B-111057, SEPTEMBER 30, 1952, 32 COMP. GEN. 154

B-111057, SEPTEMBER 30, 1952, 32 COMP. GEN. 154

TRANSPORTATION - HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS - COMMUTATION - SHIPMENT BY EMPLOYEE'S TRAILER AN EMPLOYEE WHO, ON A PERMANENT CHANGE OF STATION, TRANSPORTED HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS IN HIS PRIVATELY OWNED TRAILER WHICH WAS TOWED BY HIS PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE ON THE SAME TRIP ON WHICH HE TRANSPORTED HIMSELF AND FAMILY AND WHO WAS PAID MILEAGE FOR THE USE OF HIS AUTOMOBILE IS NOT ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT, UNDER SECTION 12 (A) OF EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 9805, AS AMENDED, UPON A COMMUTED BASIS OR ANY OTHER BASIS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF SAID HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS.

COMPTROLLER GENERAL WARREN TO L. R. PHILLIPS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, SEPTEMBER 30, 1952:

REFERENCE IS MADE TO YOUR LETTER OF JULY 22, 1952, REQUESTING DECISION WHETHER YOU MAY CERTIFY FOR PAYMENT THE VOUCHER THEREWITH TRANSMITTED FOR $139.72 IN FAVOR OF CHOICE ROBERT SANDERS, AN EMPLOYEE OF THE SOUTHWESTERN POWER ADMINISTRATION, REPRESENTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION OF HIS HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS FROM STOCKTON, KANSAS, TO TULSA, OKLAHOMA, ON A COMMUTED BASIS. IT APPEARS THAT THE GOODS IN QUESTION WERE TRANSPORTED IN THE EMPLOYEE'S PRIVATELY OWNED TRAILER PULLED BY HIS PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE ON THE SAME TRIP ON WHICH HE TRANSPORTED HIMSELF AND FAMILY; AND THAT HE HAS BEEN PAID ?07 PER MILE FOR THE USE OF HIS PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE. IN A STATEMENT ATTACHED TO THE VOUCHER, THE CLAIMANT ESTIMATES THE WEIGHT OF HIS EFFECTS AT 1,630 POUNDS BASED ON SEVEN POUNDS PER CUBIC FOOT OF SPACE AND STATES THAT NO WEIGHT CERTIFICATE IS FURNISHED AS HE LEFT STOCKTON AT 7:15 A.M. AT WHICH TIME THERE WERE NO WEIGHING FACILITIES AVAILABLE WITHIN A RADIUS OF 10 MILES.

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 9805 AUTHORIZED THE COMMUTATION OF THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS OF AN EMPLOYEE WHEN "ACTUALLY SHIPPED BY CARRIER FOR THE EMPLOYEE" AND THE DECISIONS OF THIS OFFICE HELD THAT COMMUTATION WAS NOT AUTHORIZED FOR SHIPMENT NOT BY CARRIER. THE SUBSTITUTION IN EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 10196 OF THE WORDS "ACTUALLY TRANSPORTED" FOR THE ABOVE-QUOTED LANGUAGE DID NOT CHANGE THE REIMBURSEMENT RIGHTS OF THE EMPLOYEES. IN DECISION MAY 13, 1952, B 107845, 31 COMP. GEN. 590, IT WAS HELD BY THIS OFFICE THAT REIMBURSEMENT ON A COMMUTED OR ANY OTHER BASIS COULD NOT BE MADE WHEN THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS WERE TRANSPORTED IN A HOUSE TRAILER TOWED BY A TRUCK DRIVEN BY THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS REIMBURSED ON A MILEAGE BASIS FOR THE USE OF HIS PRIVATELY OWNED AUTOMOBILE FOR THE TRANSPORTATION OF HIS WIFE; THAT HOUSE TRAILERS ARE NOT REGARDED AS "HOUSEHOLD GOODS" AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING IN THE RECORD TO INDICATE BY WHAT AMOUNT, IF ANY, THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION OF THE HOUSE TRAILER WAS INCREASED BY REASON OF THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS CARRIED THEREIN. SEE ALSO B-109099, APRIL 25, 1952; 31 COMP. GEN. 288; 28 ID. 95; 27 ID. 181.

IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING,YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO CERTIFY THE VOUCHER FOR PAYMENT. THE VOUCHER IS RETURNED HEREWITH.