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FDIC Provides Guidance on Loan Modifications & Workout Options for Borrowers Affected by COVID-19

Client Alert

On March 22, 2020, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) and other federal banking regulatory agencies, along with state banking regulators, the National Credit Union Administration Agency (NCUA), the regulator of credit unions, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued the Interagency Statement on Loan Modifications and Reporting by Financial Institutions Working with Customers Affected by the Coronavirus  to encourage financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers impacted by the disease and to provide additional information regarding loan modifications. In summary, the policies give lenders or bankers substantially more latitude to work with affected borrowers by softening the regulatory and accounting impact of having delinquent or restructured credit.

The Interagency Statement can be found here: https://www.fdic.gov/news/news/financial/2020/fil20022.html?mc_cid=c19ae173ad&mc_eid=fabbc3a33b

As described in the Interagency Statement, the FDIC:

  • Encourages financial institutions to work constructively with borrowers affected by COVID-19;
  • Will not criticize institutions for prudent loan modifications and will not direct supervised institutions to automatically categorize COVID-19-related loan modifications as troubled debt restructurings (TDRs);
  • Confirmed with staff of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) that short-term modifications made on a good faith basis for COVID-19 borrowers who were current prior to any COVID-19 relief are not TDRs;
  • Views that modification efforts described in the interagency statement for borrowers of one-to-four family residential mortgages where loans are prudently underwritten and not past due or carried in nonaccrual status do not result in loans being considered restructured or modified for the purpose of respective risk-based capital rules; and
  • Views prudent loan modification programs to financial institution customers affected by COVID-19 as positive actions that can effectively manage or mitigate adverse impacts on borrowers due to COVID-19, and lead to improved loan performance and reduced credit risk.

Borrowers, lenders, and other businesses should open early candid lines of communication with one another to negotiate forbearance agreements, extensions, refinancing, restructuring or other related relief. These arrangements must be documented and BMD attorneys can help you with this loan modification or workout process. 

For Ohio Businesses impacted by COVID-19, there are low-interest loans available to businesses in all Ohio counties. SBA low-interest federal disaster loans can provide up to $2 million of working capital to help Ohio business owners in overcoming temporary losses of revenue they are experiencing as a result of COVID 19. The assistance may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that cannot be paid due to economic impacts. These loans are available to small businesses and private, non-profit organizations to help alleviate economic injury caused by the coronavirus.

The following are links to the SBA programs:

Additionally, you can talk to your banker. Be proactive. Let them know you are addressing the situation and/or applying for the SBA Loan and do so immediately. While many people may ordinarily avoid contacting their banker or creditors to talk about problems, under the Interagency Statement this is a safe time to do so because everyone is experiencing the same problems.

The state of Ohio has also provided unemployment benefits for Ohio individuals impacted by COVID-19. You can access information about these benefits with the following links: Coronavirus and Unemployment Benefits Questions and Answers at: http://jfs.ohio.gov/ouio/CoronavirusAndUI/ and/or the https://unemployment.ohio.gov/.

Please contact BMD Bankruptcy Member Michael Steel at masteel@bmdllc.com or 330.374.7471, or Bankruptcy Partner Duriya Dhinojwala at dd@bmdllc.com or 330.253.5790 for further information.


The End of the Public Health Emergency is (Finally) Here

The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (“PHE”) that has been in effect for over three years is finally slated to end on May 11, 2023.[1] With the end of the PHE will come many changes for healthcare providers to be aware of; however, some changes may not come until much later.

Multi-340B Contract Pharmacy Locations on the Brink? The Third Circuit’s Ruling Gives a Hint.

The 340B drug discount program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to offer to sell their products at significant discounts to safety net providers called “covered entities.” In 1996, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) issued guidance authorizing covered entities to enter into a contract pharmacy arrangement with a single third-party contract pharmacy, to which the manufacturer would ship 340B medications but bill the covered entity. In 2010, HRSA issued revised guidance permitting covered entities to enter into an unlimited number of contract pharmacy arrangements.

Five Opportunities for Operations and Compliance Excellence in 2023

With the holidays behind us and the rest of the year ahead, now is the perfect time to get your operational/compliance house in order! Though your list might be a mile (or an inch) long, here are five places to start.

The Pregnant Workers Fairness Act - What Employers Need to Know

Effective June 27, 2023, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) will require employers with at least 15 employees to provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with pregnancy-related restrictions unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer.

Valley National Bank/Trulieve Loan: A Big Step Out of the Shadows

In a late December press release, Trulieve announced that it had secured a $71.5 million commercial bank loan. In addition to the amount of the loan, which may be the largest commercial bank loan to date to a cannabis company, the release prominently identified Valley Bank and featured both a quote from Valley’s Senior Vice President, John Myers, and a description of the Bank’s service platform and commitment to the cannabis industry.