B-144916, FEB. 14, 1961

B-144916, FEB. 14, 1961

TO MR. ROBERT A. HANSCOME:

ON JANUARY 14, 1961, YOU REQUESTED RECONSIDERATION OF OUR OFFICE SETTLEMENT OF JANUARY 3, 1961, WHICH DISALLOWED YOUR CLAIM FOR $183.50, DEDUCTED ADMINISTRATIVELY FROM VOUCHER NO. 5511, WHEREBY YOU CLAIMED REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRAVEL AND TRANSPORTATION EXPENSES INCURRED BY YOU INCIDENT TO TRAVEL DURING THE PERIOD JUNE 11 TO 21, 1960, FROM PARIS, FRANCE, TO WASHINGTON, D.C., ACCOMPANIED BY YOUR DEPENDENT WIFE.

YOU NOW ADVANCE SEVERAL REASONS IN SUPPORT OF YOUR CONTENTION THAT YOU ARE ENTITLED TO THE AMOUNT CLAIMED. CONCERNING THE ADDITIONAL TRANSPORTATION COSTS CLAIMED FOR VESSEL TRAVEL, THE RECORD SHOWS THAT YOU CHOSE TO RETURN BY INDIRECT ROUTE AND THE DISALLOWANCE OF THE $171.50 WAS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE INSTRUCTION OF THE COMPTROLLER GENERAL OF MAY 7, 1958, GOVERNING TRAVEL OF GENERAL ACCOUNTING OFFICE EMPLOYEES BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND POINTS OVERSEAS, AND PROVIDING IN PERTINENT PART AS FOLLOWS:

"TRAVEL BY OTHER THAN A USUALLY TRAVELED DIRECT ROUTE WILL BE ALLOWED, PROVIDED THAT ANY EXCESS COSTS OCCASIONED THEREBY WILL BE BORNE BY THE EMPLOYEE, AND EXCESS TIME CHARGED TO ANNUAL LEAVE. COMPARATIVE COSTS OVER THE USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE WILL USE THE MINIMUM FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODATIONS BY THAT ROUTE.'

REGARDING THE ADDITIONAL PER DIEM ($12) CLAIMED YOU SAY:

"IT IS INCONCEIVABLE TO ME THAT WHEN A WIFE IS INCLUDED ON A TRAVEL ORDER THAT HER ILLNESS IS NOT JUSTIFICATION FOR PER DIEM, WHEN SHE IS ILL AND UNABLE TO TRAVEL. APPARENTLY PER YOUR STATEMENTS, I WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE HER SICK AND UNCARED FOR TO FINISH MY TRAVEL.'

THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS DO NOT PROVIDE FOR ALLOWANCE OF ADDITIONAL PER DIEM IF A DEPENDENT BECOMES INCAPACITATED AND THE EMPLOYEE IS DELAYED EN ROUTE SOLELY FOR THAT REASON.

YOU SAY:

"I HAVE A MEMORANDUM RECORD FROM THE EMBASSY TRANSPORTATION SECTION IN PARIS WHICH CONCLUSIVELY PROVES THAT THE $14 REPRESENTING THE TRANSPORTATION FROM PARIS TO LE HAVRE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE $500 PER PASSAGE, THEREFORE THE $14 IS NOT OWED TO YOU.'

THIS AMOUNT ($14) WAS INCLUDED IN THE $849 ALLOWED FOR PASSAGE FROM NAPLES TO NEW YORK, COMPUTED ON THE COST OF RAIL FROM PARIS TO LE HAVRE AND THE COST OF MINIMUM ACCOMMODATIONS ON THE UNITED STATES FROM LE HAVRE TO NEW YORK (T/R A1,941,348). YOU AGAIN CLAIMED AND WERE ERRONEOUSLY PAID THIS AMOUNT ON VOUCHER NO. 3178, PAID IN THE SUM OF $83.51.

UPON REVIEW, THEREFORE, WE HOLD THAT OUR SETTLEMENT OF JANUARY 3, 1961, WAS CORRECT AND IS HEREBY SUSTAINED. THE OVERPAYMENT OF $14 SHOULD BE REFUNDED AS PROVIDED IN THE SETTLEMENT.

IN COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR REQUEST, WE ARE ENCLOSING COPIES OF VOUCHERS BU.NO. 3178 AND BU.NO. 5511.