7 CFR § 5001.204 - Personal, partnership, and corporate guarantees.
The provisions of this section do not apply to passive investors.
(a) Except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section, Agency-approved, unsecured personal, partnership, and corporate guarantees for the full term of the guaranteed loan and at least equal to the guarantor's percent interest or membership in the borrower times the guaranteed loan amount are required from any person or entity owning a 20-percent or greater interest or membership in the borrower. In the event a portion of the borrower's ownership interest stock is sold or transferred, the Agency reserves the right to require personal or corporate guarantees from the new owners of a 20-percent or more interest in the borrower.
(b) When warranted by an Agency assessment of potential financial risk, the Agency may require the following:
(1) Guarantees to be secured;
(2) Guarantees from any person or entity owning less than a 20-percent Interest or membership in the borrower; and
(3) Guarantees from persons whose ownership Interest in the borrower is held indirectly through intermediate or affiliated entities.
(c) Exceptions to the requirement for personal, partnership or corporate guarantees may be requested by the lender. The lender must document, to the Agency's satisfaction, that collateral, equity, cash flow, and profitability indicate an above-average ability of the borrower to repay the loan. The Agency will evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis.
(d) Each guarantor must execute an Agency-approved guarantee form in addition to any guarantee form required by the lender.
(e) Any amounts paid by the Agency pursuant to a claim by a guaranteed program lender will constitute a Federal debt owed to the Agency by a guarantor of the loan, to the extent of the amount of the guarantor's guarantee.