Claim for Relocation Expenses

A decision was requested concerning the propriety of reimbursing a Federal employee for a loan origination fee and a loan processing fee in connection with his permanent change of station. The employee also appealed the amount of his liability for excess weight charges applicable to the transportation of his household goods. The loan origination fee and the loan processing fee are not reimbursable, because they are finance charges. The employee contended that the loan origination fee was the same as a VA or FHA application fee, both of which are reimbursable, and that the loan processing fee was a charge for an appraisal and credit report; however, the settlement sheet showed that the loan origination fee was not an application fee. Since there was no documentation to indicate what was included in the loan processing fee, it had to be treated as a loan processing fee. Absent an itemization and allocation of a cost to demonstrate excludable charges, loan fees are finance charges and, thus, not reimbursable. The employee also contended that the weight limitation placed on the transportation of household goods was too low for the size of his family. In addition, he felt that, since he packed about one-third of his household goods, he should get credit for the savings to the Government for packing and that a deduction for containerization should have been applied to his shipment. The weight limitation is statutory and may not be waived. When an employee ships his goods on an actual expense method, as was done here, there is no authority to give an employee credit when he does his own packing. Since the record did not indicate that the shipment was containerized, the weight listed on the bill of lading is the weight for which the employee must be charged. Thus, the employee exceeded the weight limitation and is liable for the costs incurred.