§ 4279.117 - Ineligible purposes and entity types.

§ 4279.117 Ineligible purposes and entity types.

(a) Distribution or payment to an individual or entity that will retain an ownership interest in the borrower or distribution or payment to a beneficiary of the borrower. Distribution or payment to a member of the immediate family of an owner, partner, or stockholder will not be permitted, except for a change in ownership of the business where the selling immediate family member does not retain an ownership interest and the Agency determines the price paid to be reasonable. As this type of transaction is not an arm's length transaction, reasonableness of the price paid will be based upon an appraisal. In situations where there is common ownership or an otherwise closely-related company is being paid to do construction or installation work for a borrower, only documented costs associated with construction or installation can be paid with loan proceeds. Documented construction or installation costs may not include any profit or wages to a related person, and all work must be done at cost with no profit built into the cost. This paragraph does not apply to transfers of ownership for ESOPs or worker cooperatives, to cooperatives where the cooperative pays the member for product or services, or where member stock is transferred among members of the cooperative in accordance with § 4279.115.

(b) Projects in excess of $1 million that would likely result in the transfer of jobs from one area to another and increase direct employment by more than 50 employees. However, this limitation is not to be construed to prohibit assistance for the expansion of an existing business entity through the establishment of a new branch, affiliate, or subsidiary of such entity if the establishment of such branch, affiliate, or subsidiary will not result in an increase in unemployment in the area of original location or in any other area where such entity conducts business operations, unless there is reason to believe that such branch, affiliate, or subsidiary is being established with the intention of closing down the operations of the existing business entity in the area or its original location or in any other area where it conducts such operations.

(c) Projects in excess of $1 million that would increase direct employment by more than 50 employees, which is calculated to or likely to result in an increase in the production of goods, materials, or commodities, or the availability of services or facilities in the area, when there is not sufficient demand for such goods, materials, commodities, services, or facilities to employ the efficient capacity of existing competitive commercial or industrial enterprises, unless such financial or other assistance will not have an adverse effect upon existing competitive enterprises in the area.

(d) The financing of timeshares, residential trailer parks, housing development sites, apartments, duplexes, or other residential housing, except as authorized in § 4279.113(d).

(e) Owner-occupied housing, such as bed and breakfasts, hotels and motels, storage facilities, etc., are only allowed when the pro rata value of the owner's living quarters, based on square footage, is deducted from the use of loan proceeds.

(f) Guaranteeing lease payments or any lines of credit.

(g) Guaranteeing loans made by other Federal agencies.

(h) Loans made with the proceeds of any obligation the interest on which is excludable from income under 26 U.S.C. 103 or a successor statute. Funds generated through the issuance of tax-exempt obligations shall neither be used to purchase the guaranteed portion of any Agency guaranteed loan nor shall an Agency guaranteed loan serve as collateral for a tax-exempt issue. The Agency may guarantee a loan for a project that involves tax-exempt financing only when the guaranteed loan funds are used to finance a part of the project that is separate and distinct from the part that is financed by the tax-exempt obligation, and the guaranteed loan has at least a parity security position with the tax-exempt obligation.

(i) Guarantees supporting inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction, proselytization, or to pay costs associated with acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of structures for inherently religious activities, including the financing of multi-purpose facilities where religious activities will be among the activities conducted.

(j) Businesses that derive more than 10 percent of annual gross revenue (including any lease income from space or machines) from gambling activity, excluding State-authorized lottery proceeds.

(k) Businesses deriving income from activities of a prurient sexual nature or illegal activities.

(l) Racetracks or facilities for the conduct of races by animals, professional or amateur drivers, jockeys, etc.

(m) Golf courses and golf course infrastructure, including par 3 and executive golf courses.

(n) Cemeteries.

(o) Research and development projects and projects that involve technology that is not commercially available.

(p) Any project that the Agency determines creates a conflict of interest or an appearance thereof between any party related to the project.

(q) Guarantees where the lender or any of the lender's officers has an ownership interest in the borrower or is an officer or director of the borrower or where the borrower or any of its officers, directors, stockholders, or other owners have more than a 5 percent ownership interest in the lender. Any of the lender's directors, stockholders, or other owners that are officers, directors, stockholders, or other owners of the borrower must be recused from the decisionmaking process.

(r) Other than cooperative stock purchase loans and cooperative equity security guarantees in accordance with § 4279.115, guarantees supporting investment or arbitrage or speculative real estate investment.

(s) Lending institutions, investment institutions, or insurance companies.

(t) Charitable or fraternal organizations. Businesses that derive more than 10 percent of annual gross revenue from tax deductible charitable donations, based on historical financial statements required by § 4279.161(b), are considered charitable organizations for the purpose of this paragraph. Fees for services rendered or that are otherwise ineligible for deduction under the Internal Revenue Code are not considered tax deductible charitable donations.

(u) Any business located within the Coastal Barriers Resource System that does not qualify for an exception as defined in section 6 of the Coastal Barriers Resource Act, 16 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.

(v) Any business located in a special flood or mudslide hazard area as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in a community that is not participating in the National Flood Insurance Program unless the project is an integral part of a community's flood control plan.

(w) Any project that drains, dredges, fills, levels, or otherwise manipulates a wetland or engages in any activity that results in impairing or reducing the flow, circulation, or reach of water, except in the case of activity related to the maintenance of previously converted wetlands. This does not apply to loans for utility lines.