Limitations on assistance.

§ 17.158 Limitations on assistance. (a) An eligible person shall not be entitled to adaptive equipment for more than two automobiles or other conveyances at any one time or during any four-year period except when due to circumstances beyond control of such person, one of the automobiles or conveyances for which adaptive equipment was provided during the applicable four-year period is no longer available for the use of such person. (1) Circumstances beyond the control of the eligible person are those where the vehicle was lost due to fire, theft, accident, court action, or when repairs are so costly as to be prohibitive or a different vehicle is required due to a change in the eligible person's physical condition. (2) For purposes of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, an eligible person shall be deemed to have access to and use of an automobile or other conveyance for which the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided adaptive equipment if that person has sold, given or transferred the vehicle to a spouse, family member or other person residing in the same household as the eligible person, or to a business owned by such person. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3903) (b) Eligible persons may be reimbursed for the actual cost of adaptive equipment subject to a dollar amount for specific items established from time to time by the Under Secretary for Health. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3902) (c) Reimbursement for a repair to an item of adaptive equipment is limited to the current vehicles of record and only to the basic components authorized as automobile adaptive equipment. Reimbursable amounts for repairs are limited to the cost of parts and labor based on the amounts published in generally acceptable commercial estimating guides for domestic automobiles. (Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3902) [53 FR 46608, Nov. 18, 1988. Redesignated and amended at 61 FR 21966, 21968, May 13, 1996]