Subject to subparagraph (B), the term “loan” means a loan made to a farmer, rancher, or producer or harvester of aquatic products, for any agricultural or aquatic purpose and other credit needs of the borrower, including financing for basic processing and marketing directly related to the borrower’s operations and those of other eligible farmers, ranchers, and producers or harvesters of aquatic products.
Except as provided in subclause (II), if a loan designated for sale under clause (i) is not sold into a secondary market during the 180-day period that begins on the date of the designation, the provisions of this section and sections 2202, 2202b, 2202d, and 2219a of this title that would otherwise apply to the loan in the absence of the exclusion described in clause (i) shall become effective with respect to the loan.
The terms “restructure” and “restructuring” include rescheduling, reamortization, renewal, deferral of principal or interest, monetary concessions, and the taking of any other action to modify the terms of, or forbear on, a loan in any way that will make it probable that the operations of the borrower will become financially viable.
Not later than 45 days before any qualified lender begins foreclosure proceedings with respect to a loan outstanding to any borrower, the lender shall notify the borrower that the loan may be suitable for restructuring and that the lender will review any such suitable loan for restructuring, and shall include with such notice a copy of the policy and the materials described in paragraph (1).
No qualified lender may foreclose or continue any foreclosure proceeding with respect to any distressed loan before the lender has completed any pending consideration of the loan for restructuring under this section.
This section shall not prevent a qualified lender from proposing a restructuring plan for an individual borrower in the absence of an application for restructuring from the borrower.
If a qualified lender determines that the potential cost to such qualified lender of restructuring the loan in accordance with a proposed restructuring plan is less than or equal to the potential cost of foreclosure, the qualified lender shall restructure the loan in accordance with the plan.
If two or more restructuring alternatives are available to a qualified lender under this section with respect to a distressed loan, the lender shall restructure the loan in conformity with the alternative that results in the least cost to the lender.
Each bank board of directors shall develop a policy within 60 days after January 6, 1988, that is consistent with this section, to govern the restructuring of distressed loans. Such policy shall constitute the restructuring policy of each qualified lender within the district.
Each bank board shall submit the policy of the district governing the treatment of distressed loans under this section to the Farm Credit Administration. Notwithstanding the duty imposed by the preceding sentence, the other duties imposed by this section shall take effect on January 6, 1988.
The Farm Credit Administration may issue a directive requiring compliance with any provision of this section to any qualified lender that fails to comply with such provision.
This section shall not be construed to prevent any qualified lender from enforcing any contractual provision that allows the lender to foreclose a loan, or from taking such other lawful action as the lender deems appropriate, if the lender has reasonable grounds to believe that the loan collateral will be destroyed, dissipated, consumed, concealed, or permanently removed from the State in which the collateral is located.
The time limitation prescribed in subsection (b)(2), and the requirements of subsection (c), shall not apply to a loan that became a distressed loan before January 6, 1988, if the borrower and lender of the loan are in the process of negotiating loan restructuring with respect to the loan.
Each Farm Credit Bank, on request of any association, may assist the association in restructuring loans under this section.