B-144916, JUN. 19, 1964
Highlights
THAT THEIR CHARGE IS $1.65 MINIMUM. THE $9.49 AS RECLAIMED WILL BE ALLOWED. THE PORTER FEES AT NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON ARE NOT ALLOWABLE. WHICH YOU SAY WERE FOR 19 BAGS WEIGHING A TOTAL OF 760 POUNDS. YOU HAVE PRESENTED NO EVIDENCE TO SHOW THAT SUCH FEES WERE IN THE NATURE OF CHARGES FOR TRANSFER OF BAGGAGE BETWEEN TERMINALS. WHICH YOU HAVE JUSTIFIED AS INCIDENT TO THE NECESSARY DELAY BY YOU IN ORDER TO REROUTE THE SHIPMENT OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS. THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $24 WILL BE ALLOWED. A SUPPLEMENTAL SETTLEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING WILL BE ISSUED IN DUE COURSE BY OUR CLAIMS DIVISION.
B-144916, JUN. 19, 1964
TO MR. ROBERT A. HANSCOME:
YOUR LETTER OF APRIL 22, 1964, REQUESTS THAT WE RECONSIDER OUR DECISION B -144916 DATED MARCH 3, 1964, CONCERNING THE SEVERAL ITEMS OF MILEAGE, AIR FREIGHT AND PORTER FEES INCURRED BY YOU AND YOUR WIFE INCIDENT TO THE TRANSFER OF YOUR OFFICIAL STATION FROM REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, TO WASHINGTON, D.C., UNDER DEPARTMENT OF STATE TRAVEL AUTHORIZATION NO. 3-13455 DATED JANUARY 7, 1963, AS AMENDED.
CONCERNING THE AIR FREIGHT YOU PICKED UP AT NATIONAL AIRPORT ON JANUARY 28, 1963, YOU MAY BE ALLOWED $1.65 IN LIEU OF THE $5.25 ROUND TRIP TAXI FARE CLAIMED ON YOUR VOUCHER. THE AIR FREIGHT SERVICE TERMINAL OF NATIONAL AIRLINES INFORMED US THAT THEY DELIVER TO RESIDENCES IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA UPON THE SHIPPER'S INSTRUCTIONS ON THE WAYBILL OR AS INFORMALLY REQUESTED BY THE CONSIGNEE; AND THAT THEIR CHARGE IS $1.65 MINIMUM, 100 POUNDS OR LESS.
THE SETTLEMENT OF AUGUST 14, 1963, ALLOWED YOU $20.27 AS THE COMPARATIVE COST OF RAIL FARE FROM NEW YORK, NEW YORK, TO WASHINGTON. HOWEVER, IN THE LIGHT OF THE ADVANTAGE TO THE GOVERNMENT, AS EXPRESSED IN SECTION 4.32B OF THE FOREIGN SERVICE TRAVEL REGULATIONS (TL: GS-7), AND 6 FAM 145.2-1, THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT REPRESENTING THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FULL MILEAGE OF $29.76 AND THE SETTLEMENT AMOUNT OF $20.27 APPEARS TO BE JUSTIFIED; NAMELY, THE $9.49 AS RECLAIMED WILL BE ALLOWED. HOWEVER, THE PORTER FEES AT NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON ARE NOT ALLOWABLE. SEE 11 COMP. GEN. 164 AND 33 ID. 614.
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
AS TO YOUR RECLAIM OF 1 1/2 DAYS' PER DIEM IN LIEU OF SUBSISTENCE AT NEW YORK, WHICH YOU HAVE JUSTIFIED AS INCIDENT TO THE NECESSARY DELAY BY YOU IN ORDER TO REROUTE THE SHIPMENT OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS, THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF $24 WILL BE ALLOWED.
A SUPPLEMENTAL SETTLEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOREGOING WILL BE ISSUED IN DUE COURSE BY OUR CLAIMS DIVISION.