B-130624, JUL. 22, 1958

B-130624, JUL. 22, 1958

TO PICKFORDS REMOVAL AND STORAGE SERVICE:

FURTHER REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF DECEMBER 30, 1957, IN EFFECT REQUESTING RECONSIDERATION OF SETTLEMENT DATED DECEMBER 10, 1957, BY WHICH OUR CLAIMS DIVISION DISALLOWED YOUR CLAIM IN THE AMOUNT OF 9-14-0 POUNDS STERLING, FOR SERVICES ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN RENDERED ON DECEMBER 3, 1951, INCIDENT TO THE MOVEMENT OF THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS OF MASTER SERGEANT ALBERT E. CURRY, USAF, FROM HANGER 4, UPPER HEYFORD, TO HEYFORD MARRIED QUARTERS.

UNDER DATE OF AUGUST 19, 1957, THE AIR FORCE FINANCE CENTER, DENVER, COLORADO, REFERRED YOUR CLAIM TO OUR OFFICE FOR DIRECT SETTLEMENT, THE SAME BEING ADMINISTRATIVELY DISAPPROVED FOR PAYMENT ON THE BASIS THAT THE EVIDENCE FURNISHED DID NOT SUPPORT PAYMENT OF THE CLAIM. ONE OF THE DOUBTFUL ASPECTS HAVING A BEARING ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE WAS THE UNEXPLAINED DELAY ON YOUR PART IN SUBMITTING A CLAIM FOR THE SERVICES ALLEGEDLY RENDERED. UNDER DATE OF OCTOBER 3, 1957, OUR CLAIMS DIVISION RETURNED THE CLAIM TO THE AIR FORCE FINANCE CENTER FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION, INVITING ATTENTION TO THE FACT THAT YOU HAD PRESENTED A DELIVERY SHEET BEARING THE PURPORTED SIGNATURE OF MASTER SERGEANT CURRY INDICATING DELIVERY OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS. SPECIFICALLY, WE REQUESTED THAT A STATEMENT BE FURNISHED BY MASTER SERGEANT CURRY, OVER HIS HANDWRITTEN SIGNATURE, AS TO WHETHER HE WAS STATIONED AT HANGER 4, UPPER HEYFORD, OR HEYFORD MARRIED QUARTERS, ON OR ABOUT DECEMBER 3, 1951. UNDER DATE OF NOVEMBER 26, 1957, THE AIR FORCE FINANCE CENTER TRANSMITTED HERE A STATEMENT DATED NOVEMBER 1, 1957, BY MASTER SERGEANT CURRY (COPY ENCLOSED), IN WHICH HE DENIED THAT YOUR CONCERN PERFORMED THE SERVICES AS CLAIMED. IT WAS UPON THE BASIS OF THE RECORD THEN APPEARING THAT OUR CLAIMS DIVISION DISALLOWED YOUR CLAIM BY THE SETTLEMENT OF DECEMBER 10, 1957.

FOLLOWING THE RECEIPT OF YOUR LETTER OF DECEMBER 30, 1957, AND IN ORDER TO OBTAIN FURTHER CLARIFICATION OF THE MATTER, WE ADDRESSED A LETTER TO MASTER SERGEANT CURRY UNDER DATE OF FEBRUARY 19, 1958 (COPY ENCLOSED), IN WHICH WE REQUESTED REPLIES TO CERTAIN SPECIFIC INQUIRIES. THE REPLY DATED MARCH 10, 1958, BY MASTER SERGEANT CURRY, NOT BEING ENTIRELY SATISFACTORY, WE ADDRESSED A FURTHER LETTER TO HIM UNDER DATE OF MARCH 27, 1958 (COPY ENCLOSED), IN WHICH WE AGAIN REQUESTED HIS COMMENTS ON THE MATTERS SET FORTH THEREIN.

THERE HAS NOW BEEN RECEIVED FROM MASTER SERGEANT CURRY A LETTER DATED JULY 1, 1958 (COPY ENCLOSED), IN WHICH HE DENIES GENERALLY THAT YOU RENDERED THE SERVICES COVERED BY YOUR CLAIM. YOU WILL NOTE FROM THE ENCLOSURE THAT THE ENLISTED MAN DEFINITELY STATES THAT HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE RECEIVED OVERSEAS IN TWO SHIPMENTS AND THAT IN EACH CASE HE PERSONALLY UNLOADED THE SHIPMENT AT THE DEPOT, TRANSPORTED IT TO HANGER 4, WHERE IT WAS UNPACKED AND TRANSPORTED BY GOVERNMENT VEHICLE TO LAUREL COTTAGE, ADDERBURY, ENGLAND.

THERE HAS BEEN SET FORTH ABOVE IN SOME DETAIL THE ACTION TAKEN BY OUR OFFICE IN AN EFFORT TO OBTAIN THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO THE PROPER DISPOSITION OF YOUR CLAIM. IT IS BELIEVED YOU WILL AGREE THAT ON THE BASIS OF THE PRESENT RECORD, INCLUDING THE POSITIVE DENIAL BY MASTER SERGEANT CURRY THAT YOU RENDERED SERVICES TO HIM AS CLAIMED, WE HAVE NO ALTERNATIVE BUT TO DENY YOUR CLAIM. ACCORDINGLY, THE ACTION TAKEN IN THE SETTLEMENT OF DECEMBER 10, 1957, APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN ..END :