Request for Reimbursement of Relocation Expenses

An advance decision was requested regarding reimbursement of real estate expenses claimed by an employee of the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The record showed that the employee sold a residence at her official duty station and purchased a residence in Scottsdale, Arizona, a year before her travel authorization was issued. The employee indicated that her first attempt to transfer fell through. At that time, she had already sold her house and purchased the house in Scottsdale. In a prior decision, GAO held that the reimbursement of expenses incurred prior to or in anticipation of a transfer of official duty station may be allowed only if the travel order subsequently issued includes authorization for expenses on the basis of a previously existing administrative intention, clearly evident at the time the expenses were incurred by the employee, to transfer the employee. In that decision, GAO noted that, where an employee has relocated his or her residence prior to the transfer, relocation expenses shall be reimbursed only if the agency determines that the relocation was incident to the change of official station. There was no evidence in the record of a previously existing intention to transfer the employee. Accordingly, the expenses claimed by the employee may not be certified for payment.