B-170353, SEP. 3, 1970

B-170353, SEP. 3, 1970

TRANSFER OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS DECISION AUTHORIZING CERTIFICATION OF A VOUCHER FOR $138.25 AS REIMBURSEMENT OF PAYMENT TO EMPLOYEE OF SBA FOR MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO TRANSFER FROM WASHINGTON, D.C. TO DENVER, COLORADO. SBA EMPLOYEE, WHO ELECTED TO HAVE HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS SHIPPED TO DAUGHTER'S RESIDENCE IN SUITLAND, MD., RATHER THAN TO THE NEW STATION IN DENVER, COLORADO, IS ENTITLED TO REIMBURSEMENT OF EXPENSES INCURRED UNDER THE BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56, WHETHER THE POINT OF DESTINATION IS THE NEW STATION OR SOME OTHER POINT SELECTED BY THE EMPLOYEE, SO LONG AS THE COST ON COMMUTED RATE BASIS DOES NOT EXCEED THE COST OF TRANSPORTATION OF THE PROPERTY IN ONE LOAD BY THE MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE FROM THE LAST STATION TO THE NEW STATION. EVIDENCE REASONABLY ESTABLISHES THAT SOME 3,000 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS WERE INVOLVED, AND PAYMENT AT THE COMMUTED RATE FOR SHIPMENT OF GOODS OF 3,000 POUNDS OR MORE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEED THE COST ACTUALLY INCURRED, EMPLOYEE MAY BE ALLOWED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE COST INCURRED, $138.25.

TO MR. J. C. MACKALL:

THIS REFERS TO YOUR LETTER DATED JULY 15, 1970, REQUESTING A DECISION AS TO THE AMOUNT AN EMPLOYEE OF YOUR ADMINISTRATION MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO HER TRANSFER FROM WASHINGTON, D. C., TO DENVER, COLORADO. WE ALSO HAVE YOUR LETTER DATED AUGUST 11, 1970, IN WHICH YOU SUBMITTED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION REGARDING THE SHIPMENT.

IN LIEU OF MOVING HER HOUSEHOLD GOODS TO DENVER THE EMPLOYEE ELECTED TO MOVE THEM WITHIN THE METROPOLITAN AREA OF WASHINGTON TO HER DAUGHTER'S RESIDENCE IN SUITLAND, MARYLAND. YOU FORWARDED A COPY OF THE PAID BILL OF SOUTHEAST MOVERS, INC., IN THE AMOUNT OF $138.25 INDICATING THAT THE MOVEMENT WAS MADE ON THE BASIS OF AN HOURLY RATE OF $24 PER HOUR PLUS PACKING MATERIAL. A CERTIFICATE SHOWING THE WEIGHT OF THE GOODS OR THE VOLUME IN CUBIC FEET HAS NOT BEEN FURNISHED. YOU ASK WHETHER THE EMPLOYEE MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR THE AMOUNT PAID FOR THE LOCAL MOVE SINCE IT IS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN WOULD HAVE BEEN INCURRED HAD THE HOUSEHOLD GOODS BEEN TRANSPORTED TO DENVER, COLORADO. (THE FACT THAT THE LOCAL MOVE COSTS LESS THAN A SHIPMENT TO DENVER IS IRRELEVANT IN THESE TERMS, SINCE REIMBURSEMENT IS MADE ON THE BASIS OF SHIPMENT ACTUALLY MADE--SUBJECT TO THE OVERALL LIMITATION OF COST BETWEEN POINTS OF DUTY.)

IN YOUR LETTER OF AUGUST 11, 1970, THERE WAS FURNISHED A LIST OF THE ITEMS IN ADDITION TO THE CARTONS AND WARDROBES THAT WERE MOVED AND YOU SAY THAT YOU WERE INFORMED BY THE MOVER THAT BASED ON THE CHARGE, THE WEIGHT OF THE ENTIRE SHIPMENT WOULD BE 3,000 POUNDS OR MORE AND DEFINITELY NOT LESS THAN 3,000 POUNDS.

SECTION 6.3 OF BUREAU OF THE BUDGET CIRCULAR NO. A-56 PROVIDES THAT REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSPORTING HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PERSONAL EFFECTS IS ALLOWABLE WHETHER THE POINT OF DESTINATION IS THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION OR SOME OTHER POINT SELECTED BY THE EMPLOYEE. HOWEVER, THE TOTAL AMOUNT WHICH MAY BE PAID OR REIMBURSED BY THE GOVERNMENT SHALL NOT EXCEED THE COST OF TRANSPORTING THE PROPERTY IN ONE LOAD BY THE MOST ECONOMICAL ROUTE FROM THE LAST OFFICIAL STATION OF THE TRANSFERRING EMPLOYEE TO THE NEW OFFICIAL STATION.

AN EMPLOYEE WHO DOES NOT FURNISH PROPER EVIDENCE OF THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OR VOLUME OF THE GOODS SUCH AS WILL SATISFY THE LAW AND REGULATIONS MAY NOT BE ALLOWED REIMBURSEMENT AT THE COMMUTED RATE FOR THE MOVEMENT OF HOUSEHOLD EFFECTS. B-159899, SEPTEMBER 7, 1966, COPY ENCLOSED. WE HAVE HELD, HOWEVER, THAT WHERE THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE AFFORDS A BASIS FOR CONCLUDING THAT THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OF THE GOODS SHIPPED REASONABLY APPROXIMATES THE ESTIMATED WEIGHT, THE EMPLOYEE MAY BE REIMBURSED FOR THE ACTUAL EXPENSES TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY DO NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYABLE FOR SUCH ESTIMATED WEIGHT AT THE APPLICABLE COMMUTED RATES. 38 COMP. GEN. 554, 555 (1959). SEE ALSO B 129708, DECEMBER 6, 1956; COPY ENCLOSED.

IN THE INSTANT CASE THE AVAILABLE EVIDENCE REASONABLY ESTABLISHES THAT SOME 3,000 POUNDS OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS WERE INVOLVED. SINCE PAYMENT AT THE COMMUTED RATE FOR THE SHIPMENT AS MADE OF GOODS WEIGHING 3,000 OR MORE WOULD SIGNIFICANTLY EXCEED THE COST ACTUALLY INCURRED, THE EMPLOYEE MAY BE ALLOWED REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE ACTUAL COST OF SHIPMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $138.25.