Claims for Residual Value of U.S. Improvements Made to Military Facilities

Properties released by the U.S. Air Forces in Europe were among those reviewed in connection with claims for the residual value of U.S. improvements made to military facilities that were later released to the Federal Republic of Germany and other German political entities. Responsibility for preparing and submitting Air Force claims has rested with the individual Air Force bases managing the property during occupancy. In many cases, essential Air Force property records were sent to a holding area for eventual storage out of the theater, and formal claims were not made for the residual value of U.S. improvements. Detailed records would be needed to determine whether the United States has valid claims in these cases. These records would also be needed to sustain residual value claims, to analyze the validity of any German claims for damages to the property, and to prepare the U.S. defense against damage claims. The Air Force is tracing and reconstructing its property records on released facilities, and the responsibility for managing claims will be assumed by headquarters. These actions should be followed by formally stating residual value claims to the German authorities in appropriate cases.