Borrower rights and how to file a complaint

As an FCS borrower, you have the following rights:

To know the current effective rate of interest on your loan by the date it closes
To be informed that you are required to purchase at-risk stock in your FCS institution
To receive copies of all the documents you have signed by the time the loan closes
To be informed promptly as to whether your loan application has been accepted, reduced, or denied
To be informed of your right to request restructuring for your loan if you cannot meet current payments and your loan becomes distressed
To obtain a credit committee review of a denial or reduction of a loan request and a denial of a restructuring request
To have first refusal when your FCS institution decides to sell any agricultural property it has acquired from you
To receive cooperation from your FCS institution if you seek mediation

Please note that these rights do not extend to agricultural cooperatives that borrow from an FCS institution. Also, not all the rights listed above apply to consumer credit transactions financed by FCS institutions. However, FCA has the authority to enforce other consumer regulations that may apply.

For additional information, please see Frequently asked questions about borrower rights.

What to do if you believe your rights have been denied or violated

If you believe your rights have been denied or violated, you should inform the institution and make a good faith effort to resolve the problem. If this does not work, you may submit a complaint to FCA in one of several ways.

By electronic borrower complaint form

The borrower complaint form is the most efficient way to submit your complaint.

By phone, email, or mail

You also may submit complaints to FCA by phone at 703-883-4056, by email at [email protected], or by mail at the following address:

Director
Office of Congressional and Public Affairs
Farm Credit Administration
1501 Farm Credit Drive
McLean, VA 22102-5090

When using one of these methods, please provide the following information:

Name(s) of the borrower(s)
Loan number(s)
Name of the lending institution servicing the loan
The specific right you believe has been violated
The dates involved
Other supporting documentation

About the complaint process

The borrower complaint process is an informal process in which we review complaints about Farm Credit System institutions regarding noncompliance with the laws and regulations over which we have enforcement authority. As the regulator of the FCS, we have the authority to enforce borrower rights.

If, during our review, we identify any violations of law or regulation, these findings are handled under our examination and enforcement authorities, which include the authority to issue borrower rights directives.

Please keep in mind that FCA does not have the authority to interfere in the management or business decisions of an FCS institution unless federal laws or regulations have been violated or unless the decisions affect the safety and soundness of the institution. We do not mediate disputes between borrowers and FCS institutions, and we do not intervene in legal proceedings between borrowers and FCS institutions. These reviews are not designed to provide financial restitution to borrowers or to be an administrative adjudication of the dispute between the borrower and the institution.