Legal considerations for PCS moves Published July 6, 2011 Nellis Legal Office NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- When conducting a Permanent Change of Station move, one concern you may have is in regards to any potential loss or damage that may occur to your household goods during the moving process. There is a claims process, should loss or damage occur, that allows you to claim reimbursement for lost or damaged items after your move takes place. But there are steps you can take, prior to having your household goods packed up, that will help speed up the process should you need to file a claim later on. Before the movers from your Transportation Service Provider come to pack, take stock of what you own and the condition that your items are in. Take photos or a video of high value items and family heirlooms. You may want to consider keeping such items in your possession during your move. Another suggestion is to have a professional appraisal done on any antique furniture. A professional appraisal dictates the value of an item and can be used in the claims process to help establish any loss in value should the item arrive damaged from the move. When the TSP packs up your goods, the movers may place some items on the high value, high risk inventory. The TSP uses this supplemental inventory to protect items such as currency, coins, jewelry, silverware and silver sets, crystal, figurines, furs and objects of art. There are very specific rules regarding the use of this inventory and you should inquire with your TSP or the Air Force Claims Service Center to learn these rules. Military members are not prohibited from shipping currency and jewelry, but the AFCSC strongly discourages this practice and recommends members move these items personally. During the PCS moving process, your property can be covered under the provisions of the Full Replacement Value legislation, enacted by Congress in 2006. This coverage means that if any of your household items are lost or damaged during the move, your TSP is required to pay the full replacement value of those items or the TSP must replace the items. The TSP is also required to repair any damaged item that can be repaired and is responsible for contacting a repair firm. If your household items are damaged or lost in the moving process, you must fill your claim directly against your TSP through the Defense Personal Property System (DPS). DPS can be accessed online at www.move.mil. You must file this claim, which is a request for compensation of lost or damaged items, within nine months of delivery of your household goods to receive FRV. If you miss the nine month deadline, you can still file a claim up to two years from the delivery date, but you will receive only the depreciated valuation of the items. Filing a claim entails filling out a Loss/Damage Report, which goes to the TSP through DPS. (If DPS is not available for your move, you can also file your Loss/Damage Report through the AFCSC website at https://claims.jag.af.mil.) The Loss/Damage Report puts the TSP on notice that you have discovered damaged or lost items that you did not annotate as damaged or lost at the time of delivery. The TSP must receive the Loss/Damage Report within 75 days of delivery. Failure to meet the 75-day deadline could result in no reimbursement for the lost or damaged items not noted at the time of delivery. If you are not happy with how your claim processing is proceeding, you can transfer your claim to the AFCSC 30 days after filing against your TSP for any reason or no reason whatsoever. Additionally, if you are negotiating with your TSP and would like someone within the Air Force to assist you, you can contact the AFCSC for support. Finally, if you receive an offer from your TSP that you believe is unfair, you can transfer the claim to the AFCSC. The AFCSC can only pay depreciated valuation in most situations. However, after paying your claim, the Air Force will file an FRV claim against the responsible TSP and may be able to pay you an additional award recovered from the TSP. The AFCSC currently has a 98 percent recovery rate against responsible TSPs. To contact the AFCSC, call 1-877-754-1212 and select option one or email AFCSC at AFCSC.JA@wpafb.af.mil.
