General Records Schedule 4 Property Disposal Record
Transmittal No. 8
December 1998
GENERAL RECORDS SCHEDULE 4
Property Disposal Records
These records pertain to the sales by agencies of real and personal property surplus to the needs of the Government. The act creating the General Services Administration (GSA) transferred to the new agency the functions of the former War Assets Administration relating to property disposition. This schedule is not applicable to transaction or policy files created by the GSA and predecessor agencies, to records in the Department of the Interior relating to the public domain, and to records relating to overseas property under Department of State control. Any surplus property transaction files dated prior to the establishment of the former Procurement Division of the Department of Treasury in 1933 must be offered to the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for appraisal before applying these disposition instructions.In no event may disposal be made of records pertaining to accounts, claims, or demands involving the Government of the United States which have not been settled or adjusted by the General Accounting Office without written approval of the Comptroller General, as required by 44 U.S.C. 3309.
Three forms are prescribed for use by an agency selling surplus personal property under GSA regulations:
a. Standard Form (SF) 114, Sale of Government Property, Invitation, Bid, and Acceptance. Related papers that are maintained by the agencies, usually in case fashion, consist of correspondence, bids, other notices of sale, invoices, and sales slips.
b. SF 120, Report of Excess Personal Property, and SF 121, Quarterly Report of Utilization and Disposal of Excess and Surplus Personal Property. Agencies use SF 120 to report excess personal property to the regional GSA offices, which initiate screening action. The quarterly reports are submitted to the Office of Property Management, Office of Federal Supply and Services, GSA, which consolidates the data.
A new item has been added to this schedule to authorize the destruction of electronic mail and word processing records maintained by agencies in addition to the copy in the recordkeeping system. This item covers electronic copies of electronic mail and word processing records created and used solely to produce the recordkeeping copy, and electronic copies of electronic mail and word processing records that are needed in addition to the recordkeeping copy for dissemination, revision, or updating.
1. Property Disposal Correspondence Files.
Correspondence files maintained by units responsible for property disposal, pertaining to their operation and administration, and not otherwise provided for.
Destroy when 2 years old.
2. Excess Personal Property Reports.
Destroy when 3 years old.
3. Surplus Property Case Files.
Case files on sales of surplus personal property, comprising invitations, bids, acceptances, lists of materials, evidence of sales, and related correspondence.
4. Real Property Files. [See note after this item.]a. Transactions of more than $25,000.
Destroy 6 years after final payment.
b. Transactions of $25,000 or less.
Destroy 3 years after final payment.
Records necessary or convenient for the use of real property sold, donated, or traded to non-Federal ownership, including, if pertinent as determined by the releasing agency, site maps and surveys, plot plans, architect's sketches, working diagrams, preliminary drawings, blueprints, master tracings, utility outlet plans, equipment location plans, specifications, construction progress photographs, inspection reports, building and equipment management and maintenance records, allowance lists, and duplicate copies of title papers, provided (a) that the records can be segregated without harm to other documents of enduring value, (b) that no responsibility attaches to the Government because of disagreement between the transferred documents and the physical condition of the property at the time of conveyance, and (c) that if the property is released for historical use or purpose, the user agrees to retain them and return them to the Federal Government immediately upon the discontinuance of its use for historical purposes.
Transfer to new custodian upon completion of sale, trade, or donation proceedings, or acceptance of purchase money mortgage.
[NOTE: Case files on the disposal of surplus real and related personal property and excess real property reports are not covered by the GRS because some of these files may have long-term legal value. Agencies must schedule these series by submitting an SF 115 to NARA.]
5. Electronic Mail and Word Processing System Copies.
Electronic copies of records that are created on electronic mail and word processing systems and used solely to generate a recordkeeping copy of the records covered by the other items in this schedule. Also includes electronic copies of records created on electronic mail and word processing systems that are maintained for updating, revision, or dissemination.
a. Copies that have no further administrative value after the recordkeeping copy is made. Includes copies maintained by individuals in personal files, personal electronic mail directories, or other personal directories on hard disk or network drives, and copies on shared network drives that are used only to produce the recordkeeping copy.
Destroy/delete within 180 days after the recordkeeping copy has been produced.
b. Copies used for dissemination, revision, or updating that are maintained in addition to the recordkeeping copy.
Destroy/delete when dissemination, revision, or updating is completed.
