[DOE Employee's Claims for Relocation and Travel Expenses]

The Department of Energy (DOE) requested a decision concerning an employee's claims for relocation and travel expenses incurred incident to several transfers. The claimant also requested reimbursement for his temporary quarters expenses while he was on annual and sick leave, telephone installation in his temporary quarters, air transportation expenses, real estate expenses, and the interest on the delayed payment of his claims. GAO held that DOE properly denied the employee's claim for reimbursement for: (1) his sons' temporary lodging expenses, since their living quarters were outside of the employee's work area; (2) telephone installation at his temporary quarters, since it was not a service ordinarily included in the price of his quarters; (3) the actual cost of his air travel expenses, since he chose to transport his household goods in his private aircraft at a higher cost than common carrier air travel; and (4) real estate consultation expenses, since regulations prohibited reimbursement of a broker's fee. GAO also held that: (1) DOE should reimburse the employee for the expenses he incurred in selling his former residence, if settlement occurred within the required 3-year period; (2) the employee was not entitled to the payment of interest on his claims, since he was not a vendor; and (3) DOE should reimburse the employee for his temporary expenses while he was on leave, if the trips he took did not delay occupancy of his permanent quarters. Accordingly, the claims were denied in part and allowed in part.