Matter of: Nancy J. Ronk File: B-248172 Date: July 28, 1992
Highlights
Whose duty station and commuting residence were in Texas. Was on a temporary duty assignment in Atlanta. Her claim for the transportation expense to Shelbyville is denied since reimbursable weekend travel is limited to travel to the duty station or place of abode. Whose official duty station is in Dallas. Whose residence is in Euless. Was performing temporary duty (TDY) travel in Atlanta. Ronk's actual transportation expenses were $119.64. For which she claims reimbursement on the basis that such expenses were less than the constructive cost of 2 nights lodging of $156 ($78 per day) in Atlanta. Our decisions have routinely denied claims for transportation expenses for travel to a place other than the employee's residence or post of duty.
Matter of: Nancy J. Ronk File: B-248172 Date: July 28, 1992
CIVILIAN PERSONNEL Travel Temporary duty Travel expenses Additional costs Personel convenience An employee, whose duty station and commuting residence were in Texas, was on a temporary duty assignment in Atlanta, Georgia. She traveled to her parents' home in Shelbyville, Tennessee, for personal reasons over the weekend of April 26-28, 1991. Her claim for the transportation expense to Shelbyville is denied since reimbursable weekend travel is limited to travel to the duty station or place of abode, under the Federal Travel Regulations.
DECISION
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) asks whether the claim of Nancy J. Ronk for transportation expenses incurred for personal reasons over the weekend of April 26-28, 1991, may be certified for payment. [1] For the following reasons, this claim may not be paid.
Ms. Ronk, an EPA employee, whose official duty station is in Dallas, Texas, and whose residence is in Euless, Texas, was performing temporary duty (TDY) travel in Atlanta, Georgia. During the weekend of April 26-28, 1991, Ms. Ronk elected to travel to Shelbyville, Tennessee, for personal reasons. Ms. Ronk's actual transportation expenses were $119.64, for which she claims reimbursement on the basis that such expenses were less than the constructive cost of 2 nights lodging of $156 ($78 per day) in Atlanta. The EPA has reimbursed Ms. Ronk for her meals and incidental expenses for 2 days but not lodging expenses since she stayed with her parents in Shelbyville.
In regard to temporary absences from a temporary duty station, 41 C.F.R. Sec. 301-7.15(b)(4) (1991), Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) limits reimbursement for the transportation expenses to voluntary weekend return travel to the employee's "official station or place of abode." Our decisions have routinely denied claims for transportation expenses for travel to a place other than the employee's residence or post of duty, notwithstanding that the amount claimed may be less than the lodging cost would have been at the temporary duty location. Philip J. Sullivan, B-205696, June 15, 1982; James R. Curry, B-208791, Jan. 24, 1983; Thomas H. Hall, B-209100, May 9, 1983. The fact that the amount claimed for the transportation is less that the cost of lodging would have been had the employee remained at the TDY location does not entitle her to reimbursement for transportation costs incurred for personal reasons. Thomas H. Hall, B-209100, supra; and Philip J. Sullivan, B-205696, supra.
Accordingly, the agency's denial of Ms. Ronk's claim was correct and is sustained.
1. This request was submitted by David P. Ryan, Comptroller, Office of Administration and Resources Management, EPA, Washington, D.C.