Reimbursement of Real Estate Expenses Involving Loan Origination Fee

An appeal was made of the denial of reimbursement of a loan origination fee paid by a Federal employee to secure a mortgage. The employee upon transfer paid 1 percent of the amount of a loan on the purchase of a residence as a loan origination fee. Reimbursement of a loan origination fee is not authorized under the Federal Travel Regulations since such a fee is considered a "finance charge." Regulations prescribing the authorized reimbursements and exclusions are issued by the General Services Administration and GAO has no authority to change them. Accordingly, the disallowance of the claim was sustained.