[BIA Employee's Claim for Miscellaneous Relocation Expenses]

The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) requested a decision regarding the calculation of a transferred employee's miscellaneous expense allowance. GAO held that BIA properly included forfeited deposit money, telephone and cable television installation, piano tuning, and vehicle registration expenses in the claimant's miscellaneous expense allowance. In addition, GAO held that the claimant's miscellaneous expense allowance should also include: (1) liquidated damages and court costs he incurred from a breach-of-contract judgement caused by his transfer; (2) the cost for both the claimant's and his wife's new driver's licenses; (3) post office box rental costs; and (4) the cost of telephone calls he made concerning allowable expenses. Accordingly, the claim was allowed.