicing, and collecting the loan 
which is guaranteed under the provisions of the appropriate subpart.
    Lender's Agreement (Business and Industry). Form 4279-4 or 
predecessor form between the Agency and the lender setting forth the 
lender's loan responsibilities when the Loan Note Guarantee is issued.
    Loan agreement. The agreement between the borrower and lender 
containing the terms and conditions of the loan and the responsibilities 
of the borrower and lender.
    Loan Note Guarantee (Business and Industry). Form 4279-5 or 
predecessor form issued and executed by the Agency containing the terms 
and conditions of the guarantee.
    Loan-to-value. The ratio of the dollar amount of a loan to the 
dollar value of the collateral pledged as security for the loan.
    Natural resource value-added product. Any naturally occurring 
product that is processed to add value to the product. For example, 
straw is processed into particle board.
    Negligent servicing. The failure to perform those services which a 
reasonably prudent lender would perform in servicing (including 
liquidation of) its own portfolio of loans that are not guaranteed. The 
term includes not only the concept of a failure to act, but also not 
acting in a timely manner, or acting in a manner contrary to the manner 
in which a reasonably prudent lender would act.
    Parity. A lien position whereby two or more lenders share a security 
interest of equal priority in collateral. In the event of default, each 
lender will be affected on a pro rata basis.
    Participation. Sale of an interest in a loan by the lender wherein 
the lender retains the note, collateral securing the note, and all 
responsibility for loan servicing and liquidation.
    Poor. A community or area is considered poor if, based on the most 
recent decennial census data, either the county, city, or census tract 
where the community or area is located has a median household income at 
or below the poverty line for a family of four; has a median household 
income below the nonmetropolitan median household income for the State; 
or has a population of which 25 percent or more have income at or below 
the poverty line.
    Promissory note. Evidence of debt. ``Note'' or ``Promissory note'' 
shall also be construed to include ``Bond'' or other evidence of debt 
where appropriate.
    Rural Development. The Under Secretary for Rural Development has 
policy and operational oversight responsibilities for RHS, RBS, and RUS.
    Spreadsheet. A table containing data from a series of financial 
statements of a business over a period of time. Financial statement 
analysis normally contains spreadsheets for balance sheet items and 
income statements and may include funds flow statement data and commonly 
used ratios. The spreadsheets enable a reviewer to easily scan the data, 
spot trends, and make comparisons.
    State. Any of the 50 States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Virgin Islands of the United States, Guam, American Samoa, the 
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the 
Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of the Marshall 
Islands.
    Subordination. An agreement between the lender and borrower whereby 
lien priorities on certain assets pledged to secure payment of the 
guaranteed loan will be reduced to a position junior to, or on parity 
with, the lien position of another loan in order for the Agency borrower 
to obtain additional financing, not guaranteed by the Agency, from the 
lender or a third party.
    Veteran. For the purposes of assigning priority points, a veteran is 
a person who is a veteran of any war, as defined in section 101(12) of 
title 38, United States Code.
    (b) Abbreviations.

B&I--Business and Industry
CF--Community Facilities
CLP--Certified Lender Program
FSA--Farm Service Agency
FMI--Forms Manual Insert
NAD--National Appeals Division
OGC--Office of the General Counsel
RBS--Rural Business-Cooperative Service
RHS--Rural Housing Service
RUS--Rural Utilities Service
SBA--Small Business Administration
USDA--United States Department of Agriculture

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