TEXAS STATE BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE USFSPA

Since my wife's attorney falsely alleged to DFAS a Court order was final and 
had ex-spouse payments wrongfully taken from my retired pay account with no 
valid Court order, I submitted a report of Attorney Misconduct to the Texas 
State Bar Association (about my then-wife's attorney).

In November, 1995, the State Bar Association formed an Investigatory 
Committee and conducted an hearing on the matter.
  
However, the findings of the Committee was there was "insufficient evidence" 
my then-wife's attorney committed any wrongdoing and the State Bar 
Association dropped the matter.  

The investigatory committee's finding occurred despite the attorney already 
falsely certifying the November, 1994 was final when it was not.


SEE HOW DIFFICULT IT IS TO GET:  1.  DFAS TO ADMIT DFAS MADE AN ERROR;  2.  
DFAS TO CORRECT A DFAS ERROR 

When I received notification from DFAS my spouse had died, I sent a certified 
return registered receipt letter to DFAS stating:

1.  my wife had not died,

2.  SBP coverage should not have been stopped,

3.  SBP coverage for my spouse should be reinstituted (and my pay deducted) 
since no divorce had yet occurred.

DFAS never responded to the letter and never made changes I requested.  

To resolve the matter, I contacted my local U.S. Congressional Representative 
in May, 1995 to assist in correcting the problems of DFAS starting an 
ex-spouse payment for a spouse and paying me SBP funds I was not due at that 
time.

DFAS did respond to the Congressional inquiry.  Also, afterwards, DFAS 
responded to me, but incorrectly.  


-  First, DFAS claimed I was sent a notification letter in January, 1995 
advising me ex-spouse payments would start in March, 1995.  

[This was blatantly false since DFAS never provided a copy of the 
notification letter and did not when I subsequently requested a copy of the 
letter.  A copy was not provided until December, 1995 and that illegal copy 
could have been backdated.]


-  Second, DFAS claimed it conducted an audit of my account and determined I 
was paid SBP when I should not have been.  
   
   As a result, DFAS claimed that because I was overpaid I would be assessed 
an interest penalty on extra funds I received.  

   Consequently, DFAS began to deduct SBP amounts plus interest charges from 
my retired pay account after I had requested DFAS correct this error by 
certified mail in March, 1995.  
  
   In December, 1995, after three requests to a local Congressman, DFAS 
finally agreed the interest penalty was incorrect and I was refunded interest 
charges since DFAS did not make the changes I initially requested.