B-127718, OCT. 2, 1956

B-127718, OCT. 2, 1956

TO COMMANDER W. B. MCQUOWN, USN:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 28, 1956, WITH ENCLOSURE, FURTHER CONCERNING YOUR CLAIM FOR $115.25, PAID BY YOU FOR THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM JULY 24 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 1955, AND FOR WRAPPING MATERIALS AND WAREHOUSE HANDLING CHARGES.

CHANGE OF DUTY ORDERS DATED MARCH 14, 1955, PROVIDED THAT WHEN DIRECTED BY THE COMMANDER, AIR FORCE, PACIFIC FLEET, ON OR ABOUT AUGUST 10, 1955, YOU WERE TO CONSIDER YOURSELF DETACHED FROM DUTY ON HIS STAFF AND TO PROCEED TO BREMERTON, WASHINGTON, FOR DUTY. YOU WERE DETACHED FROM SUCH DUTY ON AUGUST 11, 1955, AND GRANTED A DELAY OF 10 DAYS PRIOR TO REPORTING TO YOUR NEW STATION. YOU REPORTED AT YOUR NEW DUTY STATION ON AUGUST 22, 1955. AFTER THE RECEIPT OF THE ORDERS OF MARCH 14, 1955, YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE SHIPPED ON MAY 13, 1955, FROM CORONADO, CALIFORNIA, WHERE YOU WERE THEN LIVING, ARRIVING AT BREMERTON ON MAY 24, 1955. THE EFFECTS WERE PLACED IN COMMERCIAL STORAGE ON THE LATTER DATE, WHERE YOU SAY THEY REMAINED THROUGH AUGUST 31, 1955. STORAGE CHARGES FOR THE PERIOD MAY 24 THROUGH JULY 23, 1955, IN THE AMOUNT OF $74.30 HAVE BEEN PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT.

YOUR CLAIM WAS DISALLOWED BY SETTLEMENT DATED MARCH 5, 1956, OF OUR CLAIMS DIVISION, AND SUCH DISALLOWANCE WAS SUSTAINED BY OUR DECISION OF JULY 19, 1956, B-127718, TO YOU, FOR THE REASON THAT THE STORAGE FROM JULY 24 TO SEPTEMBER 24, 1955, APPEARED TO HAVE RESULTED FROM THE EARLY MOVEMENT OF THE EFFECTS RATHER THAN FROM YOUR CHANGE OF STATION AND THAT THE CERTIFICATE FURNISHED BY YOU DID NOT STATE THAT THE STORAGE AFTER YOUR ARRIVAL AT BREMERTON ACTUALLY WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF YOUR INABILITY TO FIND A SUITABLE DWELLING. YOU WERE ALSO ADVISED THAT PAYMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF $74.30 FOR THE STORAGE OF YOUR EFFECTS DURING THE PERIOD MAY 24 TO JULY 23, 1955, RESULTING FROM THE EARLY MOVEMENT OF THE EFFECTS, WAS UNAUTHORIZED, AND YOU WERE REQUESTED TO REMIT THAT SUM TO OUR OFFICE.

IN THE LETTER OF AUGUST 28, 1956, YOU SAY THAT YOUR WIFE WENT TO BREMERTON IN MAY 1955 SINCE HOUSING WAS AT A PREMIUM IN THAT AREA AND YOU DESIRED TO GET YOUR FAMILY SETTLED BEFORE THE OPENING OF SCHOOL IN SEPTEMBER. YOU FURTHER SAY THAT YOUR WIFE WAS NOT ABLE TO OBTAIN A HOUSE READY FOR OCCUPANCY, AND THAT YOU PURCHASED A HOME UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND MOVED YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS INTO IT AS SOON AS IT WAS AVAILABLE. THERE WAS SUBMITTED WITH YOUR LETTER A CERTIFICATE OF NECESSITY FOR STORAGE DATED AUGUST 28, 1956, BY THE TRAFFIC BRANCH OFFICER AT YOUR NEW STATION CERTIFYING THAT GOVERNMENT QUARTERS WERE NOT AVAILABLE AND THAT TEMPORARY STORAGE WAS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE SUFFICIENT TIME TO PROCURE SUITABLE HOUSING.

IN VIEW OF THE EXPLANATION AS CONTAINED IN THE LETTER AND CERTIFICATE OF AUGUST 28, 1956, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT STORAGE OF YOUR EFFECTS NOT IN EXCESS OF ONE MONTH WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED IF THERE HAD NOT BEEN AN EARLY SHIPMENT OF THE EFFECTS. ACCORDINGLY, IT APPEARS THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT FOR STORAGE FOR ONE MONTH ($25.50), PLUS THE COST OF THE WRAPPING MATERIALS ($13.25) AND THE WAREHOUSE HANDLING CHARGE ($51). SINCE THE PAYMENT BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE CHARGE OF $74.30 FOR STORAGE FOR THE PERIOD MAY 24 THROUGH JULY 23, 1955, HAVING BEEN OCCASIONED BY THE EARLY MOVEMENT OF THE EFFECTS, WAS UNAUTHORIZED, AS EXPLAINED TO YOU IN THE DECISION OF JULY 19, 1956, THE AMOUNT OF SUCH PAYMENT WILL BE DEDUCTED FROM THE AMOUNT FOUND TO BE DUE AS SET FORTH ABOVE, AND A SETTLEMENT WILL ISSUE IN YOUR FAVOR FOR THE BALANCE.