report of survey. Likewise, any commanding officer may direct the appointment of an
investigating officer under the authority of AR 15-6 to determine pecuniary liability for
property book items.
3-20. PECUNIARY LIABILITY
It is important to understand responsibility because the property book officer
must obtain relief from responsibility and/or accountability for items that are lost,
damaged, or destroyed. Either the item was lost, damaged, or destroyed through no
fault or neglect or someone should be held pecuniarily liable.
a. Pecuniary liability is a personal, joint, or corporate monetary obligation to
make good any loss, damage, or destruction of property resulting from willful
misconduct or neglect.
(1) Willful misconduct. Any intentionally wrongful or unlawful act dealing
with the property concerned.
(2) Negligence. An act or omission that a reasonable person would not
commit under similar circumstances.
b. In any case where property of the DA is lost, damaged, or destroyed by
causes other than fair wear and tear in the service, a report of surveyor some other
administrative action must be accomplished to determine: (1) the facts concerning the
loss, damage, or destruction of government property; (2) the amount thereof; (3) the
liability therefore; and (4) whether the individual having accountability and/or
responsibility should be relieved of accountability and/or responsibility without charge or
held pecuniarily liable for the particular item.
3-21. TURN-IN PROCEDURE
Let us first discuss the turn-in procedure. Installation supply activities are
responsible for receiving unserviceable property and, by technical inspections,
determining the cause of unserviceability (fair wear and tear or otherwise) and
subsequent disposition. Therefore, if property is physically on hand that has become
unserviceable through fair wear and tear without apparent fault or neglect, then the
property will be turned in on a DA Form 2765-1 (Request for Issue or Turn-In) or a DA
Form 3161 (Request for Issue or Turn-In). Both forms have the same title. An
exception to the above procedure is the case of the installation supply officer who has
determined that the item is unserviceable from fair wear and tear and classifies the item
as obvious scrap or salvage and directs that it be turned in to the property disposal
officer (POD). In such cases, the turn-in slip will be annotated by the supply officer
showing that the item is of no value except as salvage or scrap and the unserviceable
property will be turned in to the POD. DA Form 2765-1 or DA Form 3161 may also be
used for the turn-in of property that is excess or unauthorized.
MD0029
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