B-166069, MAR. 13, 1969

B-166069, MAR. 13, 1969

TO MR. HAROLD J. FARRALL:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JANUARY 30, 1969, REQUESTING A DECISION ON THE ENCLOSED VOUCHER OF MR. ANDREW S. BRYCE, FOR ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT OF CERTAIN EXPENSES INCURRED INCIDENT TO HIS TRANSFER FROM MEREDITH, COLORADO, TO PUEBLO, COLORADO, IN NOVEMBER 1968. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE CLAIM IS $29.56 FOR (1) ADDITIONAL MILEAGE ALLOWANCE FOR TRAVEL VIA PRIVATELY OWNED VEHICLES AND (2) FOR MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS.

IN REVIEWING YOUR LETTER AND THE ENCLOSURES IT APPEARS TO US THAT, ALTHOUGH YOUR QUESTION CONCERNING THE PROPER MILEAGE ALLOWANCE RELATES ONLY TO AN ADVANCE TRIP MADE BY MR. BRYCE FOR PURPOSES OF LOCATING HOUSING AT THE NEW STATION, HE IS ALSO CLAIMING ADDITIONAL MILEAGE ALLOWANCE FOR THE TRAVEL PERFORMED IN TWO VEHICLES TO EFFECT THE TRANSFER OR A TOTAL OF $7.94. FOR THE HOUSE HUNTING TRIP MR. BRYCE CLAIMED REIMBURSEMENT ON THE BASIS OF 527 MILES AND THE ALLOWANCE WAS 484 MILES. ON THE TRANSFER MOVEMENT MR. BRYCE CLAIMED REIMBURSEMENT FOR TWO VEHICLES WITH MILEAGES OF 262 MILES AND 263 MILES, RESPECTIVELY. ALLOWANCE WAS MADE FOR 242 MILES FOR EACH CAR.

SECTIONS 2.1 AND 2.2 OF BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56 PROVIDE THAT TRAVEL EXPENSES FOR TRANSFERRING EMPLOYEES WILL BE ALLOWED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS. SECTION 2.3 FURTHER SPECIFIES CONDITIONS FOR USE OF A PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE INCIDENT TO TRANSFER. SECTION 3.2 OF THE STANDARDIZED GOVERNMENT TRAVEL REGULATIONS PROVIDES THAT TRAVEL WILL BE BY "A USUALLY TRAVELED ROUTE.' SECTION 3.5C (1), PARAGRAPH 4, PROVIDES THAT WHERE TRANSPORTATION IS AUTHORIZED OR APPROVED BY PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE, DISTANCES BETWEEN POINTS "WILL BE AS SHOWN IN STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDES OR BY SPEEDOMETER READINGS. ANY SUBSTANTIAL DEVIATIONS * * * WILL BE EXPLAINED.'

IN THIS CASE, THE ADDITIONAL MILEAGE CLAIMED IN EXCESS OF THAT ADMINISTRATIVELY ALLOWED ON THE BASIS OF SPEEDOMETER READINGS, IS A TOTAL OF 84 MILES (43 MILES DIFFERENCE OVER THE ADVANCE TRIP TO LOCATE HOUSING; 20 MILES DIFFERENCE FOR ONE CAR ON TRANSFER TO NEW OFFICIAL STATION; AND 21 MILES DIFFERENCE FOR A SECOND CAR ON TRANSFER TO NEW OFFICIAL STATION). THE ADDITIONAL MILEAGE CLAIMED IS IN EXCESS OF THAT SHOWN BY REFERENCE TO THE RAND-MCNALLY STANDARD HIGHWAY MILEAGE GUIDE FROM WHICH WE HAVE COMPUTED THE MILEAGE BETWEEN GLENWOOD SPRINGS AND PUEBLO AS 242 MILES. MR. BRYCE'S EXPLANATION IS THAT THE LOCATION OF HIS RESIDENCE IS IN "NORTHEAST PUEBLO.' WE DO NOT FIND THIS AN ADEQUATE EXPLANATION.

WE NOTE THAT MR. BRYCE'S CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT FOR MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS IS BASED ON A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MILEAGE STATED ON THE BILL OF LADING OF WESTERN TRANSFER LTD. (227 MILES), AND 245 MILES. THE HIGHER MILEAGE RESULTS IN A DIFFERENCE OF 20 CENTS PER HUNDREDWEIGHT ($6.75 ALLOWED, $6.95 CLAIMED) IN THE COMMUTED RATE. BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56, SECTION 6.4D (1) STATES THE PROCEDURES FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES OF TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS OF TRANSFERRING EMPLOYEES UNDER THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM. IT PROVIDES THAT:

"* * * THE AMOUNT TO BE PAID TO THE EMPLOYEE FOR TRANSPORTATION AND RELATED SERVICES IS COMPUTED BY MULTIPLYING THE NUMBER OF HUNDREDS OF POUNDS SHIPPED * * * BY THE APPLICABLE RATE PER HUNDRED POUNDS FOR THE DISTANCE SHIPPED AS SHOWN IN THE COMMUTED RATE SCHEDULE. THE DISTANCE SHALL BE DETERMINED IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOUSEHOLD GOODS MILEAGE GUIDES FILED WITH THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE COMMISSION. IF THE RATE IS NOT SHOWN IN THE COMMUTED RATE SCHEDULE FOR THE EXACT MILEAGE, THE RATE SHOWN FOR THE NEXT GREATER DISTANCE APPLIES. * * *"

A REFERENCE TO HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIERS' BUREAU MILEAGE GUIDE NO. 9 SHOWS YOUR COMPUTATION AND THE COMPUTATION OF THE CARRIER OF THE DISTANCE INVOLVED TO BE IN AGREEMENT, THAT IS, 227 MILES. WE FIND NOTHING TO SUPPORT MR. BRYCE'S STATEMENT OF 245 MILES.

SECTION 6.4A OF CIRCULAR NO. A-56 DESCRIBING THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM OF REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS STATES THAT REIMBURSEMENT WILL BE MADE "IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHEDULES OF COMMUTED RATES WHICH ARE COMPILED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION TOGETHER WITH INSTRUCTIONS CONCERNING THEIR USE.'

GENERAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATION BULLETIN A-2, SUPP. 12, ATTACHMENT A, JANUARY 31, 1968 (EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 9, 1968), TABLE 3, SETS FORTH THE COMMUTED RATES APPLICABLE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO ON THE DATE OF SHIPMENT, NOVEMBER 5, 1968. FOR A DISTANCE OF 227 MILES THE RATE TO BE APPLIED (ACCORDING TO WEIGHT) WOULD BE THAT FOR THE NEXT GREATER DISTANCE OR 240 MILES. THAT RATE FOR A SHIPMENT OF 8,000-11,000 POUNDS IS $6.75 PER HUNDREDWEIGHT AS PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED. POUNDS IS $6.75 PER HUNDREDWEIGHT AS PREVIOUSLY ALLOWED.

AS WE FIND NO ERROR IN THE ALLOWANCES MADE, ADDITIONAL REIMBURSEMENT IS NOT AUTHORIZED. THE VOUCHER AND ATTACHMENTS ARE RETURNED.