Advice for PCS Moves and filing your Household Goods Claim
Story by: Legal Administrator Parry S. Preuc
OSJA
Moving is something familiar to all Soldiers. Unfortunately, moves can result in loss or damage of the items being shipped. Whether it is a scratch on a family heirloom or the loss of a box of your favorite DVD's that disappears during the move, the loss or damage can be traumatic.
The military claims system is designed to help Soldiers recover for such losses. It is also designed to ensure the mover is held accountable. This article will explain the military claims system and explain ways you can ensure fair compensation for any loss and damage you suffer during a move.
First determine if your move qualifies for Full Replacement Value (FRV) Coverage?
FRV coverage allows you to file your claim directly with the Carrier and recover full replacement value for your loss. FRV coverage applies to most International shipments (to/from CONUS) with a pickup date on or after 1 Oct 07; to most Domestic shipments (within CONUS) with a pickup date of on or after 1 Nov 07 and to Non-Temporary Storage and Local Move shipments with a pickup date on and after 1 Mar 08. You should still bring your DD Form 1840/1840R to the Claims Office within 70 days of the date of delivery with all loss or damage not noted at the time of delivery noted on the reverse (1840R) side of the form. The Claims Office will determine whether your move qualifies under the FRV program and give you a briefing regarding your options and how to finalize the filing of your claim under that program. The Claims Office will also dispatch the DD Form 1840/1840R to the responsible Carrier to ensure proper notice is given and therefore allow you to include all loss and damage noted on the DD Form 1840/1840R in your claim. Bottom line: Bring your pink DD Form 140/1840R to the Claims Office within 70 days of the date of delivery and you can't go wrong!
For more detailed information on the FRV Program, please refer to the article on this website: " Fort Riley Claims Office Press Release – FRV Program."
The information below applies to all household goods moves not covered under the FRV program (non FRV claims). However, useful information under the headings "Before the Move" and "During the Move" equally applies to moves covered under the FRV program.
Before the Move (Applies to FRV and non FRV Claims)
The best way to ensure you will be compensated for loss and damage during a move is to take a few precautions. Documenting what you own is perhaps the most important thing to do before your move. Ensure that you save receipts, bills, appraisals, high value item inventories, and other proof of ownership. These important documents should never be shipped with your household goods. Ship them separately or, better yet, hand-carry them. Follow this important guideline and if your entire shipment is lost, your proof of ownership will not be lost as well.
An excellent way to document what you own is to take pictures or videotape the items in your house immediately before the move. If you have an extensive DVD collection, or a number of Hummel or Lladro figurines, this is an excellent way of demonstrating the extent of your collection. Ensure you videotape the open covers of your compact discs, showing the discs inside. Pictures and videotapes have an added benefit; not only will they show what you own, but they will also demonstrate the condition of your items. If the movers scratch your dining room table, you will have a much easier time proving that the scratch occurred during the move if you have a picture of the table taken immediately before the move. Carry the photos and videotapes with you; do not ship them.
During the Move (Applies to FRV and non FRV Claims)
When the packers arrive to pick-up your household goods, you should be ready for them. You should have already decided what items you want the movers to pack and what items you will hand-carry to your new assignment. It is critical to lock items you plan to hand-carry in a separate room or in your car, where they are not accessible to the movers.
It is best to hand-carry small, valuable items such as jewelry, rather than to allow the movers to pack them. If you decide to have the movers pack your jewelry, ensure each item is listed separately on the inventory. Cash, coin collections, and similar items should never be packed; you will not be paid for these items if they are lost. As mentioned above, receipts and similar proof of ownership should either be hand-carried or, at a minimum, shipped separately.
As the movers are packing up your household goods and loading them onto the truck, they will present you with an inventory of all of your belongings. You should check this document carefully to ensure that it is accurate. Each line item of the inventory will contain a description of what it is (such as "3.0 cubic foot carton" or "chair"). For items of furniture, pre-existing damage will be listed using a code found at the top or bottom of the form (for example "sc, ch - 6, 8, 9" means "scratched, chipped – leg, right, side). Examine the pre-existing damages carefully; if the movers have exaggerated the amount of pre-existing damages, you should state your disagreement directly on the inventory, in the "remarks" section directly above your signature. Simply list your disagreement on the form. Many moving companies are now utilizing a high value inventory. Ensure all your high value property is annotated on this inventory.
When the movers deliver your household goods, make sure they have delivered everything. Have a copy of the inventory handy and check off the numbers of items when the movers bring them into your new home. If a high value inventory was prepared, open all the cartons and verify the contents before signing the form stating all the high value items were delivered.
If you notice any missing or damaged items at time of delivery, note this on the pink form (DD Form 1840), which the movers will give you. Do not leave this form blank if you have missing or damaged items; the Government uses this form later to evaluate the mover's performance. There is no need to unpack all of your items at this time you can note additional missing and damaged items later on the reverse side of the pink form (the reverse side is the DD Form 1840R).
After the Move (Applies to non FRV Claims only)
Unlike most civilian moves, where loss and damage must be noted immediately after delivery, personnel have 70 days from the date of delivery to notify the local claims office of any additional loss or damage. The loss or damage not annotated on the DD Form 1840 (on the date of delivery) should be annotated on the DD Form 1840R (reverse side of the pink form). Thoroughly inspect your items: turn on electrical items to insure they still operate; open the covers of your compact discs to ensure the discs are still there; check your figurines to insure they are not chipped. At this point it is sufficient to state the general nature of the damage, such as "stereo - does not work." There is no need to get a repair estimate at this stage.
You must turn in the reverse side of the pink form (the DD Form 1840R) to a claims office within 70 days of the delivery of your household goods. Failure to do so will make it impossible for the claims office to collect from the mover. As a result, the claims office cannot pay you for any items that you failed to report within 70 days time period.
When you turn in your DD Form 1840R, the claims office will sign the form acknowledging receipt. They will also provide forms and information on how to file your claim and necessary documentation such as estimates of repair and written substantiation of replacement costs. You have two years from the date of delivery (not from the date you turned in your DD Form 1840R) to file a claim. If you are late in filing your claim the government will not be able to pay the claim.
The Army claims system is designed to help you. However, you also have a responsibility to protect yourself. If you keep proper records of what you own and promptly document damages that occur during the move, you should encounter minimal problems in filing a claim. If you have questions, your local transportation office and local claims office can provide the answers. Call us at 239-2633/3830 so we can help you.