B-154824, AUG. 11, 1964
Highlights
YOUR DOUBT IN THE MATTER ARISES BECAUSE TWO AUTOMOBILES WERE USED FOR THE TRAVEL AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND THE QUESTION IS RAISED AS TO THE METHOD OF COMPUTING THE COMPARATIVE COST. THAT IS. HE WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE AT A MILEAGE RATE OF 12 CENTS NOT TO EXCEED COST BY COMMON CARRIER. HIS DEPENDENTS WERE AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE EMPLOYEE AT A MILEAGE RATE OF 12 CENTS NOT TO EXCEED COMMON CARRIER COST. HE WAS ALSO AUTHORIZED SHIPMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS. IN THIS CASE IT IS INDICATED THAT THE TOTAL COST BY AUTOMOBILE IS LESS THAN THE TOTAL COST BY COMMON CARRIER. AS THE TRAVEL ORDER DOES NOT CLEARLY INDICATE THAT SEPARATE COMPARISONS ARE REQUIRED THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT CLAIMED BY THE EMPLOYEE APPEARS PROPER FOR ALLOWANCE.
B-154824, AUG. 11, 1964
TO MR. J. E. FOWLER, JR., AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER, UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR:
THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 27, 1964, WITH ENCLOSURES, REQUESTING OUR DECISION AS TO THE PROPRIETY OF CERTIFYING FOR PAYMENT THE VOUCHER THEREWITH SUBMITTED IN FAVOR OF MR. KENNETH D. BABER FOR $1,156.34. THE VOUCHER REPRESENTS REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER OF STATION.
YOUR DOUBT IN THE MATTER ARISES BECAUSE TWO AUTOMOBILES WERE USED FOR THE TRAVEL AT DIFFERENT TIMES AND THE QUESTION IS RAISED AS TO THE METHOD OF COMPUTING THE COMPARATIVE COST, THAT IS, WHETHER THE COSTS OF THE SEPARATE TRAVEL OF THE EMPLOYEE AND HIS DEPENDENTS BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILES SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE SEPARATE COSTS BY COMMON CARRIER OR WHETHER THE TOTAL COST OF THE TRAVEL BY PRIVATELY-OWNED AUTOMOBILES SHOULD BE LIMITED TO THE TOTAL COST BY COMMON CARRIER.
TRAVEL ORDER DATED AUGUST 26, 1963, DIRECTED MR. BABER TO MAKE A CHANGE OF OFFICIAL STATION FROM MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, TO WASHINGTON, D.C. HE WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE AT A MILEAGE RATE OF 12 CENTS NOT TO EXCEED COST BY COMMON CARRIER. HIS DEPENDENTS WERE AUTHORIZED TO TRAVEL BY AUTOMOBILE SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE EMPLOYEE AT A MILEAGE RATE OF 12 CENTS NOT TO EXCEED COMMON CARRIER COST. HE WAS ALSO AUTHORIZED SHIPMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS. THE INFORMATION FURNISHED SHOWS THAT MR. BABER DEPARTED MINNEAPOLIS SEPTEMBER 14, 1963, TRAVELING ALONE BY AUTOMOBILE. MRS. BABER DEPARTED MINNEAPOLIS OCTOBER 15, 1963, BY AUTOMOBILE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE CHILDREN.
IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY REQUIREMENT IN THE TRAVEL ORDER THAT THE COSTS OF SEPARATE TRAVEL BY AN EMPLOYEE AND HIS DEPENDENTS BY PRIVATELY-OWNED AUTOMOBILES BE LIMITED TO SEPARATE COSTS BY COMMON CARRIER, WE PERCEIVE NO OBJECTION TO ALLOWING THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE MILEAGE FOR BOTH AUTOMOBILES (PLUS PER DIEM FOR THE EMPLOYEE) IF SUCH COST DOES NOT EXCEED THE TOTAL COST BY COMMON CARRIER (PLUS PER DIEM). IN THIS CASE IT IS INDICATED THAT THE TOTAL COST BY AUTOMOBILE IS LESS THAN THE TOTAL COST BY COMMON CARRIER. THEREFORE, AND AS THE TRAVEL ORDER DOES NOT CLEARLY INDICATE THAT SEPARATE COMPARISONS ARE REQUIRED THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT CLAIMED BY THE EMPLOYEE APPEARS PROPER FOR ALLOWANCE.
WE NOTE THAT THE VOUCHER PROPOSES PAYMENT FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE MAXIMUM OF 7,000 POUNDS OF THE EMPLOYEE'S HOUSEHOLD GOODS A DISTANCE OF 1,086 MILES AT THE COMMUTED RATE OF $11.70 PER HUNDRED WEIGHT. THE BILL OF LADING NO. 61512 SHOWS THAT THE HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE SHIPPED OCTOBER 11, 1963. HOWEVER, GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION CIRCULAR NO. 263, REVISION NO. 4, DATED SEPTEMBER 30, 1963 (EFFECTIVE FOR SHIPMENTS BEGINNING ON OR AFTER OCTOBER 1, 1963) PRESCRIBES A COMMUTED RATE OF $11.25 PER HUNDRED WEIGHT FOR SHIPMENT OF 7,000 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS A DISTANCE OF 1,086 MILES.
ACTION ON THE VOUCHER (WHICH IS RETURNED TOGETHER WITH ACCOMPANYING PAPERS) SHOULD BE TAKEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING.