Reimbursement for House-Hunting Trip Expenses

A former GAO employee appealed a Claims Division settlement denying his claim for house-hunting trip expenses incident to a permanent change of station. The claimant made his house-hunting trip after receiving verbal authorization from an official who was not authorized to make such authorization. However, since written travel orders from an authorized source were not issued until after the claimant returned from his trip, the expenses were incurred without proper authorization. The Government cannot be bound beyond the actual authority conferred upon its agents by statute or by regulations, and the circumstances of the instant case did not conform to the requirements of possible exceptions to this point of law. Accordingly, the Claims Division denial was sustained. The claimant also requested advice as to his legal rights of appeal. He was advised that, independent of the jurisdiction of GAO, the U.S. Court of Claims and the U.S. District courts have jurisdiction to consider claims against the Government if suit is filed within 6 years after the claim first accrued.