Title 5

SECTION 180.105

180.105 Claims not allowed.

§ 180.105 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 § 180.105(a), 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 § 180.102(a) are not payable.

(6) Small items of substantial value. Claims are not payable for money or for small articles of substantial value, such as watches or expensive jewelry, when shipped with household goods or as unaccompanied baggage.

(7) Articles of extraordinary value. Claims are not payable for expensive articles of gold, silver, other precious metals, paintings, antiques other than bulky furnishings, relics, and other articles of extraordinary value when shipped with household goods by ordinary means or as unaccompanied baggage at normal released valuation. Claims for such articles are payable when their loss is incident to shipment by expedited mode in accordance with current joint travel regulations. 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.

(8) 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 claimant's immediate household. This prohibition includes articles acquired at the request of others and articles for sale.

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

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

(11) 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 limitations imposed on the weight of shipments of household goods.

(12) 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 order, and traveler's checks.

(13) 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 OPM.

(14) Motor vehicles. Claims for motor vehicles, except as provided for by § 180.104(c)(3), will ordinarily not be paid. However, in exceptional cases, meritorius claims for damage to or loss of motor vehicles may be recommended to the Office of the General Counsel for consideration and approval for payment.

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

(16) Losses recoverable from carrier. Claims are not payable for losses, or any portion thereof, which have been recovered or are recoverable from a carrier, except as permitted under § 180.106.

(17) Losses recoverable from insurer. Claims are not payable for losses, or any portion thereof, which have been recovered or are recoverable from an insurer, except as permitted under § 180.106.

(18) Losses recoverable from contractor. Claims are not payable for losses, or any portion thereof, which have been recovered or are recoverable under contract, except as permitted under § 180.106.

(19) Fees for estimates. Claims are not normally payable for fees paid to obtain estimates of repair in conjuction with submitting a claim under this part. However, where, in the opinion of the approving 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 or 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.

(20) 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, cost 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 will be paid. This does not preclude appropriate disciplinary action if warranted.