(i)
Promptly upon receipt of DD Form 2653 (Appendix C to this part), the designated DFAS official shall review the “application package” to ensure compliance with the requirements of this part. If the application package is complete, the DFAS official shall:
(A)
Complete Section I of DD Form 2654, “Involuntary Allotment Notice and Processing” (Appendix D to this part), by inserting the name, social security number, rank, and branch of service of the military member against whom an application for involuntary allotment is being processed. Additionally, the DFAS official shall provide the due date for receipt of a response at DFAS. The due date shall be 90 days from the date DFAS mails the DD Form 2654 to the commander and member concerned as provided for in
§ 113.6(b)(2)(i)(B).
(B)
Mail one copy of the application package to the member and two copies of the application package, along with DD Form 2654, to the commander of the military member or other official as designated by the Military Service concerned during times of war, national emergency, deployment, or other similar circumstances, who may act for the commander, provided the Military Service concerned has provided DFAS with the name or position of the official and the appropriate address (hereinafter, the meaning of the term “commander” includes such other official).
(C)
Within 60 days of mailing the copies of the application package and DD Form 2654, DFAS shall provide notice to the member and the member's commander that automatic processing of the involuntary allotment application shall occur if a response (including notice of an approved extension as authorized in §
113.6(b)(2)(iii)(B) and
(F), is not received by the due date specified in Section I of DD Form 2654. In the absence of a response, DFAS may automatically process the involuntary allotment application on the fifteenth calendar day after the date a response was due. When DFAS has received notice of an extension, automatic processing shall not begin until the fifteenth calendar day after the approved extension date.
(D)
Retain the original of the application package and DD Form 2654.
(ii)
Upon receipt of an application, the commander shall determine if the member identified in Section I of DD Form 2654 is assigned or attached to the commander's unit and available to respond to the involuntary allotment application. If the member is not assigned or attached, or not available to respond (e.g., retired, in a prisoner of war status, or in a missing in action status), the commander will promptly complete Section II of DD Form 2654 and attach appropriate documentation supporting the determination. The commander will then mail the application package and DD Form 2654 to DFAS. Section II shall also be used by the commander to notify DFAS of extensions beyond the due date for a response contained in Section I of DD Form 2654. When such extensions are authorized, the commander will complete Section II, make a copy of Sections I and II, and promptly mail the copy to DFAS.
(iii)
Within 5 days of receipt of an application package and DD Form 2654 from the designated DFAS official, the commander shall notify the member of the receipt of the application, provide the member a copy of the entire application package, and counsel the member using and completing Section III of DD Form 2654 about the following:
(A)
That an application for the establishment of an involuntary allotment for the lesser of 25 percent of the member's pay subject to involuntary allotment or the maximum percentage of pay subject to garnishment proceedings under the applicable State law has been received.
(B)
That the member has 15 calendar days from the date of receipt of the commander's notice to complete Section IV of DD Form 2654. That for good cause shown, the commander may grant an extension of reasonable time (normally not exceeding 30 calendar days) to submit a response. That during times of deployment, war, national emergency, assignment outside the United States, hospitalization, or other similar situations that prevent the member from obtaining necessary evidence or from responding in a timely manner, extensions exceeding 30 calendar days may be granted. That if the member fails to respond within the time allowed, the commander will note the member's failure to respond in Section V of DD Form 2654 and send the form to DFAS for appropriate action.
(C)
That the member's response will either consent to the involuntary allotment or contest it.
(D)
That the member may contest the application for any one of the following reasons:
(1) There has not been compliance with the procedural requirements of the Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended (50 U.S.C. appendix sections 501-591) during the judicial proceeding upon which the involuntary allotment application is sought.
(2) “Exigencies of military duty” (as defined in 32 CFR part 112.3(d)) caused the “absence” of the member from appearance in a judicial proceeding forming the basis for the judgment upon which the application is sought.
(3) Information in the application is patently false or erroneous in material part.
(4) The judgment has been fully satisfied, superseded, or set aside.
(5) The judgment has been materially amended, or partially satisfied. When asserting this defense, the member shall include evidence of the amount of the judgment that has been satisfied.
