§ 101.2 - Definitions.

(a) Claim and debt. For the purposes of these standards, the terms “claim” and “debt” are deemed synonymous and interchangeable. They refer to an amount of money or property which has been determined by an appropriate agency official to be owed to the United States from any person, organization, or entity, except another Federal agency.

(b) A debt is considered delinquent if it has not been paid by the date specified in the agency's initial written notification (§ 102.2 of this chapter) or applicable contractual agreement, unless other satisfactory payment arrangements have been made by that date, or if, at any time thereafter, the debtor fails to satisfy obligations under a payment agreement with the creditor agency.

(c) As used in this chapter, referral for litigation means referral to the Department of Justice for appropriate legal proceedings, unless the agency concerned has statutory authority for handling its own litigation.

(d) In this chapter, words in the plural form shall include the singular and vice versa; and words importing the masculine gender shall include the feminine and vice versa. The terms “includes” and “including” do not exclude matters not listed but which are in the same general class.