Title 46—Shipping--Volume 1
PART 370—CLAIMS
§ 370.1   Definitions.
(a) Time-barred claim means a claim against the Government, for which the statutory period for filing suit has expired.
(b) Contract includes every agreement or contract entered into by the Maritime Administrator and/or Maritime Subsidy Board, the Director National Shipping Authority or their delegatee.
§ 370.2   General policy.
(a) Time-barred claims shall be rejected, except as follows:
(1) A time-barred claim which could be asserted in court by way of set-off against a claim in favor of the United States arising out of the same contract may be considered in an overall settlement where settlement will result in a net payment to the United States, provided claimant releases the United States from all claims arising from or in any way connected with said contract.
(2) Time-barred claims in favor of friendly foreign governments shall not be rejected solely because they are time-barred. However, should any such government adopt the practice of asserting the statute of limitations as a defense against claims of the United States, the time-barred claims of that government shall be rejected.
(3) Time-barred claims arising under Second Seamen's War Risk insurance (or similar earlier types of crew insurance) where the policy was issued or the risks were assumed by the Maritime Administration (or its predecessors), shall not be rejected where the beneficiaries were precluded from receiving the proceeds of the policy by reason of regulations or orders of the U.S. Government (i) by reason of the beneficiary being physically or mentally unable to present the claim, (ii) by the beneficiaries being unaware of their entitlement to the proceeds in question, or (iii) where the claim is not “stale” under general principles of equity.
(b) For the purpose of a claim by a General Agent under General Agency Agreements set forth in 32A CFR AGE-1 for reimbursement by the Maritime Administration on account of a timely payment made to a third party within a period of limitations running from the date the claim of the third party accrued, the period of limitations applicable to the General Agent shall run from the date of such payment. In all other cases involving claims arising under General Agency Agreements, including third-party claims, the policy provided in paragraph (a) of this section shall apply.
(c) Consideration of any claim governed by applicable regulations in this chapter II, including without limitation parts 272, 292, and 205 of this chapter, shall be controlled by the time limitations expressly provided for with respect to the submission of such claims.