Indebtedness Waiver Denied When Employee Should Have Realized That Substantial Increases in His Pay Were Not Proper

A Federal employee requested a reconsideration of the denial of his claim for waiver of indebtedness resulting from excess salary payments. The claimant was overpaid salary four grades higher than he was entitled to receive, but made no inquiry regarding the sudden unexplained increase in pay. In view of the fact that the claimant should have recognized that the substantial increases in his pay were not proper and verified the correctness of his salary overpayments, the denial of a waiver of indebtedness was sustained.