Need Board Of Veterans Appeals Fax Number, Please

[vaf]

Does anyone have a current fax number for the Board of Appeals for Veterans' Claims?

The 202-565-4720 number that's listed on the VA website doesn't pick up, we've been trying for two days to send something. Evidently, it's been changed and has become top secret information.

I'm sending something to James Terry, Chairman of the Board, so if anyone has a fax number for this gentleman in particular, I would greatly appreciate the information.

Thanks!

[carlie]

Yes, I printed hard copies of all of the IRIS responses, and I'm copying the VARO, the Board, the Appeals Management Center, and my Congressman with all of it. I'm mailing it and have also scanned and e-mailed everything, with a cover letter.

vaf,

I'd really think it over prior to sending anything to a Congress critter.

It usually slows things down more with very little results because VA

will just lie to cover their azz with them.

jmho,

carlie

[vaf]

Normally, I'd agree with you Carlie. But this remanded appeal has a Board docket number from 1994, so that gives you some idea how long we've been waiting.

The Board remanded it twice to the VARO, who did nothing, then twice to the AMC, and the only reason the AMC responded (in October 2008) with an SSOC is because we filed a Writ of Mandamus with the Court (in April 2008) forcing the issue.

We filed an NOD with both the AMC and the Board in November 2008, and to this day have not heard another word on this remand.

If it hadn't been for the Congressman sending us a copy of Chairman Terry's letter, we still wouldn't know what was going on with this. We've yet to be contacted by any part of the VA about this decision.

That's why we contacted the Congress critter as a last resort.

[Pete53]

You have to be very careful about faxing the VA. Always follow up your fax my mailing a true and correct copy under cover letter.

The reason is I was sending faxes of critical information to the Muskogee VARO for Education benefits for my kids and when nothing happened I asked what happened to my faxes and a nice person told me that oh that fax had a paper loading problem and has not worked for over 3 months.

Just cause you send a fax and have confirmation on your end does not mean they got it or it got to the right place.

Good Luck

email is much better than faxes in my opinion Especially when you make your own copy with a date on it

Always make sure that you have a date on anything you sned to VA and watch out for spoilation.

[vaf]

Are we still in the window that would allow us to claim the VA shredded the NOD we mailed certified last November?

[broncovet]

VAF

Yes, that is in the time frame..you can still send a "Special Claims Handling" request for shredded evidence up until November 14, 2009. More information is here:

http://www.vba.va.gov/VBA/SpecialProcedures_qa.asp

[vaf]

That policy says the paperwork must have been originally submitted between April 14, 2007, and October 14, 2008 -- we submitted the NOD on November 21, 2008 to an SSOC dated October 31, 2008. It doesn't look like we'd be considered for special claims handling.

Are these dates firm, with no wiggle room, does anyone know?