Relief, by the issue of a substitute bond or by payment, is authorized for the loss, theft, destruction, mutilation, or defacement of a bond after receipt by the owner or his or her representative. As a condition for granting relief, the Commissioner of the Fiscal Service, as designee of the Secretary of the Treasury, may require a bond of indemnity, in the form, and with the surety, or security, he or she considers necessary to protect the interests of the United States. In all cases, the claimant or claimants must identify the lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or defaced savings bond or savings bonds by serial number or serial numbers and must submit satisfactory evidence of the loss, theft, or destruction, or a satisfactory explanation of the mutilation or defacement.

(a) If the serial numbers of the lost, stolen, or destroyed bonds are known, the claimant should execute an application for relief on the appropriate form and submit it to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328.

(b) If the bond serial numbers are not known, the claimant must provide sufficient information to enable the Bureau of the Fiscal Service to identify the bond by serial number. See § 360.29(c). The Bureau will furnish the proper application form and instructions.

(c) A defaced bond and all available fragments of a mutilated bond should be submitted to a Federal Reserve Office listed in § 360.1(b)(2) or the Bureau of the Fiscal Service.

(d) The application must be made by the person or persons (including both coowners, if living) authorized under the regulations in this part to request payment of the bond. In addition:

(1) If the bond is in beneficiary form and the owner and beneficiary are both living, the application must be made by the owner, and the beneficiary may also be required to join in the application to protect the interests of the United States.

(2) If a minor named on a bond as owner, coowner, or beneficiary is not of sufficient competency and understanding to request payment, the parents or other person authorized to request payment under § 360.63 will ordinarily be required to join in the application.

(e) If the application is approved on or before February 14, 2014, relief will be granted either by the issuance of a bond bearing the same issue date as the bond for which the claim was filed or by payment. If the application is approved after February 14, 2014, relief will be granted either by the issuance of a book-entry bond bearing the same issue date as the bond for which the claim was filed or by payment.

If a bond issued on any transaction is not received, the issuing agent must be notified as promptly as possible and given all information available about the nonreceipt. An appropriate form and instructions will be provided. If the application is approved on or before February 14, 2014, relief will be granted by the issuance of a bond bearing the same issue date as the bond that was not received. If the application is approved after February 14, 2014, relief will be granted by the issuance of a book-entry bond bearing the same issue date as the bond that was not received or by payment. Also, relief is authorized for the issuance of bonds for which the Secretary has not received payment, in order to preserve public confidence in dealing with issuing agents.

(a) If a bond reported lost, stolen, destroyed, or not received, is recovered or received before relief is granted, the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Parkersburg, WV 26106-1328, must be notified promptly.

(b) A bond for which relief has been granted is the property of the United States and, if recovered, must be promptly submitted to the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, Parkersburg, 26106-1328, for cancellation.

(a) General. The Bureau of the Fiscal Service will adjudicate claims for lost, stolen or destroyed bonds on the basis of records created and regularly maintained in the ordinary course of business.

(b) Claims filed 10 years after payment. Any claim filed 10 years or more after the recorded date of redemption or other retirement will be barred.

(c) Claims filed 10 years after maturity. Any claim filed 10 years or more after the maturity of a savings bond will be barred.