Claim for Househunting Expenses of Spouse Incident to Official Change of Duty Station

An employee of the General Services Administration requested payment for expenses incurred by his wife in connection with a househunting trip incident to his official change of duty station. The Regional Commissioner directing the employee's transfer verbally approved of the househunting trip, but appropriate authorization was not obtained in advance. The lack of proper advance written authorization as the result of administrative error may be retroactively corrected; in this case, however, the Acting Regional Administrator, not the Acting Regional Commissioner, was vested with authority to authorize travel. Since the proper authority was not aware of the trip, the employee may not be reimbursed.