44 CFR 206.377 - Loan repayment.

(a) Prepayments. The local government may make prepayments against loan at any time without any prepayment penalty.

(b) Repayment. To the extent not otherwise cancelled, loan funds become due and payable in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Promissory Note. The note shall include the following provisions:

(1) The term of a loan made under this program is 5 years, unless extended by the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate. Interest will accrue on outstanding cash from the actual date of its disbursement by FEMA or FEMA's designated Disbursing Agency.

(2) The interest amount due will be computed separately for each Treasury disbursement as follows: I = P X R X T, where I = the amount of simple interest, P = the principal amount disbursed; R = the interest rate of the loan; and, T = the outstanding term in years from the date of disbursement to date of repayment, with periods less than 1 year computed on the basis of 365 days/year. If any portion of the loan is cancelled, the interest amount due will be computed on the remaining principal with the shortest outstanding term.

(3) Each payment made against the loan will be applied first to the interest computed to the date of the payment, and then to the principal. Prepayments of scheduled installments, or any portion thereof, may be made at any time and shall be applied to the installments last to become due under the loan and shall not affect the obligation of the borrower to pay the remaining installments.

(4) The Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate may defer payments of principal and interest until FEMA makes its final determination with respect to any Application for Loan Cancellation which the borrower may submit. However, interest will continue to accrue.

(5) Any costs incurred by the Federal Government in collecting the note shall be added to the unpaid balance of the loan, bear interest at the same rate as the loan, and be immediately due without demand.

(6) In the event of default on this note by the borrower, the FEMA claims collection officer will take action to recover the outstanding principal plus related interest under Federal debt collection authorities, including administrative offset against other Federal funds due the borrower and/or referral to the Department of Justice for judicial enforcement and collection.

(c) Additional time. In unusual circumstances involving financial hardship, the local government may request an additional period of time beyond the original 10 year term to repay the indebtedness. Such request may be approved by the Assistant Administrator for the Disaster Assistance Directorate subject to the following conditions:

(1) The local government must submit documented evidence that it has applied for the same credit elsewhere and that such credit is not available at a rate equivalent to the current Treasury rate.

(2) The principal amount shall be the original uncancelled principal plus related interest less any payments made.

(3) The interest rate shall be the Treasury rate in effect at the time the new Promissory Note is executed but in no case less than the original interest rate. A reduced rate may not be applied if was it was not previously applied to the loan.

(4) The term of the new Promissory Note shall be for the settlement period requested by the local government but not greater than 10 years from the date the new note is executed.