[Claim for Household Goods Transportation Expenses]

An advance decision was requested concerning the propriety of reimbursing a former federal employee for the cost of transporting his household goods incident to his transfer. The employee was authorized relocation expenses, including the cost of transporting his household goods to his new duty station. However, he delayed moving his household goods because he was unable to sell his residence. After serving a year at the new duty station, the employee resigned from government service to accept a private sector position and made arrangements to move his family to the location of his new position. The former employee submitted a claim to the agency for the constructive cost of transporting his household goods from his old duty station to his new duty station. GAO found that, by remaining in government service for more than 12 months after his transfer, the former employee earned the right to be reimbursed for transportation of his household goods to the new duty station, assuming that such reimbursement was not otherwise prohibited. In addition, GAO found that reimbursement of the transportation expenses was not barred on grounds of timeliness. Accordingly, when the former employee shipped his household goods to the location of his private sector employment, he was entitled to reimbursement for the constructive cost of shipping his goods from his old duty station to his new duty station, and the voucher may be certified for payment in this amount, if otherwise correct.