[Decision Concerning Reimbursement of Navy Employee for Real Estate Expenses]

A Navy employee claimed reimbursement for real estate expenses he incurred in the sale of his home incident to his relocation. The Navy held that the claimant's separate sale of a portion of his residential lot to the same buyer constituted a nonreimbursable collateral transaction, and denied him reimbursement for a portion of his brokerage fees. GAO held that, since the employee agreed to the separate sale for the buyer's convenience, the separate sale did not constitute a collateral transaction. Accordingly, the claim was allowed.