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B-186452, DEC 22, 1976

B-186452 Dec 22, 1976
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COST OF CARDBOARD WARDROBES USED FOR TRANSPORTATION ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE SINCE THEY BECAME EMPLOYEE'S PROPERTY. ARLO LANDOLT - REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS - EVIDENCE OF WEIGHT: THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM LEON R. THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS ON THE LIST IS 902 POUNDS. LANDOLT IS CLAIMING $156.48. REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM TO EMPLOYEES OF THE EXPENSE OF TRANSPORTATION OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER IS GOVERNED BY THE PROVISIONS OF PART 2-8 OF THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FTR). WE PREVIOUSLY HAVE HELD THAT ESTIMATED WEIGHTS MAY PROVIDE A BASIS FOR REIMBURSEMENT ON OTHER THAN A COMMUTED RATE BASIS.

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B-186452, DEC 22, 1976

EMPLOYEE WHO TRANSPORTED HIS HOUSEHOLD GOODS BY RENTAL VEHICLE FURNISHED LIST OF ITEMS WITH CORRESPONDING WEIGHTS OBTAINED BY WEIGHING THEM ON BATHROOM SCALE. METHOD OF WEIGHING AFFORDS BASIS FOR CONCLUDING THAT WEIGHT OBTAINED REASONABLY APPROXIMATES ACTUAL WEIGHT AND, IN VIEW OF SMALL SIZE OF SHIPMENT (902 POUNDS), ERROR WOULD BE DE MINIMIS. EMPLOYEE MAY BE REIMBURSED ACTUAL EXPENSES OF TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE TO EXTENT THEY DO NOT EXCEED AMOUNTS REIMBURSABLE UNDER COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM. HOWEVER, COST OF CARDBOARD WARDROBES USED FOR TRANSPORTATION ARE NOT REIMBURSABLE SINCE THEY BECAME EMPLOYEE'S PROPERTY.

ARLO LANDOLT - REIMBURSEMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS - EVIDENCE OF WEIGHT:

THIS ACTION IS IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM LEON R. THOMAS, AN AUTHORIZED CERTIFYING OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF), FOR AN ADVANCE DECISION CONCERNING THE PROPRIETY OF PAYMENT OF THE CLAIM OF DR. ARLO LANDOLT FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE EXPENSE OF TRANSPORTING HIS HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER.

THE RECORD SHOWS THAT, INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER FROM BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, TO WASHINGTON, D.C., DR. LANDOLT TRANSPORTED HIS OWN HOUSEHOLD GOODS IN A RENTAL VEHICLE. HE DID NOT OBTAIN PROPER WEIGHT CERTIFICATION BUT HAS FURNISHED A LIST OF THE ITEMS TRANSPORTED TOGETHER WITH THEIR RESPECTIVE WEIGHTS OBTAINED BY WEIGHING THE ITEMS ON A BATHROOM SCALE. THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS ON THE LIST IS 902 POUNDS. DR. LANDOLT IS CLAIMING $156.48, CONSISTING OF THE ACTUAL EXPENSE OF THE TRUCK RENTAL ($126.34), PURCHASE OF TWO CARDBOARD WARDROBES ($9.54), AND 10 DAYS TEMPORARY STORAGE ($20.60). MR. THOMAS QUESTIONS THE SUFFICIENCY OF DR. LANDOLT'S LIST OF ITEMS AND WEIGHTS FOR THE PURPOSE OF REIMBURSEMENT. ALSO ASKS WHETHER DR. LANDOLT MAY BE REIMBURSED ON A COMMUTED RATE BASIS OR FOR THE ACTUAL EXPENSE OF THE RENTAL VEHICLE.

REIMBURSEMENT UNDER THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM TO EMPLOYEES OF THE EXPENSE OF TRANSPORTATION OF THEIR HOUSEHOLD GOODS INCIDENT TO A TRANSFER IS GOVERNED BY THE PROVISIONS OF PART 2-8 OF THE FEDERAL TRAVEL REGULATIONS (FTR), FPMR 101-7 (MAY 1973). PARAGRAPH 2-8.3A(3) OF THE FTR SETS FORTH THE DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH ENTITLEMENT UNDER THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM. WHILE A STRICT READING OF THIS REGULATION WOULD INDICATE THAT ONLY WEIGHT CERTIFICATES ATTESTING TO THE ACTUAL WEIGHT OF THE GOODS TRANSPORTED, OR IN LIEU THEREOF, A CONSTRUCTIVE WEIGHT ESTABLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH FTR PARA. 2-8.2B(4), WOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO SUPPORT REIMBURSEMENT, WE PREVIOUSLY HAVE HELD THAT ESTIMATED WEIGHTS MAY PROVIDE A BASIS FOR REIMBURSEMENT ON OTHER THAN A COMMUTED RATE BASIS. IN THIS CONNECTION WE STATED THE FOLLOWING IN 38 COMP.GEN. 554, 555 (1959):

"WHEN, HOWEVER, AS HERE, 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 HIS ACTUAL EXPENSES TO THE EXTENT THEY DO NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN PAYABLE FOR SUCH ESTIMATED WEIGHT AT THE APPLICABLE COMMUTED RATES."

SEE ALSO 48 COMP.GEN. 115 (1968); AND B-181334, MARCH 28, 1975.

WE ARE OF THE OPINION THAT DR. LANDOLT'S LIST OF ITEMS AND WEIGHTS PROVIDES ADEQUATE EVIDENCE THAT THE WEIGHT OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS ACTUALLY TRANSPORTED REASONABLY APPROXIMATES THE WEIGHT OBTAINED BY USING A NON CERTIFICATED SCALE. WE NOTE PARTICULARLY THAT THE WEIGHTS ARE FOR INDIVIDUAL ITEMS AND ARE REASONABLE FOR THE ITEMS CLAIMED. MOREOVER, SINCE THE TOTAL WEIGHT IS ONLY 902 POUNDS, WE ARE OF THE VIEW THAT ANY PROBABLE ERROR IN WEIGHT WOULD BE DE MINIMIS.

IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, THE VOUCHER, WHICH IS RETURNED, MAY BE CERTIFIED FOR PAYMENT UPON DETERMINATION BY THE CERTIFYING OFFICER THAT THE AMOUNTS CLAIMED FOR VEHICLE RENTAL AND STORAGE DO NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNTS THAT WOULD BE PAYABLE UNDER THE COMMUTED RATE SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTATION AND STORAGE OF HOUSEHOLD GOODS. THE COST OF THE CARDBOARD WARDROBES MAY NOT BE REIMBURSED SINCE THEY BECAME THE PROPERTY OF DR. LANDOLT AND MAY BE USED BY HIM. B-169107, APRIL 21, 1971, AND B-144518, DECEMBER 13, 1960.

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