7 CFR 4287.134 – Transfer and assumption
The lender may request a transfer and assumption of a guaranteed loan in situations where the total indebtedness, or less than the total indebtedness, is transferred to another eligible borrower on the same or different terms. A transfer and assumption of the borrower’s operation can be accomplished before or after the loan goes into liquidation. However, if the collateral has been purchased through foreclosure or the borrower has conveyed title to the lender, no transfer and assumption is permitted. Additionally, no transfer and assumption is permitted when the Agency has repurchased 100 percent of the guaranteed portion of the loan.
(a) Documentation of request. All transfers and assumptions must be approved in writing by the Agency and must be to an eligible borrower. The lender must provide credit reports for each individual or entity owning 20 percent or more interest in the transferee, along with such other documentation as the Agency may request to determine eligibility. In accordance with § 4279.132 of this chapter, the Agency will require personal and/or corporate guarantee(s) from all owners that have a 20 percent or more ownership interest in the transferee. When warranted by an Agency assessment of potential financial risk, the Agency may also require guarantees of parent, subsidiaries, or affiliated companies (owning less than a 20 percent interest in the borrower) and may require security for any guarantee. The new borrower must sign Form RD 4279-1, “Application for Loan Guarantee,” and any guarantors of the guaranteed loan must sign Form RD 4279-14, “Unconditional Guarantee.”
(b) Terms. Loan terms may be changed with the concurrence of the Agency, all holders, and the transferor (including guarantors) if the transferor has not been or will not be released from liability. Any new loan terms must be within the terms authorized by § 4279.126 of this chapter.
(c) Release of liability. The transferor, including any guarantor, may be released from liability only with prior Agency written concurrence and only when the fair market value of the collateral being transferred is at least equal to the amount of the loan being assumed and is supported by a current appraisal and a current financial statement of the transferee. The Agency will not pay for the appraisal. If the transfer is for less than the debt, for a release of liability, the lender must demonstrate to the Agency that the transferor and guarantors have no reasonable debt-paying ability considering their assets and income in the foreseeable future.
(d) Proceeds. The lender must credit any proceeds received from the sale of collateral before a transfer and assumption to the transferor’s guaranteed loan debt in order of lien priority before the transfer and assumption is closed.
(e) Additional loans. Loans to provide additional funds in connection with a transfer and assumption must be considered a new loan application, which requires submission of a complete Agency application in accordance with § 4279.161(b) of this chapter.
(f) Credit quality. The lender will provide a credit analysis of the proposal that addresses capacity (sufficient cash flow to service the debt), capital (net worth), collateral (assets to secure the debt), conditions (of the borrower, industry trends, and the overall economy), and character (integrity of the transferee management) in accordance with § 4279.131 of this chapter.
(g) Appraisals. If the proposed transfer and assumption is for the full amount of the Agency guaranteed loan, the Agency will not require an appraisal, unless a guarantor is being released from liability in accordance with paragraph (c) of this section. If the proposed transfer and assumption is for less than the full amount of the Agency guaranteed loan, the Agency will require an appraisal on all of the collateral being transferred, and the amount of the assumption must not be less than this appraised value. The lender is responsible for obtaining this appraisal, which must conform to the requirements of § 4279.144 of this chapter. The Agency will not pay the appraisal fee or any other costs associated with this transfer.
(h) Documents. Prior to Agency approval, the lender must provide the Agency a written legal opinion that the transaction can be properly and legally transferred and assurance that the conveyance instruments will be appropriately filed, registered, and recorded.
(1) The lender must not issue any new promissory notes. The assumption must be completed in accordance with applicable law and must contain the Agency case number of the transferor and transferee. The lender must provide the Agency with a copy of the transfer and assumption agreement. The lender must ensure that all transfers and assumptions are noted on all original Loan Note Guarantees.
(2) A new loan agreement, consistent in principle with the original loan agreement, must be executed to establish the terms and conditions of the loan being assumed. An assumption agreement can be used to establish the loan covenants.
(3) Upon execution of the transfer and assumption, the lender must provide the Agency with a written legal opinion that the transfer and assumption is completed, valid, and enforceable, and certification that the transfer and assumption is consistent with the conditions outlined in the Agency’s conditions of approval for the transfer and complies with all Agency regulations.
(i) Loss/repurchase resulting from transfer. (1) Any resulting loss must be processed in accordance with § 4287.158.
(2) If a holder owns any of the guaranteed portion, such portion must be repurchased by the lender or the Agency in accordance with § 4279.78 of this chapter.
(j) Related party. If the transferor and transferee are affiliated or related parties, any transfer and assumption must be for the full amount of the debt.
(k) Cash downpayment. The lender may allow the transferee to make cash downpayments directly to the transferor provided:
(1) The transfer and assumption is made for the total indebtedness;
(2) The lender recommends that the cash be released, and the Agency concurs prior to the transaction being completed. The lender may require that an amount be retained for a defined period of time as a reserve against future defaults. Interest on such account may be paid periodically to the transferor or transferee as agreed;
(3) The lender determines that the transferee has the repayment ability to meet the obligations of the assumed guaranteed loan, as well as any other indebtedness; and
(4) Any payments by the transferee to the transferor will not suspend the transferee’s obligations to continue to meet the guaranteed loan payments as they come due under the terms of the assumption.
(l) Annual renewal fees. The lender must pay any annual renewal fee published in the