the proper periods of time. See paragraph 7-3 c for more information on "time-event"
dispositions.
c. Files cut off instructions. Files with permanent retention or retention of a specific number
of years cut off at the end of the year in which action on the record has been completed. The
retention period does not begin until the records have been cut off. Files with a continuing type
of disposition, such as "Destroy when no longer needed for current operations," are not cut off.
Review them annually and remove and destroy individual records within such files when no
longer needed.
d. Disposition instructions. There are three types of disposition instructions in MARKS based
on "time," "event," and "time-event."
(1)
With a "time" disposition, a record is cut off at the end of the month for a 30-day
disposition, at the end of the quarter for a three month disposition, semiannually for a 6-month
disposition, or at the end of the year for a 1-year or more disposition, held for the specified
period, and then destroyed. All such records which accumulate for a calendar year or "COFF 30
Sep 91, Dest Oct 92" for a fiscal year.
(2)
With an "event" disposition, the records are destroyed upon or immediately after
the specified event occurs. There is no waiting period, as with the time disposition. As an
example, consider the disposition instruction " Destroy after all corrections have been made and
processed." When all corrections have been made and processed, remove the document from the
file and destroy it. This disposition on the file label would read, "Dest when all corrections have
been made and processed."
(3)
With a combination "time-event" disposition, a record is disposed of a certain
period of time after an event takes place.
(a) This disposition requires a creation of two folders, ACTIVE and INACTIVE.
The active folder label does not show a year of accumulation, because it contains (in the example
given above) all records of a case that has not yet been completed. It is in the "event" phase of
the disposition, and it may be several years before the case is completed. Once a case is
completed, the information is moved into the INACTIVE folder. This folder label does not show
a year of accumulation, because the information is now in the "time" phase of the disposition.
The INACTIVE folder need not be created until the "event" phase of the disposition has
occurred and the "time" phase is starting.
(b) The event is the trigger that causes the record to become inactive. It is then cut
off at the end of that year, held for the specified time period, then disposed of. For example, with
the disposition instruction "Destroy two years after close of case," the record will remain in an
ACTIVE file until the case is closed. At that time, move it from the ACTIVE to the INACTIVE
file. The entire INACTIVE file will be cut off at the end of the year, held for 2 years, then
destroyed. The ACTIVE file label would read, "ACTIVE. PIF on close of case." The disposition
on the INACTIVE label will read, "INACTIVE. COFF 31 Dec 92, Dest Jan 95."
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