§ 1951.6 - Handling payments.

(a) Payments on Rural Housing (RH) loans. Payments on RH loans will be handled in accordance with subparts B and G of this part.

(b) Payments for other than RH, FO and SW loans. These payments will be handled in accordance with part 1951, subpart B.

(c) Payments for FO and SW loans. (1) Payments made through the County Office without direct payment coupons for FO and SW loans will be handled in accordance with part 1951, subpart B.

(2) Payments for FO and SW individual loans made through the County Office with Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46A, Expanded Direct Payment Coupon, will be handled as follows:

(i) County Supervisors may put FO and SW individual borrowers on the Expanded Direct Payment Coupon system if the borrower only needs limited credit counseling or only makes one annual installment payment per year on the loan.

(ii) For new loans, the County Supervisor will indicate by checking the appropriate block on Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1940-1, “Request For Obligation of Funds,” that for selected borrowers Expanded Direct Payment Coupons are to be mailed to the County Office.

(iii) An existing loan borrower may be put on or taken off this Expanded Direct Payment Coupon system by filling out Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1951-34, “Direct Payment Plan Change,” in accordance with the Forms Manual Insert (FMI) and entering it via the field office terminal system.

(iv) Payments must be made by check or money order payable to the Farmer Home Administration. If a field office is on concentration banking, the checks and/or money orders are deposited in the concentrator bank. The coupons are forwarded directly to the Finance Office in accordance with concentration banking procedures. If a field office is not on concentration banking, the coupons and checks and/or money orders are placed in one envelope and mailed to the Finance Office with any other items being mailed that day.

(v) The Finance Office, upon receipt of the payment coupon and check or money order, will credit the borrower's account with payment as of the date the payment is received in the field office.

(vi) When the Finance Office received payment coupon number 10, a new supply of coupons will be mailed to the County Office. All 12 payment coupons should be used before using the new supply.

(3) Direct payment for FO and SW loans mailed directly to the Finance Office by the borrower are handled as follows:

(i) The County Supervisor will select the FO and SW borrowers who, in the Supervisor's opinion, are capable of making direct payments to the Financing Office. The County Supervisor will not select borrowers who (A) will need frequent credit counseling, (B) because of the lack of education or other reasons, are not capable of assuming responsibility for making payments directly to the Finance Office, or (C) have payments directly assigned to FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354, such as milk assignments. The fact that a borrower does not maintain a checking account will not, however, prevent selection for direct payments.

(ii) For new loans the County Supervisor will indicate on Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1940-1 the selected borrowers by checking the appropriate box. The payment coupon packet will be forwarded to the County Office at the time the loan is obligated. It will be delivered to the borrower at loan closing, at which time the use of the payment coupons will be explained to the borrower.

(iii) For Assumption Agreements, the packet will be mailed to the borrower at the time the Assumption Agreement is processed in the Finance Office.

(iv) The payment coupons and pre-addressed envelopes, together with instructions on how to use the coupons and a record keeping card, will be asembled into an envelope in which the borrower may retain the records. The Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46, “Direct Payment Coupon,” will be numbered 1-12, even though the borrower may have less or more than 12 payments scheduled during the year.

(v) The Finance Office, upon receipt of Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 and a check or money order, will credit the borrower's account with payment as of the date the payment is received by the Finance Office.

(vi) When the Finance Office receives Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 for payment number 10, a new supply of Forms FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 will be prepared and mailed to the borrower. All 12 copies of Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 should be used before using the new supply.

(vii) If a borrower is on direct payment and receives a subsequent FO or SW loan, the Finance Office will send a set of Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 with “FO” or “SW” in the loan number block. This indicates the borrower has more than one loan of the particular type. The borrower will be instructed by the County Office to send a Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 showing the amount and a check or money order for the total payment.

(d) County Office handling of direct payment accounts. Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1905-1, “Management System Card—Individual,” and Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1905-1, “Management System Card—Individual (Rural Housing only),” will be used in the County Office Management System Box. These forms and the transaction records will be maintained as prescribed in FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 Instruction 1905-A (available in any FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 office). In addition, an orange signal will be placed to the left of Position A on Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1905-1 to denote that the borrower is on the direct payment system. If a borrower fails to make payments as agreed, or becomes delinquent in taxes or insurance so that it is necessary for FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 to pay taxes or insurance by voucher, the County Supervisor may request the Finance Office to remove the borrower from the direct payment method. If this decision is made, the County Supervisor will contact the borrower and collect the remaining supply of Forms FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46 which will be destroyed. The borrower will be informed that payments after that date should be made to the County Office. If at a later date the borrower is making payments on schedule, the County Supervisor may request the Finance Office to put the borrower back on the direct payment method and provided a new set of Forms FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 370-46. These changes are made by filling out Form FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 1951-34 in accordance with the FMI and entering it via the field office terminal system.

(e) Account servicing actions retained by the County Office. For those borrowers who make direct payments to the Finance Office, the County Supervisor will continue to handle the following servicing actions:

(1) Any regular payments a borrower is to make prior to receiving the packet of payment coupons will be made through the County Office in the usual manner.

(2) All payments other than regular payments will be made through the County Office in the usual manner.

(3) The County Supervisor will counsel with borrowers concerning questions they have about their account. If assistance is needed, the County Supervisor will contact the State or Finance Office as appropriate.

(4) If an uncollectible item is received, the Finance Office will reverse the amount from the borrower's account. The uncollectible item with a transmittal memorandum will be sent to the County Office. The County Office will return the uncollectible check to the borrower after it is fully redeemed. The borrower will make payment by sending a new check and a new payment coupon to the Finance Office. There will also be a noninterest accruing administrative cost charged to the borrower's account for uncollectible items due to insufficient funds. (The amounts of any such administrative charges are available from any FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 office.) Therefore, the borrower's payment for the uncollectible item should be for the regular payment amount plus the administrative cost.

(f) Borrowers receiving other type loans. If a borrower is on direct payment and subsequently receives another type loan, the original loan may remain on the direct payment system.

(g) Borrowers with RRH, RCH, or LH, loans on a Predetermined Amortization Schedule System (PASS). Loans or PASS will be administered under Subpart K of this part.

(h) Borrowers with RRH, RCH, LH, RHS and SO loans administered under this subpart. RRH, RCH, LH, RHS and SO loans on a daily interest accrual system (DIAS) for applying payments administered under this subpart are subject to the direct billing and payment requirements in § 1951.506 of Subpart K of this part. All payments are due on the first day of the months following the date shown on the promissory note, except loans with principal and interest bonds issued before May 1, 1985. All payments are considered delinquent for reporting purposes on the 15th day of the month following the payment due date if the unpaid portion of the payment exceeds $15.00.