Borrower eligibility requirements

(a) A borrower must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for primary loan servicing:

(1) The delinquency or financial distress is the result of reduced repayment ability due to one of the following circumstances beyond the borrower's control:

(i) Illness, injury, or death of a borrower or other individual who operates the farm;

(ii) Natural disaster, adverse weather, disease, or insect damage which caused severe loss of agricultural production;

(iii) Widespread economic conditions such as low commodity prices;

(iv) Damage or destruction of property essential to the farming operation;

(v) Loss of, or reduction in, the borrower or spouse's essential non-farm income; or

(vi) Catastrophic medical expenses for the care of a family member of the borrower or entity member, in the case of an entity borrower.

(2) The borrower does not have non-essential assets for which the net recovery value is sufficient to resolve the financial distress or pay the delinquent portion of the loan.

(3) If the borrower is in non-monetary default, the borrower will resolve the non-monetary default prior to closing the servicing action.

(4) The borrower has acted in good faith.

(5) Financially distressed or current borrowers requesting servicing must pay a portion of the interest due on the loans.

(6) The borrower must not be ineligible due to disqualification resulting from Federal crop insurance violation according to 7 CFR part 718.

(b) Debtors with SA only must:

(1) Be delinquent due to circumstances beyond their control;

(2) Have acted in good faith.

[72 FR 63316, Nov. 8, 2007, as amended at 89 FR 65044, Aug. 8, 2024]