B-182168, APR 22, 1975

B-182168, APR 22, 1975

MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES OF MOVING HOUSETRAILER IN CONNECTION WITH TRANSFER OF STATION INCLUDE REASONABLE EXTENSION OF EXISTING WATER AND SEWER LINES, BLOCKING AND REBLOCKING, CONNECTION OF UTILITIES AND TELEVISION SET, AND REWELDING OF TRAILER HITCH BUT EXCLUDE NEW OIL STORAGE TANKS, NEW STEPS, AND AUGMENTED SKIRTING.

LOYD C. DILLE - CLAIM FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES IN CONNECTION WITH TRANSFER:

THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM MR. ORRIS C. HUET, CERTIFYING OFFICER, NATIONAL FINANCE CENTER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA, FOR A DECISION REGARDING PAYMENT OF A CLAIM OF MR. LOYD C. DILLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF $259.13 FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES INCURRED IN CONNECTION WITH A TRANSFER OF OFFICIAL STATION.

MR. DILLE WAS AUTHORIZED REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER OF OFFICIAL STATION FROM JUNEAU, ALASKA, TO SITKA, ALASKA, BY TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION NO. 10.01.00225, DATED MAY 14, 1973. MR. DILLE WAS ALLOWED, INTER ALIA, TRANSPORTATION OF A HOUSETRAILER AND AN ALLOWANCE OF $200 FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES OR ACTUAL SUPPORTABLE MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES NOT TO EXCEED THE MAXIMUM AS PRESCRIBED BY REGULATION.

MR. DILLE COMPLETED HIS MOVE AND SUBMITTED A TRAVEL VOUCHER FOR MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES IN THE AMOUNT OF $459.13. THE CERTIFYING OFFICER CONSIDERED MOST OF THE CLAIMED EXPENSES TO BE NONREIMBURSABLE AND PAID MR. DILLE THE MINIMUM AMOUNT OF $200 AS PRESCRIBED BY FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FPMR 101-7) PARA. 2-3.3A(2) (MAY 1973). MR. DILLE SUBSEQUENTLY SUBMITTED ANOTHER TRAVEL VOUCHER FOR THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT REQUESTED AND THE AMOUNT PAID, IN THE SUM OF $259.13. (OUR COMPUTATIONS INDICATE THE FIGURES SHOULD HAVE BEEN $459.12 AND $259.12, RESPECTIVELY.)

THE EXPENSES CLAIMED BY MR. DILLE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. PIPE, TUBING, "THERMO" WRAP, HEAT TAPE, ETC., TO EXTEND

WATER AND SEWER PIPES TO THE TRAILER. $ 81.47

2. WOOD, ALUMINUM PANELS, WOODSTAIN, NAILS, AND BRUSH FOR

ADDITIONAL FRAMING, SKIRTING AND NEW STEPS. 160.31

3. NEW FUEL TANK AND COPPER TUBING. 93.54

4. REWELDING HITCH ON TRAILER AND MATERIALS. 50.25

5. TELEPHONE SERVICE CHARGE. 10.30

6. CABLE TELEVISION CONNECTION. 25.75

7. ADDITIONAL CONCRETE BLOCKS FOR REBLOCKING THE TRAILER. 37.50

$459.12

ITEM 1 WAS NECESSITATED BECAUSE THE NEW LOCATION HAD A SHORTER WATERLINE LEADING TO THE ASSIGNED TRAILER SITE. THIS EXPENSE IS ALLOWABLE AS AN EXPENSE IN CONNECTING EQUIPMENT AND UTILITIES. FTR PARA. 2-3.1B(1) (MAY 1973); B-175285, APRIL 20, 1972.

ITEM 2 WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE THE NEW TRAILER PAD HAD A DIFFERENT SLOPE AND NEW SKIRTING WAS NECESSARY AS WELL AS NEW STEPS. WE HAVE PREVIOUSLY DISALLOWED ADDITIONAL SKIRTING AND NEW STEPS AS BEING COSTS OF NEWLY ACQUIRED ITEMS. FTR PARA. 2-3.1C(5) (MAY 1973); B-181007, AUGUST 2, 1974; B-176476, AUGUST 21, 1972.

