FLC OF ACR MLG ACFT TKOF WITHOUT SUFFICIENT RWY LENGTH FOR THE OP CONDUCTED DUE TO PLT RPTED BRAKING ACTION AS 'NIL.'

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ARRIVED STL RWY 10 CONDITIONS -- LAST 2/3 RWY HARD PACK SNOW AND ICE; BRAKING ACTION RPTED POOR. ACTUAL BRAKING ACTION FAIR TO POOR. OFF AND ON LOAD PAX. #2 IN LINE FOR TKOF AT XA40. WE SWITCHED TO TWR AND HEARD FLT; ACR OPERATOR; BEING CLRED FOR TKOF. WE WERE CLRED INTO POS AND HOLD. WE HEARD AN ACFT SAY THAT RWY BRAKING WAS NIL FROM JULIET TO ECHO. TWR CLRED US FOR TKOF AND ISSUED NO BRAKING RPT. WE HAD A NORMAL TKOF AND PROCEEDED TO CLE. THE RETURN FROM CLE TO STL WAS DELAYED DUE TO RWY CLOSURE IN STL BECAUSE THE BRAKING ACTION WAS RPTED AS NIL. NOW THE QUESTION? DID I TAKE OFF ILLEGALLY? IS A PIREP BRAKING ACTION RPT AN ACTUAL RPT OR IS IT ONLY A VALID RPT WHEN ISSUED BY ATC? HAD WE SWITCHED UP TWR SOONER WE MAY HAVE HAD THE BENEFIT OF HEARING ALL XMISSIONS INVOLVED. THOUGH OUR CREW FELT THE NIL RPT INACCURATE; THAT DOES NOT RESOLVE OUR QUESTION. WHEN IS A RPT AN OFFICIAL RPT? IN THE FUTURE; AN INQUIRY OR TWO WOULD CLARIFY ANY QUESTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT HE FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH HIS DECISION TO TKOF EVEN THOUGH IT WENT ALRIGHT. HE WAS INFORMED THAT HE COULD USE THE PREVIOUS PLT'S RPT; WHO LANDED JUST AHEAD AND MAKE A DECISION BASED ON IT AS COMPLYING WITH HIS COMPANY'S OP PROCS MANUAL. AS PIC HE CAN USE THE INFO TO CANCEL THE TKOF. HE REMARKED THAT THE ARPT WAS CLOSED SHORTLY AFTER HIS DEP AND CAUSED HIM A 1 HR GATE HOLD AT HIS DEST BEFORE RETURNING TO THIS ARPT.