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Claim for Refund of Costs Recovered by Air Force for Excess Weight of Shipped Household Goods

B-194961 Jul 23, 1979
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Highlights

An Air Force member requested a review of the settlement denying his claim for a refund for excess costs associated with the shipment of his household goods upon permanent change of station. Pursuant to the permanent change of station orders the member's household goods were shipped in two shipments. The two shipments exceeded the authorized weight allowance and the claimant was charged the excess cost. The claimant alleged that when the plastic-lined shipping crate, which was supposedly waterproof and contained five carpets, was opened at destination water poured out of the crate. The claimant challenged the weight shown on the government bill of lading alleging that either the crate carrying the carpets was full of water when the carpets were packed or that the carpets were in the crate with the top off while it was raining and had not been weighed before the water was allowed to enter. The question whether or to what extent authorized weights have been exceeded in the shipment of household effects by members of the uniformed services is considered to be a matter primarily for administrative determination and ordinarily will not be questioned in absence of evidence showing it to be clearly in error. Since there was no substantial evidence to support the Air Force member's allegations, the disallowance of the claim was sustained.

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