House-Hunting Trip Expenses

A Federal employee appealed a decision which disallowed his claim for reimbursement of house-hunting expenses incident to a permanent change in duty station. The employee's transfer orders, as issued, only authorized a temporary quarters allowance, not one for house-hunting expenses. On appeal, the employee contended that the house-hunting trip resulted in a reduced cost to the Government since he reduced the period that he occupied temporary quarters. It was held that this furnished no basis for payment and in the absence of advance written authorization, prior verbal or other informal approval, or an administrative error, an employee may not be reimbursed for house-hunting expenses. Accordingly, the previous disallowance of the claim was sustained.