B-232375, May 31, 1989

B-232375, May 31, 1989

CIVILIAN PERSONNEL - Relocation - Household goods - Temporary storage - Expenses - Weight certification CIVILIAN PERSONNEL - Relocation - Temporary quarters - Actual subsistency expenses - Determination DIGEST: 1. A transferred employee's household goods were shipped and were placed in commercial storage at destination. Most of those household goods were then moved to his temporary quarters. Those household goods and the rest of the household goods in storage were later moved to his permanent quarters. Under chapter 2, part 8, of the Federal Travel Regulations, the government's cost of transportation and temporary storage shall not exceed the cost on a constructive basis of transporting the goods in one lot from old to new station, temporary storage, and movement of the goods in one lot from storage. Since the expenses previously paid by the government were less than constructive costs, the employee may be reimbursed the additional cost of moving his household goods from temporary to permanent quarters, not to exceed the constructive cost limitation. CIVILIAN PERSONNEL - Relocation - Temporary qaurters - Actual subsistence expenses - Determination 2. A transferred employee whose household goods were shipped under the actual expense method exceeded the constructive cost of transporting the goods in one lot, temporary storage at the destination and movement of the goods to permanent quarters, because a portion of his goods were moved from storage into temporary quarters and later to permanent quarters. The expenses incurred by the employee in excess of constructive costs may be reimbursed as a temporary quarters subsistence expense since the goods were used to furnish temporary quarters. Aaron L. Howe, B-217435, Aug. 29, 1985.

Lyndon A. Werner - Household Goods Shipment - Use in Temporary Quarters:

This decision is in response to a request from an Authorized Certifying Officer, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Department of the Interior. concerns the entitlement of a BLM employee to be reimbursed certain expenses incurred for the transportation and storage of his household goods incident to a permanent change of station.

BACKGROUND

Mr. Lyndon A. Werner, an employee of BLM, was transferred from Eugene, Oregon, to Washington, D.C., and he was authorized to ship his household goods and, if necessary, place them in temporary storage for a period not to exceed 90 days. A portion of Mr. Werner's household goods were to go into storage in the Washington, D.C. area until he could occupy permanent quarters, and the remaining 9,280 pounds were to be delivered to his temporary quarters and later moved to his permanent quarters. The agency approved this method of delivery, but informed Mr. Werner that he would be able to claim the expense of transporting his goods from temporary quarters to permanent quarters provided the cost did not exceed what it would have cost the government to move those goods directly from temporary storage to his permanent quarters.

Shipment of the household goods did not go as anticipated. The movers arrived in the Washington area 1 week ahead of schedule, and since Mr. Werner had not arrived and located temporary quarters, all of his household goods were placed into the nearest available commercial storage, 86 miles away. One week later, 9,280 pounds of household goods were moved from storage and delivered to his temporary quarters at government expense. When Mr. Werner later occupied permanent quarters, the household goods which remained in storage were moved the 86 miles to those quarters at government expense. In addition, Mr. Werner had the household goods which were in his temporary quarters moved the 2 miles to his permanent quarters at a cost of $345. The agency denied the latter claim based on the fact that drayage expenses from storage had already been paid. Mr. Werner contends that he should not be penalized because his household goods arrived prior to the scheduled date and had to be placed in storage.

OPINION

The regulations governing shipment and temporary storage of household goods on an actual expense basis are contained in chapter 2, part 8, of the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) /1/ .

Under the provisions of FTR, para. 2-8.2d, transportation costs to the government shall not exceed the cost of transporting the property in one lot from the old official station to the new official station. Kathleen A. Doyle, B-231140, Oct. 27, 1988. Since temporary storage was authorized, the cost to the government would be limited to shipment to temporary storage and shipment to permanent quarters in one lot.

We have been advised by the General Services Administration that the cost of storage and shipment of the household goods in one lot from commercial storage to permanent quarters would be $3,499.33. Since the actual payment by the government for storage and shipment in two lots totaled $3,402.58, an additional $96.75 may be paid to Mr. Werner against his $345 drayage cost incurred when he moved his household goods from his temporary quarters to his permanent residence.

The balance of the cost of moving his household goods from his temporary quarters to his permanent quarters may be claimed in his temporary quarters subsistence expense allowance. In Aaron L. Howe, B-217435, Aug. 29, 1985, we considered the claim of an employee who furnished his temporary quarters with a significant portion of his own household goods in lieu of renting furniture. Since furniture rental may be included in determining the average daily lodging costs, we ruled in Howe that the cost of drayage of those household goods was reasonably related to the occupancy of temporary quarters. The cost may be prorated over the period of temporary quarters subsistence expense entitlement, with actual reimbursement subject to the maximum allowable for temporary quarters.

Accordingly, Mr. Werner's claim may be reimbursed on that basis.

/1/ FTR (Supp. 1, Sept. 28, 1981), incorp. by ref., 41 C.F.R. Sec. 101- 7.003 (1988).