B-167488, AUG. 13, 1969

B-167488, AUG. 13, 1969

CIVIL PAY - TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS DECISION TO CERTIFYING OFFICER OF THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, DEPARTMENT AMOUNT FOR TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO CHANGE OF STATION. OF THE INTERIOR, AUTHORIZING CERTIFICATION OF CLAIM FOR ADDITIONAL CHARGE FOR TRANSPORTING HOUSEHOLD GOODS FROM STORAGE TO EMPLOYEE'S RESIDENCE WHICH WAS DISALLOWED ON BASIS THAT AMOUNT REPRESENTED LINE HAUL FREIGHT CHARGE MAY BE ALLOWED SINCE CHARGE WAS IN CONNECTION WITH TEMPORARY STORAGE RATHER THAN INCIDENT TO LINE-HAUL TRANSPORTATION. SINCE ACTUAL STORAGE CHARGES INCLUDING DRAYAGE DO NOT EXCEED MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE ON COMMUTED RATE BASIS IT MAY BE ALLOWED.

TO MR. A. E. DAZELL:

WE REFER TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 11, 1969, WITH ENCLOSURES, REFERENCE 2- 363, REQUESTING OUR DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT A VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF MR. BURKE GILES TO REIMBURSE HIM AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HIS HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER OF OFFICIAL STATION.

BY TRAVEL ORDER DATED OCTOBER 10, 1968, MR. GILES, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE BUREAU OF RECLAMATION, WAS AUTHORIZED TO TRANSPORT HIS HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS FROM QUINCY, WASHINGTON, TO TRACY, CALIFORNIA. THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS, WEIGHING 8,010 POUNDS, WERE PICKED UP BY BEKINS VAN LINES ON NOVEMBER 4, 1968, AND TRANSPORTED A DISTANCE OF 806 MILES TO THE PACIFIC STORAGE COMPANY IN STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA. THE GOODS REMAINED IN STORAGE UNTIL DECEMBER 3, 1968, AT WHICH TIME PACIFIC STORAGE DELIVERED THEM TO THE EMPLOYEE'S RESIDENCE IN TRACY, CALIFORNIA (19 MILES FROM STOCKTON).

ON HIS ORIGINAL VOUCHER THE EMPLOYEE WAS REIMBURSED THE SUM OF $873.09 UNDER SECTION 1 OF GSA BULLETIN FPMR NO. A-2, ATTACHMENT A, TABLE 3, FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS GOODS FROM QUINCY, WASHINGTON, TO TRACY, CALIFORNIA--- A DISTANCE OF 825 MILES. ALSO, HE WAS ALLOWED THE ACTUAL STORAGE AND WAREHOUSE HANDLING CHARGES ($96.12) SHOWN ON THE INVOICE OF THE PACIFIC STORAGE COMPANY. HOWEVER, THE EMPLOYEE'S CLAIM FOR CARTAGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $164.21--- THE CHARGE BY PACIFIC STORAGE FOR TRANSPORTING THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS FROM STORAGE IN STOCKTON TO THE EMPLOYEE'S RESIDENCE IN TRACY--- WAS DISALLOWED ON THE BASIS THAT SUCH AMOUNT REPRESENTED A LINE-HAUL FREIGHT CHARGE WHICH WAS COVERED BY THE COMMUTED RATE PAYMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION UNDER SECTION 1 OF GSA BULLETIN FPMR NO. A-2.

DRAYAGE OR CARTAGE CHARGES INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS ARE ALLOWABLE AS A NECESSARY CHARGE INCIDENTAL TO SUCH TEMPORARY STORAGE IN AN AMOUNT WHICH, TOGETHER WITH THE ACTUAL STORAGE CHARGES, DOES NOT EXCEED THE SPECIFIED MAXIMUM COMMUTED RATE. COMP. GEN. 41. ALSO, SEE SECTION 2 OF GSA BULLETIN FPMR NO. A-2, ATTACHMENT A.

THE DRAYAGE CHARGE IN QUESTION ($164.21) CLEARLY WAS INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH THE TEMPORARY STORAGE OF THE EMPLOYEE'S HOUSEHOLD GOODS RATHER THAN IN CONNECTION WITH THE LINE-HAUL TRANSPORTATION THEREOF. THE RATE USED BY PACIFIC STORAGE FOR DELIVERING THE GOODS TO THE EMPLOYEE'S RESIDENCE ($2.05 PER CWT) ALSO WOULD HAVE BEEN APPLICABLE HAD THE GOODS BEEN STORED IN TRACY. THEREFORE, THE EMPLOYEE MAY BE REIMBURSED THE AMOUNT CLAIMED SINCE THE ACTUAL STORAGE CHARGES INCLUDING DRAYAGE (A TOTAL OF $260.33) DO NOT EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ALLOWABLE (ALSO, $260.33) ON THE COMMUTED RATE BASIS UNDER SECTION 2 OF GSA BULLETIN FPMR NO. A-2, ATTACHMENT A, SUPPLEMENT 15.

WE POINT OUT THAT REIMBURSEMENT UNDER SECTION 1 OF GSA BULLETIN NO. A-2 FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS SHOULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON THE MILEAGE BETWEEN QUINCY AND STOCKTON (806) RATHER THAN THE MILEAGE BETWEEN QUINCY AND TRACY (825). SEE B-165253, OCTOBER 9, 1968, COPY ENCLOSED. HOWEVER, SINCE THE COMMUTED RATE FOR 806 MILES IS THE SAME AS THAT FOR 825 MILES UNDER THE APPLICABLE TABLE, NO ADJUSTMENT IN THAT REGARD IS NECESSARY.

IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ABOVE, THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED HEREWITH, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT.