[Decision on Former INS Employee's Appeal of Claims Group's Disallowance of Claim for Reimbursement of Relocation Expenses]

An Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) employee appealed the Claims Group's disallowance of his claim for reimbursement of certain relocation expenses he incurred in connection with two transfers. GAO held that the employee: (1) was not entitled to reimbursement for his lease termination expenses, since there was no indication that the lease required payment of those expenses; (2) was entitled to reimbursement for the cost of an appraisal of his new home, since the purchaser was required to pay such costs in that location; and (3) was not entitled to reimbursement for his loan origination fee, since regulations precluded reimbursement of such fees at the time the claimant purchased his home. Accordingly, the claim was denied in part and allowed in part.