Title 44

SECTION 11.74

11.74 Claims not allowed.

§ 11.74 Claims not allowed.

(a) A claim is not allowable if:

(1) The damage or loss was caused wholly or partly by the negligent or wrongful act of the claimant, claimant's agent, claimant's employee, or a member of claimant's family;

(2) The damage or loss occurred in quarters occupied by the claimant within the 50 states and the District of Columbia that were not assigned to the claimant or otherwise provided in-kind by the United States;

(3) Possession of the property lost or damaged was not incident to service or not reasonable or proper under the circumstances.

(b) In addition to claims falling within the categories of paragraph (a) of this section, the following are examples of claims which are not payable:

(1) Claims not incident to service. Claims which arose during the conduct of personal business are not payable.

(2) Subrogation claims. Claims based upon payment or other consideration to a proper claimant are not payable.

(3) Assigned claims. Claims based upon assignment of a claim by a proper claimant are not payable.

(4) Conditional vendor claims. Claims asserted by or on behalf of a conditional vendor are not payable.

(5) Claims by improper claimants. Claims by persons not designated in § 11.71 are not payable.

(6) Articles of extraordinary value. Claims are not payable for valuable or expensive articles, such as cameras, watches, jewelry, furs, or other articles of extraordinary value, when shipped with household goods or as unaccompanied baggage (shipment includes storage). This prohibition does not apply to articles in the personal custody of the claimant or articles properly checked, provided that reasonable protection or security measures have been taken, by the claimant.

(7) Articles acquired for other persons. Claims are not payable for articles intended directly or indirectly for persons other than the claimant or members of the claimants' immediate household. This prohibition includes articles acquired at the request of others and articles for sale.

(8) Property used for business. Claims are not payable for property normally used for business or profit.

(9) Unserviceable property. Claims are not payable for wornout or unserviceable property.

(10) Violation of law or directive. Claims are not payable for property acquired, possessed, or transported in violation of law, regulation, or other directive. This does not apply to limitation imposed on the weight of shipments of household goods.

(11) Intangible property. Claims are not payable for intangible property such as bank books, checks, promissory notes, stock certificates, bonds, bills of lading, warehouse receipts, baggage checks, insurance policies, money orders, and traveler's checks.

(12) Government property. Claims are not payable for property owned by the United States unless the claimant is financially responsible for the property to an agency of the Government other than FEMA.

(13) Motor vehicles. Claims for motor vehicles, except as provided for by § 11.73(c)(3), will ordinarily not be paid. However, in exceptional cases, meritorious claims for damage to or loss of motor vehicles, limited to a maximum of $1,000.00, may be recommended to the Office of Chief Counsel for consideration and approval for payment.

(14) Enemy property. Claims are not payable for enemy property, including war trophies.

(15) Losses recoverable from carrier, insurer or contractor. Claims are not payable for losses, or any portion thereof, which have been recovered or are recoverable from a carrier, insurer or under contract except as permitted under § 11.75.

(16) Fees for estimates. Claims are not normally payable for fees paid to obtain estimates of repair in conjunction with submitting a claim under this subpart. However, where, in the opinion of the adjudicating authority, the claimant could not obtain an estimate without paying a fee, such a claim may be considered in an amount reasonable in relation to the value for the cost of repairs of the articles involved, provided that the evidence furnished clearly indicates that the amount of the fee paid will not be deducted from the cost of repairs if the work is accomplished by the estimator.

(17) Items fraudulently claimed. Claims are not payable for items fraudulently claimed. When investigation discloses that a claimant, claimant's agent, claimant's employee, or member of claimant's family has intentionally misrepresented an item claimed as to cost, condition, costs to repair, etc., the item will be disallowed in its entirety even though some actual damage has been sustained. However, if the remainder of the claim is proper, it may be paid. This does not preclude appropriate disciplinary action if warranted.

(18) Minimum amount. Loss or damage amounting to less than $10.