32 CFR § 536.82 - Reopening an MCA claim after final action by a settlement authority.

(a) Original approval or settlement authority (including TAJAG, TJAG, Secretary of the Army, or the Secretary's designees).

(1) An original settlement authority may reconsider the denial of, or final offer on, a claim brought under the MCA upon request of the claimant or the claimant's authorized agent. In the absence of such a request, the settlement authority may on his or her initiative reconsider a claim.

(2) An original approval or settlement authority may reopen and correct action on an MCA claim previously settled in whole or in part (even if a settlement agreement has been executed) when it appears that the original action was incorrect in law or fact based on the evidence of record at the time of the action or subsequently received. For errors in fact, the new evidence must not have been discoverable at the time of final action by either the Army or the claimant through the exercise of reasonable diligence. Corrective action may also be taken when an error contrary to the parties' mutual understanding is discovered in the original action. If the settlement or approval authority determines that their original action was incorrect, they will modify the action and, if appropriate, make a supplemental payment. The basis for a change in action will be stated in a memorandum included in the file. For example, a claim was settled for $15,000, but the settlement agreement was typed to read “$1,500” and the error is not discovered until the file is being prepared for payment. If appropriate, a corrected payment will be made. A settlement authority who has reason to believe that a settlement was obtained by fraud on the part of the claimant or claimant's legal representative, will reopen action on that claim and, if the belief is substantiated, correct the action. The basis for correcting an action will be stated in a memorandum and included in the file.

(b) A successor approval or settlement authority (including TAJAG, TJAG, Secretary of the Army, or the Secretary's designees)—(1) Reconsideration. A successor approval or settlement authority may reconsider the denial of, or final offer on, an MCA claim upon request of the claimant or the claimant's authorized agent only on the basis of fraud, substantial new evidence, errors in calculation, or mistake (misinterpretation) of law.

(2) Settlement correction. A successor approval or settlement authority may reopen and correct a predecessor's action on a claim that was previously settled in whole or in part for the same reasons that an original authority may do so.

(c) Time requirement for filing request for reconsideration. Requests postmarked more than five years from the date of mailing of final notice will be denied based on the doctrine of laches.

(d) Finality of action. Action by the appropriate authority (either affirming the prior action or granting full or granting full or partial relief) is final under the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 2735. Action upon a request for reconsideration constitutes final administrative disposition of a claim. No further requests for reconsideration will be allowed except on the basis of fraud.