1427.172—Settlement.

(a) A producer may, at any time before maturity of the loan, obtain release of all or any part of the loan seed cotton by paying to CCC the amount of the loan, plus interest and charges.
(b) (1) A producer or the producer's agent shall not remove from storage any cotton which is pledged as collateral for a loan until prior written approval has been received from CCC for removal of such cotton. If a producer or the producer's agent obtains such approval, they may remove such cotton from storage, sell the seed cotton, have it ginned, and sell the lint cotton and cottonseed obtained therefrom. The ginner shall inform the county office in writing immediately after the seed cotton removed from storage has been ginned and furnish the county office the loan number, producer's name, and applicable gin bale numbers. If the seed cotton is removed from storage, the loan principal plus interest and charges thereon must be satisfied not later than the earlier of:
(i) The date established by the county committee;
(ii) 5 days after the date of the producer received the AMS classification under § 1427.9 (and the warehouse receipt, if the cotton is delivered to a warehouse), representing such cotton; or
(iii) The loan maturity date.
(2) If the seed cotton or lint cotton is sold, the loan principal, interest, and charges must be satisfied immediately.
(3) A producer, except a CMA, may obtain a nonrecourse loan or loan deficiency payment under subpart A of this part, on the lint cotton, but:
(i) The loan principal, interest, and charges on the seed cotton must be satisfied from the proceeds of the nonrecourse loan under subpart A of this part; or
(ii) The loan deficiency payment must be applied to the loan principal, interest, and charges on the outstanding seed cotton loan.
(4) A CMA must repay the seed cotton loan principal, interest, and charges before pledging the cotton for a nonrecourse loan or before a loan deficiency payment can be approved under subpart A of this part, on the lint cotton. If CMA's authorized by producers to obtain loans in their behalf remove seed cotton from storage before obtaining approval to move such cotton, such removal shall constitute conversion of such cotton unless the CMA:
(i) Notifies the county office in writing the following morning by mail or otherwise that such cotton has been moved and is on the gin yard;
(ii) Furnishes CCC an irrevocable letter of credit if requested; and
(iii) Repays the loan principal, plus interest and charges, within the time specified by the county committee.
(5) Any removal from storage shall not be deemed to constitute a release of CCC's security interest in the seed cotton or to release the producer or CMA from liability for the loan principal, interest, and charges if full payment of such amount is not received by the county office.
(c) If, either before or after maturity, the producer discovers that the cotton is going out of condition or is in danger of going out of condition, the producer shall immediately notify the county office and confirm such notice in writing. If the county committee determines that the cotton is going out of condition or is in danger of going out of condition, the county committee will call for repayment of the loan principal, plus interest and charges on or before a specified date. If the producer does not repay the loan or have the cotton ginned and obtain a nonrecourse loan under subpart A of this part on the lint cotton produced therefrom within the period as specified by the county committee, the cotton shall be considered abandoned.
(d) If the producer has control of the storage site and if the producer subsequently loses control of the storage site or there is danger of flood or damage to the seed cotton or storage structure making continued storage of the cotton unsafe, the producer shall immediately either repay the loan or move the seed cotton to the nearest approved gin for ginning and shall, at the same time, inform the county office. If the producer does not do so, the seed cotton shall be considered abandoned.