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Forces sweethearts

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Has anyone successfully challenged the grade of their quarter and WON??

10 replies

AnnasBananas · 08/09/2008 11:38

The background here is we marched into a quarter last September which was a grade 1. We took a while to unpack and settle in and then thought long and hard about the quarter and all the things we found wrong with it. We found the grading criteria on the web (JSP 464 - I suggest EVERYONE read this it is a fountain of information) and thought definitely we should be downgraded. So we wrote to DHE to formally challenge the grade. Fast forward two months later and DHE assessor turns up and spends 1.5 hours going round the house measuring every room and counting power points etc as per the criteria, leaves saying he'll call me next week with his finding. Which he does, he says he will recommend a downgrade to Grade 2. So we then waited seven more months to hear back from the Garrison Commander who turned the grading challenge down???? We cannot understand this at all. So we have appealed but don't really know what this means, will they just refuse it again? Do we get the right to meet and talk about it and put forward our 'case'? Looking to hear from anyone who has been through this process.

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hf128219 · 08/09/2008 12:18

No, sorry! But I can imagine how you feel. I presume on JSP it also mentions the other criteria that comes into play with grading such as nearby shops, bus routes etc.

Good luck!

Romy7 · 08/09/2008 13:37

i've been in two quarters that have been downgraded whilst we were in residence, and one that was upgraded... nowt to do with me, they just do the assessments and sort it out amongst themselves... had no idea that the garrison commander had the final call - sounds fairly bizarre that he would change the decision of the the assessors, surely just a rubber stamp ordinarily?
hope your appeal goes ok, it would be interesting to find out which criteria the commander used to make his decision...

AnnasBananas · 08/09/2008 18:00

JSP 464 is completely specific down to the very last detail about how they grade quarters. It makes for very interesting reading!! So we know we have enough 'deficiencies' to be downgraded we can't understand how the Garrison Commander can then overturn the DHE assessor's recommendation. It's very unfair. We have requested the assessor's report so we can read what's been recorded ourselves. It hasn't helped that for the last five months DH is in Afg so I have been doing all the comms with DHE myself. Can't wait until DH gets back and can help with the housing issues, he is a force to be reckoned with whereas I'm a pushover...

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Drusilla · 08/09/2008 18:53

Have you sopkoen to SSAFA? They might have some advice.

hf128219 · 08/09/2008 19:13

No No No! Don't be a push over! I agree - what the heck has it got to do with the garrison commander??

AnnasBananas · 08/09/2008 19:27

Well, in the case of a Challenge of Grade on New Occupancy (that is what it's called technically) the Garrison Commander makes the final decision after reading the DHE assessor's recommendation. What he (the commander) knows about this sort of thing in detail I can't imagine?? But now that I began the challenge a year ago I am going to fight and fight until there's nothing else we can do. Because it's unfair.

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hf128219 · 08/09/2008 19:36

It does seem strange that the DHE agrees with you but the Garrison Commander overturns it.

Off to read the guidance!

hf128219 · 08/09/2008 19:53

Just had a quick glance - I wonder if they have fallen at the first hurdle?

"If you wish to challenge the grading of your SFA you should do so in writing and address it to the Board of Officers. The board will then examine the challenge within one month"

FourArms · 09/09/2008 07:25

Don't worry too much about timescales - if you do eventually get it downgraded, then they should backdate the overcharge to the date of your challenge due to the amount of time it's taken them (this happened to somebody that made a challenge in our last quarter). Ask the Garrison Commander for details of the last grading (turned out our quarter had never had one!)

AnnasBananas · 10/09/2008 16:13

I'm not too worried about timescales we've been fighting this grading challenge for 11 months now and I can see that this won't be resolved any time soon. This is our 7th quarter and we have never experienced anything like this before and it's completely infuriating. But I will fight it until the end!!

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