ITEM 3, CONSISTING OF A NEW FUEL OIL TANK AND COPPER TUBING TO CONNECT IT, WAS REQUIRED BECAUSE A FUEL OIL TANK HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN RENTED AT HIS OLD LOCATION. THESE ARE NEWLY ACQUIRED ITEMS AND ARE DISALLOWED. FTR PARA. 2-3.1C(5) (MAY 1973); B-181007, AUGUST 2, 1974; B-176476, AUGUST 21, 1972.

ITEM 4 FOR REWELDING A TRAILER HITCH WAS NECESSITATED BECAUSE THE PREVIOUS TRAILER PARK HAD REQUIRED THAT ALL HITCHES BE REMOVED. THIS EXPENSE IS ALLOWABLE AS A RELATED EXPENSE INVOLVED IN RELOCATING A MOBILE HOME, AND WOULD NOT BE REGARDED AS A STRUCTURAL MODIFICATION. FTR PARA. 2 -3.1B(2) (MAY 1973); B-175285, APRIL 20, 1972.

ITEM 5, A TELEPHONE SERVICE CONNECTION CHARGE, IS PAYABLE AS NOTED BY THE CERTIFYING OFFICER. FTR PARA. 2-3.1B(4) (MAY 1973), B-175285, APRIL 20, 1972.

ITEM 6 CONSISTS OF A CABLE CONNECTION FEE TO OPERATE HIS TELEVISION SET. AT MR. DILLE'S PREVIOUS LOCATION, TELEVISION HAD BEEN BROADCAST PUBLICLY AND NO SUCH CONNECTION WAS REQUIRED. WE BELIEVE THIS IS A FEE FOR "CONNECTING APPLIANCES, EQUIPMENT, OR UTILITIES INVOLVED IN RELOCATION" OR A COST OF "CONNECTING APPLIANCES FOR OPERATION ON AVAILABLE UTILITIES," WITHIN THE INTENT OF FTR PARA. 2-3.1B(1) (MAY 1973). SEE B-178228, JUNE 5, 1973, IN WHICH WE DISALLOWED A CLAIM FOR THE COST OF ADJUSTING A TELEVISION TUNER BUT ONLY BECAUSE ITS PURPOSE WAS "TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE OPERATION OF THE TELEVISION ITSELF (DUE TO DAMAGE IN TRANSIT) RATHER THAN BEING FOR THE PURPOSE OF INSTALLATION." THEREFORE, THE FEE OF $25.75 FOR CONNECTION TO THE CABLE MAY BE ALLOWED.

ITEM 7 IS THE COST OF ADDITIONAL CONCRETE BLOCKS REQUIRED FOR ADDITIONAL BLOCKING DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE IN SLOPE AT THE NEW AND OLD MOBILE HOME PADS. THIS EXPENSE IS CLEARLY AUTHORIZED BY REGULATION AND OUR PREVIOUS DECISIONS AS NOTED BY THE CERTIFYING OFFICER. FTR PARA. 2 3.1B(2) (MAY 1973); B-181007, AUGUST 2, 1974; B-175285, APRIL 20, 1972.

AS MAY BE SEEN FROM THE ABOVE, ITEMS 1, 4, 5, 6, AND 7 WERE ALLOWED TO PROVIDE A FINAL COMPUTATION AS FOLLOWS:

ITEM

1 $ 81.47

4 50.25

5 10.30

6 25.75

7 37.50

$205.27

THE AMOUNT INDICATED ABOVE EXCEEDS THE MINIMUM OF $200 WHICH MR. DILLE HAS ALREADY RECEIVED UNDER FTR PARA. 2-3.3A (MAY 1973) BY $5.27. SINCE THAT AMOUNT IS CLEARLY WITHIN THE LIMITS PRESCRIBED BY FTR PARA. 2-3.3B (MAY 1973), THE VOUCHER RETURNED HEREWITH, MAY BE PAID IN THE AMOUNT OF $5.27.