(6) There is a legal impediment to the establishment of the involuntary allotment (for example, the judgment debt has been discharged in bankruptcy, the judgment debtor has filed for protection from the creditors under the bankruptcy laws of the United States, the applicant is not the judgment holder nor a proper successor in interest to that holder, or the applicant has been enjoined by a Federal or state court from enforcing the judgment debt).
(7) Or other appropriate reasons that must be clearly specified and explained by the member.
(E)
That, if the member contests the involuntary allotment, the member shall provide evidence (documentary or otherwise) in support thereof. Furthermore, that any evidence submitted by the member may be disclosed to the applicant for the involuntary allotment.
(F)
That the member may consult with a legal assistance attorney, if reasonably available, or a civilian attorney at no expense to the government. That if a legal assistance attorney is available, the member should immediately arrange for an appointment. That the member may request a reasonable delay from the commander to obtain legal assistance (in cases where an approved delay will cause DFAS to receive the member's response after the due date identified in Section I of DD Form 2654, the commander must immediately notify the designated DFAS official of the delay, the date for an expected response, and the reason for the delay by completing Section II of DD Form 2654 and forwarding a copy of Sections I and II to DFAS). Additionally, that requests for extensions of time based on the need for legal assistance shall be denied to members who fail to exercise due diligence in seeking such assistance.
(G)
That if the member contests the involuntary allotment on the grounds that exigencies of military duty caused the absence of the member from the judicial proceeding at which the judgment was rendered, then the member's commander shall review and make the final determination on this contention, and notify the designated DFAS official of the commander's decision by completing Section V of DD Form 2654 and forwarding the form to DFAS.
(1) In determining whether exigencies of military duty caused the absence of the member, the commander at the level designated by the Service concerned shall consider the definition of “exigencies of military duty” (as defined in 32 CFR part 112.3(d)).
(2) Additionally, consideration shall be given to whether the commander at the time determined the military duties in question to be of such paramount importance that they prevented making the member available to attend the judicial proceedings, or rendered the member unable to timely respond to process, motions, pleadings, or orders of the court.
(H)
That if the member contests the involuntary allotment on any basis other than exigencies of military duty, the application package and DD Form 2654 shall be returned to the commander who shall forward it to the designated DFAS official for appropriate action.
(I)
That if the member fails to respond to the commander within the time allowed under
§ 113.6(b)(2)(iii)(B), the commander shall notify the designated DFAS official of the member's failure to respond by completing Section V of DD Form 2654, and forwarding the form to DFAS.
(iv)
After counseling the member in accordance with
§ 113.6(b)(2)(iii)(A)-(I), the commander shall:
(A)
Date and sign Section III of DD Form 2654.
(B)
Obtain the member's acknowledgment of counseling by having the member sign the appropriate space on Section III of DD Form 2654.
(C)
Determine if the member consents to the involuntary allotment or needs the time authorized under this part to review the application package and take appropriate action. If the member consents to the involuntary allotment, the commander shall direct the member to appropriately complete Section IV of DD Form 2654. The commander must then complete the appropriate item in Section V and promptly forward the completed DD Form 2654 to the designated DFAS official.
(D)
Complete the appropriate items in Section V of DD Form 2654 when the member fails to respond within the time authorized for a response, or asserts that exigencies of military duty caused the absence of the member from an appearance in the judicial proceeding upon which the Involuntary Allotment Application is sought.
(1) In determining whether exigencies of military duty caused the absence of the member, the commander, at the level designated by the Service concerned, shall consider the definition of “exigencies of military duty” (as defined in 32 CFR part 112.3(d)), the evidence provided by the member, any other reasonably available evidence (e.g., a copy of the member's personnel record), and whether the commander at the time determined the military duties in question to be of such paramount importance that they prevented making the member available to attend the judicial proceedings, or rendered the member unable to timely respond to process, motions, pleadings, or orders of the court.
(2) The evidentiary standard for a commander to determine whether existences of military duty caused the absence of the member from an appearance in the judicial proceeding upon which the Involuntary Allotment Application is sought is a “preponderance of the evidence” (as defined in § 113.3(d) of this part).
(3) If the commander has made a determination on exigencies of military duty, the commander must insert in Section V of DD Form 2654, the title and address of the appeal authority.
(E)
Promptly following the date the member's response is due to the commander as determined by
§ 113.6(b)(2)(iii)(B), ensure that the DD Form 2654 is appropriately completed and mail the form, along with any response received from the member, to DFAS.
(F)
Provide the member a copy of the completed DD Form 2654 within 5 days of mailing to the designated DFAS official.
(v)
Upon receipt of DD Form 2654 and any additional evidence submitted by the member, the designated DFAS official shall conduct a review of the entire application package, DD Form 2654, and any evidence submitted by the member, to determine whether the application for an involuntary allotment should be approved and established.
(A)
In those cases where the member's commander has completed Section V of DD Form 2654, and determined that exigencies of military duty caused the absence of the member from an appearance in a judicial proceeding upon which the involuntary allotment application is sought, the designated DFAS official shall deny the involuntary allotment application and provide the applicant written notice of the denial and the reason therefor. The designated DFAS official shall also advise the applicant that:
(1) The responsibility for determining whether exigencies of military duty existed belonged to the member's commander and the Military Department concerned.
(2) The commander's decision may be appealed within 60 days of the date DFAS mailed the notice of the decision to the applicant.
(3) An Appeal must be submitted to the appeal authority at the address provided by DFAS (as found in Section V of the DD Form 2654) in their written notice of denial, and that an appeal submitted to an appeal authority and address different from the one provided by DFAS may be returned without action.
(4) An appeal must be submitted in writing and contain sufficient evidence to overcome the presumption that the commander's exigency determination was correct.
(5) The appellate authority shall decide an appeal within 30 days of its receipt and promptly notify the applicant in writing of the decision. The 30 day decision period may be extended during times of deployment, war, national emergency, or other similar situations.
(6) If an appeal is successful, the applicant must submit a written request, along with a copy of the appellate authority's decision, to DFAS within 15 days of receipt of the appellate authority's decision.
(B)
Upon receiving written notice that an applicant has successfully appealed a commander's determination on exigencies of military duty that resulted in denial of an involuntary allotment application, DFAS shall review the application in accordance with
§ 113.6(b)(2)(v)(C), and determine whether the involuntary allotment should be approved and initiated.
(C)
In all cases, other than as described in
§ 113.6(b)(2)(v)(A), the designated DFAS official shall deny an involuntary allotment application, and give written notice to the applicant of the reason(s) for denial, if the designated DFAS official determines that:
(1) There has not been compliance with the procedural requirements of the Soldier's and Sailor's Civil Relief Act of 1940, as amended (50 U.S.C. appendix sections 501-591) during the judicial proceeding upon which the involuntary allotment application is sought.
(2) Information in the application is patently false or erroneous in material part.
(3) The judgment has been fully satisfied, superseded, or set aside.
(4) The judgment has been materially amended, or partially satisfied. In such a case, the request for involuntary allotment may be approved only to satisfy that portion of the judgment that remains in effect and unsatisfied; the remainder of the request shall be denied.
(5) There is a legal impediment to the establishment of the involuntary allotment (for example, the judgment debt has been discharged in bankruptcy, the judgment debtor has filed for protection from the creditors under the bankruptcy laws of the United States, the applicant is not the judgment creditor nor a proper successor in interest to that creditor, or the applicant has been enjoined by a Federal or State court from enforcing the judgment debt).
(6) The member's pay is already subject to one or more involuntary allotments or garnishments that equal the lesser of 25 percent of the member's pay subject to involuntary allotment or the maximum percentage of pay subject to garnishment proceedings under the applicable State law.
(7) The applicant has abused the processing privilege (e.g., an applicant, having been notified of the requirements of this part, repeatedly refuses or fails to comply therewith).
(8) Or other appropriate reasons that must be clearly explained to the applicant.
(D)
In all cases other than as described in
§ 113.6(b)(2)(v) (A) and (C), the designated DFAS official shall approve the involuntary allotment application and establish an involuntary allotment against the pay subject to involuntary allotment of the member.