On February 12, the Sixth Circuit issued a key decision on debt relief litigation involving USDA’s repealed program. A Tennessee farmer who sued over USDA debt relief was denied attorney fees because Congress ended the program before a final judgment. The court held he was not a prevailing party under the Equal Access to Justice Act. The ruling trims government fee risk in similar cases and could shape future targeted relief designs. For investors in ag finance, farm equipment, and rural banks, the decision affects expectations around policy reversals and legal cost exposure.
Sixth Circuit decision: fees denied after program repeal
The panel concluded the farmer did not secure a court-ordered change, so he was not a prevailing party…