Maj. Marcus Brauer calls for review after losing moving compensation case

A member of the Canadian military, who lost his bid to recover thousands of dollars he lost in a move, says it's time the auditor general review how the Treasury Board oversees relocation compensation.

Maj. Marcus Brauer says he was told by a branch of the military Thursday that the Treasury Board had reviewed his housing claims and found the market in Alberta was not depressed in 2010 when Brauer sold his home at a loss of $88,000. Brauer had to sell because he was posted to Halifax.

Brauer says the Treasury Board made calculation errors. He claims the board omitted four properties in Bon Accord, Alta., because they were considered empty lots.

Brauer says those properties had a purchase price that included a house, and said those prices fell by 25 per cent and affected the assessment to his detriment.

"That made their report invalid," he said.

"The Treasury Board is acting like an unscrupulous insurance agent and trying to find any possible way they can to deny the claims. Even so far as contradicting themselves, making up data, withholding information from access to information requests.

"It's been a real maladministration of the policy. I don't think anyone should have to go through this process to get something they're entitled to and promised."

'I won't be satisfied'

Brauer says it's time the auditor general of Canada review how the home equity assistance program is handled for military members.

"It shouldn't be put on the back of a solider to resolve this," he said.

"If people can't trust the policies that are put in place and have to fight for five years with the evidence on their side and the support of the military, the ombudsman, the federal court, and still be turned down by Treasury Board, I think that speaks volumes as far as how much they can trust their own policy."

He calls the process he's been through "laughable."

Brauer said he's already taken his new concerns up the chain of command to ask for an adjudication, but would like to avoid going to court again.

"I won't be satisfied until the Treasury Board relents, understands they can't do this to other human beings and we're not the enemy," he said.

He says he's heard from people who've experienced the same type of equity loss and didn't go through the appeal process.

"I've seen people who have lost their families, who've had to declare bankruptcy, single family moms that are carrying two mortgages," Brauer said.

"People that have just quit the army because they'd rather quit the army and walk away than go through the fight we have."