B-187736, MAY 31, 1977

B-187736, MAY 31, 1977

WHERE IT WAS PREDETERMIEND THAT PURSUANT TO A CHANGE OF STATION IT WOULD BE CHEAPER TO SHIP EMPLOYEE'S HOUSEHOLD GOODS ON GBL AND EMPLOYEE SHIPS PART BY GBL AND PART BY PRIVATE CONVEYANCE, EMPLOYEE WOULD BE LIMITED TO REIMBURSEMENT AS IF SHIPMENT HAD BEEN MADE IN ONE LOT ON GBL.

JAMES D. DEAL - TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS:

THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST OF MS. ORRIS C. HUET, AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER OF THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, NATIONAL FINANCE CENTER, WHETHER A VOUCHER IN FAVOR OF MR. JAMES D. DEAL IN THE AMOUNT OF $806.20 MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT. THE VOUCHER REPRESENTS A CLAIM FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF THE COST OF TRANSPORTING 6,040 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO HIS CHANGE OF STATION FROM ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, TO DES MOINES, IOWA, AS AN EMPLOYEE OF THE FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PURSUANT TO TRAVEL ORDER NO. 04-19-6-1, DATED SEPTEMBER 22, 1975.

INCIDENT TO THAT CHANGE OF STATION, MR. DEAL WAS AUTHORIZED TRANSPORTATION OF 11,000 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS. IT HAD BEEN ADMINISTRATIVELY DETERMINED THAT MR. DEAL'S HOUSEHOLD GOODS SHOULD BE SHIPPED ON A GBL SINCE THERE WOULD BE A SAVINGS TO THE GOVERNMENT OF MORE THAN $100 BY THIS METHOD. SEE FTR 208.3C(4)(A). WHILE THE GOVERNMENT HAS PAID THE TRANSPORTATION COMPANY ON THE ACTUAL EXPENSE BASIS UNDER GOVERNMENT BILL OF LADING FOR COMMERCIAL TRANSPORTATION OF 5,440 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS, MR. DEAL HAS RECEIVED NO REIMBURSEMENT IN CONNECTION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF ADDITIONAL HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WHICH, IN THE COURSE OF FOUR TRIPS, HE TRANSPORTED ON HIS OWN. MR. DEAL CLAIMS THAT THE GOODS WHICH HE TRANSPORTED TOTALED 6,040 POUNDS AND IN SUPPORT OF THIS STATEMENT HE HAS SUBMITTED FIVE WEIGHT CERTIFICATES. THE $806.20 NOW CLAIMED BY MR. DEAL WERE FOR THE SHIPMENT ON A COMMUTED RATE BASIS OF 6,040 POUNDS.

SINCE THE HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS WERE TRANSPORTED IN FIVE SHIPMENTS, FOUR OF WHICH (ALLEGED TO BE 6,040) WERE MOVED NONCOMMERCIALLY BY THE EMPLOYEE, THE PROVISIONS OF PARAGRAPH 2-8.2D OF THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FPMR 101-7) (MAY 1973) ARE APPLICABLE. THAT REGULATION PROVIDES, IN PERTINENT PART, AS FOLLOWS:

"COST OF TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS MAY BE PAID BY THE GOVERNMENT WHETHER THE SHIPMENT ORIGINATES AT THE EMPLOYEE'S LAST OFFICAL STATION OR PLACE OF RESIDENCE OR AT SOME OTHER POINT, OR IF PART OF THE SHIPMENT ORIGINATES AT THE LAST OFFICIAL STATION AND THE REMAINDER AT ONE OR MORE OTHER POINTS. SIMILARLY, THESE EXPENSES ARE ALLOWABLE WHETHER THE POINT OF DESTINATION IS THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION OR SOME OTHER POINT SELECTED BY THE EMPLOYEE, OR IF THE DESTINATION FOR PART OF THE PROPERTY IS THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION AND THE REMAINDER IS SHIPPED TO ONE OR MORE OTHER POINTS. HOWEVER, THE TOTAL AMOUNT WHICH MAY BE PAID OR REIMBURSED BY THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE COST OF TRANSPORTING THE PROPERTY IN ONE LOT BY THE MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE FROM THE LAST OFFICIAL STATION OF THE TRANSFERRING EMPLOYEE (OR THE PLACE OF ACTUAL RESIDENCE OF THE NEW APPOINTEE AT TIME OF APPOINTMENT) TO THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION. * * * "

UNDER THE ABOVE-QUOTED PARAGRAPH WHEN AN EMPLOYEE SHIPS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS IN TWO OR MORE SHIPMENTS THE TOTAL AMOUNT WHICH MAY BE PAID OR REIMBURSED BY THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE COST OF TRANSPORTING THE PROPERTY IN ONE LOT BY THE MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE. B-173557, AUGUST 30, 1971. THEREFORE, SINCE IT WAS PREDETERMINED THAT THE ACTUAL EXPENSE METHOD WOULD RESULT IN A SAVINGS TO THE GOVERNMENT, THE TOTAL COST OF THE FOUR SHIPMENTS MADE BY MR. DEAL MAY BE REIMBURSED ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT WHEN ADDED TO THE $1,123.91 ALREADY PAID UNDER GOVERNMENT BILL OF LADING, IT DOES NOT EXCEED THE COST OF SHIPPING 11,000 POUNDS IN ONE LOT ON A GBL.

THE VOUCHER MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH ABOVE.