Claim for Actual Subsistence Expenses

A federal employee appealed a GAO decision which denied his claim for additional subsistence expenses. Upon notification of his transfer from Germany to the United States, the employee made arrangements to have his privately owned vehicle (POV) shipped to Washington D.C. so that he would be able to use it in connection with his home leave before reporting to his new post. However, on his arrival he had to wait for 11 days before the automobile was released to him. The employee then submitted a claim for additional subsistence expenses for the 11-day period he waited for the release of his automobile. GAO has held that a federal employee may be entitled to expenses while awaiting the delivery of his automobile at the port of debarkation where the delay in availability of the automobile was beyond the employee's control. In these cases, the use of a POV to continue travel from the port to which the automobile was shipped was authorized as advantageous to the government. In this instance, the employee was authorized to travel by commercial air carrier, but chose to travel by POV as a matter of personal preference. GAO concluded that, since the employee's travel by POV was not authorized as advantageous to the government, he was not entitled to reimbursement of expenses for the 11-day period in question. Accordingly, the prior decision was sustained.