Claim for Miscellaneous Expenses Allowance

Questions were raised regarding the reimbursement of previously disallowed miscellaneous expenses claimed by a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission employee incident to his change of station from Massachusetts to Washington D.C. The claims covered the installation of three telephones at the new residence, the cost of reversing the refrigerator door, the cost of postage to return auto license plates to Massachusetts, the cost to reregister the owner's automobile in Maryland, and the cost of a home inspection fee incurred by the employee before purchasing his new residence. GAO held that the claim of replacing the three telephones may be paid since the telephones replaced three telephones at the employee's old residence. Additionally, reimbursement for the cost of removing the refrigerator door so that the refrigerator from the former residence could be used, and the cost to reregister the employee's automobile may be paid as miscellaneous expenses. GAO also held that the employee could be paid for postage to mail auto license plates back to Massachusetts, as the expense was incurred to comply with State law and was necessary to bring the automobile out of the jurisdiction of Massachusetts. However, the claim for reimbursement of the home inspection fee was not allowed as a residence transaction expense since the inspection was not a required service incident to the residence purchase. Moreover, Federal Travel Regulations provide that expenses disallowed under other provisions of the Federal Travel Regulations may not be reimbursed as part of the miscellaneous expenses allowance. Furthermore, GAO held that the amounts reimbursable as miscellaneous expenses may be paid only within the limitation set forth in Federal Travel Regulations. Specifically, the aggregate amount of the miscellaneous expenses allowance may not exceed the employee's basic pay for 2 weeks. Thus, the reclaim voucher submitted by the employee should be allowed accordingly.